While I'm not looking to clone Sam Smith's India Ale, I am after doing a pretty old-school IPA with 100% Warminster MO and healthy EKG additions from start of boil through to dry hopping. One thing that puzzles me a bit is that among the many Smith India Ale clone recipes I've seen, they all include some sort of "toasted malt," whether done at home, or with the addition of something like Victory.
Begs the question, is the Victory or some such thing an attempt to get the biscuity, malty quality inherent to MO in particular? Or is it legitimately part of the Sam Smith India Ale, above and beyond whatever pale malt it is they use?
Secondly, I really like 100% pale malt IPA's. No crystal. That said, I'm seeing upwards of 7% pale crystal in these clones. Is this true to their India Ale?
Finally, not really a question, just a musing, I guess. While I appreciate Golden Promise, I think overall I prefer that toasty, bready maltiness of MO over the intrinsic sweetness of the GP. At least in many of the beers I've now brewed with the GP. Problem is, at our LHBS, we have really good GP (Simpson's) and only so-so MO (imo; Munton's US).
Begs the question, is the Victory or some such thing an attempt to get the biscuity, malty quality inherent to MO in particular? Or is it legitimately part of the Sam Smith India Ale, above and beyond whatever pale malt it is they use?
Secondly, I really like 100% pale malt IPA's. No crystal. That said, I'm seeing upwards of 7% pale crystal in these clones. Is this true to their India Ale?
Finally, not really a question, just a musing, I guess. While I appreciate Golden Promise, I think overall I prefer that toasty, bready maltiness of MO over the intrinsic sweetness of the GP. At least in many of the beers I've now brewed with the GP. Problem is, at our LHBS, we have really good GP (Simpson's) and only so-so MO (imo; Munton's US).