Craft Beer Brewing March 20167783 PDF
Craft Beer Brewing March 20167783 PDF
Craft Beer Brewing March 20167783 PDF
REVIEWS
Magazine®
IPA
The United States Of
PLUS:
Cook With Sour Beer: 5 Delicious Recipes
In The Cellar: Don’t Age These Beers!
|BEERANDBREWING.COM
CHEERS!
DEEP IN THE HEART OF OUR FORT
COLLINS BREWERY IS A FOREST OF 64
FRENCH OAK FOEDERS. WEAVING AMONG THESE
TWO-STORY WOODEN VESSELS IS OUR TEAM OF
BREWERS AND BLENDERS WHO NURTURE THE WILD
MICRO-FLORA LIVING INSIDE THE WOOD, SOURING THE BEER
AS IT AGES. MONTHS OF TASTING, EXPERIMENTING WITH FRUIT
ADDITIONS, EMPLOYING INNOVATIVE
INNOV DRY-HOPPING TECHNIQUES AND—
MOST IMPORTANT—THE ARTFUL PRACTICE OF BLENDING TRANSFORMS
OUR BELOVED SOUR BEER INTO SOMETHING WORTH CELEBRATING. JOIN US IN
TOASTING THE 2016 RELEASE OF LA FOLIE AND OUR COLLABORATION WITH OUD BEERSEL,
TRANSATLANTIQUE KRIEK AT A LOST IN THE WOODS PARTY NEAR YOU: NEWBELGIUM.COM/LOST
WHY THE BITTERNESS?
FOR OH SO MANY REASONS…
At Grandstand, we understand that every craft beer deserves a proper presentation. Experience the range of
glassware crafted to honor your IPA, every day – from European Pasabahçe, Rastal and Spiegelau to U.S.
glassmakers including Libbey, Arc, and more. Always printed perfectly with your brand – at eGrandstand.com
57
The United States of IPA
It’s been two years since we last turned
our focus to the most popular craft-beer
style in America, and in that short time,
the landscape has grown increasingly di-
verse. Join us as we explore that diversity.
58 | The IPAs of California
The bright, bitter, and aromatic India
pale ales of California sparked an
infatuation with hops that emanated
across the craft-beer landscape and
developed into the modern IPA style.
61 | The IPAs of the
Pacific Northwest
We asked the brewers at Fremont
Brewing, pFriem Family Brewers,
The Commons Brewery, Boneyard
Beer, and Block 15 whether they con-
sider “Northwest-style” IPA its own
subcategory of the IPA family. Here’s
IPA
The United States Of what they had to say.
64 | The Middle Way:
Midwest IPAs
When it comes to making IPAs in the
Midwest, today’s brewers are marrying
Old-World tradition with New-World
ingredients for a richer, fuller flavor.
67 | The IPAs of New England
Page 57 New England IPAs are big beers,
there is a definitive haze to the beer,
and brewers embrace the big bold
hops flavors rather than the bitterness
of the India pale ales of the past.
70 | Hops Aroma: Uncharted Waters
Researchers recently have begun to
unravel the mystery of hops aroma,
but many unknowns remain.
74 | How to Brew Your Best IPA Ever
If you’re ready to take your IPA to the
67 78 next level, and maybe even win an
award along the way, use these tips
to improve your odds of making the
final round.
78 | Water: The Overlooked Essential
Water is to most IPA drinkers as
Arrested Development’s Ann Veal is to
Michael Bluth. And yet, water is essen-
tial to every IPA—every beer, in fact.
81 | Yeast: A Force behind IPA 2.0
Today’s most creative craft brewers
know how to select yeast strains that
don’t just ferment maltose, but also
dance alongside hops that are at once
tropical, citrusy, earthy, piney, and floral.
85 | IPA Reviews
BEERANDBREWING.COM |3
| CONTENTS |
THE MASH
11 | Stats, Books, Beerslanging,
and Whalez Bro
52
18 | Choice Beer Gear
(Sponsored Content)
TRAVEL
20 | Love Handles
22 | Beercation: The Twin Cities
BREAKOUT BREWERS
30 | Casey Brewing & Blending
36 | Trillium Brewing Company
PICK SIX 30 22
42 | From Grain to Glass
The beers that John Mallett, Bell’s
Brewery Director of Operations,
prizes most are beers that showcase
a true and honest expression of the
ingredients themselves, whether that’s
malt-forward beers that taste like
IPAS
Alpha IPA
Block 15 Brewing Owner Nick Arzner
Page 63
RECIPE PHOTO: MATT GRAVES; CONTRIBUTOR PHOTOS: COURTESY TARA NURIN; COURTESY JOHN VERIVE; COUR-
TESY EMILY HUTTO; COURTESY TOM WILMES; COURTESY NORMAN MILLER; COURTESY STAN NIERONYMUS
Tara Nurin is a nationally John Verive is a Emily Hutto is a Tom Wilmes is a Norman Miller has been Stan Hieronymus has
published freelance Southern California Colorado-born travel beer drinker with a writing the “Beer Nut” been writing about beer
journalist and beer col- native and freelance writer with an affinity for writing habit. A former column and blog for the for more than twenty
umnist and a Cicerone writer dedicated to fermented beverages. Boulderite and Daily MetroWest Daily News in years, including three
Certified Beer Server. growing the craft-beer She’s the author of Camera beer columnist, Framingham, Massa- books popular with
She runs Beer for Babes, scene in L.A. He’s the Colorado’s Top Brewers he now calls Lexington, chusetts, and the Gate- homebrewers—For the
New Jersey’s original founder of Beer of and a contributor at Kentucky, home. His beer house Media family of Love of Hops, Brew Like
beer appreciation group Tomorrow (BeerofTo many craft-beer and fridge is usually stocked newspapers, since 2006. a Monk, and Brewing
for women, and serves morrow.com) and the food-centric publications. with a wide variety of He has also authored With Wheat.
as publicity director for editor of Beer Paper Find her ethnography at local craft brews. two books: Boston Beer:
the Pink Boots Society. LA (a monthly print emilyhutto.com. A History of Brewing in
She leads tasting and newspaper). He covers the Hub and Beer Lover’s
pairing workshops the beer beat for the New England.
through her company, Los Angeles Times and
Ferment Your Event. is a certified cicerone.
6| CRAFT BEER & BREWING
| EDITOR’S NOTE |
right now in 2016. Contents copyright © 2016 Unfiltered Media Group, LLC, All
rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
If IPAs aren’t your thing, take a look at how Colorado brewer Troy in whole or in part in print or electronically without the written
consent of Unfiltered Media Group, LLC. All items submitted
Casey pushes the boundary of fruit beer (page 30) or explore Bell’s to Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® become the sole property of
Unfiltered Media Group, LLC. The opinions and claims of the
Brewery Director of Operations John Mallett’s specially selected six- contributors and advertisers in Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®
pack—hint, it’s not all malty beer (page 42). are not necessarily those of the Publisher or Unfiltered Media
Group, LLC. Printed in the U.S.A.
Whether you’re a fanatical hophead, stovetop brewer, or all-grain
enthusiast, we hope you enjoy this issue. We made it for you.
Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® is published by
Unfiltered
John, Jamie & Steve Media Group, LLC
PHOTO: MATT GRAVES
BrewersPublications.com
“I went through 4 recipe
variations, entered several local
competitions and took in
everyone’s advice before I
entered the final version of my
NHC gold medal winning Tripel
to the National Homebrew
Competition. The one thing that
didn’t change is my use of PBW
and Star San throughout the
entire process. My guarantee to
a clean brewing process every
time.”
www.fivestarchemicals.com facebook.com/FiveStarChemicals
support@fivestarchemicals.com
743
410
,858
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
Washington
(28,858 acres) Hops It wouldn’t be beer without hops, and
the United States is the second largest
producer, worldwide, of these precious
5,000
green cones that give so much flavor
Idaho to beer. There’s a monumental shift
Oregon (3,743 acres)
(5,410 acres) underway in the type of hops grown, as
0 hops varieties with higher alpha acids
(responsible for bittering) replace lower
alpha bittering hops (it’s more efficient
that way, after all), and fruit-forward
flavor hops such as Citra, Simcoe, and
The Source of Mosaic in high demand from brewers
U.S. Grown Hops are planted as fast as growers can get
(2014, in acres of hops planted) them in the ground.
Data source: U.S. Hop Growers Association
Note: Hops were reported as commercially grown in 16 total states in 2014; howevever,
the production of the other 13 states is too small to visually chart.
Co nd Z
12M
The Explosion
)
a
lum eu
)
(3.9%
.2%
bu s (2
(4
of U.S. Grown
ok
)
Citra
s, T 2.8
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ino
op %)
(6
Flavor Hops ial
Ch
az
n
en
,
10M
nt
(2010–2014, in millions of Ce
pounds yield)
8M Nugget (4.5
%) Major Hops
Varieties Cascade (16.6%)
Simcoe (4
.0%)
Grown in the
6M
U.S. (2014)
%)
7.6 Br
m it ( av
o(
m 2.8
Su %)
)
Ap
.1%
4M
ol
(3
% )
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Cascade
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All Other (18.8%)
e(
.4%
al
rG
Centennial
ett
)
pe
m
Su
illa
W
2M
Simcoe Citra
Mosaic
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 11
| THE MASH |
EDITORS’ PICKS
On The Web
There might be no better authority on beer and pairing in
the world than Julia Herz, and this book with coauthor Gwen
Conley is the most thorough, in-depth exploration of the topic
we’ve seen. From the deep dive into the sensory mechanisms of We’re adding more of our great magazine
the nervous system to personal recommedations from leading content to the beerandbrewing.com
brewers and foodies to a style-by-style guide to pairing sugges- website, letting you read and share stories
tions, Beer Pairing covers all the bases and then some. A library through social channels. You’ll also find great
essential for anyone interested in pairing. content such as technique articles to help
you make your best beer, unique and tested
original beer recipes, revolutionary online
craft-beer and brewing education, plus a
THE BEST OF COOKING WITH BEER
CRAFT BEER & BREWING, 2016 free eNewsletter that will deliver free tips,
techniques, news, and special offers. Here are
Indulge us in a moment of shameless self-promotion, but if you a few of the most popular stories on
enjoy the Cooking with Beer section in every issue of this very beerandbrewing.com:
magazine, you will love the book we’ve compiled from these
recipes. We’ve taken yours and our favorite recipes, conve- Top Stories
niently organized them by type of dish, and printed them on
beautiful heavyweight paper in a book that you can use for 21 Stouts to Welcome Winter
years to come. If the recipes you’ve clipped from the magazine Stout season is year-round for many of us and
are getting dog-eared in your recipe binder, this book is for you. we’ll take any excuse to enjoy one of our favorite
styles. Since the weather is taking a turn toward
a season I typically dislike, the consolation prize
THE BEER & FOOD COMPANION is the release of roasty, chocolaty goodness.
BY STEPHEN BEAUMONT, JACQUI SMALL, 2015 Don’t even try to argue when stout season “of-
ficially starts”; I don’t care. Give me one of these
Less theoretical than other guides, the latest from Stephen
twenty-one stouts to welcome winter.
Beaumont is a worldwide celebration of the flavors of beer and
how they work in and with food. He pulls on a deep knowledge of BrewTest:ElectricAll-in-OneBrewingSystems
beer, brewers, and cuisine across the globe, and the breadth of the An electric revolution is underway in the brew-
book is impressive—from beer styles to pairing history around ing world, with small, efficient systems at ac-
the world to handy reference charts plus 70+ pages of beautifully cessible price points attracting more and more
photographed recipes using beer. While it’s a bit UK-centric in the brewers. How do these competing systems
approach to beer brands, the experience is universal. stack up? We took four systems into our brew
lab and put them to the test to help you decide
whether an electric turnkey system is for you.
BEER, FOOD, AND FLAVOR Homebrewing Techniques
BY SCHUYLER SHULTZ, SKYHORSE, 2015
This expanded and updated version of the 2012 book digs into Barrel Aging for Homebrewers
food and beer from a chef’s perspective—science takes a back Barrel aging opens up a wide range of flavors
seat to sensory in this dive into the mind of a professional chef, to patient homebrewers. From how to source
and the 40-page chapter on pairing beer with cheese is one of barrels to aging on fruit, award-winning
the more extensive we’ve ever seen. There’s definitely some filler homebrewer Neil Fisher offers these helpful
content in there to stretch to 338 pages, but the exploration of tips to get you started barrel aging your beer.
the intimate ways a chef thinks about flavor in food and beer is
worth the price of admission. Top Recipe
Copper Kettle Mexican Chocolate Stout
Mexican Chocolate Stout was one of the first
THE CRAFT BEER KITCHEN beers that Copper Kettle Brewing Company
BY COOPER BRUNK, CRAFT BEER & BREWING, 2015 brewed after it opened in Denver, Colorado, in
When Cooper Brunk first sent us this book to consider, we were 2011. The beer won gold the same year at the
taken aback by his creative, elevated approach to cooking with Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in the Herb
beer that he refers to as “haute beer.” Not content with the same and Spice Beer category. According to owner
PHOTOS: JAMIE BOGNER
old standard recipes, Brunk finds ways to pull creative and and head brewer, Jeremy Gobien, Mexican
complementary flavors out of the beer used in everything from Chocolate Stout is very sensitive to temperature,
crusted pork loin to artichoke tarts to pumpkin ale profiteroles. and warm storage can deteriorate the spice
It’s mouthwateringly styled and photographed by Christopher flavors. So keep it cold and drink it fresh!
Cina, and we often cook from it ourselves.
Language
for Beer
Geeks
A quick and humorous key to
deciphering the slang terms
thrown around in the world of
Beer Geekdom.
>> Russian Roulette
noun
A risky event involving beer that has a
50 percent chance or greater of being
totally skunked depending on how it’s
been cared for. Sometimes these beers
are world-class and sometimes they
taste like mammalian scent glands.
“Anybody want to play Russian Roulette
with this bottle of Fantome?”
>> Puritan
noun
A craft-beer drinker who is dedicated to
maintaining a delusional perspective on
the “purity” of the craft beer-movement,
eschewing those who drink “corporate
beer.” From a puritan, you might hear,
“Lagunitas IPA used to be my favorite, but
I don’t drink it anymore since they sold
out to Heineken.”
>> FOTM
acronym
Flavor of the Month, this is a beer that
shows up everywhere as soon as a
brewery introduces distribution into a
new territory. “When Ballast Point started
distributing here, Grapefruit Sculpin was
the FOTM.”
>> Nerfed
verb
Term used to describe a bad change to a
brewer’s recipe, making the beer “softer”
or lesser than the original. “That IPA used
to be my favorite until they nerfed it by
changing the hops profile.”
>> Remoras
noun, pl.
Like the fish that clean the parasites
off of whales and other sea creatures,
remoras is used to describe the non-beer
geeks who you use to clean out the least
desirable beers in your refrigerator. “My
buddy came over and brought a couple
of remoras with him; I finally got rid of all
those amber ales.”
LIGHTWEIGHT, PORTABLE
and designed for maximum
mobility…CELLAR CART
for Beer and CIP, available
in 2 model sizes.
Packing Beer:
How To Get It There Safely
Whether you’re sending your homebrew off to a competition, trading hard-to-find beer, or bringing it home from your latest
beercation, you want it to arrive in its absolute best condition. We’ve tried every method in the book for transporting beer,
and here are some of our tips for getting it there unscathed, at the right temperature, for the right price.
PROS: Readily available for single PROS: Lightweight; packs flat; PROS: Stackable; lightweight; PROS: Inexpensive; readily
unit purchase (no bulk quantity relatively inexpensive; reusable inexpensive; somewhat reusable available materials; adaptable to
required); insulates beer in ship- CONS: No insulation; no room in CONS: Loose fitting; require extra any bottle size
ping; foam absorbs impact well; shipper for extra padding packaging; no insulation; not CONS: More movement of bottles
reusable; waterproof EXPERT OPINION: These waterproof in the box, not waterproof without
CONS: Bulky; beer caps can chew shippers are fantastic for shipping EXPERT OPINION: One of the lots of tape; difficult to pack and
into styrofoam if not protected in warmer weather or when best uses we’ve found for these even more difficult to unpack
EXPERT OPINION: When ship- you’re shipping in bulk (they ship pressed pulp shippers is to stack EXPERT OPINION: Truthfully,
ping through delivery services, flat to you and you fold them into them and stuff the stack in your we prefer this method over
especially in winter, this is our shape Ikea-style, saving plenty on luggage, then use them inside your pressed pulp shippers, as each
method of choice. We wrap bottles shipping compared to bulky sty- suitcase on a return trip to protect bottle or can is protected from
with bubble wrap inside of the rofoam shippers). It’s a good idea your bottles. They’re inexpensive, impact and if a bottle or can
shipper to fill any void and prevent to stick to heavier weight bottles if and the fact that they fit together breaks or punctures, it doesn’t
movement of the bottle, then tape you’re using them—Belgian-style makes them easy to consolidate put the others at risk. Wrap each
around the styrofoam to seal it, heavyweight bottles can stand when shipping empty. For delivery bottle or can individuallly, then
and place that in a plastic garbage up to the stress of shipping more services, we prefer other methods tape them together so they don’t
bag to seal again. Then we place than thinner-walled 12oz and 22oz because bottles fit so loosely in- move independently, and place
that inside of the carboard outer bottles. We’ve had bottles break side of them, they aren’t insulated, that unit in a plastic bag to protect
box and seal. This method is not in these, but the failure rate is no and the paper pulp will fail if a from leaks in the event a bottle
PHOTOS: JAMIE BOGNER
foolproof—we’ve still had bottles better or worse than any other bottle breaks, putting all the rest of breaks. The recipient will have an
break or freeze when shipped method. your bottles at risk. adventure unpacking the box, but
this way—but it’s safer than the odds are your precious cargo will
alternatives when the package is arrive safely.
out of your hands..
16 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING
EARN
YOUR
TURN
A hoppy, very well attenuated India Pale Ale with a dry finish and brisk
hop aroma and flavor. Classic German ingredients and Magnum and
Sterling hops provide the flavor profile.
Choice
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THAN COOL? ICEMULE
Taking the dry-bag concept one step farther,
IceMule offers softsided rolltop backpack coolers
in sizes from 20L to 40L that will keep your beer
cold no matter where the adventure takes you.
Get one and go! icemulecooler.com
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thru Spring 2016
$890 MSRP
www.grainfather.com
| LOVE HANDLES |
Sovereign curates Chicago and the Fanatical curation meets comfortable The capital’s commander-in-chief of
Midwest’s best beers for you and vibe in this Southern favorite. brewpubs.
serves up farm-fresh food in a friendly
space.
What it is: Cool meets comfortable at this What it is: At first blush, this off-the- What it is: One of the nation’s most am-
suburban Chicago locale featuring twen- beaten-path locals’ joint is unassuming bitious brewpubs anchors Washington’s
ty-five stellar and rapidly rotating taps and inconspicuous. However, once you resurging Waterfront district. Bluejacket
(including two selections on cask), with snag a coveted seat at the bar, you’ll find is the brainchild of James Beard-nomi-
styles from around the globe made mostly one of the most thoughtful tap lists in the nated Beer Director Greg Engert and the
by Midwest brewers. Locally sourced city and a friendly staff that really knows restaurateurs behind D.C.’s world-class
farm-to-fork cuisine and serious cocktails its stuff. ChurchKey bar. Basically, this is what
complement the craft-beer program. Ace you get when the suits give one of the
servers smartly share key flavor profiles Why It’s Great: Beer Director Matt country’s fussiest, most knowledgeable
of the beers and help diners select a dish Miller has done a fantastic job with beer geeks free reign to develop his
from the kitchen to match. With a sooth- the list, which boasts more than thirty dream brewery. Inside a former Navy
ing décor of deep grays, rustic wood, and rotating taps focused on serving the very Yard munitions factory, three open levels
sleek tap handles inside and a lazy-day best beers available in Nashville and the of toys include a variety of fermentors,
summer patio outside, there is a place for cream-of-the-crop releases from local a coolship, and a barrel room. The fonts
everyone at Sovereign. breweries. With a great selection of big pour at different temperatures to ensure
dark beers, sour and tart beers, and re- each style has its ideal coolness.
Why It’s Great: The last time in, I sat freshing IPAs, these guys tap a new beer
at the bar enjoying a New Holland Blue almost every day. In addition to thought- Why It’s Great: The constantly rotating
Sunday Sour, malt-forward with dark ful and well-executed beer cocktails, they selection of twenty-five drafts—including
fruit and a seriously lingering sour finish. have a stellar bottle list, regularly stocking five cask ales—covers a wide range of
My server suggested pairing it with their world-class Belgian imports and local styles. None are boring. The dry-hopped
Beautiful Disaster, a Gruyère, Parme- Yazoo sours. Kölsch is as approachable to passing
san, and Brie grilled cheese with onion The bar itself is comfortable and wel- Nats fans as it is highly rated by tickers;
marmalade on rye. It was an outstanding coming with a thoughtful food menu, a meanwhile, there is typically a range
recommendation. I then opted for the room for darts, and a generally laid-back of funky farmhouse beers that vary in
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: COURTESY SOVEREIGN, STEPHEN KOENIG, JOE STANGE
Penrose Coffee Navette, a dark Belgian aesthetic. The staff’s knowledge of the acidity and ingredients—you might find a
coffee ale brewed with Intelligentsia beer list is fantastic and further separates strawberry-rhubarb Berliner Weisse, Brett
Tres Santos coffee. This lightly roasty, The Hop Stop from some other craft-beer IPA, or kumquat gose. Or all of the above.
bitter-yet-balanced offering is solid and bars around town. In two short years, The Clever pub grub ranges from pan-seared
is made even better by the care taken Hop Stop has established itself as one of cheese spaetzle to duck confit potpie.
to serve it right. This is one craft-beer the best watering holes in Nashville for Easy to reach via the Metro, it is inevitably
restaurant worth the trip. —Sara Dumford craft-beer lovers.—Stephen Koenig popular before and after Nats games, but
with 200+ seats, it’s also large enough to
Details Details accommodate. —Joe Stange
Hours: 11 a.m.–midnight, Monday–Saturday; 11 Hours: 11:30 a.m.–midnight, Sunday–Thurs-
a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday day; 11:30 a.m. –1:00 a.m., Friday & Saturday Details
Address: 24205 Lockport St., Plainfield, IL Address: 2909 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN Hours: 11 a.m.–1 a.m., Sunday–Thursday; 11
Web: sovereigntap.com Web: facebook.com/TheHopStop a.m.–2 a.m., Friday & Saturday
Address: 300 Tingey St. SE, Washington, D.C.
Web: bluejacketdc.com
20 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING
A NEW, trustworthy, everyday line
of brewing equipment that helps you
forge and shape outstanding beer
the way you want. Endorsed by John
Palmer, Anvil Brewing Equipment is your
straightforward choice for homebrewing.
You can depend on Anvil Brewing
Equipment to always get the job done for
years to come.
