St. Arnold Brewing Co.
Houston, TX
Available: TX
The Elissa is a tall ship now moored in Galveston. To commemorate the ships that once transported IPAs to India, St. Arnold Brewing Co. is donating a portion of the proceeds from this beer to the Galveston Historical District for preservation of the ship.
Alcohol (wt.): 5.25
Alcohol (vol.): 6.6
Color: amber
Bitterness: 60
Gravity: 1061
Appropriately named for a tall ship, Elissa’s an IPA that’s smooth sailing. The color of a half-penny, topped with sensuous sea foam. Floral nose sings, not shouts, hops and on the palate, they are ship shape with just the right amount of fruity malt. With a finish as clean as a sea breeze. We savored Elissa with Gulf Shrimp masala, roti and Mulligatawny soup. We felt as if we were dining at the captain’s table.
Well-balanced IPAs are one of my favorite go-to styles of beer. This is rates attention. Amber in color with minimal head, hop aroma and flavor explode without assaulting the palate. Smooth, yet assertive enough to rate as an excellent IPA. Light- to medium-bodied with great aftertaste of malt and hops. Satisfying, thirst quenching and worth your hard-earned money.
Named after a sailing ship, this saintly ale from Texas has an attractive bronze color and a pungent aroma of spicy hops, vinous fruit and biscuity malt. The beer coats the tongue with rich and delicious flavors of sappy malt, sultana fruit and pungent hop resins. The finish is deep and complex, becoming finally dry, but preceded by bitter-sweet malt and fruit and a tart, salty and quinine-like bitterness. Bring me a plate of Stilton and crackers!
Founder of Merchant du Vin and the Pike Brewing Co., Charles Finkel is a pioneer in the marketing of craft beers in America.
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
