American
culture tends to follow the maxim that big is better, no where is this more
noticeable than in American craft brewing. In much the same way as American
Chefs continually 'super size' the dishes they cook, American brewers have
taken traditional European beer styles, bumped up the alcohol, malt and
particularly the hops and called them imperial after the extremely strong
imperial stouts that used to be exported from England. Imperial India Pale Ale or
IIPA for short has proved one of the most popular of this new breed providing
the perfect showcase for American Hops. Imperial India Pale Ales are often
referred to as San Diego Pale Ales, as the first examples of the style came
from the city. Brian Thiel is something else the world has San
Diego to thank for, and along with his brother in-law Andy Deuchars
he is responsible for Renaissance Marlborough Pale Ale, a New Zealand take on the IIPA style.
At
8.5%abv M.P.A. more than fits its 'imperial' tag. M.P.A. pours a mid gold with
the grassy herbal spicy aroma of organic Rakau hops; in the mouth the beer has
a rich caramel malt character, a slightly resinous hop note and a big bold
satisfyingly bitter finish. Andy recommends serving it with spicy Indian
curries, I think a tangy tart Thai curry would go great as well. This is
certainly a beer which has enough body and flavour to stand up to spicy food
unlike many of the light lagers which sadly dominate the beer fridges of Wellington's Indian and
Thai restaurants. Next time you’re breaking out the chilies give M.P.A. a go.
Kieran Haslett-Moore
Beer Specialist