Airport Craft Brewers English IPA
Brewery: Airport Craft Brewers
Town: Johannesburg Airport
Style: IPA
Color: light golden
Head: white, dense
Nose: not much
Body: medium, overly carbonated
Palate: light, balanced
Finish: clean
Served: on tap at the brewery
Impression: Very modern upmarket looking brewpub with beers typical of its ilk. Everything is a bit on the safe side but well enough made. This one seems to have missed the mark entirely. We were told we could get a free small beer when ordered as a special with our steaks. We jumped on it after the waiter explained it could be any beer. My wife went for another porter, as she loved it but I wanted to try the IPA. They both came out in the smaller glass which looked like a Pilsner glass from Germany. My beer looked a lot like a Pils and to be honest tasted more like one than an IPA, too. Actually, it was light on hops as far as Pilsners go, as well. It was too cold and overly carbonated, even for a Pils. I asked if it was the Pils and was told it was the IPA. I left skeptical and when I returned weeks later to fly home, we went back to eat again (steaks are great!) and since I only had time for one beer, I asked for a small sample of the IPA before committing. It was the same beer as the first time so I ordered the much better Porter.
How about another South African craft beer?
If it looks like duck, floats like a duck and sounds like a duck – well it is probably a duck. This really does look like a Pils….
It was a duck and it wasn’t a good swimmer nor did it fly with me. 😉