Had a Greene King IPA in the pub the other day...

[Bobtheblob]

Ugh. Is that really an IPA? Flat, warm and no hoppy taste and only 3.6%. Never again!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I cannot remember ever reading a positive review of this beer.

 

[Ajhutch]

You’ve recovered pretty quickly, that’s good to hear.

 

[terrym]

Greene King tell us thats its their flagship beer, it's a pint people trust and recommend to friends, more cask ale drinkers prefer the taste of IPA to leading competitors, and it’s the fastest selling cask ale.
So are you sure it was the same beer?

 

[strange-steve]

Shouldn't this be in the "worst thing you've ever done" thread?

 

[Arcs]

Mixed with peanuts, it probably makes great pebbledash for some unfortunate housing estate xD

 

[Drunkula]

Green King IPA makes a great replacment for Tesco ashbeck or reverse osmosis water if you're looking for a blank slate to make homebrew.

 

[aamcle]

That's a bit like saying "Oh look I didn't wash my socks"

AAmcle

 

[Clint]

It's effing sewage!
Im on hols in Devon ATM and we passed a really nice looking pub this afternoon...notice I said passed..Mrs Clint did fancy stopping...it was a Greene King pub ..I said I wouldn't drink it if it was free...

 

[marshbrewer]

If it genuinely was flat and warm, then you can't blame the beer, but the way it's been kept. However, GK IPA is from a different time ~ its very 20th century, and not a particularly shining example at that (especially, as in my experience, if its been kept badly which unfortunately appears to be a thing with GK pubs). So if your IPA expectations are more recent ~ much higher IBU, more late hops, probably keg and more carbonated, then yes it's bound to disappoint.

But it is definitely an IPA, and if we were to be boringly factual, probably has a greater historical claim to call itself that than many a modern example, but then its all balls anyway all this style definition stuff, if you ask me.

 

[Clint]

I'm not doubting any of that or its heritage...I've done...pubs,cans, bottled...all ****.

 

[marshbrewer]

It isn't great, I agree. GK don't help themselves either in my opinion, with the appalling state of cask in some of their own tied houses.

 

[GotOneBrewin]

I actually had a really good pint of GK IPA in a local free house recently. I know it's never been an IPA in its life but in a decent pub it's a good hoppy session OB. GK seem to own every second pub under various guises in Kent and all of their own beers taste like cardboard; which really annoys me as some of them do decent pub grub with add a drink for a £1 deals, but a pound is too much!

 

[An Ankoù]

Wasn't this stuff awarded Champion Beer of Britain one year or did I get my tablets mixed up again?

 

[MmmBeer]

I have the occasional bottle of their IPA Reserve, which is a pleasant enough pint. Personally I wouldn't class it as an IPA, but it has some hoppy flavour.

 

[MickDundee]

If it genuinely was flat and warm, then you can't blame the beer, but the way it's been kept. However, GK IPA is from a different time ~ its very 20th century, and not a particularly shining example at that (especially, as in my experience, if its been kept badly which unfortunately appears to be a thing with GK pubs). So if your IPA expectations are more recent ~ much higher IBU, more late hops, probably keg and more carbonated, then yes it's bound to disappoint.

But it is definitely an IPA, and if we were to be boringly factual, probably has a greater historical claim to call itself that than many a modern example, but then its all balls anyway all this style definition stuff, if you ask me.

Actually, BJCP name it as a commercial example of an ordinary bitter in their style guide.

 

[Rodcx500z]

It is *****, it's an old school bitter not an ipa, like pedigree, London pride, spitfire and a lot of others are not amber ale but bitters rebranded, it really annoys me even woodfords wherry is an old school bitter

 

[terrym]

GK IPA is from a different time ~ its very 20th century, and not a particularly shining example at that (especially, as in my experience, if its been kept badly which unfortunately appears to be a thing with GK pubs). So if your IPA expectations are more recent ~ much higher IBU, more late hops, probably keg and more carbonated, then yes it's bound to disappoint.

+1 on that.

 

[GhostShip]

It's got to the point where I will always avoid a Greene King pub if there's an alternative. Their IPA is dire.

Off topic, but I went to a pub quiz the other night and had a few pints of Woodforde's Volt IPA. Never seen or heard of it before but it was a cracking pint!

 

[Brewed_Force]

A group of four had the misfortune to order this on a night out 5 years ago, we all thought it was c**p. Never had it (or wanted it) since.
Maybe it doesn't travel well (hang on a a minute, wasn't IPA originally designed to travel well........)