Hidden Gems
in the Midwest Since Minnesota legislators approved tasting-room pint sales three years
ago, the Minneapolis-St.Paul metro area has metamorphosed into an
under-the-radar gem, with fifty breweries scattered around town and
a bar/restaurant scene that supports them zealously. By Tara Nurin
50
Festival (GABF) award winners lie outside into a brewery, and Todd Haug worked
& BREWPUBS
BREWERIES
easy train reach. Fuel up with cheese as a heavy-metal guitarist before joining
curds, the local finger food of choice, and Ansari as head brewer; they named their
start your tour. business “Surly” because their inability
to find good beer made them feel _____
Breweries (fill in the blank); the law that legalized
5
Your mission for day one, should you pint sales is nicknamed the “Surly Bill” to
choose to accept it: do not check into your credit Ansari and Haug for spearheading
HOMEBREW
46
8-, 10-, or 16-ounce pours of twenty-three female-owned brewery by quaffing the
PHOTOS: COURTESY SURLY BREWING
different beers with eclectic foods such as women’s Big Boot Rye IPA and CowBell
farro salad, smoked brisket, bone marrow, Cream Ale with the chef-created sal-
MEDALS
or South Asian chaat. Time your visit right, ad, sandwich, and burger menu. Bang
GABF
and you may stumble on Darkness R.I.S. or Brewing, a novelty housed in a corn crib,
Fiery Hell wood-aged lager with puya chiles. is practically next door, and Burning
The hall welcomes kids with a play Brothers and Lake Monster Brewing wait
area and a children’s menu. Upstairs, the nearby.
St. Paul also houses Minnesota’s oldest engraved with the Above » Enjoying a round
modern craft brewery. On most weekdays signatures of au- in the Indeed Brewing tap
room. Left » The outdoor
and Saturdays, you can spend 90 minutes thors and politicians patio at Fair State Brewing
touring Summit Brewing (with a reser- (ahem, Teddy Roo- Cooperative is a favorite
vation), then sampling the Extra Pale Ale, sevelt) who tippled hang for other Twin Cities
brewers.
whose 1986 release helped pioneer the at the “club room”
country’s hoppy revolution. Or skip the tour of an old neighbor-
and come on Friday or Saturday for beers hood publishing company.
such as Great Northern Porter, Summit’s With northeast Minneapolis unofficially
second-oldest offering. During tasting room designated as the “Brewers’ District,” you
hours, Summit, like most local breweries, can walk from there to Bauhaus Brewlabs,
rotates food trucks through its lot. Sociable Ciderwerks, 612 Brew, and Dan-
For something more substantive, ride gerous Man, where an iron door gives away
Day Trips across the mighty Mississippi River to
some of the best brewpub food in the
the building’s history as a bank. Slightly
farther, Fulton Brewing grabbed national
Twin Cities. Northbound Smokehouse headlines last year for its HefeWheaties,
Try to squeeze in time for a two-hour
& Brewpub’s chef smokes meats on two brewed collaboratively with General Mills,
ride to destination-worthy Duluth for
tastings at two additional GABF med- industrial smokers, while two Seibel and kept up its profile with a subsequent
PHOTOS: COURTESY INDEED BREWING; COURTESY FAIR STATE BREWING COOPERATIVE
alists. Called “The Best Town Ever” by Institute graduates brew complementary GABF win for its Lonely Blonde En-
Outside Magazine, Duluth is making liquids they infuse with additions such as glish-style summer ale. According to Matty
news for its burgeoning shopping grapefruit and ginger every Tuesday. O’Reilly, who owns the craft-only bar Re-
and entertainment culture. Bent In northeast Minneapolis, Indeed public, no serious connoisseur should miss
Paddle Brewing is the city’s most
cherished beer export, while Fitger’s
Brewing habitually includes surprising the nearby Fair State Brewing Cooperative,
renovated 1885 brewery entices ingredients in their specialty and seasonal whose head brewer learned the trade at
visitors with its medal-winning beers, brews. Mexican Honey Imperial Lager Jester King in Texas. “If you go there any
three restaurants, two nightclubs, took silver at GABF 2014, and this past Monday or Tuesday night, the taproom is
and one inn. fall, the yammy Yama Jama Harvest Ale full of other brewers,” he says. “If I’m look-
Ninety-five miles southwest generated hearty buzz. Co-owner Rachel ing for really good beer, I want to be where
of the Twin Cities in New Ulm,
August Schell Brewing Co. stands
Anderson has built two gorgeous, über- the brewers are.”
as one of the nation’s last surviv- eco-friendly tasting rooms in the 100-year- You might say the same about Minneap-
ing nineteenth-century regional old Solar Arts Building, where visitors olis Town Hall Brewery, a brewpub where
breweries, now run by the sixth can wander through artists’ studios the you need more than two hands to count
generation of the Schell family. first Thursday of every month. Scope out the GABF medals and where plaza seating
Arrive early for a tour on Friday, five tables in the brewery’s main taproom: makes for great downtown people watch-
Saturday, or Sunday.
they are nineteenth-century wooden doors ing. Industry aficionados join suited-up
lawyers for Hope & King Scotch Ale and launch point for can’t-miss Steel Toe
other predominantly British styles. In a Brewing. Located just outside the Minne-
town where most breweries open after 3 apolis border in St. Louis Park, Steel Toe
p.m. on weekdays, it’s refreshing to start brews some beers that Michael Askew,
your day at 11 a.m. with a huge selection who publishes the nationally acclaimed
of lunch foods and a Grizzly’s Mexican A Perfect Pint blog from his home in the
Coffee made with tequila, vanilla liqueur, Twin Cities, calls “world-class.” “For the
and cinnamon. Midwest, the Twin Cities is a hops-centric
Town Hall’s owners run a trio of bars: market. We love the IPAs and IIPAs. Steel
the brewpub; Town Hall Tap, a burger Toe Size 7 is a standout,” he says.
joint with a mix of house and guest beers, In Stillwater, outside the city’s eastern
including four on cask and four on nitro; borders, Lift Bridge Brewing’s brewmas-
and Town Hall Lanes, a remodeled 1946 ter, Matt Hall, brings his experience as
bowling alley with ten lanes, the exclusive Firestone Walker’s production manager to
Town Hall Super Strike light lager, and his own wood-barrel aging program. Since
Top » Town Hall Lanes
mashes up great craft beer twenty-five house and guest taps. Bowling Lift Bridge’s 2014 expansion, Hall can also
with a remodeled 1946 Manager Matt Zastrow says, “You’ll see apply his chemistry and microbiology
bowling alley. Above » a lot of wood from the 1920s (when the degrees to overseeing a quality-control lab.
Town Hall Tap offers nostalgic
Minnesota brewing history
building was constructed). We put an
along with Town Hall’s own antique bar in and old tin tackers, beer Beer Bars and Restaurants
beer and a number of guest signs, and neons.” You can score Lift Bridge’s beers on
taps.
For more breakfast options, The Herkimer craft-only Republic’s 104 taps, indicating
Pub & Brewery in the Uptown neighbor- that Matty O’Reilly deems them worthy
hood opens at 10 a.m. daily for brunch. of his exactingly curated list. Though he
The Herk focuses on German styles and a devotes a whole section of his lineup to
few Belgians but switches things up with Minnesota IPAs and ciders, he won’t serve
such brews as a golden strong ale brewed local—or anything else—if it’s too widely
PHOTOS: COURTESY TOWN HALL BREWING
with citrusy Japanese yuzu fruit, an exotic available or not of the utmost quality. “Our
ingredient that Insight Brewing in northeast audience can trust we’re putting the best
Minneapolis puts into its Garden of the Hell out there for them,” he says.
Chicken pale ale. Herkimer owner Blake Republic dedicates a tap line to the
Richardson draws on his training as a sake kaleidoscope of Great Divide Yeti imperial
master for the Imperial Red Saison with stouts, claims the state’s largest draft craft
Koji, an inoculated sake rice. cider selection (twenty at last count), and
Uptown makes the most convenient pours cider flights with whiskey.
love2brew.com
Homebrew Supply 1.888.654.5511
| BEERCATION: MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA |
Whiskey lovers pilgrimage to James Beard- sive Belgian collection a goofily humorous
nominated Butcher & the Boar, the number adventure.
one Knob Creek Single Barrel account in
the world. Minnesota’s famous restaurant Other Fun Stuff
equally caters to beer connoisseurs with a You can buy anything sold by Northern
certified cicerone on staff and a year-round Brewer Homebrew Supply at its flagship
beer garden whose taps pour rarities such as store in Minneapolis. If the shop doesn’t
Odell Friek and Alaskan Smoked Porter. stock the experimental hops you want,
For a fun twist, JL Beers burger bar a company rep will deliver it for pickup
mixes up beer cocktails in 8-ounce flutes, within about an hour. Free weekend classes
serves craft sodas made by Schell and demonstrate homebrewing techniques on
Sprecher, and puts together five flights a top-tier, pimped-out Blichmann system.
with cute names such as MN Nice. Geeky types should drop in on a Better
Chasing down whales? At SW Craft Bar, Beer Society class or event. For $10 you
patrons can build their own flights of hard- can “audit” a session of a twelve-week
to-score labels such as AleSmith Evil Dead workshop that includes a speaker, panel,
Red, Stillwater Artisanal Debutante, and Evil and samples; or you can reserve a spot at
Twin James Beer. Muddy Pig, a pork-cen- one of their elaborate pairing dinners.
tric Mexicali bar whose tap list recently Take home a souvenir from The Beer
included Sam Adams Kosmic Mother Funk, Dabbler boutique, selling brewery and cus-
Leifman’s Fruitesse, and six options from tom shirts, glasses, tin tackers, tap handles,
Against the Grain, also comes through. artwork, and anything else you might need
to adorn your man or woman cave.
Bottle Shops You may want to save your accessory shop-
Top » Copper-clad brew If you read review sites, you’ll see Zipps ping for Sunday and stock up on bottles on
kettles at Summit Brewing. Liquors pretty much rules bottle buy- Saturday. Though state lawmakers started
Above » Zipps Liquors is a
favorite for beer hunters. ers’ hearts. Ask for the staff beer guru allowing Sunday growler sales in Minneap-
(Shaughn McCurdy, as of press time) for olis, St. Paul, and Duluth last year, they still
PHOTOS: COURTESY SUMMIT BREWING
help navigating 1,500 beers, lots of cider, bar liquor stores from opening on the day
and one of the state’s largest selections of they’d rather meet you in church. Luckily, a
organic and gluten-free selections. lot more politicos voted to let liquor stores
With 1,860 different beers, South Lin- open on Sundays than the previous time
dale Liquors claims the most variety in the they voted on the issue. So check back in
state, while owners at teensy Ale Jail make a year, there may be Sunday bottle sales …
shopping 200 single bottles and an exten- and, of course, more breweries.
The
Company Man
From their small outpost in the mountains of Colorado, Casey Brewing & growing region on Colorado’s Western
Blending is making waves with a focus on barrel-fermented, mixed-culture Slope, and has brewed using a variety
beers that celebrate heirloom fruit varieties from local growers. of heirloom fruits that aren’t necessarily
By Jamie Bogner grown on a large commercial scale.
“I’m starting to realize that people love
TROY CASEY NEVER WANTED TO Launching a new brewery is tough. But our fruit beers a lot, so I’m trying to capi-
open a brewery. The former head of the launching a niche brewery that brews only talize on all this fresh fruit that we’ve got
AC Golden (Coors) secret barrel program barrel-fermented mixed-culture beers going on,” says Casey.
loved working in his corner of the brew- (beers fermented not with a single Sac- “When I tell farmers how much I’m
ing giant and thought he would spend charomyces brewing yeast strain but with looking for—sixty pounds up to hundreds
his career there, as did his father before a culture of multiple strains that typically of pounds—most just laugh at me. Not
him. While his father, a brewing chemist, contain Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus) is too many people are doing that, but I’m
spent thirty-plus years honing the highly considerably tougher. Fermentation time finding the ones who are and taking them
automated process for creating the perfect stretches from weeks at a typical brewery all. What’s fun about [my focus on Colo-
light lager, Casey’s budding interest in to months with mixed-culture fermen- rado ingredients] is that it’s not as simple
funkier brewing methods—barrel aging tation. And after brewing and loading as getting a purée from the Northwest. It’s
and mixed-culture fermentation—ulti- up barrels for fermentation, there’s no talking to people, telling them my story
mately pulled him away from the corpo- guarantee a brewer will get something out while they tell me theirs, and connecting
rate side. of the barrel that tastes good. with them. Now farmers are talking to
“My then-girlfriend and now wife moved “The reason most brewers aren’t doing each other about me, and being able to
to Glenwood Springs [about 2.5 hours up what we’re doing is that you don’t have any- affect their businesses like that is pretty
in the mountains from Denver] for a great thing to fall back on [if a batch doesn’t work cool. Sometimes they don’t have an outlet
job. I’d make the drive up every weekend, out]. I’d only brewed my Saison recipe three for some of the varieties they grow, so me
and ended up falling in love with the times before starting this, and I got really coming in and taking 400–500 pounds is
Roaring Fork valley,” Casey says. “Even- lucky with my early batches,” says Casey. significant to a lot of these growers. It’s
tually the switch flipped, and I realized “When I first tasted the barrels of Oak pretty fun to see that mutual respect.”
I could start my own brewery. I always Theory [a golden sour], they tasted so bad Casey’s Fruit Stand beers are produced by
thought I’d be a company man at the big that I didn’t sleep for a week. Luckily, they adding fruit to fully fermented saison (that’s
brewery—I loved it there—but over time came around.” rested for 3–4 weeks before it gets fruit),
the culture changed and it wasn’t where I Adding another level of complexity to then allowing the active culture in the beer to
wanted to be. So we came to the conclu- the strategy is his focus on using only Col- referment the sugar from the fruit until the
PHOTOS: JAMIE BOGNER
sion to do it; I wrote up a business plan, orado-grown fruit. While many brewers beer again achieves the desired dryness.
took some small business classes, raised today use aseptic fruit purée from large “We don’t do anything special to the fruit.
money from friends and family, and was fruit packaging companies, Casey takes Friends and fans help me pick it, then we
scared shitless for the next year.” advantage of his proximity to the fruit just cut it up. It’s really cool and humbling.”
| 31
| BREAKOUT BREWERS |
they grow, so me coming in and taking 400–500 batches of Oak Theory had to be held
pounds is significant. It’s pretty fun to see that until the diacetyl faded. Thankfully, with
mixed-culture beers, Brettanomyces will
mutual respect.” —Troy Casey clean that up if you give it time. Blackber-
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“I’m now at that point where I ask
ft
Cra wing Be e myself ‘What would Vinnie do?’ If
Vinnie [Cilurzo, of Russian River
& Breh
Brewing] wouldn’t release it, we
hold onto longer.” —Troy Casey
Merc w at
On sale nora d brewing.com
ry Cut also had to wait a bit for release, for the same reason.
“I’m now at that point where I ask myself ‘What would Vinnie
do?’ If Vinnie [Cilurzo, of Russian River Brewing] wouldn’t
release it, we hold onto it longer.”
n
shop.bee
When he launched the business, Troy’s original plan was to sell
as much beer at the brewery as possible, then sell the rest as close
to home as possible. These days, more than 50 percent of the beer
Casey makes is sold directly to customers on the one day per month
he opens. Thanks to large crowds, he has resorted to an advanced
ticketing method to ensure that those who make the trek from
Denver, Salt Lake City, Santa Fe, and the like, don’t go home empty
handed.
The limited nature of Casey’s beer has catapulted it into the
beer-trading market, which is a mixed blessing.
“When I was at AC Golden, I used to trade a lot—not trading
my beers, but trading other people’s beers. It’s fun—how else are
you going to get to try Tree House or Trillium or Hill Farmstead
or Russian River—there’s so much great beer around the country.
I encourage people to do that. But it gets frustrating when it goes
farther and people resell or raffle beer.”
“The only reason we’re talking about [reselling] is how personal
beer is. If it were anything else, that’s just how business works. If
it’s cars or shoes, the secondary market just is what it is. What’s
tough with beer is that brewers put so much time and energy
into it that we want consumers to buy it and enjoy it. When
someone else is selling it at a mark up, it just cheapens what
we’re trying to do.”
PHOTOS: JAMIE BOGNER
But the economy around the beer will always be second for Casey,
as his main love is focusing on the creative expression in his beer.
“My goal is to be the Indiana Jones of fruit and find that perfect
variety.”
The Persistent
Experimenter Jean-Claude Tetreault and his team at Boston’s tiny offer samples. It’s a sight that Cofounder
Trillium Brewing have brewed 125 beers in their first two and Brewmaster Jean-Claude Tetreault
and a half years. Although many are variations on their says he never imagined. “I’m still—I
core beers, they’re not just quick, throw-them-together don’t know if surprised is right—but I’m
type beers. And many are among the most sought-after amazed people show up and wait for any
beers brewed in the Northeast. By Norman Miller of the beers we make. [But] that’s why you
make beer—so people enjoy it.”
Trillium is a brewery that seemed to be
ON SATURDAY, IN THE Fort Point in planning forever. Tetreault and his wife
Channel neighborhood in Boston, it’s not and partner, Esther, found the location at
unusual to see a line of people outside 369 Congress Street, in 2010. But licensing
PHOTOS: TYLER FITZPATRICK
the Trillium Brewing Company. They’re issues kept pushing the opening of the
waiting for their opportunity to get the lat- brewery, first to 2011 then 2012, and finally,
est release—an IPA, a pale ale, a sour, or they opened the small brewery in 2013.
a porter—from this tiny Congress Street Even then, it wasn’t easy. The city of
brewery that does not distribute or even Boston would not let Trillium provide
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BEERANDBREWING.COM | 37
MAKE IT
Bees American Wild Ale
This recipe from Trillium Brewing’s cofounder and brewmaster,
Jean-Claude Tetreault, uses New England malt and honey. To give
your version its own terroir, source your malt and honey locally.
ALL-GRAIN
MALT/GRAIN BILL
5.5 lb (2.5 kg) Valley Malt Pale Malt
2.5 lb (1.13 kg) Valley Malted Wheat
8 oz (227 g) Valley Crystal Wheat
YEAST
Cultured up bottle dregs of Trillium New England Native
Microbe Culture. samples of their beers—a routine practice for breweries, including
If Trillium doesn’t distribute in your area, try a commercial the other two breweries in Boston—the Harpoon Brewery and
mixed culture, or culture your own blend of backyard mystery Boston Beer Company. But Trillium persevered, and except for a
microbes. The results won’t be the same, but it’s the best you licensing snafu that forced their closure for about a month in 2014,
can do without the actual Trillium strains. they have been going strong. Tetreault and his team have brewed
Suggested commercial options include East Coast Yeast 125 beers in their first two and a half years. And, they’re not just
ECY01 BugFarm, ECY03 Farmhouse Blend, or ECY20 Bug- quick, throw-them-together type beers. As of the writing of this
County; The Yeast Bay Amalgamation, Mélange, or Funktown; article, Trillium had twenty-seven of the top 100 beers brewed in
White Labs WLP655 Belgian Sour Mix I; Wyeast 3278 Belgian Massachusetts, according to Beeradvocate.com user reviews.
Lambic Blend or 3763 Roeselare Ale Blend. “A lot of those are variations on our core beers,” says Tetreault. “We
notice by changing a seemingly small aspect of one beer, it makes
DIRECTIONS for a very distinct final product.” For example, when brewing an es-
Single infusion mash the pale malt, malted wheat, and crystal tablished beer, such as the Fort Point Pale Ale, Tetreault says he likes
malt in 2.75 gallons (10.4 liters) of water to arrive at 154°F to experiment with different hops to see how they change the beer.
(68°C). Sparge with 170–175°F (77–79°C) water to collect 5.5–6 He says it’s more than just throwing hops into a beer all willy-nilly.
gallons (20.8–22.7 liters) of wort. Bring to a boil and boil for “There’s a lot of thought that goes into it,” says Tetreault. “It’s choos-
1 hour following the hops schedule. Cool to 68°F (20°C) and ing when and how and the correct temperatures. It’s a relatively de-
rack into a sanitized fermentor. Add the cultured microbes tailed process to decide when you choose to pull the trigger on when
and aerate. Ferment at 68°F (20°C) for two days, then let the you dry hop. It’s based on the experience we’ve gained over time.”
temperature rise to 75°F (24°C) for four weeks. At four weeks, That experience comes from the fact that they brew many different
add 1 pound (454 g) of honey. Ferment for an additional 4–8 beers because they brew such small batches of beer that it sells out
weeks at ambient temperature. When the gravity is stable at right away. “We sort of take a homebrewing approach in that you’re
1.000–1.0002, blend the 8 ounces (227 g) of honey with 8 almost making a different beer every time you brew,” he says.
ounces (227 g) 100°F (38°C) water to ensure good mixing Many of Trillium’s beers are hazy, something that Tetrault says
in bottling bucket. Bottle condition in heavy glass for 6–12 was not the original intention, but beer fans have really taken to
months. it. “A combination of yeast and technique makes them appear the
way they do,” he says.
BREWER’S NOTES Although Trillium (named for a flower that grows in temper-
To achieve a water chemistry of about 150 ppm Ca+ and a ate locations) brews many different styles, the brewery is best
PHOTOS: TYLER FITZPATRICK
balanced sulfate/chloride ratio, Tetreault adds 5g calcium chlo- known for its IPAs, which are among the most sought-after beers
ride and 5g calcium sulfate to the mash water. Add brewing brewed in the Northeast. They include a series of beers named
salts as needed to adjust your water chemistry. for surrounding streets (e.g., Congress Street IPA, Sleeper Street
IPA, and Melcher Street IPA) as well as the Uppercase IPA and
Mettle double IPA. Many of these have various versions brewed
Low
Maintenance
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www.vintable.com
CRAFT BEER & BREWING | 39
| BREAKOUT BREWERS |
some may be surprised by which brew- location,” says Tetreault. “We will supply
eries inspire Tetreault. “I always say Jolly ourselves from Canton, and hopefully
Pumpkin [Michigan]. That’s a true Amer- we’ll have more beer at Fort Point, and it’ll
ican farmhouse brewery. Their entire last longer. We’re going to continue to be a
portfolio is pretty incredible. Cantillon Boston brewery.”
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ODELL BREWING CO.
LAGERBIER HELL
| PICK SIX |
HELLES
New Glarus
Brewing Co.
Octoberfest Beer
Stagho
Staghorn
PALE ALE
RA NEVADA
LE ALE
PA
SIER
Kriek
Schaer
From Grain
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
(Chico, California)
To Glass
You don’t even need to say anything more
than the name. This beer is just technical-
ly awesome. Such a great focus on quality.
The people, the place, the beer, the intent,
the stewardship—all of it is right there.
The first time I had it was a long time
ago—it would have been in Boston where
Bell’s Brewery Director of Operations John Mallett is known for his precision,
I worked retail in a liquor store on Beacon
focus on process, and undying love of malt (he wrote the book on the subject). Hill. That beer came in—this was proba-
But the beers he prizes most are beers that showcase a true and honest expres- bly 1987—and it was bright. My memory
sion of the ingredients themselves, whether that’s malt-forward beers that taste is somewhat dim—I didn’t really know
like the fields of barley they come from, lambics that showcase the incredible what I was doing tasting beer back then.
interplay of yeast, bacteria, fruit, and wort, or hoppy beers that convey the care But in all the years since, if I’m out and
with which the hops themselves are selected. By Jamie Bogner I see that beer on, I always think, “That’s
going to be a good drinking beer.”
“I’M NOT GOING TO SAY ORVAL
because I think probably every brewer in the Lagerbier Hell
world says Orval, but it’s a magnificent beer.” Augustiner Bräu
John Mallet is a consummate brewer’s (Munich, Germany)
brewer, and his focus on getting it right Augustiner Bräu is an old-school Munich
extends to the exact phrasing he uses to brewery, and the beer has just an incred-
describe beers. Throughout our conversa- ible malt presence. Crushable—it’s just
tion, he often backed up, rethought, and so easy drinking. I think about that beer
restated his opinion, so it expressed the as being transparent back to the farmer’s
exact sentiment he intended to convey. field, down to the barley used to make
This same attention to detail is evident in the malt. Those varieties are really old
the beer he brews at the legendary Bell’s varieties. And there’s something about
Brewery (Kalamazoo, Michigan), and it’s this beer that just pulls it together. Really
the same standard he seeks out in the nice hops and malt selections allow it to
beer he drinks. shine through the beer. It’s almost like the
way to
find and
share For Most Orders Over $75*
beer
*Large bags or drums of malt, grains, or extract are excluded and do not ship free. Restrictions apply. See additional terms.
