Dravidian Draught IPA from Sabie Brewing Co – Returning to an Extremely Bitter Beer
IPA | 5.5% ABV | 60 IBUs
The New England-style IPA with its fresh and fruity flavour profile has slowly been taking over the IPA market in my area. Rarely do you find the gem that is pure bitter, a heavy full-bodied beer that punches you in the gut and in the face. I think I have found this beer (after a 2-year hiatus). Quite a while ago, I visited the Sabie Brewing Co but I was in such a hurry through the place; I could not appreciate their beers enough. This is also linked to the fact that the New England-style IPAs did not yet flood the market back then. But here I am again, after 2 or so years of drinking this incredible punch-in-your-gut beer again!
Before turning to the beer, I enjoyed this hoppy beer with a beautiful African sunset in the background. The fiancé and I did a photoshoot for our engagement, or what they call an engagement shoot (according to her), and I needed a beer after the many retakes we did. Jokes aside, it was incredibly fun sharing the moment with her, and we created some memories under the African sun, dancing on a small field of dead grass. What better way to celebrate love in Africa?
In any case, with the camera setup already there, why not take some photographs of the beer and a video cracking open this beast of a beer? It poured beautifully, and I could not wait to attack my mouth with this beer.
Here is the short video clip of me pouring the beer, all for the fun of it!
Here are some of my tasting notes.
It was extremely bitter, as I alluded to. I had the beer on tap as well at the brewery when we drove past it. It has that classic old-style IPA taste, big and bold in all of the senses of the words.
It poured into a beautiful caramel colour beer with the classic white head. I took the opportunity to capture this with the sun causing a beautiful moment.
The smell hints and teases at some caramel, probably from the caramalt (caramel malt) they used, but it is only underneath a thick layer of hops and alcohol.
Even though the beer indicates a mere 5.5% ABV, it really does not taste like it; it really tastes like a heavier beer. (Sometimes I cannot believe the ABV of some beers, as they taste way more alcoholic than some similar ABV beers.)
As I drank the beer, the lacing was perfect. Leaving behind traces of an incredible beer on the sides of the glass; also indicating a very well brewed beer!
The longer I drank, the beer had an incredible grassy note, think about that classic olive oil grassy note; or freshly cut grass. This is probably from the fact that they added so much hops to the beer. A 60 IBU beer is already relatively high, and close to the 100 IBU region where the human tongue cannot discern between different tastes anymore. Everything I tasted after this beer my palate did not really register. It was all bitter from there on!
Interestingly, if you read more about the name, the beer is a homage to what they call the Dravidians who kept the IPA style alive; at least not that they brewed IPAs back then - the high IBUs were due to the many hops they used to preserve the beer. If you zoom in on the label (on the right), you can read more about this. This beer is clearly inspired by this event and I can taste it!
In any case, I really enjoyed this beer, along with my fiancé who was still dancing under the African sun, with the mountains in the background, and yet more memories created together.
I hope you enjoyed this beer review, and that you also had a cold one this weekend!
Happy drinking, and keep well.
The musings and reflections in this post are my own subjective opinions albeit inspired by the extremely hoppy beer. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and Nikon D3200.
Inside the Philosopher's Beer Fridge
| Bavik | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Super Wit |
| Belgian Beers | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Duvel Tripel Hop Citra IPA | |
| 🍺 Maredsous Bruin | |
| 🍺 Trappistes Rochefort 8 |
| Cederberg Brewery | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Voertsek IPA |
| Cape Collective | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Session IPA |
| Clarens Brewery | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 IPA | |
| 🍺 Hazelnut Brown Ale: Clarens Goes Nuts | |
| 🍺 Stout | |
| 🍺 Tondon Pilsner | |
| 🍺 Village Lager | |
| 🍺 Weiss | |
| 🍺 English Ale | |
| 🍺 Blonde | |
| 🍺 Mulled Apple Cider | |
| 🍺 Red Ale |
| Darling Brew | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Warlord Imperial IPA | |
| 🍺 Arrow Head Russian Imperial Stout | |
| 🍺 Long Claw Modern Saison |
| Devil's Peak Beer Company | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Jucy Lucy Hazy IPA | |
| 🍺 King's Blockhouse IPA |
| Drakensberg Brewery | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Cathedral Peak Pilsner | |
| 🍺 Champagne Castle Blonde Ale | |
| 🍺 Giant's Castle Stout | |
| 🍺 Amphitheater Red Ale |
| Hey Joe Brewing Co | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Session IPA |
| Mad Giant | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Capital DIPA (in Collaboration with Capital Craft) | |
| 🍺 Killer Hop Pale Ale |
| Route 96 Brewery | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Zamalek Lager | |
| 🍺 Summer Blond | |
| 🍺 Africa Pilsner | |
| 🍺 Stout |
| Saggy Stone Brewing Co | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Bear Jam - Session IPA | |
| 🍺 Pale Weizenbock | |
| 🍺 Rocky River Pale Ale |
| That Brewing Co. | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 That Blond Ale | |
| 🍺 That Subtropical Ale (Delicious Monster) | |
| 🍺 That American Pale Ale (APA) | |
| 🍺 'el Juicy IPA | |
| 🍺 VESS KISS IPA |