Snow Blind
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Presentation: 341 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Yukon Brewing Company
Country: Canada
KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk
The India Pale Ale style is one with a curious pedigree, being one of the first beers developed specifically for export, but also to survive the actual journey itself. It was even named after its intended destination, where the palates of the East India Company employees, British colonists, and garrisoned British troops craved the familiar comforts of the homeland. Developed by an inventive British brewer by the name of George Hodgson in the late 18th century, it was a beefed up pale ale produced to survive the arduous journey from the British Isles to India, sailing around the whole of Africa and crossing the equator twice to get there.
You see, the traditional pale ales of the day didn’t travel well (in fact most styles of beer at the time wouldn’t have faired well on such a long voyage, especially without the aid of refrigeration), and although the soil of India supported barley crops, the climate itself foiled almost all attempts to brew a drinkable beer. The breakthrough stemmed from two natural sources of preservation, a higher alcohol content (7-8 % alcohol by volume, compared to the domestic pale ales of 3-4 % abv at the time), as well as a higher hop content. These two factors aided in the successful shipment of this new, more robust pale ale, which tended to be watered down to appropriate strengths for the ships crews and the eagerly awaiting colonist market in India once it arrived. However in time people formed a taste for the stronger and more intensely flavoured shipping version, and what was initially produced to offset transportation difficulties eventually remained a style unto itself, the India Pale Ale.
In recent times this style has evolved in North America to near monstrous proportions in a way, “hop-bombs” high enough in IBU’s (International Bittering Units, the standard form of measurement) to scrape the barnacles off the roof of your mouth, and leave one with near permanent bitter beer face if they’re not prepared for what’s to come. If this doesn’t sound very appealing to you at the moment, fortunately Yukon Brewing’s Snow Blind IPA is brewed in a similar fashion to the British version of the style, with lower alcohol content and a milder yet still apparent hop presence.
This current in-store version of Snow Blind was bottled specifically for the Sherbrooke Liquor Store, with a label of the store’s design, and as a first distribution to the Alberta market available in singles of 341 ml brown bottles. A pint glass will work fine to serve this in, or a mug, or any tall wide-mouthed glass you may have kicking around in the cupboard. Keeping the beer chilled is advisable as well, although as it slowly warms after poured more subtle characters in the aroma and the flavour will become more apparent, as colder temperatures tend to subdue them. Once poured expect to find a vibrant transparent copper hue, crowned by a thick, creamy off-white head. The aroma is mild with some biscuity Crystal malts and floral citrusy hops, while the texture in the mouth is smooth and medium-bodied, just a touch slick and oily at the end from the hops. There’s also a notable balance within the flavour, neither the malt or hops tends to overwhelm one another. It starts out with crisp bready malts quickly transitioning towards the finish with grassy herbal hops blended with citrus and pine, ending with mild grapefruit rind notes in the aftertaste.
This Snow Blind IPA is an excellent start for people to try the India Pale Ale style, as the mildness of its overall flavour profile is approachable and not overwhelming. Also a decent sounding board for how your particular palate reacts to discernible hop presence. Trust me, it took me years to gain an appreciation for hops, sometimes it simply takes time and exposure to develop an appreciation for them. Others shy away, it just doesn’t do anything for them. It all comes down to personal taste. Speaking of taste, try pairing this IPA with Indian food. It also goes well with roasts, such as beef, pork or even lamb, and compliments a nice grilled steak quite nicely. And now that you know that IPA stands for India Pale Ale you can avoid the painfully common mistake of referring to it as an “EEE-PAH”.
The next steps in the cooler:
From This Brewery:
Chilkoot Lager
Yukon Gold Ale
Arctic Red Ale
Lead Dog Ale
Discovery Ale
Cranberry Wheat Ale
Espresso Stout
In-Style Recommendations:
Samuel Smith’s India Ale
Martson’s Old Empire
Little Scrapper IPA - Half Pints Brewery
Lateral Steps:
Full Moon Pale Ale - Alley Kat
Fuller’s ESB
Ruddles County English Pub Ale
For The Adventurous:
Sherbrooke’s Bad Hare Day
Brewdog Punk IPA
Imperial Red Ale - Rogue