Promotion and terms subject to change at any time.
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BEERANDBREWING.COM | 43
| PICK SIX |
Saison Brett
Boulevard Brewing Company
(Kansas City, Missouri)
I would never have guessed that Kansas City
is located in the Belgian countryside, but a
quick taste of Saison Brett makes me think
that my geography is off. The dry, spritzy,
spicy, and phenolic attributes all work togeth-
er to make an amazingly well balanced and
distinctively drinkable beer. I once remarked
to Steven Pauwels (the mastermind behind
this awesome brew) that I don’t generally
like hops-forward, yeast-driven Belgian-style
brewer becomes invisible and the beer is a ibly closely linked, and that beer lights up ales; that the bitterness and phenols are in
reflection of the fields. that neural pathway for me. conflict and just don’t work well for me.
Of beers that are like it, I’d say that Like in Orval, the secret to this beer lies in
Schönramer or Keesmann Herren Pils— Odell IPA the contribution that Brettanomyces releases.
these are beers that are just beautiful, Odell Brewing Company In short, this beautiful beer is the nuanced
pure representations of German Agricul- (Fort Collins, Colorado) exception that proves the rule.
ture. I was in Bamberg a month or two I love the brilliant pop of hops. The hops
ago, and we spent a night in a bar there just scream forth, and they are forceful, Honorable Mention
drinking Herren Pils, and it was just… so and yet you can tell that they’re carefully Beers that were close but that just missed
good. I love that beer—it’s the beer I go chosen, so it’s quality over quantity, and my list include Brasserie de La Senne
back to Bamberg for. the quantity is considerable. The hops Taras Boulba (Brussels, Belgium). It’s so
But we’re talking about Augustiner. The notes are so bright. With hops, I taste the light, so refined—it just sings. And there
stewardship they have from contracting picking window—the time when the hops are some really phenomenal Weisse beers
with the same farmers to malting the bar- are harvested has a lot to do with the beer out there. If I had a little more room in
ley in the brewery all the way through to in the glass—and the hops for Odell IPA my six-pack, those would be next.
getting it to the pubs, that’s the “grain-to- are obviously well selected. The timing As I was thinking about this list, there
glass” that helps make that beer great. of the hops-picking window is evident in are a number of beers I would drink on
that beer. The malt is balanced— it’s not draft, but I can’t put them in a six-pack,
Drie Fonteinen the star, but you need that supporting cast. and I think of some of them as being very
Schaerbeekse Kriek The hops are the star, and it’s evident that ephemeral, like some of the British beers
Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen the malt bill itself marries well with the that you drink in a time and space where
(Beersel, Belgium) hops direction. Anyone can brew a hops it’s perfect, and yet you think, “This is great
Beer is such a complement to food, and I bomb. Balancing the malt is the non-obvi- right now, and I don’t know that it could
love to drink this one with food. The com- ous key to a fantastic IPA. ever be always this great.” You taste a level
bination of the fruit and the acidity—I’ve of freshness in that moment that’s very
had some really memorable meals where Staghorn Octoberfest yeast-driven, and as a brewer, I look at that
they’ve just sung together. As you drink New Glarus Brewing Company and think, “I know it’s going to change.
this beer, it has both a richness and also the (New Glarus, Wisconsin) I can’t transport this away from here. It’s
ability to clear the palate. It harmonizes so This style should be about malt, and this good tonight, and I need to drink it tonight
well with Flemish food, which I love. The beer is all about malt. Dan and Deb Carey so I’m going to drink a bunch of it tonight.”
beer is super solid, Armand is a great guy, have built a magnificent brewery that is Packaging great beer is really hard. Take
and when you pour it in the glass, it’s like really devoted to refining the brewer’s a British beer such as Timothy Taylor’s
magic. I’ve had a few memorable meals art to a very fine degree. Like many great Landlord—a really beautiful, estery, perfect
with great people in great conditions. I love brewers, Dan focuses on raw materi- kind of thing that’s all dependent on time
how Armand has such a turn of phrase, als—on the ingredients that provide the and place. But if you take Orval, that beer
where he’s describing the incredible artistry essence of the beer. Sourcing, brewing is changing in the bottle. And in many
PHOTO: JAMIE BOGNER
that brewing a beer of that nature involves. execution, and attention to the minutiae ways, Orval gets better as it’s bottled. That
My experience of the beer is informed by of running the brewery come through in to me is genius. So because it’s changing
the experience of the company present. We that beer. He has an intense focus. It’s and that Brett character is coming up, it’s
know that aroma and memory are incred- a great pleasure to sit and talk with him changing in a positive way.
Issues
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BEERANDBREWING.COM | 45
| COOKING WITH BEER |
Sour
A
Taste
For
The wide range of flavor, intensity, and acidity makes sour beers
ideal partners in the kitchen, and these recipes explore and demonstrate that range
in everything from appetizers to dessert.
Recipes and Photography by Christopher Cina
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 47
| COOKING WITH BEER |
Active preparation time: 30 minutes Active preparation time: 20 minutes Active preparation time: 30 minutes
Total time: 7 days Total time: 1 hour Total time: 2 hours
Serves: 6–8 Serves: 2 Serves: 3–4
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 49
| COOKING WITH BEER |
Chocolate Chile
Cherry Pot de Creme
Chocolate Chile
Cherry Pot de Creme
Beer
Featuring101+ recipes and photos of
1 01ES+
every dish, foreword by Kim Jordan
of New Belgium Brewing, plus proper
Kitchen
RECIP
for cookin
BEER
g with
Cooper Brunk
2 Tbs brown sugar dients, bring to a simmer, and cook down to a syrup consisten- 1 Tbs unsalted butter um-high heat, melt the butter. Place the mushrooms top down
cy. If desired, puree the mixture. 4 large button mushrooms, stems removed in the butter and cook for 2 minutes. Turn over and finsh in
the oven for 5 minutes.
For a dramatic presentation, cut each rack of lamb in half Drop the gnocchi pieces into a pot of boiling salted water and
Alaskan Smoked Porter and interweave the rib bones. Spoon the white beans in a line cook for 3–4 minutes, until the gnocchi float to the surface.
(JUNEAU, AK)
across each plate. Arrange the lamb over the beans. Place a Remove the gnocchi and drain. In a large sauté pan over me-
Founders Smoked Porter spoonful of the Smoked Porter Peach Preserves in front of Lakefront Pumpkin Lager
dium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the gnocchi
88 114
Introducing The
The Best of Cooking With Beer
Best of Cooking
THE BEST OF
ingredient—beer! expand yo
everything
at home. So
opener, an
Don’t Age
These Beers!
When determining whether to age or not to age a beer, watch out for
these four cellar no-nos. By Patrick Dawson
RESPECT YOUR ELDER: KEEP COLD, vatives that slow the aging of beer. And
DRINK FRESH, DO NOT AGE! Vinnie when a beer becomes too old, it loses its
Cilurzo, co-owner and brewmaster at vibrancy and takes on stale flavors.
Russian River Brewing Company (Santa But the lack of a strong, sour, or smoked
Rosa, California), plastered this (and many “preservative” isn’t the only reason to
similar) warnings on the label of his double drink a beer fresh. When determining
IPA, Pliny the Elder. They all center on the whether to age or not to age, watch out for
fact that he empathically discourages people these other cellar no-nos.
from aging this beer. And he has a point, as
one of the key events to occur in an aging Hops-Forward Beers
beer is the fading of hops taste, aroma, and As I mentioned above, the bitterness, aro-
bitterness, something that’s rather detri- ma, and taste that you get from hops will
mental to such beers as double IPAs. slowly fade over time. Some aspects are
And the fact of the matter is that while cel- more sensitive than others. For instance,
laring is rapidly gaining in popularity and the flavors derived from myrcene (which
can do incredible things for the right beer, gives beer that distinctive green “hoppy”
the vast majority of beer on the market has flavor) and humulene (spicy and herbal)
no business being aged. Most don’t meet are especially fleeting. On the other hand,
the prerequisites to survive a turn in the cel- the hops compounds partially responsible
lar without going stale, and even more bear for “juicy” flavors found in new school
qualities that are best enjoyed fresh and will IPAs, such as linalool (floral-citrusy) and
only become muted over time. geraniol (floral-rose, geranium), are longer
When it comes to the prerequisites, the lasting, but not in the long-term cellaring
beer needs to possess one of sense. And as hops bitterness diminishes,
»»»
the following three character- beers are often left tasting overly sweet,
istics: strong, sour, or smoked. lacking that necessary contrasting aspect.
PHOTOS: JAMIE BOGNER
»»»
The high ABV, acidity, and With the hoppiness gone, beers such
smoke phenols act as preser- as IPAs, double IPAs, and even at times
»»»
720-684-6012
www.LongsInsurance.com
www.ohmbrewautomations.com PHOTO © BERNT ROSTAD
| IN THE CELLAR |
Esters are often formed during primary fermentation and help to give beer
its characteristic taste, such as the banana presence in German Weiss beers
or the pear and tree-fruit aspects in Belgian ales. Over time, most of these
esters are broken down in a process called hydrolysis, causing the flavor to
slowly fade… In many beers, this bright, fruit component is key and allowing
it to fade via cellaring causes a beer to become a shell of its former self.
American barleywines are often left However, those wheat proteins don’t like
seemingly incomplete because the brewer to stay suspended in a beer and over time
constructed the flavor profile with hops as will slowly drop out and form a sediment
the centerpiece. Compounding the issue, cake on the bottom. Just as when hops
as the hops recede, studies have shown disappear from an IPA, once a wheat
that many of their initial flavors transform beer’s full mouthfeel dies off, it loses
into trans-2-nonenal, the compound pri- much of what once made it great. This is
marily responsible for stale, papery flavors especially true when aging saisons with a
in old beer. So, not only are these beers strong wheat component.
losing a critical component of what makes Something else to be wary of when it
them special, they are gaining a decidedly comes to aging wheat-based beers is the
negative aspect as well. fact that wheat malts are typically high
in lipids. Given long enough, lipids can
Fresh-Ester Degradation lead to, you guessed it, the dreaded stale,
The fruity smell and taste you encoun- cardboard-like oxidative flavors.
ter in beer often comes from chemical Gueuze and other lambic-based beers,
compounds called esters. There is a huge whose grain bills are up to 40 percent
spectrum of esters found in beer, ranging wheat, are among the few exceptions to
from isoamyl acetate (banana) to ethyl cellaring wheat beers. These beers, which
hexanoate (apple) to ethyl butyrate (tropi- are swimming with the oxygen-scaveng-
cal fruits), with many others in between. ing wild yeast, Brettanomyces, aren’t very
Esters are often formed during primary susceptible to oxidation and can avoid
fermentation and help to give beer its the cardboard pitfalls associated with old
characteristic taste, such as the banana wheat beers. (Not only that, but they’re
presence in German Weiss beers or the prized for their dry, champagne-like body
pear and tree-fruit aspects in Belgian and aren’t expected to have a full body.)
ales. Over time, most of these esters are
broken down in a process called hydro- Twist-Off or Swing-Top
lysis, causing the flavor to slowly fade. Oxygen Seepage
Generally, other esters will be created Compared to the typical “pry-off” caps,
in their place, but they typically have a twist-offs have an inferior seal that, with
wine-like or port-like flavor. age, will slowly allow oxygen to seep into
So, if you’re considering aging a a beer, speeding the aging process and
beer that has a strong fruity presence causing (drumroll…) stale flavors! Luckily
when young, be aware that those though, twist-off caps are pretty much a
flavors will most likely dull over time. thing of the past in the craft-beer world.
In many beers, this bright, fruit But it is something to keep in mind when
component is key and allowing it to debating whether to age a vintage twist-off
fade via cellaring causes a beer to bottle any further. Probably more impor-
become a shell of its former self. tantly, be wary of swing tops, as the materi-
al used in their rubber gaskets is especially
Wheat Clearing susceptible to oxygen seepage over time.
In unfiltered beers made with While some beers just beg to be aged,
wheat, one of the most attractive every beer has an optimal drinking
features is the full, chewy mouth- window, and for the majority of cases, it’s
feel that comes from suspended wheat “as fresh as possible.” Know which beers
proteins. Anybody who’s had an authen- are going to benefit from maturation time
tic Belgian wit straight from the source and which will not. After all, an IPA is too
can attest to the difference this makes. beautiful a thing to waste.
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FOR THOSE WHO
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GREAT BEER
BIG BEERS FOR COLD WEATHER: BARLEYWINES, OLD ALES, AND MORE! | INSIDE CASK ALES
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IPA BEERANDBREWING.COM | 57
imity to the hops fields in Washington and
IPA
Oregon meant access to new hops varieties
The united
States of
The IPAs of
dry finish and overwhelming hops inten-
sity.” Simple grain bills with little crystal
malt in the recipes became the standard.
“Balance?” Steele says, “We forget that
side of the equation to maximize hops
California
character.” Clean fermentations further
accentuated the hops, and an emphasis on
dry hopping helps tease subtle flavors and
aromas from all those hops.
While the early West Coast IPAs cen-
tered on the “C hops” varieties—Cascade,
Chinook, Columbus, and Centennial—as
The bright, bitter, and aromatic India pale ales of California sparked an more IPAs hit the market, the competition
infatuation with hops that emanated across the craft-beer landscape and drove brewers to find ways to differentiate
developed into the modern IPA style. By John Verive their brands. With a limited palette of
hops varieties and a style that required a
muted malt flavor, brewers stood out from
WHILE THE INDIA PALE Ale wasn’t tag, paired that pungent new hops variety the crowd by tuning their techniques.
born in California, it was reinvented in with dry-hopping techniques he adapted “The temperature of dry hopping is
the Golden State. From Anchor Brewing from those learned during a research where a lot of breweries are doing different
to New Albion Brewing Co. to Sierra trip to England—Carpenter says that at things,” Steele says. “It has a big impact
Nevada, the first generation of modern the time, Anchor was the only American on what flavors you’ll get out of the hops.”
craft brewers found a niche adapting brewery to dry hop their ales. The distinc- After much experimentation and study,
the strong, hoppy British pale ales into tive Cascade character was underlined Stone now dry hops beer at about 60°F
a streamlined vehicle for delivering the with an understated malt flavor, and (15°C) to maximize the extraction of hops
essence of New World hops. Brewers sim- Liberty Ale would unexpectedly become a oils, but Steele says all the mechanics of
plified the malt bills, experimented with template for the first modern craft beers. dry hopping still aren’t well understood.
diverse hops varieties, and created new But it wasn’t an instant success. It’s difficult in a production brewery
processes and equipment for imbuing “At the time, people said you just setting to conduct the kind of controlled
brews with hops character. These bright, couldn’t drink it. There were just too experimentation that science demands,
bitter, and aromatic ales sparked an infat- many hops in it,” Carpenter recalls. With and with few laboratories studying hops,
uation with hops that emanated across the forty years of brewing experience at An- the brewpubs around San Diego become
craft-beer landscape and developed into chor, Carpenter has a unique perspective the next proving ground for IPA develop-
the modern IPA style. on how tastes have changed in Ameri- ment. During the 1990s and early 2000s,
ca and the world. “I never would have the West Coast style was further refined
Understated Malt, New guessed IPAs would become such a driv- by a cadre of brewers including Stone’s
Hops ing force,” he says. “When you have brew- Steve Wagner, Tomme Arthur from Pizza
The rise of the IPA (an offshoot of the ers in Munich making California-style Port (and later The Lost Abbey) and
American pale ale style) to craft-beer IPAs, the brewing world is upside down. Vinnie Cilurzo—who brewed at the Blind
prominence began forty years ago. In That all traces back to Liberty Ale.” Pig Alehouse in Temecula before moving
1975, Anchor Brewing was struggling north to found Russian River Brewing.
against the tide of American Light Lager Higher and Bolder “Tomme Arthur and Jeff Bagby [Pizza
and determined to keep their novel brew- By the mid-nineties, California craft Port] are two brewers with the biggest influ-
ing techniques and unique ales flowing. brewers had begun to explore the IPA style ence on how I structure IPAs,” says Julian
They had introduced Anchor Porter in and started what Carpenter calls “the chili Shrago, the co-owner and brewer at the
1973 and wanted to follow that beer up cook-off effect” of ever-climbing IBUs and celebrated Beachwood Brewing brewpub in
with an American take on a British pale ever-bolder aromas. Relatively close prox- Long Beach. Beachwood is known for offer-
ale to commemorate the 200th anniver-
sary of Paul Revere’s Ride. “We learned
about the Cascade hops variety from a
hops-grower friend,” says Anchor’s veter-
an Brewmaster Mark Carpenter. “It was
a new hops at the time, and no one was
“Balance? We forget that side of the equation to
really using it as an aroma hops.” maximize hops character.”
Anchor’s iconoclastic owner, Fritz May-
— Mitch Steele, Stone Brewing
58 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING
ing a wide variety of West Coast IPAs, and flavor and aroma components as opposed
Shrago has a knack for making small subtle
tweaks to grain bills and hops schedules
to throwing things in the boil [or dry hop-
ping],” he says. “I firmly believe in having
Freshness
to create dozens of distinctive IPA recipes. a wall of flavor and aroma, and I think the Obsession
Arthur taught him to eschew caramel malt, way that you do that is by adding different
even in double IPA formulation, and from varieties of hops at many, many different One by-product of the
Bagby he learned to amalgamate different points. Just tons of layers.” growth of popularity of
IPAs is beer fans’ obsession
hops flavors and specific dry-hopping tech- with IPAs being fresh.
niques. “Bagby is a master of hoppy styles. I A Firestorm of Interest Often, John Kimmich,
never would have dry hopped in the serving As brewers devised new techniques and owner/brewer of The
tank if it weren’t for him,” Shrago says. technologies for extracting flavor and Alchemist in Waterbury,
Besides the serving-tank hops additions, aroma compounds from hops, the hops Vermont, says, he’ll read
which can use either whole flower or pel- growers bred new varieties that offered yet Internet posts from people
claiming that Heady
lets depending on the specific character more diverse flavors and aromas. “Having Topper or other IPAs begin
he’s looking for, Shrago has also adopt- a relationship with your farmer is a real losing their hops character
ed another technique he learned key to making great beer,” says Matt after a couple of weeks.
from Bagby and Vinnie Cilurzo: Brynildson, decorated brewmaster That, Kimmich says,
mash hopping. “The chemistry at Firestone Walker Brewery. In is just not true. “People
works a little differently in hops recent years, Brynildson has spent are taking it in the wrong
direction,” he says. “There
added during the mash, so you’re time exploring is absolutely such a thing
permanently locking in different Germany’s as being too fresh. For my
taste, when we can any
of my beers, if I drink it at
home that night, I don’t
like it. Every time a beer
goes from one container
to another, it needs time to
acclimate; it needs time to
become what it is. When
people go to a store and
see a can that was literally
packaged hours ago, they
feel compelled to drink it
right away. You don’t have
to. It will stay amazing for
months and months, if not
years. That the hops fla-
vors drop off in a couple of
weeks is not true—if a beer
is brewed with the utmost
care and kept refrigerated.
[Yes,] it will age, and it will
change. There’s a real need
to educate our customers
about that.”
PHOTO: MATT GRAVES
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 59
producing these aromas, then set up
IPA
breeding designed to find varieties that
The united
States of
the Pacific
how dry the beer is and the perceived bit-
terness level. I think of West Coast IPAs
as a bit more bracingly bitter, but it’s likely
just due to the lack of malt character and
low residual sweetness.”
Northwest
Hazy and Aromatic
“Historically, I think a Northwest IPA [is]
different from a West Coast IPA,” says Josh
Pfriem who owns Hood River’s pFriem
Family Brewers. Northwest IPAs have
more of a sturdy malt bill, he explains.
“They’re hazy and aromatic with an asser-
We asked the brewers at Fremont Brewing, pFriem Family Brewers, The tive bitterness while the West Coast IPA
Commons Brewery, Boneyard Beer, and Block 15 whether they consider is lighter in body and brighter and [puts a]
“Northwest-style” IPA its own subcategory of the IPA family. Here’s what they huge emphasis on aromatic hops.”
had to say… By Emily Hutto Pfriem’s 7 percent ABV, 65 IBU IPA
is brewed with Gambrinus Canadian
I MISS MANY THINGS about living in the Pacific Northwest— Pilsner, Simpsons Caramalt, Simpsons
among them, the region’s music scene and Portland’s equidis- Crystal Light, and Simpsons Crystal
tance from mountains and beach. Mostly though, I miss the Dark grains with Chinook, Mosaic, Citra,
IPAs. The India pale ale is celebrated, if not worshipped, in this and Warrior hops before it ferments
lush region that produces some of the world’s most sought-after with American ale yeast. “I think most
hops and some of the most sought-after IPAs. This beer style Northwest brewers are trying to achieve
is omnipresent in Washington and Oregon, and—according huge hops aromatics, light body with just
to several of the region’s prominent brewers—it is evolving in enough malt to balance the hops, smooth
aroma and flavor. finishes with just enough bitterness, and
brightness,” he says about modern-day
More Hops Forward Northwest IPAs. “These beers are very
“The Northwest IPA of ten years ago is certainly different from fresh, hops-forward, and fruity... they have
what we might think of as a quintessential Northwest IPA today,” lots of citrus and drink easy.”
says James McDermet, the head brewer at Fremont Brewing in
Seattle, Washington. “Classic Northwest IPA fits very well into Late-Kettle and Dry-Hop
the American-style IPA category and focuses on American hops Notes
characteristics like big juicy citrus in the aroma and flavor that is Sean Burke of The Commons Brewery in
often balanced by some sweet, caramel malt character.” Portland, Oregon, agrees that the North-
The general trend in Northwest IPAs, according to McDermet, west IPA style is evolving. “Not that long
has been a move away from the caramel malty character and a ago Northwest-style IPAs tended to be a
focus on a drier, more hops-forward beer. “For our IPA, we try to bit more malty and have a bit more resid-
maintain some malt sweetness to keep the beer from being too ual sugar,” he says. “I think there is more
bracingly bitter and keep the beer more balanced while focusing of a push to pull back on the Munich and
IPA
late-kettle and dry-hops notes.”
The united
States of
end res
while ago, and the
. It’s not overly bitter; it prefers IPA a few months after it has been
for in a well-crafted IPA aroma, and it has
HEAD HUNTER PHOTO COURTESY OF FAT HEADS; ALL OTHER PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES
or and
explodes with hops flav yin gly sweet. There
brewed. “A little bit of age on the hops is
fini sh tha t isn ’t clo good,” he says. “I prefer pelletized hops
a nice dry ner . Oh, and I can
gol d me dal win
is a reason it’s a after 3–6 months. If you let hops age out
get it really fresh. a little bit, some of their oils become less
vegetative.”
Unique Characteristics
“I’m unsure whether there is a single
Jeremy Tofte
Brewing, Jackson, Wyom
ing Northwest IPA style,” says Nick Arzner
Founder at Melvin k
Barley Brown’s Pallet Jac who owns Block 15 Restaurant & Brewery
I find myself reaching for te it only a few times
Ore gon ). I get to tas in Corvallis, Oregon.
