Lehe Pruulikoda East India Pale Ale 1839

East India Pale Ale 1839

 

Lehe Pruulikoda in Keila, Harju County, Estonia 🇪🇪

  IPA - Brut Special Out of Production
Score
7.03
ABV: 9.5% IBU: 80 Ticks: 10
This is not your fathers IPA. This is your grand-grand-grand-fathers IPA. Brewed like it was done at the beginning of the 19th century - with burtonised water and bucketfuls of East Kent Golding hops.

We didn't ship the beer all around Africa, but we pushed the oak barrels out of brewery doors to the blazing heatwave of 2018 and cool autumn nights of Estonia. We added a dash of bettanomyces claussenii, to stay true to the good old times.

The result is nothing like the fruity-citrusy hop soup you are enjoying today. But times are different. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were not much of the smartphones, Internet or social drinking apps around. Don't even get me started on electricity.

Experience: Once you have manhandled the muselet and the cork you can fill your glass with dark golden, almost reddish nectar. Thin bright white head disappears quickly.

In the aroma, there is prominent brett. No, no, not your horse blanket or barnhouse brett. It's good old Brettanomyces claussenii from foggy Albion. Elegant fruits, white currant berriness, freshly ground spices. Here and there vanilla notes from oak barrels are breaking through.

First sip. Time and oak barrels have been hard at work rounding out all the rough edges of this IPA. Fruity bitterness from brett and malty sweetness are ready in the dancefloor for a waltz. First restrained steps quickly develop into bold whirls and end in a spicy passionate embrace.

The endspiel. Yes, this is IPA, slowly but steadily all the kilos of East Kent Golding will stack on your tongue in complex, multilayered bitterness. If you got the patience to wait a few minutes for another sip, you could enjoy all the shades of bitterness, playing like northern lights in the night sky.
 

Sign up to add a tick or review

Join Us


     Show


7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
37.5cl bottle bought at the brewery webshop. Pours slightly hazy golden with a decent, white head. Fruity and somewhat funky with bretty notes and hints of citrus, grass and malt. Moderat sweet with mild acidic notes and a pleasantly bitter finish. Decent stuff!
Tried from Bottle on 19 Mar 2022 at 17:20

8.2/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 9
Corked bottle. Pale amber color. Vinous aroma, white wine, hay. Citrus, grass, bubblegum. Even some bretty notes. Firm grassy, hay-like floral hopbitter flavor, with brett. A slight sourness. Citrus, rubber. A miracle of flavor, aroma and complexity. Love it!
Tried from Bottle on 30 May 2020 at 08:48

8.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 10 Overall 9
Bottle. Color: Slightly hazy golden, frothy white head. Aroma: Old hop, Brett funk. Taste: Old hop, over moderate bitterness, moderate to over moderate malty sweetness, clearly present Brett, spicy / herbal notes, some wood and light hints of vanilla, subtle notes of minerals. Very slightly sour. Very enjoyable over medium grassy hopbitterness at finish. Very dry mouthfeel at finish. Just like I would imagine an older IPA would taste in that early days during / after a voyage from England to India, although I've no idea if that's really true. This beer stood on my wishlist for longer time and I'm glad I've had the opportunity to taste it now.
Tried from Bottle on 12 May 2020 at 19:12

6.6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Sample at TCBW2019, Tallinn. Colour is slightly cloudy golden with small white head. Aromas and flavours: Some fruits, some Belgian yeast, some sweetnessand malts. Interesting.
Tried on 28 Aug 2019 at 18:09

6/10
Tried on 22 Mar 2019 at 22:03

6/10
Tried on 01 Feb 2019 at 19:14

5.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 5 Texture 4 Overall 5
Thanks jinroh for sharing the bottle! Poured into a taster showing medium amber with no head. The nose shows moderately intense dusty earl grey tea-like notes. The palate is not carbonated and medium bodied. Very malty with moderately intense biscuit notes but highly astringent with a burnt black tea bitterness. Drinks more like tea than beer.
Tried from Bottle on 15 Jan 2019 at 13:22

7.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Pours kind of interesting shade of amber, clearish. Nose is funky and has a bit of light tart edge, Brett and barnyard. Didn't expect a funky beer (should have read about this beer before) but that's what it is. Taste is tart, sweetish and has some smoky feel to it as well. Funky Brett bitterness, kind of harsh poison ivy way. Interesting bouquet, actually works I think. Should get another bottle and age it even for a bit more, maybe over hot Japanese summer and see what happens. Lehe, well done!
Tried from Bottle on 12 Jan 2019 at 01:39

7.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle (at UJH) and Tap at Koht. Pours golden-amber. Aroma is massive funk, brett, fruits, hops. Flavor is bitter, sweet, sour, funky brett, fruits, dry hoppiness. Finish is long bitter. Covers alcohol well. Overall: liked the bottle more as it had more character. Reminds Orval a lot, only way hoppier.
Tried from Bottle on 26 Dec 2018 at 19:31

7/10
Tried on 21 Dec 2018 at 18:18