St. Austell Proper Job
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Tasting Notes
Proper Job leads with pronounced citrus and pine aromas from its heavy Cornish and American hop load — Chinook, Willamette, and Cascade all feature. On the palate, grapefruit and resinous bitterness dominate, balanced by a firm but not heavy malt backbone that keeps the beer from tipping into astringency. The body is medium, with good carbonation, and the finish is long and dry with lingering hop oils. It sits toward the more aggressively hopped end of the English IPA spectrum, closer to its American cousins than a traditional Burton-style pale.
About the Brewery
St. Austell Brewery is based in St. Austell, Cornwall, and has been operating since 1851, making it one of the older family-owned regional breweries still active in the UK. The brewery supplies a large tied pub estate across the West Country and is a dominant presence in Cornish hospitality. Beyond Proper Job, the range includes Tribute pale ale, which holds comparable recognition across the UK. In recent years the brewery has expanded distribution significantly and invested in modernising its production facilities.
Food Pairings
The beer's assertive bitterness and citrus character make it a natural match with fish and chips, where the hop bite cuts through frying oil cleanly. Spiced dishes such as chicken jalfrezi work well because the fruity hop profile complements heat without amplifying it. Sharp aged cheddar — particularly a good Cornish or West Country variety — holds up to the bitterness and mirrors the beer's dryness. Grilled pork with a citrus or herb marinade echoes the hop aromatics, and a simple burger with mustard lets the resinous finish do most of the flavour work.
Style Guide
English India Pale Ale traces its roots to 19th-century Britain, originally brewed stronger and hoppier to survive the sea voyage to India, though that origin story is now debated by historians. The style is characterised by firm bitterness, earthy and floral hop character from traditional English varieties, and a biscuity malt base that provides more structural support than an American IPA typically offers. ABVs generally run from around 5% to 7.5%. Compared to American IPA, the English version tends to be less aggressively dry-hopped, less citrus-forward, and more balanced toward malt, though examples like this one borrow American hops and push closer to the transatlantic middle ground.