(Baker City, than
I swear it’s even better
a year, and every time al not es I like and it’s Block 15’s Alpha IPA, Arzner explains,
tro pic
the last time. It’s got the red has evolved over the years to highlight
top it off, they have figu
pretty sessionable. To hops on the “citrusy and piney side with
ing red ien t: CO 2.
out the fifth background tropical fruit.” Alpha is built
on a blend of Crisp Best Pale and Rahr
BREWER’S NOTE
The water in Corvallis, Oregon, is soft. We
add calcium chloride and calcium sulfate
to the mash to achieve 125ppm of calcium,
180ppm of sulfate, and 85ppm of chloride.
Adjust your water accordingly.
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 63
IPA
The united
States of
THE AMERICAN MIDWEST IS where and brewing culture that was established
innovation meets tradition in the most here very early on coupled with a new
unassuming and satisfying ways. You can wave of American ingredients—even fif-
taste it in the food, you can see it in the teen years ago hops varieties weren’t what
architecture, and it’s definitely a distin- they are now—and that’s what’s mani-
guishing characteristic of the beer. fested itself into what people are calling a
“We’re in a part of the country that’s Midwestern IPA.”
somewhat removed from a lot of the spiky While it’s tough to define a Midwest-
trends, which is nice,” says Todd Haug, ern-style IPA as being just one thing, most
director of brewing operations at Minne- examples falling along that range exhibit a
sota-based Surly Brewing Co. “What we balanced malt character with some depth
see here tends to fall along a more narrow and complexity and are hopped at similar
bandwidth, but it’s way more solid. We rates as West Coast IPAs using primarily
may be a few years behind on some of the American hops for flavor and aroma.
food and beverage trends as a result, but
we have a better foundation for what good Full-Bodied Backbone
food and beer means and for the right “It’s not even always crystal malt,” Haug
reasons, not just because they’re popular says of the grain bill. “It could be in the
or what you’re supposed to be doing.” mashing regimen and leaving a little
America’s obsession with IPAs is a more residual sugars to give it balance.”
perfect example in microcosm. There’s While three highly decorated mainstays
seemingly infinite room for variance and tend to represent the Midwestern style—
experimentation within the style, and Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale, Goose Island’s
brewers continue to push hard on either Goose IPA, and Founders Centennial
end—from super dense and malty grain IPA—smaller brewers are further explor-
bills in the English tradition on one side ing this sweet spot with a wide variety of
to very lightly malted with extreme hops raw ingredients and techniques. Some-
additions on the other. Not surprisingly what counter-intuitively, it’s not always
Midwestern brewers tend to fall, well, as much about amping up the hops as it
somewhere in the middle. is about adjusting the grain bill to best
“The Midwest is a hot-bed for blending showcase the beer’s hops character.
together Old-World brewing tradition with Haug points to Surly’s flagship beer, Fu-
new American stuff,” says Haug. “I think rious, as an example of what’s happening
it’s organically come out of the breweries on the fringes of the middle. “The gravity
HOPS SCHEDULE
1 oz (28 g) CTZ [15.5% AA] at 90 minutes
1 oz (28 g) Chinook [12.7% AA] at 30
minutes
1 oz (28 g) Cenntenial [9% AA] at 15
minutes
1 oz (28 g) Simcoe [11.2% AA] at 15
minutes
1 oz (28 g) Citra [12.8% AA] at 0 minutes
1 oz (28 g) Centennial [9% AA] at 0
minutes
3 oz (85 g) Citra at dry hop
3 oz (85 g) Centennial at dry hop
YEAST
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale)
DIRECTIONS
Mash at 150°F (66°C) for 60 minutes.
Boil for 90 minutes, following the
hops schedule. Pitch the yeast at 64°F
(18°C). Let the temperature rise to 68°F
(20°C) and hold during fermentation.
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 65
IPA MAKE IT
The united
States of
Less Thinking
This recipe from Matt Gallagher, brew-
master at Half Acre Beer Co. in Chica-
go, is a nice Amarillo-focused Ameri-
We finally reached a tipping point where “To be honest, our IPA is never going can strong pale ale (but you could also
there’s enough maltiness that it’s balanced to win GABF Gold in the IPA category,” call it an IPA). It’s great for highlighting
from a drinkability standpoint, but not so he says. “We know what’s going on on a two different hops, but it could easily be
much that it covers up the hops flavors.” national level, and we’re not so concerned used to evaluate a single varietal as well.
Gallagher uses a liquor-to-grist ratio of with that. Our IPA is more consumer driv- It is best consumed during the summer
about 2.75 to one, he says, with a 90-min- en, what we think our consumers want months surrounded by nature.
ute boil and a bittering addition at 60 and what we want to be able to have in an
minutes, as well as hops additions at 30, everyday drinking beer.”
ALL GRAIN
15, and 5 minutes and “a big whirlpool In addition to the grain bill, Bean also
addition” before the beer is dry hopped. continues to tweak his liquor-to-grist ratio in
The beer is fermented with the same ale search of perfect attenuation. “We’re looking Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
yeast and at the same temperature that for that right amount of residual sweetness Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
Half Acre uses for most all of its beers. to bring out the flavors in the beer and keep OG: 1.051
it refreshing, too,” he says. “You don’t want FG: 1.007
Customer Base something cloying [because] it muddles the IBUs: 50
Eric Bean, owner and brewmaster at experience and totally ruins the hops flavor.” ABV: 6%
Ohio’s Columbus Brewing Company, also
appreciates a similar balance of under- Many Grains MALT/GRAIN BILL
lying malt flavor to accentuate the hops Gerrit Lewis, cofounder of Chicago-based 8 lb (3.6 kg) 2-row malt
character in an IPA. Pipeworks Brewing Co., hesitates to allow 1.5 lb (680 g) Vienna
While the brewery’s double IPA, Bodhi, that there even is “a definitive Midwestern 10 oz (283 g) flaked oats
won a bronze medal in the American-style IPA character”; however, he has found
IPA category at the 2014 Great American that a substantial malt backbone is a great HOPS SCHEDULE
Beer Festival, Bean considers its flagship way to showcase and fully express the 0.25 oz (7 g) Warrior at 60 minutes
IPA to be more representative of the brew- character in different hops varieties. 0.5 oz (14 g) Amarillo at 30 minutes
ery’s Midwestern roots. Pipeworks makes a huge variety of spe- 0.75 oz (21 g) Amarillo at 15 minutes
Where Bodhi “is all pale malt, a little cialty and one-off beers in its quest to ex- 1.5 oz (43 g) Amarillo at whirlpool
crystal, and as many hops as we can stuff plore flavors and produce “a beer for every 0.5 oz (14 g) Centennial at whirlpool
in there,” Bean says, Columbus Brewing’s occasion,” but, especially with the brewery’s 3.5 oz (99 g) Amarillo at dry hop (day 6
standard IPA “is very balanced in the series of single-hops Imperial IPAs, Lewis of fermentation)
sense that it has a fine tropical fruit char- prefers a grain bill that employs four or five 1 oz (28 g) Centennial at dry hop (day 6
acteristic but also some underlying malt different grains rather than just one or two. of fermentation)
tones that I think really bring out those “It’s darker in color and a little stickier
hops flavors and keep it very drinkable.” with more character malt,” he says. “The YEAST
He’s also conscious of his local customer flavor is a little rounder; more full and White Labs WLP051 California Ale V
base, which, in keeping with Midwestern robust overall.”
tastes, tends to prefer beers that are more And, in the Midwestern tradition, it pro- DIRECTIONS
straight-down-the-middle and reliably vides a solid base on which to experiment Mash at 145°F (63°C) for 60 minutes,
drinkable. with a variety of bold new flavors. then rest until conversion is com-
plete. Boil for 90 minutes. Pitch the
yeast and ferment at 65°F (18°C). Dry
hop on day 6 of fermentation (when
fermentation is slowing down), crash
“We found that if we kept the hops the same, but the beer on day 10 to 31°F (0°C). Wait a
lowered the percentage of pale malt and in- week or two before packaging.
snowball rolling down the hill and becom- Kimmich began brewing Heady Topper and continues to be popular is it lives up to
ing more prominent. They just popped.” in 2004 at the former Alchemist brew- expectations,” says Kimmich. “If you have
John Kimmich, owner/brewer of The pub. He opened his canning brewery in had it and you come back to it, it’s just as
Alchemist in Waterbury, Vermont, says 2011 and now brews 180 barrels of Heady good as it was. That’s a testament to the
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 67
incredible amount of detail on my part and
IPA
my team’s part. That is something that is un-
The united
States of
EXTRACT
the crowds to his small Boston brewery. we tasted it and said, ‘This is right.’ Now,
“New England brewers have figured out when we have a beer that isn’t hazy, peo-
a way to put their own stamp on it and to ple ask whether something went wrong.” Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
create their own version of the IPA,” said Bissell agrees. “Our beers are pretty OG: 1.080
Tetreault. “There’s now a New England hazy. Beers don’t have to be clear if you’re FG: 1.014
IPA moniker, which was something creat- making hoppy beers.” IBUs: 100+
ed by the beer fan.” With all of the various IPAs available ABV: 8.6–8.7%
today, how much more can IPAs evolve?
Roll Out Those Hazy, Crazy Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead (Greensboro MALT/GRAIN BILL
IPAs Bend, Vermont), for one, doesn’t know. 4 oz (113 g) Carapils
One of the characteristics of the so-called “Nearly every yeast, every barrel, every 1 lb (454 g) Maris Otter
New England IPA is the haziness of the hops, and every citrus fruit has been used 8.5 lb (3.85 kg) extra light malt extract
beers. Traditionally, IPAs are clear beers, in combination with the three magic let- (or sufficient to hit the original gravity)
but many of the more popular IPAs in ters,” says Hill. “Surely, something new will
New England are hazy—or “turbid” if you transpire, but I do not see a revolution.” HOPS SCHEDULE
talk to the founder of a popular chain of 2 oz (57 g) Equinox at FWH
beer stores in New England. (Full disclosure: The 2 oz (57 g) Columbus at 60 minutes
“It’s a pretty controversial Wormtown Brewery 2 oz (57 g) Amarillo at 45 minutes
topic,” says Tetreault. “We’re brews a Chocolate 2 oz (57 g) Mosaic at 30 minutes
primarily holding aroma Coconut Stout named 1 oz (28 g) Simcoe at 10 minutes
and flavor in the highest Norm for the author 1 oz (28 g) Amarillo at 0 minutes
regard. Everything else of this article. The au- 3 oz (85 g) Equinox dry hop in the
falls secondary to that. It thor did not partici- fermentor
was pretty jarring when pate in the brewing of 3 oz (85 g) Equinox dry hop in secondary
we brewed our first batch the beer and does not
and we looked at it in a receive any compen- YEAST
glass and asked, ‘What are sation for the beer.) American Ale
we going to do?’ Then
DIRECTIONS
Steep the grains at 155°F (68°C) in 1
gallon (3.8 liters) of water for 30 min-
utes. Remove the grains, top up with
the extract and hot water to hit your
desired boil volume, and boil for 60
minutes. Ferment at 68°F (20°C).
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 69
IPA
The united
States of
Hops Aroma:
Uncharted Waters Researchers recently have begun to unravel the
mystery of hops aroma, but many unknowns remain.
varieties such as Cascade and Simcoe. It
has a green, herbaceous, and resinous
aroma associated with fresh hops that will
By Stan Hieronymus be scrubbed away during boiling and fer-
mentation but that will provide distinctive
FIRST, THE BAD NEWS. Although both piney character to a dry-hopped beer.
Citra hops and coriander contain signifi- The oxygenated hydrocarbon com-
cant amounts of the essential oils geraniol pounds are more soluble and aromatic.
and linalool, substituting coriander for Their aromas, or new ones resulting
Citra hops in an India pale ale recipe will from the fermentation process, are more
not produce an award-winning IPA. There’s likely to show up in finished beer. They
good news to come, but first, let’s dig into a include linalool, geraniol, citronellol, and
few basics. hundreds of other compounds. The most
prominent of them will constitute less
Hops Oils 101 than 1 percent of the hops oils. Scientists
A hops cone contains 40 to 50 percent first isolated some of these compounds al-
cellulose, 15 percent protein, and 10 percent most 200 years ago, and Alfred Chapman
water, but it is the alpha acids (from 2 put names to some of them near the end
percent to occasionally 20-plus percent) and of the nineteenth century. But it was the
essential oils (as little as a half a percent) that introduction of gas chromatography in the
interest brewers. Isomerized, alpha acids 1950s that allowed researchers to identify
provide bitterness; volatilized, the com- almost 1,000 compounds.
pounds in essential oils contribute to—and Although sulfur compounds (thiols) are
sometimes dominate—aroma and flavor. a small portion of the oils, they have very
The composition of oils varies based low perception threshold levels (meaning
first on the hops variety, then on multiple that it takes very small amounts to impact
other factors, but most of the compounds sensory perception) and can significantly
(50 to 80 percent) will be hydrocarbons influence aroma, either positively or neg-
(from 20 to 50 percent oxygenated hydro- atively. Measuring thiols is more difficult
carbons) and less than 1 percent sulfur than measuring hydrocarbons because
compounds. thiols are present in such small amounts
Those compounds classified as hy- and very expensive and sophisticated
drocarbons are highly volatile, not very analytical instrumentation is needed. Only
soluble, and are perceptible in finished recently have scientists linked individual
PHOTO: MATT GRAVES
beer only when added very late in the boil thiols with passion fruit, tropical fruit,
or post-fermentation. Myrcene is almost sauvignon blanc grapes, and other exotic
always the most prominent, constituting aromas that characterize hops such as Ci-
50 percent or more of the oils in hops tra and Mosaic. Thiols tend to be divisive
IPA
gooseberry) while others perceive tom-cat urine.
The united
States of
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 73
IPA
The united
States of
Big changes are underway 2015 BJCP guidelines offer Notice something missing?
in the way the IPA style no fewer than ten for IPAs: Yep, there’s no category for
is judged in homebrew Session IPA, even though
12C. English IPA
competition. The BJCP that was the fourth-most-
21A. American IPA
2008 guidelines had three entered style among
21B. Specialty IPA, which in-
catetories for IPAs: professional brewers at the
cludes specific subtypes for
2015 Great American Beer
14A. English IPA Belgian IPA
Festival. So, for Session IPA,
14B. American IPA Black IPA
you’ll have to go with an
14C. Imperial IPA Brown IPA
unqualified 21B Specialty
Red IPA
But as a sign of the strength IPA and specify that it’s a ses-
Rye IPA
and importance of the IPA sion-strength American IPA.
White IPA
style, the newly released
22A. Double IPA
Don’t fly blind, though: If you don’t IPA is best served fresh. You won’t have
know what’s in your water to begin with, the benefit of aging time that might nor-
don’t mess with it. But if your water mally smooth out minor injuries incurred
report indicates that you’re working with during fermentation, so it’s especially im-
especially soft water, or if you need to start portant to get fermentation right. Brewers
with reverse osmosis (RO) water, then of award-winning commercial styles em-
consider using a water-chemistry tool phasize the importance of pitching a large,
such as Bru’n Water (sites.google.com/ well-oxygenated population of healthy
site/brunwater/) or the Mash Chemistry yeast cells near the middle of the strain’s
and Brewing Water Calculator at Brewer’s preferred temperature range. Slowly in-
Friend (www.brewersfriend.com). It may creasing the temperature after a couple of
be that a bit of gypsum is all that’s needed days helps promote attenuation and reduce
to take your IPA from good to outstanding diacetyl in the finished product.
(see “Water: The Overlooked Essential,” Dry hops are added after fermentation
page 75 for more about brewers’ approach- and are generally chosen to complement
es to water in brewing IPAs). the late kettle hops. But dry hops can also
provide interesting contrast, so consider
Dial in Your Process dividing your batch of IPA into several
The only mash you need for American smaller volumes and dry hopping each
IPA is the trusty single-temperature version a little differently, from obvious to
infusion mash, which is perfectly suited esoteric. You may just discover a combina-
to the well-modified malts used to brew tion that surprises and delights you.
these hoppy styles. To improve attenuation,
try mashing on the lower end of the typical Nail the Submission Re-
range: 150°F (66°C) isn’t a bad place to start. quirements
Boiling wort for a great American IPA You’ve put tremendous time and effort
need not be a complex affair, but as the into brewing the perfect IPA: Don’t let a
number of hops additions increases, so technicality disqualify your entry! Read and
does the risk of adding the wrong thing at re-read the submission guidelines, and fol-
the wrong time. Weigh out your hops into low them to the letter. Most competitions
small bowls or cups and require standard longneck bottles with no
line them up in order with identifying marks, so keep that in mind.
sticky notes or pieces of Drop off your samples or ship them well
paper telling you exactly in advance (not via the USPS: that’s a fel-
when each dose needs ony) so that they arrive at the judging site
to go in. before the deadline. But once the bottles
leave your hands, try to relax as you await
your results.
If you win a medal, congratulations! But
don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t.
Instead, read the judge’s comment sheets
and take their suggestions to heart. Then
go back to your recipe and try, try
again. It may be that a few minor
tweaks are all that stand between
you and a gold medal.
3 4 5
DADDY; 5. AVERY IPA; 6. LEFT HAND INTROVERT; 7. TRÖEGS BLIZZARD OF HOPS; 8. TREE HOUSE JULIUS
6 7 8
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 77
IPA
The united
States of
Water:
said to exhibit “Burton snatch,” a sulfuric
aroma caused by copious concentrations
of gypsum, or calcium sulfate.
You’re unlikely to find that legendary
Burton snatch in any of today’s leading ex-
amples. But you’ll still find brewers whose
stylistic approaches are as tied to the local
water as they are to malt, hops, and yeast.
West Coast
ales, which include Fair Maiden Imperial minerals on one side and H2O, served neat, because despite regional differences, the
IPA, Citrennial IPA, Pieces of Eight Impe- on the other. Starting with pure water, you two coasts (and all of us in the middle) are
rial IPA, and Native IPA. then build the exact water profile you want united in our love for modern American
Dan says that what makes East Coast through calculated mineral additions. (For IPA.
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 81
IPA
The united
States of
yeast strains that don’t just ferment malt- it can, in fact, throw impressive esters Because Bear Republic’s beers are bottle
ose, but also dance alongside hops that are when it ferments above or below its pre- conditioned, the interaction between yeast
at once tropical, citrusy, earthy, piney, and ferred temperature range. character and hops profile changes with
floral. The trick is knowing what you want “These [West Coast] yeasts have a time. “Everyone at Bear Republic has a
and then experimenting until you get it. potential ester profile. If you play with favorite way to drink Racer 5,” he says.
And knowing what you want from your fermentation temperature, you can really For Norgrove, that’s three to four months
yeast is a major driving force behind IPA influence the character of the beer,” says after production. “The hops no longer
2.0. Richard Norgrove of Bear Republic Brew- dominate, and you start to get some ester-
ing Company (Healdsburg, California). ification. It becomes almost more English
Châteaux de Chico He’s partial to White Labs WLP051 Cali- in style.”
There are plenty of American-ale yeasts fornia Ale V, which is somewhat more ex- Hmmm! A West Coast IPA that tastes
out there. But just as we use Q-Tip and pressive than classic Chico yeast (“Hmm, English?
Kleenex to identify cotton swabs and where did that guy get that number?” asks
facial tissues of any brand, talking about the award-winning brewer of Racer 5 with English Accents
“American-ale yeast” means only one a chuckle upon mentioning Cali V). Erik Jensen of Green Flash Brewing Com-
thing: Chico. “If you ferment California Ale V at pany in San Diego thinks a key differen-
Chico is probably the most widely used 66–68°F [19–20°C], say, it’s not going to tiator for East and West Coast brewers of
craft yeast strain on the West Coast, if throw tremendous esters. But raise it to IPA may be the lineage of their preferred
not in the entire country. You know it 72–74°F [22–24°C], and that same yeast can yeast strains. Green Flash’s proximity to
as White Labs California Ale (WLP001), throw bubblegum and Juicy Fruit charac- White Labs affords him the opportunity
Wyeast American Ale (1056), or Safale ter into the beer, giving a round sweetness to taste a number of the yeast bank’s
US-05. “Chico” refers to the hometown that complements the hops profile.” experiments, which often include splitting
of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Norgrove knows a thing or two about a single batch of wort and fermenting it
from which the strain is said to have been integrating interesting flavors. While with multiple yeast strains. Each result-
sourced. Legend has it that Sierra Nevada, Racer 5 remains a classic interpretation of ing beer gets tested for a number of key
in turn, obtained it from Ballantine de- the West Coast IPA style, Bear Republic’s metrics, including International Bittering
cades ago. Whence it arrived at Ballantine Apex imperial IPA is a chance to play. “We Units (IBUs).
may forever remain locked in the vaults of reserve the right to change Apex each year “A beer that hits 50 IBUs with a Califor-
brewing lore. according to the hops that are available,” nia-ale strain might only come up as 35
Whatever its roots (and inevitable mu- he tells me. Right now, his favorite hops is IBUs when fermented using a British-ale
tations along the way), Chico is famously a new cultivar known only as Experimen- strain, even though the original wort is the
clean, meaning that fermentation by-prod- tal Hop 06277. He has nicknamed it Stitch same,” says Jensen.
ucts are relatively few. Thus, the West for its ability to seamlessly weave in and It seems that the house strains that have
Coast IPA drinker experiences a more or out of Apex’s hops profile and keep beer developed at East Coast breweries may en-
less unadulterated expression of malt and drinkers guessing. And it seems to work joy a more direct lineage to classic British
hops. But despite Chico’s clean reputation, well with the brewery’s house yeast strain. strains than those on the West Coast. The
Alchemist’s well-known Conan strain, for
example, was begat from one of brewing
legend Greg Noonan’s preferred yeasts at
the Vermont Pub and Brewery. In all like-
Richard Norgrove of Bear Republic Brewing lihood, Noonan’s strain had its origins in
the United Kingdom, but as with Chico,
Company says, “If you ferment California Ale V Conan’s actual family tree may very well
at 66–68°F [19–20°C], say, it’s not going to throw be lost to the ages.
Whatever the case may be, it’s undeniable
tremendous esters. But raise it to 72–74°F [22–24°C], that many of the best IPAs from the East
and that same yeast can throw bubblegum and Coast exhibit a qualitatively different bit-
terness and hops presence than their West
Juicy Fruit character into the beer, giving a round Coast counterparts. Neither is innately
sweetness that complements the hops profile.” better or worse than the other. Rather, they
ferment their IPAs in the high sixties temperature, and, yes, yeast strain, the
Fahrenheit (about 20°C) and then raise the dedicated IPA brewer can turn out a work
temperature to the low seventies (about of art. And that’s something we can all get
22°C) near the end of fermentation to behind, no matter where we live.
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 83
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84 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING
Tasted
The bitterness battle is over as brewers instead pivot to explore
the wide range of flavors available in hops today. Our tasting panel
revisited American IPAs, double IPAs, and session IPAs to
explore just how far brewers have pushed the styles.
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 85
| AMERICAN IPA |
INSIDE CB&B
How We
Taste & Test
Reviewing beer may sound like a
dream job, but our tasting and re-
view panel takes the role seriously.
Composed entirely of Beer Judge
Certification Program (BJCP) judg-
es who have all studied, trained,
and been tested on their ability to
discern characteristics in beer, our
panel is independent and doesn’t
include any CB&B editors or staff.
The panel tastes all beer blindly—
they do not know what brands
and beers they are tasting until the
tasting is complete.
