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 Wolaver's India Pale Ale
by Brian Anderson
 I got one of these and am drinking it now. I'm normally not a fan of the overwhelming hoppy character of American pale ales or IPAs, but I felt that I needed some hops to balance out my tendency towards malt.
This is contract-brewed at Otter Creek Brewing in Vermont, and the packaging makes a great fuss about it being "organic" (meaning that it's created with USDA-deemed organic crops), and it doesn't have any preservatives, and it isn't pasteurized...You know what that means: drink it now. At least they're smart enough to package it in brown bottles rather than in green glass, which tends to accelerate the aging process of beer.
The selling point for me was on the side of the bottle: "...blending Magnum, Crystal and Hallertauer hops." American IPAs tend to rely on Cascade hops, which are intensely bitter and harsh, often leading to an overwhelming, hoppy characteristic without complexity.
The beer itself is a light amber, far less brown than the darker beers I tend towards, but definitely deeper in tint than a pils. The nose has definite hops tinge blended into a fruit smell. It's tasting that brings the surprise to those familiar with AIPAs: you can taste malt.
That's a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. The initial taste and main tastes give the sweetness of the malt underlying, with the aftertaste being dominated by hops. It's what I've been searching for in an IPA: a core of sweeter, vaugely licorice-like malt suspending a light citrus hops addition rather than the other way around. The hops themselves are far less harsh than most AIPAs, with a taste that lingers on the palate smoothly rather than kicking your tongue with its bitterness.
I notice that online reviews are mixed, and I suspect it confirms my initial thoughts: this is in many ways closer to a British IPA than an American one. The hopheads used to Pacific Northwest IPAs are disappointed by the more subtle flavor. I, though, find it intriguing to find an IPA in which hops play a costarring role rather than giving a monologue.
In addition, I suspect that like most beers -- and unpasteurized ones in general -- this one would be downright excellent fresh and at the source. There's a slight touch of staleness to this one, which according to the datecode is about 7 weeks old.
While I'm a novice at beer appreciation, I find that in general I love complexity, and most things sold as IPAs in this country fail on that count. I'm pleasantly surprised to find an IPA that gives me something more than intense bitterness. Any suggestions for similar (or better!) IPAs are more than welcome.
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