The Caskaway

St. Austell Brewery bottle-conditioned Proper Job IPA. For a long time now, I have been lucky enough to live and work on several beautiful islands. I managed to bumble my way around some wonderful kitchens and jobs, ending up as chief burger flipper for a Channel Islands brewery before moving to a serious wine merchants, and then writing, talk about seriously following the wine and beer journey!

For several years, I worked on Tresco, one of the Scilly Isles. Located some twenty-eight miles into the Atlantic Ocean away from the south Cornish coast. This is a beautiful place famous for a very special sub-tropical garden, miles of undisturbed beaches, and a very special pub serving some of the freshest crab and seafood you will ever eat. In winter there was a serious amount of time available to try out some of the local hostelries on the other islands, including fabulous Turks Head on St. Agnes and Fraggle Rock on nearby Bryher.

On the main island of St Marys, many of the pubs were part of the St. Austell Brewery, renowned across the southwest of England. I have great memories of some incredible nights after traditional gig racing and the New Year’s Eve celebrations are some of the best in the world. In those days I would drink Tribute Pale Ale, Betty Stogs from Skinner’s Brewery or Rattler Cyder in the summer. So, I was really happy to see some bottles of Proper Job in my local shop.

A little St. Austell Brewery Proper Job History

St. Austell Brewery was founded in 1851 when Walter Hicks started dealing in malt and wines before buying the Seven Stars Inn and becoming a brewer. Brewing was relocated to Tregonissey Lane in St. Austell in 1893 and the company still operates from that location. Family owned it has since expanded out its southwest homeland with the takeover of Bath Ales and now owns over 180 pubs and inns, and the original but now much bigger wine wholesalers. St. Austell’s flagship beer is a classic pale ale called Tribute first brewed to celebrate the 1999 solar eclipse that could be viewed in the south-west of the UK. They also brew their own lager and stout.

Walter Hicks name has been immortalised in Walter Hicks Old Fashioned 125 Proof Navy Rum. Made in Guyana the rum is shipped in forty-five-gallon barrels and stored in the breweries own bonded warehouse. The rum is matured for seven years before bottling at 71.40% ABV making it one of the strongest spirits available in the UK. I can attest it has a kick like a mule.

UPDATE: Since I first wrote this piece Proper Job IPA has won the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival Champion Bottle Beer of Britain (2025), and thoroughly well-deserved it is to following silver medals in 2014, 2018, and 2019.

Tasting St. Austell Brewery Proper Job IPA

Proper Job is a nice golden colour with a creamy head. There are aromas of grapefruit ( my favourite ), tropical fruits and hints of sweet meadow grass and herbs. You get citrus and tropical fruits and biscuity malt flavours on tasting, the classic IPA combination, as well a touch of pine resin another traditional IPA taste profile. Proper Job is not overly gassy this is due to the natural carbonation from bottle conditioning. I found it smooth with a medium body and a pleasant bitterness. It’s been a long time since I drank this on draught, but would happy crack open another bottle or two.

Bottled St. Austell Brewery Proper Job