Our goal is to inform you about
the strengths and weaknesses
of these beers as well as their rel-
ative differences (not everyone
has the same taste in beer, so
accurate descriptors are more 10 Barrel 21st Amend- Almanac IPA
valuable than straight numerical
values). The quotes you see Joe IPA ment Brew
are compiled from the review
panel’s score sheets to give you a Free! Or Die
well-rounded picture of the beer.
As our reviewers judge, they
score based on the standard
BJCP components: Aroma (max | ABV: 6.8% | IBU: 70 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 7% | IBU: 70 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 7.5% | IBU: N/A | SRM: N/A |
12 points), Appearance (max 3
points), Flavor (max 20 points), What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
Mouthfeel (max 5 points), “Meet Joe IPA, formerly Sam, named “This aromatic golden IPA is brewed “California 2-row, German Vienna,
and Overall Impression (max after the hops Simcoe, Amarillo, and with some serious West Coast attitude. crystal, and biscuit malts combine with
10 points). We’ve listed these Mosaic. Joe packs a full-on hops punch It starts with three different hops to Apollo, El Dorado, Simcoe, and Mosaic
individual component scores,
and the bottom-line number is in the face.” the nose, quickly balanced by a solid hops to create an IPA with intense
derived from adding then dou- malt backbone supporting the firm aromas of grapefruit and tangerine peel,
bling these component scores to What our panel thought bitterness.” melon, pineapple, and pine trees.”
produce a rating on a 100-point Aroma: “Moderate citrus with light
scale. Note that we’ve rounded pine and big tropical notes of mango, What our panel thought What our panel thought
the printed component scores to tangerine, and pineapple with hints of Aroma: “A strong interplay between Aroma: “Lots of fruit character—pine,
the nearest whole number, so the
math won’t necessarily add up. some Juicy Fruit, even. Noticeable sweet some floral hoppiness and malty sweet- grapefruit, slight orange—backed by
Our judges use the following maltiness that’s not over the top.” ness give a sense of fresh honey and some biscuity notes, a hint of pine, and
scale in valuing scores: Flavor: “Grapefruit, some tangerine, additional notes of light grass, banana, an unexpected moderate spicy note with
95–100 » Extraordinary and light pineapple backed by moderate orange, and peach. Light earthy/resiny peppercorn.”
World-class beers of superlative resinous dank hops and a bit of malt hops, moderate malt, and a touch of Flavor: “A blend of tropical fruit flavors
character and flawless execution sweetness, big mouth-filling carbon- toast and caramel.” including mango and pineapple, atop
90–94 » Exceptional ation. A very clean beer that allows some Flavor: “Juicy tropical fruits, oranges, a slightly resinous pine foundation.
Distinguished beers with special pleasant hops flavors to shine through and peaches with a hint of vanilla? An Biscuity malt character is just sweet
character, style, and flavor
85–89 » Very good without showing off.” adequate malt body adds hints of toast enough to balance the bitterness, which
Well-crafted beers with note- Overall: “There’s a nice rhythm to this and a bit of sweetness that carries is firm but doesn’t get in the way. Slight
worthy flavor and style one, where the aroma flows into the into the finish. The finish flirts with mint and a little onion add depth under
80–84 » Good flavor and just keeps flowing from after- bitterness, but that small bit of honey the juicy character. Aftertaste is bitter
Solid, quality, enjoyable beers taste to the next sip and so on. The juicy sweetness helps keep it in check. Despite and long lasting, doesn’t grow but stays
75–79 » Above Average fruity goodness on the nose and palate the perceived sweetness, it’s remarkably with you.”
Drinkable and satisfactory beers
with minor flaws or style deviations blends nicely with the earthy/dank dry, and the bitterness helps balance it.” Overall: “This beer strives for a rational
70–74 » Average aftertaste for an unusual, but satisfying Overall: “A well-brewed take on an IPA and luscious compromise between New
50–69 » Not recommended drinking experience. Slightly subdued that’s both fun and uncommon. The in- England soft fruitiness and West Coast
We’d like for you to keep one but incredibly drinkable—this is the terplay of malt and hops is well crafted, dry bitterness. It gives the discerning
thing in mind as you read these beer you settle down with after getting and this is a great example of an IPA drinker the best of both worlds and
reviews—your perception of a burned by all those flashy IPAs, with that uses the malt to its advantage with invites sip after sip. Why choose when
beer is more important than their fast cars, tattoos, and promises of supporting earthy hops bitterness and you can have it all?”
that of our review panel or edi- exotic flavors.” floral fun.”
torial staff, and reading reviews
98 97 92
in a magazine (or on the Web AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 11
or in a book) is no substitute for APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 20 FLAVOR: 20 FLAVOR: 19
trying the beer yourself. MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10
| ABV: 7% | IBU: N/A | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 6.5% | IBU: 69 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 7% | IBU: 70 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 7% | IBU: N/A | SRM: N/A |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“A West Coast IPA that features Amarillo “Colorado’s hoppiest pale ale, Avery IPA “Sculpin IPA showcases bright flavors “Hopped massively… with Centennial
and Simcoe hops “in harmony,” giving demands to be poured into your favorite and aromas of apricot, peach, mango, hops… for their characteristic grapefruit
a bright, floral aroma. Duet is nicely glass to truly appreciate the citrusy, lemon. The lighter body also brings out and pine resin aromas. A significant malt
bitter with the perfect amount of malt floral bouquet and the rich, malty finish.” the crispness of the hops.” body and the signature fruity aromas of
concealed behind the hoppy goodness.” Bell’s house yeast balance the hops.”
What our panel thought What our panel thought
What our panel thought Aroma: “A fruity nose with hints of black Aroma: “Super piney and resinous with What our panel thought
Aroma: “Hops, hops, hops! Tons of currant and boysenberries. Some herbal, a very light caramel sweetness. A basic Aroma: “Orange peel, clove, citrus, and
floral, fruity, myrcene backed up with anise-like presence. Dank, catty hops tension between candy-like citrus and fruitcake with a slight earthy grassiness
honeysuckle sweetness. This is what character dominates.” floral notes set against green, dank, and and mild malt biscuit-like sweetness.
I want in an IPA—candy-like hops Flavor: “A definitive malt presence white-wine aromas.” Some grapefruit, some mango, and pine-
aroma of orange juice, lemon, apricot, that is well-balanced by an assertive, Flavor: “Very bright with aggressive apple. A little lemon and a little orange
pineapple and a subtle dank note with a but not overpowering bitterness. Some piney hops flavors, moderate malt, a are present on the nose with a slight
light biscuity malt sweetness.” corn-chip flavors detract. The hoppiness slight garlic flavor, and grapefruit and herbal note.”
Flavor: “A stellar blend of malt sweet- is much like the aroma with lots of pine notes. Dialed-in bitterness hits the Flavor: “Spicy rye-like character with
ness and fruit-forward hops (tangerines, berries and herbs. Light but discernable mark. Lots of hoppy goodness with lemon hops-driven flavors of orange, mango,
pineapple, kiwi, grapefruit). Bitterness is off flavors of acetaldehyde and DMS candy, green, and floral notes. Delicious. and peach. Solid malt structure with
spot on providing an excellent contrast and a light metallic finish. The expected Juicy hops notes with hints of tangerine, substantial body and residual sweetness
and cleansing the palate without hops flavors are there—pine, lemon, lemon candy, green and floral notes, plus to keep bitterness in check. Excellent
diminishing the hops candy character. grapefruit—but a difficult tannic and balancing pine and dankness.” creamy mouthfeel. Big sweetness up
Lots of orange, lemon zest, pineapple, astringent note competes with the more Overall: “Lovely resinous character front with almost a low caramel note.
clementine, pine. Finishes dry and bitter, pleasant flavors.” well-balanced by the malt sweetness. On the second sip, the sweetness faded,
yet somewhat balanced and restrained.” Overall: “The malt/hop balance is right, Drinks like the stronger side of IPA, and the malt balanced perfectly with the
Overall: “This is a fantastic IPA that but the hops flavors lack complexity and bordering on double IPA. A well-crafted fruity hops and slight bitterness.”
finds a way to stand out in an over- feel dated (not wholly enjoyable) while blend of malt, hop, and alcohol—exactly Overall: “A nicely integrated IPA—the
crowded category, showcasing extremely the corn flavor detracts from the overall what an IPA should be. Complex hops beer delivers a unifying impression of
complex fruity hops character and a experience. Finishes slightly astringent character with an exciting blend of clas- fruit and malt. Rich and juicy hops fla-
restrained bitterness that helps keep and bitter in a way that hints of issues sic and contemporary hops character. A vors of grapefruit, pineapple, and lemon
it drinkable and more enjoyable with with fermentation and malt.” full-bodied, full-flavored IPA with tons of notes with a bitterness that rounds out
each sip. This beer represents the most nuance with each sip. This is extremely the taste. Everything is well-balanced.”
exciting potential of the future of IPAs.” well executed—a great beer.”
99 74 99 96
AROMA: 12 AROMA: 10 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 20 FLAVOR: 14 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 18
MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 5
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 8 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 87
| AMERICAN IPA |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Classic craft beer of the Pacific “Scrutiny of ingredients and experi- “A balanced, soft, and juicy IPA. Ripe “This IPA delivers a crisp and light malt
Northwest. Notes of evergreen, citrus, mentation with process resulted in a passion fruit and citrus hops aroma body with ample citrus and pine notes
and tropical fruit.” distinctively pleasant floral aroma with lead to a full, fruit-forward hops flavor from Chinook and Equinox hops. Inspired
crisp hops flavor that’s mellowed by Full that washes over the palate, ending with by the aromas and silence we experience
What our panel thought Pint malt.” subtle bitterness.” in the pine forests near our brewhouse.”
Aroma: “Juicy fruit salad with mango,
pineapple, slight earth, pine, and What our panel thought What our panel thought What our panel thought
perhaps a little toffee. Very slight cooked Aroma: “Intense orange and zest Aroma: “Lots of lemon and pine with a Aroma: “Floral aroma—almost laven-
egg aroma. As it starts to warm there with light lemony character and faint hint of floral notes and a touch of black der—with a light lemony background.
is a bit of garlic note and the egg note grassiness. Candied sweetness akin to pepper. Very fruity aroma with hints of Floral fades as it warms, and it morphs
dissipates.” General Tso’s chicken sauce (without the strawberries, peaches, and pears plus into more of a citrusy grapefruit. Some
Flavor: “Tropical fruit up front, a little chicken). A touch of malty sweetness aromas of peanut butter and bread pear cocktail with lemon rind and even
garlic, and herbal, oregano-esque notes. and faint estery notes that may be yeast. Floral, dank, resiny hops character tangerine notes up front. A touch catty
Slight malt sweetness with hints of yeast or hops. A very unique and curious and a hint of tangerine.” and floral but gives way to resinous
caramel. Definitive bitterness, but not aroma for the style.” Flavor: “Balanced (for an IPA), with a piney notes.”
at all harsh. Rich hops flavor with pine Flavor: “Juicy orange flavors, followed by hint of residual sweetness. Rich hops Flavor: “Very strong lemony flavor—
and low garlic notes upfront and a nice moderate caramel and a long, pleasant flavor (resin, pine, citrus, grapefruit, bright and citrus-focused with light floral
bitterness that extends into the after- bitterness. Similar to aroma, the hops tropical fruit) matched with a pleasant flavors in the finish. Not at all what I was
taste but doesn’t continue to grow—it flavor is floral and slightly herbal with a bitterness and proper malt background. expecting based on the aroma. The finish
fades nicely. Medium sweetness at the bit of that butterscotch-candy flavor up Low IBUs are not as palate-cleansing as has a lingering bitterness that borders
end rounds out the sip. I really enjoy the front. Prominent bitterness, but cut by some other IPAs, but let the fruity hops on astringent. Some catty, black currant
balanced finish.” the malt so as not to induce dry mouth.” notes shine.” notes and just a hint of malt sweetness.”
Overall: “Moderate bitterness and Overall: “An enjoyable IPA that hints Overall: “Something a bit different… Overall: “Despite the weird and
balanced sweetness are set against at adventure but ultimately remains a touch of crystal malt adds biscuity overpowering aroma, I was pleasantly
grapefruit and mild garlic notes. A solid, cautious (in a good way). Lovely orange sweetness and complexity. Hops throw surprised to find a powerful, lem-
reliable IPA that I’d be happy to drink any character is refreshing—a unique and alternating layers of lemony and floral on-focused hops flavor with enough
day of the week. Easy drinking, light, and tasty IPA that would stand out from flavors. An excellent, complex modern bitterness to keep the malt profile in
perfectly refreshing—it’s well suited for other more citrus-hop-driven IPAs of take on the American IPA style with a check. Shows flashes of greatness, but
outdoor activities in warmer weather. current popularity. The touch of banana well-constructed malt bill that brings the high bitterness detracts from the
The beer opens up and improves as it in the middle is interesting and works out the best in the hops. Very well overall. Dial back the IBUs to make it a
warms. ” with the toasty notes.” executed and worth seeking out.” bit more drinkable and I’ll buy a lot.”
90 92 97 90
AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 17
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Bold, citrusy Pacific Jade hops lend “With its radiant golden body, a lively “Interurban offers the adventurous “Hop Gun IPA delivers a payload of
striking tropical fruit notes and a hint of buoyant head, and floral aroma, your beer lover a warm embrace of roasted American hops to your palate, bursting
peppery finish to this easy-drinking IPA. glass will always be half-full.” pale malt swirled with a hand-selected forth with the flavors of grapefruit and
Dry hop additions of Chinook and Citra blend of flavor malts and filled with the pineapple. A careful dose of smooth
add heady aroma and bold flavor.” What our panel thought rich spice of Chinook, Centennial, and caramel malts swoops in to balance out
Aroma: “Some fruity citrus character Amarillo hops.” the finish.”
What our panel thought with orange, pineapple, slight pine,
Aroma: “Citrus, orange, nice juicy fruit green onion, garlic, grapefruit, and pine What our panel thought What our panel thought
notes with biscuit sweetness. Lemon, trees… what an interesting forest this Aroma: “Some sweet malt and pepper Aroma: “Juicy, juicy, juicy! It’s like
thyme, pine, and a faint grainy sweet- is!” spice-like character. Mild grassy and sniffing a bowl of assorted fresh fruits.
ness. Floral honey.” Flavor: “More spring onions, garlic, earthy note of hay and citrus. Muted Just delightful. Big piney notes up front
Flavor: “Intriguing sweetness and juicy citrus, and pine. A slight caramel hops note up front with medium perfume with slight honey sweetness and a slight
fruit character in this beer. Nice citrus sweetness offers support and rounds note. As it warmed and opened up that musty note. As it warms, more sweet-
notes of orange, grapefruit, and lemon. out the body. Nice creamy mouthfeel and went away, and a big hops grapefruit ness than hops, light barleywine-like
The bitterness is measured with the a smooth bitterness. Aftertaste is dank, with slight dank notes came out.” notes with dark fruit such as plum.”
malt and hops sweetness for a delicate, mostly with slight onion. As it warms the Flavor: “Biscuit malt sweetness hits up Flavor: “Plenty of fruit to go around—
delightful malt backbone. Floral honey bready sweetness comes up a little with front and then carries to an earthy spice passion fruit, mango, bananas, pineap-
and lime citrus notes up front—a very slight citrus notes.” hops character with some grapefruit and ple. Delightful malt character delivers on
different profile than what we have had Overall: “This beer is well integrated, slight citrus notes. Flavor is not what flavor but tastes just a touch thin on the
so far. Almost a light acidic note with a and the sweetness to bitterness provide the aroma suggests. Grass is still there, tongue. Bitterness is there but merely
touch of salt reminiscent of a gose. Dry a good balance, finishing slightly bitter plus some mangoes. Caramel malt body lurks in the shadows.”
aftertaste with medium bitterness that in the end to keep you going back for is lovely, but the long bitter finish leaves Overall: “Slight graininess distracts at
intertwines with that acidity.” another sip. An unusual IPA, but that a lingering harshness on the back of the first sip. Perhaps this is from a hop? A
Overall: “A very enjoyable IPA—fruity, doesn’t mean a bad IPA. Consumers tongue. Wine-like notes up front with lovely fruity IPA that will satisfy hopheads
juicy, and flavorful. Spritzy, playful, and looking for something to challenge the moderate perfume notes.” but could also be a nice introduction
fun. It delights the senses while re- palate will appreciate the interesting Overall: “The more I drank this beer to the style for those who don’t enjoy
maining drinkable. Big citrus notes with combination of flavors this beer has to the more I enjoyed it. It is slightly rough traditionally “hoppy beer.” Little of the
lemon and lime with a slight acidic note offer. Don’t judge it by the initial aroma around the edges with the malt and hops harsh bitterness that might turn newbies
that is complementary not distracting. or the first sip. Give it some time: It may but it’s a good American IPA that will away—it’s all smooth fruit. Would prefer
Unique combo of citrus and acidity helps just grow on you.” neither offend nor impress. It would score just a touch more residual sweetness
it stand out in a crowded field.” higher if the bitterness were smoother.” and body, but that’s a minor complaint.”
95 86 87 87
AROMA: 11 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 10 AROMA: 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 17
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 8 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 89
| AMERICAN IPA |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Our ode to the hops-crazed patrons of “Titan IPA is big and aggressively “Citra, Simcoe, and Cascade hops are “We conjured the classics and then laid
Los Angeles. Its light malt body elevates hopped, brewed for hops disciples. It layered, allowing bright tropical waves of them on a bed of pale malt. This IPA
the citrus zest, tropical, and pine notes starts out with piney hops aromas and citrus and floral notes to break gently on shoots straight to the bitter edge before
contributed by a generous hops dosing. citrus hops flavors, and finishes with a the palate. Get stoked on a laid back sin- falling into a mellow haze. Deep gold and
This West Coast IPA finishes dry.” rich, malty sweetness that is balanced gle and ride a wave to soothe your soul.” ready to travel into the distance.”
with crisp hops bitterness.”
What our panel thought What our panel thought What our panel thought
Aroma: “Freshly zested lemon and What our panel thought Aroma: “Hints of grapefruit, pine resin, Aroma: “Light citrus, caramel, a touch
grassy hops aromas with a light malt Aroma: “Herbal and yeasty with fruity and subtle dank hops character. A very of floral, moderate tangerine, and a
sweetness. Pine, grapefruit, and tan- esters. Earthy, almost musty character. subtle malt sweetness underneath the grounded earthy note. Lively citrus and
gerine with some floral notes. Fruity— A moderate level of floral, earthiness hops, but only faint and not competi- and bright pine that steers clear of
peach and melon with a hint of lemon comes through up front. Overall, fairly tive.” sticky and resinous. Bright dankness.
zest. No green hops aroma.” subdued for style.” Flavor: “Very malt-forward profile for an Very assertive.”
Flavor: “Very bright at the front of the Flavor: “More balanced toward the malt IPA, with caramel and honey plus a hint Flavor: “Earthy and piney with a
palate, fades very quickly. Moderate than most American IPAs. Honey-like of sherry oxidation, solvent, or metallic. slight honey-like malt sweetness and
lemon, grass, and grapefruit flavors with sweetness with supporting caramel and The bitterness is well-balanced, deliver- a well-constructed bitter profile that
just enough bitterness that drops into light brown sugar. Robust bitterness ing the bite you want without being pain- pushes to the edge of harsh without
a dry finish. Almost effervescent with a does its job but doesn’t get in the way. ful, but hops flavor is really subdued. going over it. Citrus notes are more zesty
slight carbonic bite. Malt body is light The flavor is much brighter than the aro- Hints of lemon pith and herbs. Finish is than fruity. As aggressive as the aroma
but enough to support the moderate ma with pleasant floral and pine notes mostly bitter and somewhat dry, yet not was, the flavor is quite rounded and
hops profile. Piney and spicy with slight that are well-balanced with a complex out of balance or over the top.” approachable. A mild grapefruit-rind
peppery notes. Very clean finish with a malt character. Light bread crust, Overall: “The hops chosen are inter- note helps it from going too far into the
long-lasting bitterness.” biscuit, and even wheat sweetness.” esting, but the malt profile has trouble forest.
Overall: “Bright and refreshing with just Overall: “An IPA for the ESB crowd— supporting the bitterness despite it be- Overall: “Fun earthy/piney IPA with a
enough malt body to stay in balance. A not your typical American IPA hops ing a very malty IPA that harken back to light malt backbone. An enjoyable and
superbly ‘clean’ beer with just the right bomb, but a distinguished take on the earlier IPA times. Not as flavor-forward lively IPA that would be nice with grilled
amount of bitterness to let you know it’s style. The beer didn’t do to much to en- in the hops as other contemporaries— fish and a kale salad. It’s bright, light,
an IPA without overpowering the flavor tice me with the aroma, but made up for not off, but simply less exciting. Well and could even be a nice crossover craft
hops. A great lawnmower beer with less it with delicious flavor and complexity. A executed though and very refreshing.” selection for non IPA drinkers who don’t
apparent alcohol level, built for drinking more subtle interpretation of the style, mind a little challenge. A tasty beer that
more than one.” but well crafted all the same.” surprises and delights.”
97 92 84 94
AROMA: 12 AROMA: 10 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 16 FLAVOR: 19
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 10
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Bold, resinous, and bursting with bright “Our IPA finds harmony in the combi- “It’s pretty good. You should try it. Get “Trestles IPA is light bodied, clean, and
grapefruit aroma, this IPA is a tribute to nation of hops, malt, and yeast. The Elevated!” pleasantly hoppy. Simcoe and Centennial
the decades of hard work by conserva- sturdy malt backbone provides depth hops contribute to its great citrus flavor,
tionists to restore the James River.” of body and color and is balanced by a What our panel thought and… four hops keeps this beer easy
pleasantly hoppy finish.” Aroma: “A grove of evergreen orange drinking and moderately bitter.”
What our panel thought trees. A touch of toffee-like malt, but
Aroma: “Although I can’t pinpoint it, What our panel thought the aroma always comes back to the What our panel thought
reminds me of eating chicken wings— Aroma: “Interestingly complex and sub- hops—citrusy with low pine in the Aroma: “A great floral, fruity hops
perhaps it’s the spices in my blue cheese tle nose of malt sweetness, musky hops background and low malt sweetness.” powerhouse. Grapefruit, grape jelly, and
or ranch dressing? As it warms, high character, and slight fruit notes. Slight Flavor: “Orange and pine carry over lemon candy. Hints of toffee to add some
spicy, thyme-like notes. Curious tropical grapefruit note as it starts to warm up, from the aroma and saturate the complexity. A touch of pine resin. Citrus
notes of guava, dulce de leche, banana, but not overly fruity.” flavor profile. Clean hops flavors, a hops notes up front with hints of lemon,
and plums. Coconut and vanilla.” Flavor: “Orange zest, grapefruit, slight kiss of caramel, and a nicely balanced tangerine, and pineapple.”
