Punk IPA (6%)

Appearance is golden, mostly clear, a clingy off-white head. Aroma- malt, honey hints, hops, grapefruit, fruity hops. Taste- bitter hops dominate, pineapple, toasty malt in the background, mango hints, pine, bitter hoppy finish.

From tap at Le Trappiste, Bruges. Pours hazy yellow with a big, foamy, white head. The aroma contains flowers, hops, citrus, other fruits and grass. It tastes light to medium sweet and medium bitter. Long bitter and hoppy finish, but never too sharp. Soft carbonation, creamy texture, delicate.

Almost incredible this is the beer that made BrewDog big… Underwhelming for the hophead I am now.

Don't know how i Feel About the Original..

Had loads of this back in the day, but I don’t rate from memory so I was happy to see them re brew this. Keg at Brewdog Soho. This rebrew is a shadow of the original, maybe it is just my terrible memory. A clear golden orange coloured pour with a lasting thin white head. Aroma is spicy lemon rind, hop, cereal grains, rustic straw, jammy fruits.. Flavour is composed of grassy lemon hop. Simple base grains. Palate is semi crisp semi sweet, moderate carbonation.. Disappointed, no big Nelson Sauvin character I remember. Would have been a 3.8 from memory.

330ml bottle from BrewDog Online (rebrewed for the AGM). Drinking this alongside a current Punk IPA to directly compare...
Crystal clear golden-amber appearance with a one-finger white head, fairly good retention. Aroma: earthy, resinous hops, pale malt, grapefruit, other fruits, citrus, peel. Taste: same as the aroma, fruity and earthy, grapefruit, vague tropical fruits, resin, malt, long lasting strong bitter finish. Medium body and carbonation, good mouthfeel.
So, original Punk IPA is: identical in appearance, has more of a malt presence, earthier, much stronger bitterness with not much sweetness. It feels less balanced, the bitterness reducing the sessionability, needed more hops. Overall not bad, but I’m glad they improved the recipe. Current Punk IPA was my introduction to craft beer and I don’t think I’d have been so keen if I’d have tasted this original one instead.

Original recipe re-brewed FOR BD AGM. Off white thin head left a cover on dark copper coloured still body. Medium bodied. Bitter pithy citrus, hints of malt on the back & quite light to drink - very enjoyable.

Many gallons on tap and largely via Sainsburys in bottles. 2008 - 2011. Pale golden blonde with a decent white cap. Nose is citric peel, orange pith, straw, toasted bread, passionfruit, grapefruit. Taste comprises grapefruit, tea leaves, bitter orange, straw, earthy hops, light pine tingle. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close peppered with grassy hop bitterness. Solid IPA.

Weedy, hoppy, fruity, fresh and bitter with a bit of a stale aftertaste. Refreshing stuff. Backlog from 2014/03/09.