One of my first India Pale Ale (IPA) was Alexander Keith's, a wonderful Nova Scotia classic. But Duggan's India Pale Ale was completely different, and from what I understand, a more traditional take on what IPA is supposed to be. Slightly flowery on the nose, but then caramel and espresso on the tongue, a clinging bitterness, not at all unpleasant. A sort of heaviness from the hops on the cheeks due to the high alcoholic content. The colour is darker and forms a beautiful chewy head. When it comes down to why I like the beer so much, it's the perfect bitterness. That, I can say, is more addictive than the alcohol itself. One of my favourite beers.
But of course, Michael Duggan is a well-respected brewmaster in Canada, having co-founded Mill Street Brewery. #9 beer is an award-winning beer which I bought straight from his store on Victoria Street which opened in only 2009. You can also buy lots of different varieties at the store, in massive 2 litre bottles called "Growlers" ($4 deposit just for the jug... yes, they're that massive). But you can also get this famous #9 at select LCBOs.
From stonebrew.com:
The History of India Pale Ales: Originally developed in the late 1700's, British breweries would send beer via sail to the troops and British expatriots in India. Problem was, there was no refrigeration and the ocean voyage took nearly five months. As a result, the beer would usually arrive in compromised condition. Well, the brewers of the time didn't know as much about beer as we do today, but they did know that both hops (where we get the bitterness in beer) and alcohol act as natural preservatives. So, they came up with a brew that was intensely hopped and rather high in alcohol --- thus the birth of the "India Pale Ale."
You certainly won't find this intense hoppiness or any sort of resemblance to this description in the Alexander Keith's version. But somehow Keith's manages to pass itself off as an IPA.
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