Blog Tracker
08-05-2023, 09:11
Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/05/dont-call-it-comeback.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyc8FYQlr30zIAIUm2-AcGz2AtPGWc41jauARB-2hAAuUhlmbPJKMYL_BAVWbnurzTu5YWBEYD7jX2XrPbP-GBt19Zhoedempa59lfYbjrzcEPbLOIi3R6Wskn_3f_3sSIax7H uhAwTPVjqO2FrEuFFvFrX4y9Qpa7276sLomz60WwxLwwTE/w169-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_29_session_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyc8FYQlr30zIAIUm2-AcGz2AtPGWc41jauARB-2hAAuUhlmbPJKMYL_BAVWbnurzTu5YWBEYD7jX2XrPbP-GBt19Zhoedempa59lfYbjrzcEPbLOIi3R6Wskn_3f_3sSIax7H uhAwTPVjqO2FrEuFFvFrX4y9Qpa7276sLomz60WwxLwwTE/s2670/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_29_session_ipa.jpg)New pale ales from Irish breweries are back on the shelves after a winter hiatus. Here's what I've picked up in the last couple of months.
They like a session IPA at Kinnegar. Brewers At Play No. 29 is one, as were 7, 8, 14, 18 and 22 in the sequence. Play to your low strengths, you might say. This is 4% ABV and a murky orange colour. There's a lovely bright and fresh mandarin aroma and lots of fizz. The flavour is understated, offering little beyond a basic orangeade note, only a touch of vanilla, finishing a bit watery with a carbonic bite. Still, it's designed to be refreshing and absolutely nails the brief: no frills where none are required.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAUUZqBW_PpKHPIfvYQKz1q_IXdS4qh35rlKnCe5D3l GFUTqWfRJ4gfTMbNeR7yU_-XENKV56P2X-MfZlQVskc0NMFd4Zo1gjyb8CWEtcQAFHdlVh0l3VPaJSR4psgS-9Ym-DL9JZYvv1Bm27keJMnNjy_RX0MqUzZDMHGsxY3PnmLPSgR6Y/w156-h200/western_herd_magnus_barefoot_kveik_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAUUZqBW_PpKHPIfvYQKz1q_IXdS4qh35rlKnCe5D3l GFUTqWfRJ4gfTMbNeR7yU_-XENKV56P2X-MfZlQVskc0NMFd4Zo1gjyb8CWEtcQAFHdlVh0l3VPaJSR4psgS-9Ym-DL9JZYvv1Bm27keJMnNjy_RX0MqUzZDMHGsxY3PnmLPSgR6Y/s2890/western_herd_magnus_barefoot_kveik_ipa.jpg)Western Herd has got hold of some kveik and made an IPA called Magnus Barefoot, because Norway or something. It's a very opaque yellow and short on head. The aroma is an interesting mix of citrus pith and softer stonefruit so I wasn't sure what kind of IPA I was actually going to get. Turns out it was neither of those things. The first flavour is a spicy cinnamon and aftershave kick, followed by a rasping talcum dryness. Where are the hops? There's a little of the pithy orange from the aroma hovering in the background but it doesn't last long. And... that's it. The beer is a lot less exciting than the can art. It's a mercy it's only 5.6% ABV so doesn't take up too much of one's capacity. I get that kveik is all about turning beer around quickly but this tastes raw and unfinished rather than fresh.