Batch #3 - First attempt at an IPA

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Onto batch #3...one of my favorite types of beer is the India Pale Ale or IPA. Originally brewed in the eighteenth century as a beer for the English officers stationed in India at the time. It was higher in alcohol and heavily hopped, both preservatives, to make sure that it didn't spoil on the long outward journey.
I thought that since it's one of my favorite types to drink I should give brewing it a go and so I went to my local brewing supply shop, Dan's Homebrewing Supplies, and picked up the ingredients for an IPA. The recipe that I used was off of Dan's website and was for a traditional English IPA.

Malt
8.5 lb Pale Malt Extract

Grain
10 oz Carastan malt

Hops
15 AAU - Centennial bittering hops
.75 oz Willamette finishing hops
.75 oz Centennial or Cascade finishing hops
1 oz Willamette/centennial or Cascade dry hops

Yeast
Ale yeast - Nottingham Brewing yeast (Danstar)

The brewing process was exactly the same as my last batch. See the post for Batch #2, Nut Brown Ale, to read a more detailed description of the process.

Results
For this batch I put in finishing hops 3 minutes before the end of the boil.
I had my first taste after the beer had spent two weeks conditioning in the bottle. It has a crisp citrony taste with a noticeable hoppiness.
It has a good rich amber colour but is a little bit cloudy.
Good thick and creamy head.
Tasty and not too overpowering, but lacking something.
Should get better over the next two weeks.
After three weeks in the bottle the beer has a better body and a hoppy bite. Not as hoppy as your Pacific North West style IPA's but a good first try...think that the next time I brew an IPA I'll kick it up a notch and go for an Imperial IPA.

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