Flavor: “Moderate bitterness with a lemon, and pine up front, followed by a bitterness make a beautiful impression Flavor: “A beautiful blend of sweet,
bit of spicy notes supported by a bit round malt body and then a moderate on the palate. A drier IPA with fruit notes Munich malts, and fruity grape-like hops
of biscuity malt. A slight hint of fall bitterness. The hops provide some of grapefruit and lime. Low malt note flavors. The bitterness is not so strong
spices—annatto seed, bitter orange, earthy complexity. Slight malt, biscuit to round out the flavor. The carbonation that it overwhelms. Tons of complex hops
toffee, and a long, long bitterness. note up front that leads to a medium and lime notes at the end create a flavors with notes of tangerine, lemon,
Substantial malt structure supports the piney hops flavor. Moderate bitterness in surprising bite, but not in a bad way. some pine, dank, and a hint of pineapple.
hops character well.” the aftertaste. High carbonation creates Almost a slight hint of a roast character. Hops come through almost candy-like,
Overall: “An enjoyable, well-put-togeth- a slight bite, but that isn’t distracting. The juiciness of this beer is alluring.” and finish is dry and bitter but not
er IPA. Lower bitterness but significant Some of the aromatic mustiness comes Overall: “Just a nice IPA. The hops lingering. Bitterness is spot on.”
flavor hops profile. A moderately heavy through in the flavor—from the hops?” profile is simple but admirably executed. Overall: “Grapefruit is definitely the
beer on the tongue with low carbonation. Overall: “The more I drank this beer the Grapefruit and citrus lemon notes with dominating flavor, with a nice supporting
I would pair this beer with something more I enjoyed it, but the beer seemed an mild onion note that lingers in the complex malt flavor (without cloying
spicy and see if I can bring out more of to struggle to find itself. Light bodied background and added depth without sweetness). A beer that delivers on all
the spices. With its pronounced annatto and refreshing, it doesn’t overwhelm overpowering the taste. I really enjoyed fronts—a complex, modern take on the
seed and bitter orange flavors, this is the the palate, but a cloying bitterness the juicy character of the hops in this IPA that is executed extremely well with
perfect pairing for Yucatecan cochinita appears after the sip—I’d like more of beer. A great American IPA that I would variety in the hops character that brings
pibil.” the piney hops flavor and a bit less of drink any time—a solid go-to.” out something new in each sip. Worth
the bitterness.” seeking out.”
94 81 96 97
AROMA: 11 AROMA: 10 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 19
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 8 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 91
| AMERICAN IPA |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“A SMaSH (Single Malt and Single “Boomsauce is a blend of three of our “The subtle malt backbone combats the “Full of Warrior, Chinook, Columbus,
Hops). Chalk-white head with a very New England style hoppy ales that bitterness and intensity of floral, grassy, Simcoe, and Centennial hops. Its bready
clean malt backbone. The Mosaic hops will wrap you in a gently carbonated and citrus hops flavors.” malt backbone counters some of that
impart strong grapefruit, pineapple, and blanket.” hops bitterness, but the lingering hops
blueberry flavor and aroma.” What our panel thought bitterness shows resinous pine notes,
What our panel thought Aroma: “Floral hops, lemon zest, and citrusy lemon, and grapefruit.”
What our panel thought Aroma: “Nice fruity notes of pineapple, light malt sweetness. Pears and peach
Aroma: “Tropical fruit pushes forward strawberry, peach, mango, ripe pineap- syrup with hints of dank green and hon- What our panel thought
with mango, pineapple, guava, and the ple, and strawberry. Sweetness up front ey. Citrus aroma up front, with lemon, Aroma: “Earthy hops character with
like. Some “darker” tropical fruit notes with a moderate hops note. Big orange grapefruit, and clementine.” white-wine notes plus grapefruit and
as well, like lucuma and guava. A slight and grapefruit notes.” Flavor: “Light body, medium citrusy passion fruit. Very clean—no malt or
yeast ester character that competes with Flavor: “Full and juicy citrus notes hops profile, a little bit of mineral yeast aroma. Bright citrus notes, with
the hops character.” and some tropical fruit like mango and character in the finish. Pilsen malt, fresh zested grapefruit, orange creamsi-
Flavor: “The fruit salad continues into pineapple. Wow. All of the fruit promised perhaps? Full sweet body with lots of cle, and sweet tangerine.”
the flavor, though the focus is somewhat by the aroma is here in the flesh. Just candy-like hops and a good amount Flavor: “Initial impression delivers
“darker” than is typical in these kinds of a beautiful melange of fruity notes of hops bitterness to help balance the on the aroma, with earthy, winey
IPAs. Yes, there’s mango and pineapple, that continue to impress with each and sweet body. Citrus and piney hops flavor characteristics. Very faint light malt, and
but also think guava and even tamarind. every sip. Substantial but completely with some malt sweetness and a slight any esters are covered by the hops. Firm
There’s a depth that is simultaneously appropriate malt backbone supports mineral finish. Candy-like hops character bitterness starts nice but then becomes
surprising and refreshing. The orange the hops with a delicious light caramel with notes of tangerine.” aggressively licorice-like on the back of
character is much more prominent, but sweetness.” Overall: “A bit too light for the hops the tongue in the finish. Tastes like I bit
there’s still a sweetened lemon note in Overall: “I liked the complexity and profile, almost too clean—tastes like into a freshly picked grapefruit—rind,
the background.” difference in the fruity character in an IPL. Pilsen malt character is fairly pulp, juice, and all.”
Overall: “A citrus/mango beer with a this beer. The sweetness was nice distinctive. A good beer that’s big and Overall: “The aroma is pleasant and
very slight diacetyl issue, but a very and worked well to balance the in your face with hops and malts alike. balanced toward the fruity/juicy hops,
pleasant beer with tropical fruits and just bitterness—a lot of sweetness with the Very nice example—one of the more but the puckering licorice-like bitterness
a hint of dank hops goodness. This is a hops to match it. This IPA delivers sub- approachable, complex IPA examples is too forward. Apart from that, this is a
nice change of pace in the bowl-of-fruit stantial fruit-salad aromatics that come and the only thing missing is that ‘wow’ nice IPA. The earthy, wine-like hops are
IPA aisle—a moodier IPA that is more through just as intriguingly in the flavor. A factor of juicy hops character.” interesting, aromatic, and flavorful. But a
like drinking the opening chords of Bee- great IPA—just really well done. Smooth heavy-handed bitterness dominates the
thoven’s Ninth than radio-friendly pop.” as hell and dangerously drinkable." flavor, overwhelming the other flavors.”
87 97 90 90
AROMA: 10 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 20 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 17
MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9
| ABV: 6.7% | IBU: 65 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 7.2% | IBU: 81 | SRM: 7.7 | | ABV: 6.4% | IBU: 70 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 6.2% | IBU: N/A | SRM: N/A |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Total Domination IPA has a citrusy, “2014 World Beer Cup Gold Award Winner, “Malt barley and red wheat create a “Full-bodied, very hoppy, citrus, pine,
floral hops aroma, and big hops flavor American-Style IPA. Crisp, mouthwater- clean malt backbone with flavor and fruity notes with nice dry, bitter finish!”
balanced with a richness imparted by ing, American citrus hops dominate. The mouthfeel to support the Enigma, Vic
Carahell and Munich malts. This beer rich golden color comes from a blend of Secret, Ella, Topaz, and Galaxy hops What our panel thought
is a big flavorful Northwest IPA that English and American base malts accent- with headline notes of passion fruit, Aroma: “Evergreen forest, grapefruit,
maintains its drinkability.” ed with Vienna and wheat malt.” raspberries, pineapple, and citrus.” crayons, and Play-Doh. Slightly briny?
Very nice juicy hops character with
What our panel thought What our panel thought What our panel thought orange, grapefruit, and slight lemon.”
Aroma: “Nice fruity juicy hops aroma— Aroma: “A touch of sulfur with biscuit Aroma: “Dank and citrusy with tons of Flavor: “Medium bitterness with a rather
blueberry, raspberry, oranges, and notes. Hops notes of garlic and bit of grapefruit and a candy-like aroma of light body. Slight new-shoe-like taste
some evergreen. Honey sweetness with onion. Banana, spring onion, grapefruit, lemon Starburst and Smarties. A green with a growing bitterness that extended
a slight spicy, low phenolic note and a orange, and pine.” hoppy note joins the party along with a well into the aftertaste and continued to
touch of plum.” Flavor: “Big bitterness up front with hint of black currant, plus some dank grow. As it warms the rubber goes away,
Flavor: “Full flavor both from the body a dry astringent note that stops just and resinous hops.” and we are left with a dank hops note
and the hops character. Loving the blue- short of harsh. As it starts to warm the Flavor: “I'm immediately hit by how dry with a touch of garlic. This beer has a
berry! I don’t know how it got into this harshness subsides and a touch of grain this beer is. A hint of grainy malt flavor, nice body with a smooth character. The
beer, but it’s a welcome twist. Caramel sweetness comes out. Lovely creamy but this is all about the hops, which pine is showcased in the hops, and the
malt backbone elevates the hops to just mouthfeel. This beer has a nice balance come through with lemon, green, and a grapefruit citrus notes help round out the
where they need to be. Bright back-of- between the sweetness of the fruity hops bit of pine resin. Strong citrus character hops profile. The beer is nicely balanced
the-tongue bitterness and an incredibly notes and its bitterness. Pine, some and good body.” between the hops bitterness and flavor.”
creamy mouthfeel.” grassy character, grapefruit, and lemon Overall: “LOVE this beer. Definitely more Overall: “Dank hops notes with slight
Overall: “I really liked this IPA—it’s are present.” on the bitter spectrum for a light body pine. Moderate bitterness that didn’t
full of flavor, and all the flavors seemed Overall: “The harshness from the IPA, but still very well-balanced. Tastes come out until it warmed slightly.
to complement each other. A fun riff bitterness lingers into the aftertaste like it was dry hopped yesterday—a An IPA that leans toward the resiny
on a fruit-forward American IPA with and detracts a bit from the overall. A great, super drinkable, hops-forward and dank side of the spectrum. Some
outstanding berry character that’s in- little sweetness would help balance the IPA. Its tough to pull off a IPA this dry, citrus brightness keeps it from being
teresting and unusual. Appropriate malt earthy notes. It’s a bitter IPA that isn’t but they manage to do it. I really like the too sticky. Perhaps better suited to
character and bitterness points to how ashamed of being so, but not so bitter hops complexity in this one with a nice contemplative stormy evenings than
well blended and integrated it is. Big as to turn off more delicate palates. balance between floral, citrus, and dank daytime revelry. This beer came together
juicy notes with a moderate bitterness.” Clean, citrusy, fruity, and herbal, this is hops. The candy-like hops character was very well with pleasant hops and not too
a nice take on the style. Enjoyable.” excellent and added tons of nuance.” much bitterness.”
92 88 97 89
AROMA: 11 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 93
| AMERICAN IPA |
TOP
RATED
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“The Tasmanian hops, Galaxy, is a “Crafted from Golden Promise malt and “Our cross-continental IPA. Made with “Bursting with pungent American hops,
strong, aromatic variety that is different Nugget hops. Tropical fruit flavors entice Australian and American hops, this Julius is bright and juicy, filled with
from traditional strains of the Pacific your taste buds before immediately citrus-heavy IPA opens up in the glass flavors and aromas of mango, peach,
Northwest. Our brewers developed a captivating you with a bold, hops- with notes of pineapple, tangerine, and passion fruit, and a mélange of citrus
recipe that showcases the hops’ unique forward taste and a pleasant bitterness orange rind. It’s sharply bitter and nearly juice. It has a soft, pillowy mouthfeel
flavors of citrus and pineapple.” in the finish.” 8 percent ABV.” and rounded bitterness.”
What our panel thought What our panel thought What our panel thought What our panel thought
Aroma: “Nice tropical fruit character Aroma: “Light resins and piney notes Aroma: “Sweet and juicy tropical fruit, Aroma: “Peaches, oranges, mango, pas-
with mango and passion fruit. Some with a hint of earthiness, mango, and a pineapple, lemon, mango, peach, and sion fruit, tangerine, grapefruit, and even
lemon grassiness adds some nice subtle light malt character. Citrus and banana. The nose is delicate and subtle a touch of pine—it’s a punch in the nose
contrast to the juiciness. Juicy mango, white-wine grapes right off the bat. but mouthwatering—an absolutely with a fruit cart. I think I consumed a
banana, peach, and pineapple. Very A little bit of fruity alcohol kick with wonderful aroma.” serving of fruit just through the aroma.”
subtle light malt presence—perhaps a peaches and plums.” Flavor: “More fruity notes of pineapple, Flavor: “Peach and pine carry through
little wheat?” Flavor: “Moderate malt sweetness— mango, and assorted tropical fruit. from the aroma and are augmented by
Flavor: “A wonderfully balanced beer light biscuity notes. Hint of cotton candy. There’s a nice smoothness to this beer some dank-ish notes. Some moder-
that has a huge amount of fruity hops Hops forward—a little light on body for bordering on fluffy. Fresh-cut pineapple ate malt sweetness is there, but the
flavor up front that evolve to show more the amount of bittering hops used, but stewed in pineapple juice and topped emphasis remains ever on the hops
pine and dank character. Strong over- still quite easy to drink. Yeast is mostly with candied pineapple. Malt backbone goodness. Pleasant bitterness backs
ripe banana, pineapple, and mango. clean with just a hint of fruity pear is chewy and substantial, while the up the ensemble and delivers its own
Suggestions of earthiness are fleeting. esters. A strong bitterness that throws bitterness is dangerously smooth. Melon tangerine-like notes as it washes down
Nice silky carbonation on the tongue. a 1-2 punch to the straw-flavored malt and cantaloupe right off the bat! Low the throat.”
As in the aroma, the flavor suggests presence. Lots of minerality, somewhat spicy notes in the middle of the sip. Very Overall: “A big citrus/tropical fruit
some wheat and the light fluffiness that reminiscent of a German Pilsner.” unique.” bomb with enough malt sweetness to
implies.” Overall: “Another very light IPA, but Overall: “This beer is great—so full temper the bitterness. A beautiful IPA,
Overall: “A delicious and balanced beer quite refreshing. Shows complexity with of juicy fruit flavors. Fluffy and light both visually and on the palate. I can
that highlights the hops selection nicely. the hops, but the base beer struggles without sacrificing body. Great showcase almost picture someone cramming hops
A refreshing, not-too-crazy, well-execut- slightly to support the hops character. of the hops. The low bitterness is just into the bottle or can. A wonderful use
ed IPA. It’s smooth, it’s spritzy, and it Could finish a bit drier. Very enjoyable, enough to make it an IPA. A juicy, fruity, of hops that doesn’t try to get too fancy
just tastes good. This is a great choice but would be more so with a cleaner hazy, chewy IPA that’s an excellent ex- with anything else and just delivers an
any time of year.” malt profile and higher attenuation.” ample of what new-school IPA can be.” amazing hops-forward beer.”
97 89 100 99
AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 16 FLAVOR: 20 FLAVOR: 20
MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 5
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10
| ABV: 7.5% | IBU: 85 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 6.3% | IBU: 69 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 7.3% | IBU: N/A | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 6.9% | IBU: 69 | SRM: N/A |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Artisanal meets mechanical in a state “Once in a while we feel a need to ‘wob- “Pernicious, our flagship IPA, took a “Reddish-gold hazy unfiltered brew.
of IPA we call Perpetual. Cycling through ble’ on the edge of really hoppy. Wobble silver medal at the 2015 Great American Pungent aroma of citrus, floral spice,
our HopBack vessel and dry-hopping IPA is golden in color with subtle malt Beer Festival. This massively dry-hopped and grapefruit. Decidedly bitter palate
method, this imperial pale ale emerges character, big complex citrus and piney ale has minimum malt complexity with a medium light body. Flavors of
rife with sticky citrus rind, pine balm, hops notes throughout.” and a combination of juicy, tropical hoppy grapefruit give way to a dry
and tropical fruit.” fruit-forward hops with heavy resinous finish.”
What our panel thought American hops.”
What our panel thought Aroma: “A mix of fruity and herbal/ What our panel thought
Aroma: “Earthy, pine needles, lavender. earthy hops notes. Initially, some What our panel thought Aroma: “Lemon zest, grapefruit, and a
Moderate hops notes with very little malt spearmint character stands out, but Aroma: “Lemon, pine, whiffs of citrus, slight whiff of smoke (phenols?). Slight
sweetness. Nice fruity character and a slowly fades. Slight biscuit malt notes white wine, and fresh-cut grass. Virtually spicy note with low garlic notes. As
little onion. Slight malt sweetness.” smooth out the aromas. Orangey citrus, no malt in the aroma. Lemon grass and a it starts to warm a slight sweetness
Flavor: “White-wine grapes, lemons, powerfully fruity, mild pine.” mild grape-must character stand out.” presents.”
spruce tips, and grapefruit. Moderately Flavor: “Clean malt and yeast flavors Flavor: “Hops flavors of evergreen trees, Flavor: “Lemongrass, grapefruit, and
strong malt background can’t keep up, provide a nice base for some tasty hops chardonnay, and lemongrass set the a unique cured-meat note are nicely
though it tries. Sweetness up front with flavors with restrained bitterness. There stage for a surprisingly smooth beer. Bit- supported by a light, spritzy malt body.
a light hops flavor and a medium hops are the expected strong citrus notes, but terness is smooth, and despite the ap- Lively and bright on the tongue with
bitterness. Slight herbal notes, similar to light pine and dank flavors add a nice pearance of the beer, the malt character a bitter, slightly sweet finish. A slight
chai tea, but subtle. Aftertaste is bitter depth. Nice citrus up front, followed by is more than just a blank canvas. Finish cabbage-like note up front but in a
and moderately lasting. Not as smooth forest floor and musty (but pleasant) is dry and pleasant. The complexity in fresh street taco sort of way. Medium
as other examples.” notes. Subtle caramel rounds out the hops flavors that was promised from the bitterness, a slight juicy note, and some
Overall: “A solid American IPA that is middle and gives way to a long, pleasing aroma is delivered quite well.” earthy flavors evolve as it warms.”
right down the middle for the style. You bitter finish.” Overall: “A delightful IPA. It’s light on Overall: “The lemony aroma is quite
can’t go wrong with this one, though Overall: “This beer expertly balances the tongue and even spry in its delivery nice—it’s a lively beer that improves
you may have trouble picking it out of a some very interesting hops flavors to of interesting modern hops varieties. as it warms up and exhibits a pleasant
very talented crowd. This IPA has subtle create a fun tasting experience. An IPA Malt backbone is surprisingly apparent bitterness. Enjoyable fruit character and
herbal notes that may have been lost that leans on fruity hops character and despite the very light appearance. Bit- appropriate bitterness but not overly
due to its placement in the review lineup. performs admirably. Bitterness is nice, terness is pleasing and complementary. complex. Could pair well with street ta-
I enjoyed the fruit character in this beer though just a touch assertive compared A great IPA that could even pair well cos—the corn tortillas and the cabbage
and how it blended from the start to the to the juicy fruitiness.” with light seafood like sushi. Citrusy, would play very nicely with the dank,
finish.” spritzy fun.” earthy and somewhat juicy hops flavors.”
91 93 98 90
AROMA: 11 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 20 FLAVOR: 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 95
| AMERICAN DOUBLE IPA |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“A massive IPA that will leave your “An Imperial India Pale Ale with an “An IPA featuring organic Nelson Sauvin N/A
palate its hapless victim. Scorched earth intense citrus hops aroma, a huge malt hops, which have a strong fruity flavor
is our brewery policy.” body, and a crisp finish.” and aroma that resembles white wine or What our panel thought
fresh crushed grapes or gooseberries. Aroma: “Pine bomb with a grapefruit
What our panel thought What our panel thought Some reviewers notice passion fruit, punch on the end and a curious mild
Aroma: “Bubblegum ester, along with Aroma: “Lemon, grapefruit, and light tangerines, and grapefruit.” sour funk that leans a touch medicinal.
some cherry. Clean pilsner malt sweet- biscuity malt sweetness. Light caramel Weak, lemony hops aroma with some
ness. Hops flavors pick up pineapple, and light ethanol. Pineapple, tangerine, What our panel thought pine, lemon, and citrus notes. Sweetness
orange, mango, and tropical fruit. An and some lavender-like soapy notes.” Aroma: “Grapefruit and piney hops aro- with lots of fruit!”
awesome nose.” Flavor: “Super citrusy and a nice melon, mas with a hint of lemon. Moderate malt Flavor: “Rich and well blended. Dialed
Flavor: “Initially seems a bit mild, but mango-like fruit character with a chewy sweetness, hints of biscuit and caramel. bitterness throughout that’s good for
each sip freshly revisits that citrus hops malt character that isn’t too heavy. Crisp Nice hops aroma on the front. Fresh.” style. Lemon-heads candy, strong
flavor, and the malt persists without and clean finish with a hint of alcohol Flavor: “Bright and juicy hops notes lemon/orange flavor. A fair chunk of
cloying or fading. Even better, the heat. Smooth and well-integrated are high on flavor and moderate on bit- that is the hops, but there’s something
perception of bitterness builds a little flavors. The bitterness is present but not terness. Finish is clean with only a hint else going on. Moderate hops bitterness
to give the beer some backbone. So too bitter, and the warmth in the finish of astringency. Malt is lightly sweet and that melds with the tartness. There’s
much juicy flavor—pineapple, mango, adds to the experience. Light tangerine, balanced perfectly with the moderate a splash of brighter esters and malt
tropical fruit, lemon, citrus—its all over light pine tar, earthy, with a light ethanol hops bitterness. Slight astringency in sweetness, but the funk from the nose
the place. Thick and chewy toasted malt warmth. Nice carbonation and body. Fun the bitterness distracts from the other- is here, too. Sweet and juicy with lemon
sweetness just strong enough to support mouthfeel. I like the bitterness.” wise pleasant finish. The juicy character and orange and citrus notes. The hops
the hops. Bitterness is well blended and Overall: “Definitely on the higher alcohol of the beer carries through to the finish are more favorable, less bitter, and bal-
carb is spot on.” side, but hides it very well. Very clean and sits beside the bitter aspects from ance well with the malt. Finishes with a
Overall: “Great beer that continues to hops and malt character and a crisp the hops in this beer.” slight bitterness and a nice sweetness.”
get better as you drink it. Layers of fruit finish—enjoyable with a nice blend of Overall: “Good, balanced, easy-drinking Overall: “Solid IIPA that tastes very
flavors that offer endless depths. The fruit that both stands out and blends IIPA. Mostly citrus with a touch of floral, fresh. The high carb gives it a bite that
sweetness is dialed, the bitterness bold, together well. A fun beer with enough and a touch of earthy resin at the end. I don’t care for, but it is otherwise very
and everything ultimately serves the malt sweetness that it could qualify as The finish is what really makes it—very good. The pine and grapefruit play well
creative hops flavors. The bitterness is an American Barleywine. Orange zest, clean and citrusy with notes of orange together. Very good. This beer blended
fantastic. A great showcase of contem- mandarin orange, honey, and lavender peel and lemon. It sacrifices bombast for well together, and the finish had me
porary hops.” conspire to deliver a double IPA that is solid drinkability making for a fine beer.” wanting another sip.”
pleasant, but which is not for everyone.”