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7JHq5Sdwv6NXaiIPIKn7EqqWTWKuNcUS6OKmyBm6Jt xabg6lcSHsXFA0TaIaa5FWX0e7iOsRhABR9B4Gj1qKtNWiwvxK oos1s5n4Mj8lIFSGCd8VyWHV9piClJF-JhokG8FYqUi_o4y3YFvKTL1BiRHQgkzwktDeAl9p-lmvUnrV8bTPZ4A/w153-h200/white_hag_wave_sweeper_west_coast_hazy_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7JHq5Sdwv6NXaiIPIKn7EqqWTWKuNcUS6OKmyBm6Jt xabg6lcSHsXFA0TaIaa5FWX0e7iOsRhABR9B4Gj1qKtNWiwvxK oos1s5n4Mj8lIFSGCd8VyWHV9piClJF-JhokG8FYqUi_o4y3YFvKTL1BiRHQgkzwktDeAl9p-lmvUnrV8bTPZ4A/s2950/white_hag_wave_sweeper_west_coast_hazy_ipa.jpg)"WEST COAST HAZY IPA" in block capitals on the label is unnecessarily upsetting. But so it is with Wave Sweeper, new from The White Hag. Breweries seem to be putting a concerted effort into aligning the features of east and west coast IPA, though with little success that I've seen. Let's see how this one goes. It looks eastern: pale yellow and completely opaque. The aroma has a certain lemony crispness, though there's also a hint of lemon curd's vanilla. The flavour dispenses with any sweet aspects and tries hard to present nothing but sharp lime and grapefruit with a little pine resin herbal complexity. Unfortunately there's a savoury twang from the murk which gets in the way and prevents it tasting like a properly clean west coaster. A gallant effort, but I still think east and west should continue their separate IPA ways.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrb-fi6xPdmNOYaSRrEhIW7imwfAbR_Pk0WRlQMALB1mJlRkqWD1J5 yHGPr-sEllxv5D5_o3xY65Zq0TARYG7kvudDjMrfoH3_QU2fPFeBZRF_ HTtrAtXVT1A1oZapXj6cPsELkvUKeXUDlYRtCti2574LaN47Yc bxZyf7Qx1sQgM97IFLrA/w136-h200/white_hag_danaan_hazy_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrb-fi6xPdmNOYaSRrEhIW7imwfAbR_Pk0WRlQMALB1mJlRkqWD1J5 yHGPr-sEllxv5D5_o3xY65Zq0TARYG7kvudDjMrfoH3_QU2fPFeBZRF_ HTtrAtXVT1A1oZapXj6cPsELkvUKeXUDlYRtCti2574LaN47Yc bxZyf7Qx1sQgM97IFLrA/s2940/white_hag_danaan_hazy_ipa.jpg)There's no stylistic prevarication with White Hag's Danaan, released around the same time and badged simply as a "juicy IPA". I got a pint of it at UnderDog and thought it was no such thing. The flavour began with a strong hit of garlic, backed by other green vegetables: celery and spinach, primarily. The aroma too brings the allium, although there it's more of a white onion thing. And then there's a rasp of bitter murky dregs for an even less enjoyable kind of savouriness. I have no doubt that this is the very heights of fashion and may well be just how haze aficionados like it, but as far as I was concerned the juice was entirely AWOL and it's very much not to my taste.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdgXLYD98unxmvWU7zL-4kH87ub3A1MUbqvXVeJhMkEEsftxdCThnahEdkDcqwP8IuBN_b XZwQBD4QQvSPa090LQfh4xBgQv7mWqj25MezSc7lxSUOZc1zQP QTyFTyTgIj6s9lqCbWdEkpgtyjfZi5uh051tDbSYVYXVP5ci7p kLW3Are0IY/w186-h200/hopfully_softseats_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdgXLYD98unxmvWU7zL-4kH87ub3A1MUbqvXVeJhMkEEsftxdCThnahEdkDcqwP8IuBN_b XZwQBD4QQvSPa090LQfh4xBgQv7mWqj25MezSc7lxSUOZc1zQP QTyFTyTgIj6s9lqCbWdEkpgtyjfZi5uh051tDbSYVYXVP5ci7p kLW3Are0IY/s2295/hopfully_softseats_ipa.jpg)Let's see if Hopfully can do any better. First of today's set from them is Softseats, one which looks the proper opaque shade of pale yellow. It's no lightweight at 6.8% ABV but it smells innocently sweet, of vanilla in particular. "Innocent" is a good descriptor