Granite City Duke of Wellington India Pale Ale

Brewed by Granite City Food & Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
St. Louis Park, Minnesota USA

pours a dark copper with a thin head. Aroma is light citrus-grapefruit. Medium malt behind it. Flavour is mostly earthy malt with a light citrus finish. No real lasting bitterness. Overall it’s drinkable, but perhaps a bit toned down.

On tap at the Cedar Rapids brewpub. Pours a dark copper. Pretty standard fare for big brewpub IPA. Good prices for 20 oz. but on the whole it’s pretty lackluster.

Amber with thin white head. Aroma of grapefruit juice over mild hops. It smells like someone brewed up a batch of beer and added a few cans of concentrated grapefruit juice. The Duke must be turning over in his grave. Taste more of the same with a burnt malt bitter finish that’s mildly bitter, dry and astringent. This one is all wrong and is a bottom tier IPA.

On tap in Davenport, IA. A solid yellow to pale orange color with a solid white head. The beer didn’t just lace - it had thick curtains all the way down the glass. I just wish it followed up! A very light hop nose - disappointing for a Duke, let alone an IPA. There were more hops in the flavor with a little spice and a good bit of bitterness. Decently balanced malts to back the slightly harsh bitterness. A good try at an IPA, but nothing to shout about.

Had this with Amanda on our way home from Cali when we stopped in Peoria Illinois. Nose of heavy spice and citrus. The brew is copper. The mostly diminishing white frothy head leaves fair lace. Wow! They are not fucking around with this one. Almost like a double IPA. Heavy duty boys here. The bitter front has a heavy acidic middle. The finish is spicy and bitter. The medium dry body is dry and very lively, the finish is very astringent.

Pours a light amber color with decent carbonation and foam staying power but limited lace to the glass. The smell is hoppy and more of a English style with earthy tones. I would guess some Fuggles and maybe Goldings. The taste has a nice malt and hop mix. It has a smooth and slightly sweet malt that doesn’t overpower the beer. The hops have more of a grapefruit flavor (as compared to grassy). The beer is relatively nice but slowly a more stronger bitter flavor takes off and almost gives it too spicy of a flavor. The sweet aroma hops are nice, but the earthy bittering hops really give it a zing bite to it. Overall I did enjoy this IPA. Not fantastic but overall a good tasting beer, but the zip at the end could be smoothed out.

Pretty lackluster for an IPA. Hoppier than a pale ale, but not by much. The restaurant did a decent mix with the IPA, Wheat, & Orange juice. I’d recommend that over the straight IPA.

(draught at St. Louis) hazy dark amber with small off white head. Aroma of pine. Flavor is pine and some citrus hops. Decent malt for balance. Good body.