98 94 95 90
AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 20 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“The Calling is our most heavily “When your everyday IPA no longer sat- “This easy-drinking IPA will transport “The hopping is pure starglow energy,
hopped beer ever, bursting forth with isfies your craving for hoppy nectar, the you to a tropical paradise. Citra, Mosaic, with Chinook to bitter and late and dry
unmistakable tropical fruit and pine only cure is more hops! Palate Shifter Simcoe, and Southern Cross hops pro- additions of Citra and Amarillo.”
hops aromas and flavor supported with is brewed with American hops and dry vide flavors and aromas of tropical fruits
a slightly sweet malt character, tapering hopped for an extra aromatic kick!” and sun-kissed citrus with soft accents What our panel thought
to a crisp, dry finish.” of nectarine and peach.” Aroma: “Moderately sweet with a slight
What our panel thought phenolic. Peach, mango. Not intensely
What our panel thought Aroma: “Big pineapple, light strawberry, What our panel thought hoppy. Some malt sweetness. Some
Aroma: “Strong orange and lemon light pear, almost bergamot, melon Aroma: “Earthy, piney, grassy hops orange, pine, and lemon.”
aroma, slight zest character. A little sweetness, lemonade, fragrant floral, notes. Hint of biscuit malt. Orange peel, Flavor: “Sweet up front and strongly
mineral-like, mild hops are herbal/spicy. and hint of malt. Aroma is overall more lemon-drop candy, hints of scallions, bitter on the finish. The phenolic shows
Tropical fruit sweetness hits at the front faint than the flavor.” melon, very subtle grainy malt notes. up on the palate as well. Hops evoke
with mango, pineapple, some lemon, Flavor: “Little bit of floral hops Overall suggestion is of brightness.” peach, orange, and mango. Slight slick-
some orange. Juicy.” character—honeysuckle—along with Flavor: “Initial punch of fruity hops ness on the tongue indicating possible
Flavor: “Malt sweetness tastes like a some lemon and grassiness. Clean, flavor that diminishes quickly. Tropical diactyl. The bitterness fights against the
very blonde caramel. Hops character of straightforward malt character. Super fruit on the tongue more than in the sweetness in this flavor a bit. Finishes
orange and lemon flesh and zest blend crisp finish with no lingering astringency. nose. Substantial evergreen character is with some warmth. Very mild hops flavor
pretty well. Bitterness is nicely blended Bergamot, Darjeeling, and lemongrass. a nice surprise. Good creamy mouthfeel compared to most the others. Some
throughout and lingers just a touch. Supportive light malt body is spritzy and adds to the overall palate character. grassiness and a bit of floral. Lots of
Hops flavor is all tropical fruit—mango fun with a great mouthfeel. Some light Bitter finish is grapefruity and smooth. pithy bitterness and little of that malt
and coconut. Some bitterness is hiding alcoholic warmth.” Malt plays a supporting role but doesn’t complexity from the nose.”
in there, but the overall impression is Overall: “Very smooth IIPA—even the get in the way. The green-onion note sits Overall: “Slightly disjointed with a
sweet, not bitter.” fruit notes are smooth and rounded, on the tongue through the finish. A lot of few missteps that detract from overall
Overall: “Interesting blend of very almost delicate. The only sharp edge at spruce and pine notes.” impression. Hops character is pleasant,
light-colored caramel malt and bright all is the bitterness at the end. Clean Overall: “Moderately malty IIPA, very but is overshadowed by the phenolic.
citrus hops. A little too sweet overall, but and delicious with a very nice finish—a strong on the pine/resin side with a The beer has some good flavors at its
not cloying at all. I like this beer a lot, sweet but not too sweet IPA. This would touch of citrus on the nose. A deceptively core—the malt character has some nice
but I’m surprised to have it as a double be great with spicy Asian dishes. Lemon- drinkable double IPA! Great blend of sweetness, and the hops have some
IPA. The sweetness and mild bitterness grass and Earl Grey–tea character classic American IPA character along good juice and bitterness. But the sum
are unexpected, even if it’s a pleasant suggest a great Indian pairing.” with some New-World flavors that make of the whole here is not greater than the
drink.” for a delightful tasting experience.” parts.”
90 97 90 84
AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 10
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 17
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 97
| AMERICAN DOUBLE IPA |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
N/A “This is our celebration of California’s “Hercules IPA is not for the faint of “Soft, fresh, and tropical.”
enthusiasm for hops-forward IPAs. At 8 heart. It delivers a huge amount of hops
What our panel thought percent ABV, Wolf will sneak up on you from start to finish. Its hefty backbone What our panel thought
Aroma: “Orange and lemon with a touch from behind the robust citrus and dank of nutty, malty sweetness balances its Aroma: “Equal parts mild, delicate,
of pineapple and pine as it warmed up. earthy hops notes mirrored in its aroma aggressive hops profile.” bright, and lively with juicy pineapple,
Cut grass, lemon, grapefruit, and pine and flavor profile.” mango, passion fruit, and banana. Fruit
resin. Slightly subdued nose.” What our panel thought loops, cotton candy, and Starburst hops
Flavor: “Rich malt backbone, possibly What our panel thought Aroma: “Floral with jasmine notes and a aromas. Creative and alluring.”
some adjunct use with proteins to Aroma: “Very bright on the nose overall. hint of lemon and lavender. Faint grassy Flavor: “Tons of delicious pineapple
thicken things up? Hops are strongly A bit of a campsite character: Pine sap, notes and some grainy sweetness. juice flavor! A silky malt body puts the
citrus, mostly orange and lemon with fresh pine, very faint smoke. There’s also Cloves, cinnamon, citrus peel, and hon- hops flavor up on a pedestal but remains
some pineapple beneath. Well blended a bit of lime rind, too. Grapefruit, orange, ey—holiday festive. A toffee/biscuit-like unobtrusive and simply supportive. This
throughout the palate and no rough edg- citrus, fruit character—lots of hops malt sweetness.” is a powerfully fruity and delightfully de-
es. Nice citrusy hops—tangerine and dominate the nose.” Flavor: “Initial toffee sweetness is licious beer, regardless of category—the
grapefruit—buoyed by a breath of malt. Flavor: “Big pine and citrus notes balanced by some nice bitterness in the smoothness and fluffiness of this beer
Good bitterness that lasts into the finish, couple with a superclean malt profile. finish. Resinous, caramelly, evergreen, is excellent with lemon, pineapple, and
but the citrus is the main impression. Intense bitterness lingers long after and bitter. Malt is enjoyable, though the mango fruit sweetness. A soft bitterness
Nice malt sweetness to back the hops. the beer is swallowed. Nice and dry on bitterness comes off a bit harsh. As it backs up the copius fruit flavors.”
Lots of juicy fruit character—pineapple, the finish to accentuate the bitterness. warms, the bitterness becomes even Overall: “Luscious and juicy, this would
orange, lemon—it all comes together Pine and citrus complexity—lemon and harsher.” be great with brunch. Let them have
and blends but stands out nicely. The tangerine. Wonderful flavor—strong Overall: “More malt-focused for a their mimosas. I’ll have this one, please.
finish is equally strong. Great hops flavor but not overwhelming and expands on double IPA. Nice complexity and some It has a great overall flow from aroma to
that carries through this beer.” the nose nicely. Good bitter foundation complementary floral, earthy hops aftertaste with carefully considered malt
Overall: “A great example of the that anchors the finish. Very mild flash flavors. An IPA for the holidays! This and bitterness that lets the diverse hops
evolution of the style despite the delicate of alcohol warmth at the swallow, but is like a cross between an IPA and an flavors shine. Light, soft, and hazy—
nose. Smells and tastes very fresh. The smooth. Fairly dry.” English winter warmer. More wintry than this might not be the beer that most
malt here is well played and supports Overall: “This beer drinks easier than it summery with a nice complexity driven think of when they think ‘IPA,’ but it's a
the flavor even as it balances the bit- should. The crisp malt bill allows for none by an earthy spiciness that leaves a bold gorgeous example of creativity within the
terness. Great beer with delicious depths of the hops character to hide. I like the impression.” style and where it can go.”
of bright flavors.” more-ish quality. Quite refreshing. The
more I drink it, the more I enjoyed it.”
99 96 89 96
AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 19
MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 10
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Nelson Sauvin hops deliver gooseberry “Aromas of floral citrus and mango “This lupulin-laden IPA is packed with “It’s dry, refreshing, and a hoppy hap-
and white wine. Citra brings passion dominate. The flavor leads with a juicy tropical fruit character, bright floral pening. Our intention was to really amp
fruit, lychee, melon, and citrus notes. burst of bright papaya, pineapple, and aromas, and delectable layers of hops up the hops flavor and aroma. So we dry
Amarillo adds fresh lemon, orange, tangerine and finishes with hints of flavor. Pour mindfully, inhale deeply, and hopped twice, with more than 6 pounds
grapefruit, and tropical floral. Mosaic spice from the hops and a clean, sweet enjoy a tropical vacation in a glass.” of hops per barrel.”
adds berry and mango and a backbone malt undertone.”
of earthy pine.” What our panel thought What our panel thought
What our panel thought Aroma: “Fruity, orangey, and dank with Aroma: “Intense white grapefruit
What our panel thought Aroma: “Well-blended citrus and a skunky hops aroma (in a good way). and lemon with a touch of pine to
Aroma: “Moderate lemon and orange tropical fruit, orange/lemon/pineapple. Hops are showcased—big resin, slight accentuate. Assertive with freshly
with some grapefruit underneath. Herb- Pine character is strong in the nose. grassiness, green onion, a bit of pine, peeled orange, hints of lemon zest, and
al/spicy—marjoram and basil—along Well-balanced between light toasty and just a hint of biscuit malt.” tropical fruit. Net effect is exotic and
with citrus notes of lemon and orange.” malt and piney hops. Light esters. Some Flavor: “Big earthy bitterness, lightly interesting.”
Flavor: “Strong orange and lemon hops grassiness.” chalky, resinous but not sharp. Surpris- Flavor: “Intensely hoppy with a nice
flavor over a moderate toasted malty Flavor: “Grapefruit juice notes and some ingly low bitterness for the obviously chewy malt backbone to support. Same
sweet backbone. Bitterness is moderate orange. Sweet but not too sweet. Some large amount of hops in the beer. Lovely white grapefruit and lemon predominate
throughout, and the beer finishes pretty bitterness and grapefruit through the caramel malt sweetness helps round with some tropical-fruit notes peeking
dry. Nice Juicy character with orange and finish with slight warmth. Strong toasted out the finish and offset a tiny bit of as- through. Well-balanced throughout. It’s
grapefruit juice. Very clean citrus hops character with orange/lemon/pineapple tringency. Moderate creamy aftertaste. a fruity citrus party—lemon dominates
flavor—tangerine, orange, and lemon, esters. Intensely bitter throughout with Lovely! Big juicy oranges and passion with orange, tangerine, and grapefruit
with spicy undertones. I still get the basil a long finish. Rich pine with woody fruit. Residual sweetness is welcome facets, along with some pineapple and
here, too, like Thai basil. Pleasant hops undertones and some lemon and orange. and lends balance to the pleasantly mango. After a moment, it shifts to
bitterness with a solid malt back. The The bitterness is well executed with no bitter finish.” grapefruit as the bitterness builds.”
finish is clean and not harsh.” harsh edges. Nice body, too.” Overall: “Big dank, earthy hops bomb Overall: “The blend of hops with the
Overall: “Well put together with a Overall: “The blend of sweetness to with a touch of malt sweetness—this malt to balance make this a really solid
creative southeast Asian twist. The fruity hops flavor and bitterness works well. beer smells like it was grown, not DIPA. A really wonderful beer that show-
juicy character of this beer delivers, An intensely bitter DIPA with strong brewed. The malt complexity helps add cases the hops. It’s tight, refined, clean,
with a supportive body, good balance, character, a nice nose and flavor, and an extra dimension to this fun and fruity crisp, dry, and juicy with absolutely
and interesting character. A beer I could well-balanced.” example of IPA 2.0, be it session, single, nothing taking the spotlight away from
see pairing well with foods beyond the double, or otherwise. A wonderfully the beautiful blend of hops.”
typical IPA suggestions.” drinkable beer.”
95 94 96 100
AROMA: 11 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 20
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 99
| AMERICAN DOUBLE IPA |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Two-row American barley packed “Six hops varieties, including tons of “Bold, citrusy, and piney, this isn’t just “For the second incarnation of our India
with as much Apollo, Newport, Simcoe, Galaxy, infuse this IPA with flavors and a bigger version of Rebel IPA. Instead pale ale, we employed dry hopping and
Topaz, and Citra hops we could get our aromas of pine, passion fruit, and citrus we explored a different balance of hops hop bursting to squeeze every last drop
hands on for a ton of bitterness, along rind. It has a surprisingly dry and crisp character, including Bravo and Galaxy of piney, citrusy, tropical essence from
with juicy, dank resiny pine-like, and finish.” hops, and upped the ante on their flavor the hops…”
citrus-forward hops character.” and expression.”
What our panel thought What our panel thought
What our panel thought Aroma: “Earthy and floral—light What our panel thought Aroma: “Lemon and red grapefruit–
Aroma: “Medium intensity orange and banana, pear, and pineapple. Juicy Aroma: “Nice orange notes. Slightly hops aromas, grain sweetness, and nice
lemon with a slight sweetness from Starburst-hops aroma with a hint of minty with hints of phenols that lean hints of pineapple as it warms. Bitter or-
the malt. Nice fruity hops sweetness. cotton candy. Orange, pineapple, mango, slightly medicinal. Earthy hops, moder- ange, candied citrus, green onion, garlic,
Orange, grapefruit, pineapple, tropical and banana. Increasing evergreen as it ate esters, and a light malt.” and honey add to the juicy character.”
fruit, with a quick hit of Christmas tree.” warms. Really nice fruity hops sweet- Flavor: “Good blend of malt sweetness Flavor: “Aggressive hops bitterness
Flavor: “Medium malt sweetness accen- ness with some pineapple, mango, and with some nice grapefruit, orange, and is piney, resinous. Biscuity malt helps
tuated by citrus hops notes. Malt tastes citrus character.” pine notes. The sweetness underpins round out the finish. Hint of higher
like a blend of toasted and caramel vari- Flavor: “This obviously higher-ABV take both the hops and the malt and helps alcohols in the finish. Bitter orange,
eties. Intensely bitter on the finish—the on a double IPA hides the light alcohol balance the bitterness. Mint from the more scallions, a touch of earthiness,
bitterness from the hops hits in the front warmth well under fruit-salad hops nose is subdued a bit on the palate, and a lovely caramel note. Complex
and carries through this beer well into notes, soft malt, tangerine, pineapple, but it’s still a bit of a train wreck of flavor and great mouthfeel. Finishes with
the linger. Fresh and vibrant mango and and mouth-filling carbonation. Tropical flavors—raw malt sweetness and a lingering bitterness.”
pineapple notes dance with pine tree fruit in a dense pine forest with lingering caramel, cardboard oxidation, strong Overall: “Big earthy hops bomb with
and green herbs. Light malt sweetness bitterness.” fruity esters, and an out-of-place light very light oxidation. This beer is high
in the finish, too.” Overall: “The flavor with malt sweetness tartness.” enough in IBUs that you really need to
Overall: “It’s a touch sweet up front and and fruity goodness was quite wonderful. Overall: “A good IPA with a strong PNW let it warm thoroughly before drinking.
a touch bitter on the finish making for a The aroma was a little muted (palate hops profile—the dance between malt As it warms, some nice fruity, citrusy
pretty bold and bitter beer that should fatigue?). Some might say this is a little and hops worked well in this beer for flavors help balance out the aggressive
probably be enjoyed at a warmer serving two sweet, but I think it balances well. me. Doesn’t dry out like most DIPAs, hops bitterness. The hops profile comes
temp to bring out the fruity hop notes. Another double IPA that’s on the sweeter, and the bitterness is a touch overdone. across somewhat murky, which isn’t to
It was quite bitter in the start, but the fruitier side. A bit more muted from a A bit muddled in the flavor presenta- say it’s bad—it leaves one guessing,
more I drank it more the rest of the beer hops bitterness perspective. A thick DIPA tion—if I had bought this, I’d be a bit which can be quite rewarding. A nice
came out for me. In the end, I enjoyed it.” that is better sipped than quaffed.” disappointed.” double IPA overall.”
96 95 82 92
AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 10 AROMA: 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 16 FLAVOR: 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 10
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“A ton of orange on the nose, with “Juicy, candied peach and nectarine up “Our intent was to create a hops delivery “Emphasizing Amarillo, Horizon, Summit,
complementary notes of peach and front backed up with a nuanced white vehicle. We dry hop with almost 4 and Glacier hops with support from five
passion fruit. The flavor is similar with wine on the nose that continues straight pounds of hops per barrel. The resulting other American varieties. Hops were
a blast of citrus and orange followed by through in the flavor profile. Pillowy soft blend of dank and citrus-forward added in every conceivable part of the
spicy grapefruit and earthy dankness. A mouthfeel, with a restrained bitterness hops makes for a palate changing brewing process.”
lingering but pleasant finish awaits.” on the finish.” experience.”
What our panel thought
What our panel thought What our panel thought What our panel thought Aroma: “Skunky dankness, lemony
Aroma: “Lots of juicy notes on this nose. Aroma: “A blend of juicy fruit character Aroma: “Earthy, citrusy, and piney hops hops, and notes of grainy sweetness. A
Dank and resinous hops aroma. Mild and grassy earthiness from the hops. notes. Hint of mango and melon sweet- little citrus character in the back adds
malt and moderate esters. Huge orange Deep fruit character pulls on tropical-fruit ness. Light perfume-y—has a fragrance sweet fruit-juicy notes. Elements of
aromas with lemon citrus complexities. notes and citrus character. Grapefruit to it. Citrus-fruit notes of lemon and tropical fruits, dried morel mushrooms,
Slight malt sweetness underneath.” dominates, with some blood orange and orange, with a touch of grassiness.” freshly tilled soil, and orange.”
Flavor: “Beautifully integrated flavors black peppercorn notes. Spicy!” Flavor: “The hops hit in the front with Flavor: “Bright and clean hops profile
that range from lemon juicy notes to Flavor: “Very juicy notes of mango and this beer. Grapefruit sweetness and fades quickly into a nice, lightly sweet
pineapple and mango. Very big hops melon, some pineapple, maybe a little bitterness that carry through. Some grainy finish. Simple and clean. Lemon
flavor, expanding on that resinous spici- strawberry-like flavor. Some juice-like lemon, a little onion-like character. The tartness and light pine flavors dominate.
ness in the nose to add some grapefruit sweetness complements the sweetness bitterness hits and is lingering through The hops fruit character is showcased
notes. Rich but soft bitterness that lasts of the malt. Maybe a hint of saltiness? the finish. Malt is moderately biscuity here and carries through the finish. A
for days, like a dark-roast coffee. Big Deep herbal components suggest and a bit light for the hops. Warmth hits slight bitterness but not too bitter. Some
and chewy. Massive orange notes with oregano and cumin.” at the end.” nice warmth is present in the finish as
some underlying complexity tasting of Overall: “A little bit of every hops char- Overall: “What we’d now call a classic well. Appreciable malt body leads to a
grapefruit and lemon. Finishes slightly acter from ‘the list’ but predominately double IPA. Loads of hops flavor (inter- long, smooth, balanced finish.”
bitter, begging another sip.” dank and fruity. This is fairly sweet esting melon and earthy combos) with Overall: “Simple for a double IPA, but
Overall: “Turbid and chewy body DIPA that goes light on the bitterness, a moderate amount of biscuity malt. quite balanced. Rather full-bodied. Just
showcases the complex hops profile with pulls out more fruit flavor from the hops Alcohol is noticeable and not offensive. enough bitterness to cut through the
excellent execution. The hops juiciness with the slight sweetness, and really Lower in hops aroma than one might ex- malt and lots of citrus notes with a big
is paramount and carries through the showcases gorgeous hops flavors. Would pect from a double IPA, this nonetheless dank/earthy punch. Those who don’t love
beer. This beer tastes like breakfast pair well with a dessert—a great palate delivers a potent, bitter, hoppy drinking super-bitter IPAs will really enjoy the
(beer-mosa anyone?). Perfect for a cleanser. Very unique take on the style experience. The more I drink this beer, balance in this. This beer was great. ”
weekend brunch.” that’s delicious and intriguing.” the more the juicy character develops.”
98 99 91 97
AROMA: 12 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 20 FLAVOR: 20 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 19
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 101
| AMERICAN SESSION IPA |
TOP
RATED
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Whether you have a long mission “Made with six different hops, this bold “Ten different malts and six different “Boulevard Pop-Up Session IPA is built
behind you or a full afternoon ahead, brew is refreshing enough to enjoy again hops combine to create this full-flavored, for frequent excursions, with a very
this session IPA will help keep things and again.” small beer. This session ale is herba- drinkable character and relatively low
real. More relaxed than an IPA, but with ceous with additional citrus aromas of bitterness tucked behind a big, fruity
all the hops aroma and flavor.” What our panel thought lemon and grapefruit. The orange to hops aroma.”
Aroma: “Tropical fruit (mangos and copper hue draws you in.”
What our panel thought pineapple) with an earthy finish. Some What our panel thought
Aroma: “Oranges, bananas, maybe a fresh hay aroma from dry hopping. The What our panel thought Aroma: “Surprisingly malty nose with
little hay. Some toast. Big tangerine aroma changes as the beer opens—from Aroma: “Pineapple, mango, and orange light caramel and toastiness. Mild paper
notes with coconut and mango. Touch of fruity to more earthy. Lemon-drop candy, with little to no malt or yeast character oxidation. Faint hops aroma is earthy,
dank and resinous hops aroma. Strong pine needles, grass, and spruce tips. on the nose. A rich wave of tropical fruit like damp soil, but hard to find. Cloves,
pine character. Pleasantly assertive Caramel malt character adds balance hops that evoke mango, pineapple, and orange peel, toast, yeast, and hints of
hops nose.” and interest. Spicy hops with herbal a bit of coconut. Solid nose promises a black pepper..”
Flavor: “Flavor is consistent with the notes of mint, oregano, and thyme.” real beer. Light pine and resin.” Flavor: “More hops in the flavor, offering
aroma. I have to search to find a lot. Flavor: “Full-flavored—lots of sticky Flavor: “Pineapples, bananas, and an herbal blend of mint and marjoram,
Tropical fruit and some citrus peel sits hops and some bready malt. Some mangoes. Long bitterness that’s slightly but the malt is far more forward—
on top of a surprisingly sturdy malt foun- earthy hops flavors with lemon peel, harsh atop a weaker than expected grainy with some toasty notes. Papery
dation. A little bit of caramel in there. herbal notes, and pine needles are malt body. As it is, the fruit flavor falls oxidation here, too, and mild bitterness.
The bitterness is delightful, with a long, supported by a fun caramel malt depth. somewhat flat compared to the aroma. Hops flavor seems muddled and indis-
citrus-like finish. Full fruity hops flavor. Bitterness is appropriately firm but not The assertive bitterness is a bit out of tinct. Instead, I get a more saison-like
In contrast to some of the others, hops overdone. Residual front-of-the-tongue balance because there’s not much malt quality with yeast esters and phenols.
flavor is what persists into the finish.” bitterness/astringency is surprising but to balance it. Bitterness dominates the Cloves and even a bit of cracked black
Overall: “An enjoyable beer, one I would far from unpleasant.” finish—the earthy hops flavor sticks pepper, then a dry, bitter finish.”
happily quaff at a backyard barbecue. Overall: “Earthy and satisfying, this IPA around for a little while, but doesn’t Overall: “Is this a session saison? The
The long citrusy finish is sure to delight has a commanding presence. The hops have as much staying power.” yeasty aromatics and flavors seem
many—I’m guessing Citra hops in large flavors lean toward the spicy/woody end Overall: “A decent attempt at making more at home in a Biere de Table than
amounts. I keep coming back to ‘sweet’ of the spectrum. An enjoyable session a sessionable IPA, but the overall in an American session IPA. I actually
as a descriptor for this beer, but it’s IPA that offers a bit more character than impression is thin and one-dimensional. quite like this beer, but it works better
very refreshing and enjoyable. A nicely is often typical in this category. More The lovely aroma suggests more than is as a generic Belgian-style table beer.
balanced celebration of hops in session like a hopped-up American pale ale in delivered on the palate.” Tartness when I swallow lingers on the
form. Elegantly made.” many ways.” back of the tongue. Very dry finish.”
