Stateside Session IPA From Butcombe Brewery

Stateside Session IPA as you might guess from the name is inspired by an American IPA and is brewed with American and English hops and malts. It comes from Butcombe Brewery in Bristol, England, so what’s it like?

Stateside Session IPA is okay, a bit mediocre and quite tame in aroma and flavour. It pours a mid gold with a thin white head. Carbonation is medium, there is a slight hoppy aroma with hints of citrus. The taste is hop forward but without much power or kick to it and the citrus notes are a little too subtle. It’s okay, but lacking oomph, it gets 3.9 out of 5.0.

There is nothing wrong with Stateside Session IPA, it just lacks any real kick.

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Stateside Session IPA Review

I have actually had Stateside Session IPA a few times on tap, and this time is no different. A nice couple of cold ones served at The Inn At Yanleigh, a pub/restaurant with accommodation close to Bristol airport.

It’s a great place to stay overnight if you have a flight planned out of Bristol, it serves good food and the staff are very friendly and helpful.

If I remember right they have three Butcombe beers on tap, a lager, a pale ale and this IPA. But today it is all about the IPA, so what is Stateside Session IPA like?

Drinking Stateside Session IPA

I have no control over the pour of this beer, it is down to the professionals and the bartender delivered it with a thin white head. The body is a mid gold and there are plenty of bubbles rising up the glass.

On the nose it is quite subtle with hop aromas and a hint of citrus on top, it also had a slight yeast smell too.

The taste is hop forward, but with little strength to it and not a great deal of citrus flavours. A slight malt flavour lurks in the background. It is quite smooth in the mouth and medium carbonation, but it does lack any bitterness.

The name of this beer does suggest a hoppy beer with plenty of citrus kick. However for me it doesn’t quite deliver, it’s an okay beer, but a little light on hops and citrus.

It’s an easy beer to drink, but not one that you are going to remember, for me it gets a rate my beer score of 3.9 out of 5.0.

M’Lady is of similar mind, saying “A pleasant enough beer, pretty standard, but nothing to write home about, it’s alright.” Lou scores it 3.8 out of 5.0.

I guess it is just a middle of the road 4.2% ABV session IPA, it is not going to get you excited or blow your socks off, but it is an okay beer. I prefer their Tall Tales Pale Ale, also a session beer at 4.5% ABV, but has a lot more kick to it.

Butcombe Brewery

Butcombe Brewery has been around for 46 years now, starting life back in 1978. It was founded by the former managing director of Courage Western, Simon Whitmore.

The brewery began life at in Simons converted farm buildings in Bristol, England. It saw two expansions, one in the early eighties and another in the early nineties.

However, in 2003 Simon sold the brewery, but remained a consultant for three years. In 2005 the brewery moved to Wrington, Bristol and dug a deep borehole to make use of the Mendip Spring water for their brewing.

In 2015 Butcombe Brewery is acquired by the Liberation Group, another regional brewery located in Jersey.

The brewery has seen growth in its beer range and now brews several craft style beers.

Butcombe Beers

Butcombe beer range includes some old style traditional beers like Butcombe Gold and Butcombe original. As well as some craft style beers like Underfall Lager, Tall Tales Pale Ale and Goram IPA.

The range is not vast by any means, but I am sure we will see other beers added in the future. Here are a few to think about from their current range.

Rare Breed

Rare Breed is a Pale Ale and dedicated to Adam Henson one of the best known farmers in the UK. A face from the popular TV show Countryfile, he produces Maris Otter malt which Butcombe use.

Brewed also with Fuggles, Cascade and Amarillo hops, Rare Breed is a clean crisp pale ale with a citrus kick. It comes in at a very sessionable 3.8% ABV.

It sounds like a decent beer, and one I would like to try.

Underfall

Undefall Is a clean crisp lager and a tribute to the Underfall Boatyard in Bristol. The lager is triple filtered and made with Perle, Saaz and Target hops so there may be some peppery spice notes going on.

It weighs in at 4.1% ABV, so a few might be on the cards, especially if a thirst needs satisfying. This is also on tap at The Inn At Yanleigh, so my next flight out of Bristol will see me giving it a test drive.

Goram

Goram is an IPA and pays tribute to the legendary Bristol Giant of the same name. Brewed with a blend of American and Worcestershire hops it promises citrus and stone fruit notes with a spicy bitter kick.

It’s a big strong beer and sits on the fence of session at a straight 5.0% ABV. Goram seems like an IPA worthy of trying, it certainly sounds like it can deliver on flavour, so I’m in.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, Stateside Session IPA is an easy drinking beer, there is nothing fancy about it. However , I kind of expected more from it, but it doesn’t deliver any surprises.

I would drink it again without a doubt, but if Tall Tales is sitting next to it, then that would be my beer of choice out of the two. I am looking forward to trying Underfall and Goram, they both sound great beers.

If you have tried Stateside Session IPA then do share your thoughts below, let me know what your experience you have.