for the taste too: there's nothing sharp, harsh or untoward here, all is smooth and gentle. It's a little lacking on the fruit side, offering not much more than a a touch of ripe banana and a rub of mandarin pith. The rest is custard, with a hint of marzipan around the edges. I like how it doesn't try to do anything clever and instead is just a nice beer to drink -- some hazy IPAs give the impression of trying to be God's gift to brewing and the epitome of hop utilisation. This is just tasty and I respect that a lot.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxOrSu1xPq4BxZ6uRBR4l6FQ0DR_AJgBh6S4XPowJ2C cDbg6oNoCKoSmt0Z6ri7yeo9z5qr4y7_sWdjXLei3z-iF-8MIKr3VpmJrMLU3z8dsOg9l-GHPu5lFmoHZkaCArr3KlgHuhlVm2iPWudc4OLluIguL3oGb6ql pgko34IY5RWFx64P0/w168-h200/hopfully_longlegs_coffee_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxOrSu1xPq4BxZ6uRBR4l6FQ0DR_AJgBh6S4XPowJ2C cDbg6oNoCKoSmt0Z6ri7yeo9z5qr4y7_sWdjXLei3z-iF-8MIKr3VpmJrMLU3z8dsOg9l-GHPu5lFmoHZkaCArr3KlgHuhlVm2iPWudc4OLluIguL3oGb6ql pgko34IY5RWFx64P0/s2055/hopfully_longlegs_coffee_ipa.jpg)While there's no inherent reason not to mess about with the basics of New England IPA, coffee is a strange choice of addition but that's what Hopfully has gone for with Longlegs. It looks perfectly normal: an even opaque yellow colour. The texture is pleasantly soft and creamy -- on the good side of normal for the style. And then the foretaste is a powerful and unsubtle blast of freshly brewed coffee. This is creamy too, like a latte. Only a minor tropical tang on the finish brings us back to the basics. It's a bit of a mad chimera, and it absolutely shouldn't work, but it does. Above all it's fun, and more than a little silly, but fair play to the brewery for giving it a go.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3GxK8DsxV0vzbfUjzWldqtJqbiyYp5Ps1h-Bskit4tVhGnNQ7Y4hpB8u4ReKwNmnGrT42iX3Y1boJQAxsxbGY kT-dB8EMC7h35DU7hO92-6eokvTtQhq4A_ErWBXptF_9BcJICSAxzTLiEIiJmEchLQiUtBS wOxxPQuHkRR9E0A2UHQL6Zs/w181-h200/hopfully_electrick_sheep_sour_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3GxK8DsxV0vzbfUjzWldqtJqbiyYp5Ps1h-Bskit4tVhGnNQ7Y4hpB8u4ReKwNmnGrT42iX3Y1boJQAxsxbGY kT-dB8EMC7h35DU7hO92-6eokvTtQhq4A_ErWBXptF_9BcJICSAxzTLiEIiJmEchLQiUtBS wOxxPQuHkRR9E0A2UHQL6Zs/s2500/hopfully_electrick_sheep_sour_ipa.jpg)They take us further from IPA purity with Electrick Sheep, a sour one, no less. It's a big beast at 7% ABV and hopped with Citra, Amarillo and Galaxy. The high gravity makes its presence felt in the texture, which is heavy and cordial-like with quite a significant sweetness. The sour isn't long behind and is a very simple and straightforward jolt of something that tastes a lot like lemon juice but is actually the work of lactobacillus plantarum, according to the can. I like sour IPA but I like them to be refreshing, and this one is just too heavy for that. Neither the souring culture nor the hops add enough complexity for it to really get off the ground. It's OK -- a fun and weighty party-in-the-mouth palate-thumper -- but I would have liked more subtlety and nuance.