94 85 90 82
AROMA: 12 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 19 FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 16
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 8
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Domestic and imported malts play “Brewed and dry hopped with a globe- N/A “Pouring a solid gold with a crisp white
the back seat to the loads of Ameri- trotting selection of newer hops varieties head, Overdub IPA is a sensory overload
can-grown hops that were dumped into from Germany, New Zealand, and North What our panel thought of mango and papaya hops aromas,
both the kettle and the fermentor. Dry America. This beer delivers massive Aroma: “Citrus and tropical fruits— dank grapefruit tones, and mellow citrus
hopped for a mouthwatering aroma with hops aromas, surprising dimension, and tangerine and mango and maybe some finishing notes.”
Mosaic and Palisade hops.” a signature malt balance.” pear. Evergreen, citrus, mint, and earth
in a faint, dainty aroma that reveals few What our panel thought
What our panel thought What our panel thought secrets. Hops character is like a Christ- Aroma: “Citrusy, lemony, with a bit of
Aroma: “Spicy hops aroma with a touch Aroma: “Citrus and pine is subdued. mas tree at the end of the season—pine tangerine and tropical fruit punch. Little
of floral bouquet, maybe even perfume-y, Candied lemon peel, evergreen, herbal. and wood are still evident, but fading as to no malt aroma. Mild hops nose with
and mild citrus undertones. Caramel, Very mild nose. Fresh grapefruit yum- they lose their luster.” light coconut and pineapple notes.”
tangerines, some evergreen. Very crisp miness from the hops. Some clean light Flavor: “Malt has a light crystal Flavor: “More tangerine in the flavor
and clean.” malt in background.” undertone. Earthy hops flavor with citrus than in the aroma, but less of the lemony
Flavor: “Hops flavor hits, emphasizing Flavor: “Nice citrus flavor with some and pine is followed by grainy malt and citrus. Juicy hops flavor with enough
resinous pine with a bit of cattiness. pine, mild bitterness, and strong a dry, moderately bitter finish. Nice malt sweetness to support it. Bitterness
A little bit dank—the citrus notes are carbonation. Lemongrass, wet earth, creaminess in the mouthfeel. Perception balances the malt without overpowering.
still there, but I’m not getting the floral pineapple, and honey over a light but is rustic and rough more than delicate More of that coconut and pineapple,
quality from the nose. Clean bitterness silky malt body. Clean and crisp—hops and refined. A light dollop of malt buoyed by the caramel malt and light
that doesn’t overpower. Orange zest, wet dominate the flavor profile.” comes in right at the swallow and then toffee. Bitterness lasts into the after-
earth, and Capri-Sun. Caramelly malt Overall: “Nicely balanced flavor and disappears, leaving a clean bitterness taste, but some malt stays with it.”
character less apparent than on the aroma. This beer gets much better as it and lingering hops.” Overall: “One of the better session
nose. Resinous and mouth-coating fruity warms. The honey-like malt character Overall: “This beer drops off as it IPAs I’ve had, like a Deschutes Fresh
hops express themselves in the flavor, supports an interesting array of hops warms. The aromas fade, and a light Squeezed ‘Lite.’ Tropical-fruit character
following through on the aroma.” notes that are unique and deliver some- butter finish comes out. Some spicy combined with caramel malt depth
Overall: “A good example of style, but thing apart from your typical session notes verge on vegetal—parsley or makes it imminently drinkable. I could
I wish the flavor had more of the hops IPA. This is a fairly light, refreshing beer. celery. Middle of the road on bitterness, easily knock back several of these and
character from the nose. Tropical fruits Some astringency in the aftertaste, flavor, and aroma. Light in body and light make it a true session—something I
dance alongside a firm malt depth (for but still refreshing and balanced. on the tongue. All in all, fairly decent can’t always say about this style. The
a beer of this strength), and a sufficient Where most of the others are trying to with clear hops character, even if the overall impression is that this seems
bitterness. A fun session beer that emphasize the ‘IPA,’ this one is going for hops aren’t as far out there as some of sweet for a session IPA, but the flavors
doesn’t bite off more than it can chew.” ‘session’ and succeeding.” the competition. Dependable.” work well enough.”
88 90 88 88
AROMA: 11 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 10 AROMA: 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 17
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 103
| AMERICAN SESSION IPA |
| ABV: 5% | IBU: N/A | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 4% | IBU: 65 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 4.5% | IBU: 35 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 4.8% | IBU: 55 | SRM: N/A |
What the brewer says “Well-balanced, floral, citrus, and What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Brewed with a robust roundup of Co- vibrant hops character defines our idea “Bursting with floral and citrus notes, “Hops aromas of tropical papaya and
lumbus, Centennial, and Cascade hops, of what a perfect session ale should be.” this has a strong malt backbone to kiwi with woodsy pine, balanced by
its sessionable simplicity proves bigger support all of that hoppy goodness. With honey malt and a clean bitter finish.”
isn’t always better.” What our panel thought its big body, smooth finish, and lingering
Aroma: “Light floral hops aroma with an citrus flavor, it’s hard to believe that it’s What our panel thought
What our panel thought undercurrent of lemon and maybe mint. 4.5 percent ABV.” Aroma: “Spicy hops character—some
Aroma: “Tangerines, caramel, tropical Delicate kiss of clean malt sweetness wet earth notes. Pine needles and grape
fruit, and lemon—smells sweet and and cereal. Pine needles, a little grape- What our panel thought must. A touch of funk and a bit of honey.
malty with a bit of cotton candy and fruit, perhaps a touch of biscuit. As it Aroma: “A touch of butterscotch Herbal/grassy hops aroma with some
some grassy, herbal, slightly earthy hops warms, earthy components reminiscent immediately hints at diacetyl. Pine and earthy elements. There’s a touch of
aromas.” of wet leaves comes into play.” resin hops aroma take over with oranges candy sweetness and fruity esters (light
Flavor: “Tropical fruit and moderate Flavor: “Very distinctive citrus hops— and herbs—perhaps some Mexican bubblegum).”
caramel—herbal, toasty, and crisp. lemon, tangerine, and a bit of grapefruit. oregano. Grassy, earthy hops with woody Flavor: “Hops flavor is resinous and
Good mouthfeel and body, followed by There’s just enough malt sweetness with undertones. Medium-toasted malt fruity tongue tingling. Medium malt backbone
just the right amount of bitterness. the tart citrus to evoke Lemon Heads esters of peach and cherry.” sufficiently supports hops. Notes of
Flavor hops don’t make a big impression, candy before the bitterness rolls in Flavor: “Citrus fruit and pine hops pine, earth, damp leaves, some must,
though, because a rounded bitterness smoothly. As the beer warms, an earthy flavor. Light malty, grainy flavor in the and grass. The touch of light caramel
dominates. Very dry finish with some mushroom-like character develops, background. Oranges, grapefruit, and sweetness is nice. A bit of pucker in the
lingering bitterness that fades into a which adds complexity and keeps me grass. Slight biscuity notes. Pleasant tart dry, bitter finish. Subsequent sips yield
pleasant afterglow.” interested. Malt body is rather thin.” bitterness, then the butterscotch barrels more hops tastes—grassy, woody—but
Overall: “Tropical fruits and citrus Overall: “Nicely balanced, although the in. Reminds me of the old days with Red the bitterness grows with each sip.
in the hops flavor, followed by a bitter finish could be toned down just Hook or Bert Grant’s beers. The diacetyl Moderate fruity esters and a touch of
bigger-than-normal malt character gives a little. Flavorful—it may be a session softens the palate, but is an acquired malt sweetness, but mostly buried under
this a pleasant richness that doesn’t but it doesn’t compromise a lot. An taste. The base beer seems good.” the hops.”
sacrifice drinkability. This one is mostly enjoyable low-octane IPA that offers Overall: “Could use more hops flavor Overall: “Lots of flavor without being
about bitterness, but—to its credit— enough hops character for hopheads but to match the intensity of the bitterness. overwhelming. If I didn’t know it was
isn’t harsh about it. A solid example of remains a drinkable and well-balanced Buttery aroma was out of place. An a session IPA, it could pass as a full-
the style with nice hops flavor, proper beer. Smooth and refreshing—a light, enjoyable pale ale that calls itself an IPA. strength IPA. Concentrates on the earthy
bitterness, and a substantial body for a hoppy beer that would pair well with an Earthy/dank undertones give the beer and grassy more than the fruity and cit-
session IPA. Could pass for an English afternoon in the hammock.” a gravity or heft, but the diacetyl is too rusy. A bit of funk both in the flavor and
pale ale.” dominant, relative to the hops.” aroma adds complexity and interest.”
86 92 82 86
AROMA: 10 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 10 AROMA: 10
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 16 FLAVOR: 17
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 8 OVERALL: 9
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“A pour of sheened gold and fluffy, white “With tropical fruits, citrus juices, “Straight from our stash to your glass, “Bursting with bright citrus and tropical
foam. A blend of eight hops varieties, pineapple, and spice berry up front in we’ve created a chronically crushable ale fruit notes of apricot and tangerine,
led by Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin, twist the aroma and flavor, the biscuit and that turns over easy without exhausting with hints of pine and a slight resinous
together tropical scents of melon, peach, toasted bread at the back balance out the palate.” character, this IPA finishes with just
lime, and grapefruit. The flavor mirrors all the hops and make a great finish.” enough subtle bitterness to bring you
the aroma.” What our panel thought back for another sip.”
What our panel thought Aroma: “Fruity, yeasty, wheat-like,
What our panel thought Aroma: “Tropical fruit punch, honeydew orange zest, honey, almost a witbier-like What our panel thought
Aroma: “Hops express as citrus and melon, pineapple, papaya, and vanilla quality. Medium rich malt aroma with Aroma: “Lemony, citrusy goodness is
pine with some fruity orange notes. Malt cake frosting. Light malt background— almond notes. Delicate hops aroma with a refreshing change from grapefruit. A
is subtly bready, hiding behind the hops. mildly bready. Light grassy finish like hints of citrus and spiciness, and very bit of pine and some grainy sweetness.
Very fresh like a spring herb garden. a fresh-mown lawn. Complemented by faint pine.” Light herbal and woody aroma and
Soft, well-rounded hops aroma. Nice light fruity esters.” Flavor: “Really nice creamy mouthfeel. sweet malt. Bready and grainy. Nutty
blend of tropical fruit (papaya, mango, Flavor: “Vanilla, mint, tropical fruits, Soft but appropriate carbonation lends esters—like pistachio.”
light pineapple) and spicy hops charac- and a light caramel malt sweetness a British-like weight on the tongue. Flavor: “Lemongrass, a hint of hay,
ter. Hints of Thai basil and oregano. Very make for a unique flavor. Crisp Grainy malt body is a little rough around pleasant but slightly subdued grain-malt
intriguing.” carbonation and a light body deliver the edges but satisfying nonetheless. sweetness. A little less hops flavor than
Flavor: “Earthy, wet, piney, and herbal. refreshment upon which the interesting Bitterness has a nice orange-like quality is suggested in the aroma, but it’s nice
Flavor picks up where the nose left flavors are layered. Hops bitterness is but doesn’t really come out until well nonetheless. Hops flavor becomes more
off. Similar elements here, with the appropriately firm and completely in into the aftertaste.” interesting as the beer warms. Re-
spiciness more in the fore, adding some balance. Fresh and juicy. Aftertaste Overall: “A fun session IPA! In a field freshing bitterness. Watery hops flavor
lemongrass to the other herbal elements. features a soft, rounded bitterness. of beers that can seem monolithic, this is more distinctive than in the aroma,
Light bitterness doesn’t distract from Light but not thin-bodied.” one stands out as spritzy and fun. Lovely offering pine-tree notes and woodiness.”
the hops flavor.” Overall: “The vanilla cream aspect carbonation makes for a better-integrat- Overall: “A lovely little IPA-esque ale.
Overall: “A balanced, pleasant, and makes this one of the more unusual ed experience. Touch of caramel adds Nothing I’d go out of my way go get,
quaffable brew. The mix of hops rounds session IPAs out there, but it’s a risk depth to the overall experience. Lingering but would gladly order it in a sea of
out the rough edges, and hops bitterness that works well. Tropical fruits add hops bitterness is a bit overdone, but adequate beers. The lemony aroma is
is lower than some other examples mak- complexity, and the light body makes still it’s a very nice, easy-drinking beer. especially enticing. Malt flavor is too
ing this beer very approachable. Body it refreshing. A fun, unique choice in The elements are here, without being pronounced relative to the hops charac-
has good depth but minimal character. a field of homogeneity. Very nice. Very too assertive, which seems fitting for a ter or bitterness level, but there’s lots of
Overall, a pretty good session IPA." refreshing and crisp.” session beer.” complexity in the aroma.”
90 93 88 83
AROMA: 11 AROMA: 12 AROMA: 10 AROMA: 10
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 16
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 10 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 8
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 105
| AMERICAN SESSION IPA |
| ABV: 4.7% | IBU: 35 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 4.5% | IBU: 65 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 5.1% | IBU: 36 | SRM: N/A | | ABV: 4.8% | IBU: N/A | SRM: N/A |
What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says What the brewer says
“Sunny straw in color and loaded with “This session IPA delivers all the fruity, “Sidekick extra pale ale is a golden “Made with four exotic hops: Azacca,
hops. The aroma and flavor yield citrus piney character of a much bigger IPA. colored ale that is loaded with juicy Calypso, Mosaic, and Equinox. Taste is
and tropical notes: grapefruit, melon, To accomplish this, we employ ‘hop citrus and passion fruit hops aroma yet of tropical fruits, specifically passion
lime, passion fruit, and a touch of spice. bursting’ to coax out extreme flavors and balanced with malt and hops character. fruit, grapefruit, and apricots. Finishes
It has a full balanced body, with a crisp aromas while also imparting a burst of A true companion.” with just enough toasted malt character
finish and low bitterness.” pleasant bitterness.” to balance.”
What our panel thought
What our panel thought What our panel thought Aroma: “Fresh tropical fruit—mango What our panel thought
Aroma: “Fruity and spicy. Citrus notes Aroma: “Tangerines, a little grass, hints and pineapple—with a touch of light Aroma: “Light citrus and tropical
followed by catnip. Fresh-mown lawn of evergreen needles, citrus, light malt tangerine citrus. Some esters of berry fruit—tangerine and mango with a dash
along with pineapple, banana, and a character. Like a Christmas wreath or or stonefruit. Light malt is bready and of pineapple. Light and delicate esters
light earthy/woody base. Could benefit walking through a thick evergreen forest. delicate. Slightly catty and piney hops of pear and rose. Lemon, hay, bits of
from a stronger nose.” A touch of spiciness. Mild fruity esters.” aroma. Catmint and catnip aroma. A pine, and rustic earth. Some cheese as it
Flavor: “Smooth malt, slightly sweet. Flavor: “Whoa, that’s some grass! Re- bit piña colada–like, along with earthy warms. Slight papery oxidation begins to
Full body for a session-strength beer. minds me of fresh-cut grass, but more undertones.” come out as the hops dissipate.”
Coconut, pineapple, black tea, and hints clippings than lawn. Tons of pine in there Flavor: “Full assertive hops flavor— Flavor: “Soft and delicate with a malty
of toast. Bitterness is supportive but accentuate the grassy notes. A pleasant resinous and sticky with earthy, grassy sweetness mid-palate. Hops bitterness
not overpowering. Finish is balanced malt sweetness offers support, and notes from dry hopping. Bitterness is mellow but sufficient to put this in
between hops flavor, bitterness, and a an assertive bitterness completes the might be a tad low, but nice. Hops are the IPA range. Herbal, woodsy, and
light malt. Moderate fruity esters.” off-dry finish. This tastes like a hops tea catty and dank with a bit of skunk.” earthy—might make for a great mush-
Overall: “Firm bitterness lingers just with a moderately strong bitter finish. Overall: “Tastes like fresh hops. Lots of room sauce. Malt body is well-rounded,
long enough. Nice mix of fruity hops and Very little malt to soften the blow.” juicy tropical hops flavors—is that supple, and welcome.”
esters with a medium-sweet malt base. Overall: “If you like piney, grassy hops Mosaic? Very tasty—easy drinking with- Overall: “Very drinkable and refreshing.
Just a bit of butter in the finish detracts flavor and aroma, this is the session out being boring. Some drinkers will lock If you like hops that err on the side of
from drinkability. An okay session IPA IPA for you. The assertive evergreen into this hops profile and feel right at earthy and woodsy, give this one a try. I’d
with acceptable hops character, but character is balanced by a surprising home, even though my palate is not as like to use this to make a pan sauce with
a touch watery and one-dimensional malt backbone and sufficient bitterness big a fan. A pleasant and harmless beer sauteed mushrooms. Bitterness is firm
relative to others in the category. Seems make it a solid session IPA—what I that won’t distract you from the task at but nicely restrained. Nice flavor—fruity
more like a normal pale ale than a would expect from a competent brewer. A hand—drinking lots and lots of it.” citrus and pine. A bit too light to mask
session IPA, but that’s just an arbitrary little more malt would soften some of the the oxidation, but it’s a straightforward
distinction.” rough edges.” example of the style.”
83 87 89 87
AROMA: 10 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 11 AROMA: 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
FLAVOR: 16 FLAVOR: 17 FLAVOR: 18 FLAVOR: 17
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OVERALL: 8 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9 OVERALL: 9
Bear Cigar City Deschutes Firestone Founders Green Flash Lagunitas New Belgium
Republic Jai Alai IPA Inversion WalkerUnion Centennial West Coast IPA Ranger IPA
Racer 5 IPA IPA Jack IPA IPA IPA
94 86 85 100 93 89 92 89
Odell IPA Rogue Samuel Sierra Ska Brew- Stone IPA Alaskan The Alche-
Brutal IPA Adams Nevada ing Modus Hopothermia mist Heady
Rebel IPA Torpedo IPA Hoperandi Topper
95 84 96 90 96 96 88 91
85 98 97 100 81 97 93 99
Stone Ruin- Victory Avery Dogfish Evil Twin Green Flash Founders Lagunitas
ation 1.0 DirtWolf Maharaja Head Burton Molotov Palate All-Day IPA Daytime IPA
Baton Cocktail Wrecker
95 93 91 100 93 93 91 97
Read more New IPA Reviews
On BeerAndBrewing.com
This issue’s IPA review sessions were our most ambitious ever, and our panel tast-
ed and reviewed more than 110 different IPAs, Double IPAs, and Session IPAs. We
chose 83 of those reviews for the magazine you’re reading now, and the remain-
ing reviews are all live on our website— beerandbrewing.com. Visit today for
the panel’s thoughts on New Holland Mad Hatter, La Cumbre Project Dank, Tree
House Alter Ego, Alpine Nelson, Deschutes Fresh Squeezed, and much more. In
addition, read the full tasting notes for the archived reviews above.
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 107
ASK THE EXPERTS
Whirlpooling:
The Tea Leaf
Paradox
In this month’s “Ask the Experts” column, we explore the technique of
whirlpooling and look at ways to do it at home on a small scale.
learn.beerandbrewing.com
| ASK THE EXPERTS |
Applications
So how do you execute a whirlpool at home?
The reason the whirlpool was invented in The pros actually pump wort from the base of
the first place was to push sediment toward
the center of the kettle after the boil. Once
the kettle and reinject it near the surface of the
all of the trub is collected in a nice compact wort. Some retailers now sell special-built [home-
cone, a dip tube near the perimeter can
cleanly drain clear wort out of the kettle,
brew] kettles that feature a tangential inlet near
through the chiller, and into the fermentor. the top, for the express purpose of pumping in
It’s a great way to promote wort clarity and
keep a plate chiller from getting clogged.
wort from the bottom and creating the desired
However, craft brewers have long used effect. The cheapest option, though, is to just
the whirlpool as an additional place to
introduce hops. Why? Well, the whirlpool
grab the biggest spoon you’ve got and give that
is conducted while the wort is still hot—re- kettle of wort a good stir.
member, it hits the chiller afterward. The
whirlpool might last for 15 to 30 minutes, so
crafty brewers decided to steep extra hops in
this spinning vat of hot wort to extract addi- entire volume is moving and that the hops nial at knockout and then wait—anywhere
tional flavor, aroma, and even bitterness. It’s particles and protein trub are nicely sus- from 10 minutes to an hour is fine. The
sort of like an extended hopback. pended throughout the wort. Then, when longer you wait, though, the more IBUs
you’re ready to stop, just cut off the pump you’ll get out of the hops, so if you per-
DIY Whirlpool (or stop stirring) and let the whole thing sit, form a hop stand using a high alpha-acid
So how do you execute a whirlpool at undisturbed for at least 15 minutes—prefer- variety in a recipe of your own design, you
home? Well, the pros actually pump wort ably 30—to let the trub settle out. might want to take your bittering charge
from the base of the kettle and reinject it If you chill your wort as it whirlpools, down a notch or two to account for those
near the surface of the wort. It’s pumped it’s a good idea to have a sanitized lid or extra iso-alpha acids.
in tangentially to the kettle wall at high some sanitized aluminum foil on hand
speed, which sets up the spinning pattern, to cover the pot while everything settles. Other Considerations
and once the whirlpool gets going, it If, however, you whirlpool first and then The whirlpool (or hop stand) is typically
keeps going until they shut off the pump chill after the trub cone has developed, it’s conducted just off the boil, so a little shy
and wait for it to settle down. best to leave the kettle uncovered so that of 212°F (100°C) in most locales at or near
At home, there are a few ways to do this. dimethyl sulfide (DMS) precursor s-meth- sea level. That’s high enough a tempera-
Some retailers now sell special-built ket- yl methionine (SMM) and other volatile ture to extract bitterness from any whirl-
tles that feature a tangential inlet near the compounds don’t get trapped within. No pool hops you add and to make infection
top, for the express purpose of pumping need to worry about contamination as rather unlikely.
in wort from the bottom and creating the long as the wort remains hot enough to But if it’s only flavor and aroma you
desired effect. You can do the same thing kill nasties (above 180°F/82°C). want, you could always cool the wort to
without such an inlet if you just place the about 150°F (66°C) first and then conduct
outlet of the pump’s hose beneath the Hop Stand your whirlpool or hop stand. At this tem-
surface of the wort, although you’ll want If all of this bother with spinning wort perature, you’ll extract delicate hops oils
some way of securing the hose in place. isn’t your cup of tea, you can still extract without isomerizing alpha acids. Con-
The cheapest option, though, is to just additional hops character after the boil by tamination is more of a concern at these
grab the biggest spoon you’ve got and give conducting what is known as a hop stand. temperatures, though, so be extra vigilant
that kettle of wort a good stir. I actually This is super simple and requires very with your sanitation routine.
like to do this with an immersion wort little effort on your part. All you do is have Whether you pump, stir, or stand, the
chiller so that the wort cools down during your whirlpool hops ready to go when you period immediately following the boil is
the whirlpool. This method is only limited cut the flame on the boil and then add a great opportunity to bring in hops char-
by your arm’s stamina. If you want to use them to the hot wort. Then you just wait acter and clarify wort on its way from the
this time to introduce additional hops, add for the amount of time specified in the kettle to the fermentor. And when you’re
them when you start stirring or pumping recipe. That’s it. brewing a great American IPA, clarity and
so that they have contact with the hot wort So, if you decide to brew up Matt Galla- hops are the name of the game.
while you get it started. gher’s Less Thinking IPA (page 66), and
Regardless of how you set up your whirl- you don’t want to actually bother with the If you have a question for the experts, email
pool, it’s a good idea to keep it moving for at whirlpool, you can just add the 1.5 oz (43 us at info@beerandbrewing.com or visit our
least a couple of minutes to ensure that the g) of Amarillo and 0.5 oz (14 g) of Centen- website at beerandbrewing.com.
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Retail Shop Directory
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Whether you homebrew, new
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