Indian Pale Ale, or as it is more commonly known, IPA, is a beer style that was created in the 1790s by the East London Bow Brewery. The brewery had orders to fill for their Indian market but all of the beer they sent arrived flat and sour. So their head brewer George Hogdson brewed a special stronger, hoppier version of their Pale Ale. He then added more hops to  straight to the casks, a technique known as dry hopping, just before they were dispatched for the docks.

This new recipe created a strong very bitter ale that arrived in India three to five months later fresh and with good conditioning. The success was instant.

However, Hogdson trade was soon challenged by brewers from Burton-on-Trent. It so happens that the water quality in Burton is particularly suited for brewing pale ales and it brings out the bitterness of the hops much more readily than the waters of London.

The King’s Shipment is our version of this beer style, and although we brew it in Oxfordshire we modify the water to mimic that of Burton-on-Trent. In order to make it more palatable we have balanced the bitter flavours with malty sweetness.

The one flavour contribution that is normally missing from modern ales is that of wood. Since the overwhelming majority of conditioning is done in stainless steel vessels which ensures a high level of cleanliness, today’s beer drinkers very rarely get to sample wood aged beer. During the maturation stage when we dry hop the beer we also add oak chips. We think that it adds another dimension to the flavour and makes it more authentic.