Big Job DIPA

St Austell Brewery, rooted in Cornwall since 1851, presents Big Job as a 7.2% Double IPA built around Maris Otter malt and a serious charge of Centennial, Citra and Cascade. I tasted it from a 500 ml bottle during a very hot stop in Karlsruhe, at Oxford Pub, with 38 °C outside; not exactly subtle drinking conditions, but the beer was really something. The bottle itself was modest and direct: a simple bright green label reading “Big Job – smooth and citrusy”, with hop plants in the background. It poured clear yellow with a fine white head. I usually keep some doubts about bottled IPAs, mostly because of freshness, but this one proved me wrong, helped by a best-before date of 30 April 2027. The aroma was fresh and hoppy: clearly citrus-led, but with a green, herbal edge in the background, almost blackcurrant-like. On the palate, the hops were bold, bringing citrus and grapefruit in quantity, while the Maris Otter backbone gave enough malt support to keep the whole thing balanced. The mouthfeel stayed pleasantly dry, though not stripped out, and the bitterness, while clearly present, was very well handled. Well done, St Austell.