Day 241-Beer 241 Dead Elephant, Railway City Brewing Co. St. Thomas Ontario

tonight's brew is in honour of the Jumbo, the worlds largest elephant  and prized attraction of PT Barnum's Circus. In 1885 the Elephant met its demise in a railway accident in St Thomas here in Ontario. Well here's the Pink Elephant from a winery near Fredonia that we visited with friends Lynn and Phyllis.


Dead Elephant is an English IPA, First brewed in England and exported for the British troops in India during the late 1700s. To withstand the voyage, IPA's were basically tweaked Pale Ales that were, in comparison, much more malty, boasted a higher alcohol content and were well-hopped, as hops are a natural preservative. Historians believe that an IPA was then watered down for the troops, while officers and the elite would savor the beer at full strength. The English IPA has a lower alcohol due to taxation over the decades. The leaner the brew the less amount of malt there is and less need for a strong hop presence which would easily put the brew out of balance. Some brewers have tried to recreate the original IPA with strengths close to 8-9% abv.


This one poured a clear golden colour with nice head that dissipated quickly. The aroma although not strong for its style had hints of citrus and grassy hops. The taste was caramel and toffee up front with some tropical fruit taste then the hops kicked in, lots of citrus, grapefruit and the usual bitter aftertaste. Overall a good but not great English IPA. (see 400 pound monkey 3.1/5 for a comparison Jan 21) 3.6 out of 5.