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE42bEM4rtgb-oioMNMz9tCLY6z3KjeVSMBZECOQLefRBMQ-gGlZnBFkvWjkOqdV-76V6Ns2_N4E8kW62J-0ylwAmS27gzm3oPf5CqZtUoF5ptn8EHJCvn4s05p-66urId_koJHxVVS532YUUWHNwL104PfJyEc9PL3LiKMnUXFpJi IEDAyCY/w189-h200/lough_gill_spearhead_look_west_red_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE42bEM4rtgb-oioMNMz9tCLY6z3KjeVSMBZECOQLefRBMQ-gGlZnBFkvWjkOqdV-76V6Ns2_N4E8kW62J-0ylwAmS27gzm3oPf5CqZtUoF5ptn8EHJCvn4s05p-66urId_koJHxVVS532YUUWHNwL104PfJyEc9PL3LiKMnUXFpJi IEDAyCY/s2385/lough_gill_spearhead_look_west_red_ipa.jpg)Lough Gill has given us something altogether more serious with Look West, in that rare substyle, red IPA. Canadian brewery Spearhead gets their logo on the label too. This 6.5%-er is a red IPA to its bones, and it provided me with an opportunity to analyse why I don't get on with the style. Which I will now explain to you. I like American amber ale, to which it's related, for the mix of fudgey malt and sparking hop pizzazz. When you dial all of that up into a red IPA the spark gets dampened and the result is both harshly bitter and cloyingly sweet. That's what this is. Nobody eats toffee with a side of grapefruit; the flavours simply don't get along. The result here is sweaty, rubbery, sticky and hot. I'm sure it's exactly what the brewer meant it to be but it doesn't suit this blogger's palate one little bit.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7ZAeCaAXfNpJ85CbZVUnRm95hK6E_imdu-hc2_RPY2yI4GEiSVFKYH-LjlQXEK1s7ReAe1LS6wIB2Wx12x-UK4ZuW9RFkv7F8dNp_NWOZsB80VagY49-AThGjgKvQSWjeBPDydo_869RAh_Upow0wouVd7a7WvFqohzuyR p2e1qE4hssDeo/w171-h200/lough_gill_la_muette_yellow_warning_ddh_hazy_ipa.j pg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7ZAeCaAXfNpJ85CbZVUnRm95hK6E_imdu-hc2_RPY2yI4GEiSVFKYH-LjlQXEK1s7ReAe1LS6wIB2Wx12x-UK4ZuW9RFkv7F8dNp_NWOZsB80VagY49-AThGjgKvQSWjeBPDydo_869RAh_Upow0wouVd7a7WvFqohzuyR p2e1qE4hssDeo/s2640/lough_gill_la_muette_yellow_warning_ddh_hazy_ipa.j pg)Here's hoping for better with the brewery's latest hazy IPA, Yellow Warning, brewed in collaboration with La Muette in France. It's not yellow, it's orange, and not quite full-on hazy. Citra and Sabro are the hops, and the zest from the former is beautifully loud and bright in the aroma. Where's the Sabro? In the flavour: a sizeable dollop of dessertish coconut, front and centre. Behind it, the pith which Sabro also brings, though mild rather than sharp. And that's it. While it's 6.3% ABV, the body is light and the taste balanced and accessible with no savoury side, which is great. Maybe because it was the first beer of my weekend (not that you asked) but I found this downright gluggable, in a way that something of this strength probably shouldn't be.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAF1XuKE7UKqRqW5TrI4NMxTDtFFbbRkRcnLGJ7zKoSk CzQhcfJmz4P6tj3SSZ_h0Ev6p8c5w7zbO4N3MyV4_17r9JCbSk sfRUfWwACWxE56nHgK2HX1EH2FjgOSvuhOQOo47LvSafF-KFSzXkoa3UK0DlkQPO0PMVea4WG_evijwpQjTRvvY/w179-h200/lough_gill_tasmanian_dive_double_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAF1XuKE7UKqRqW5TrI4NMxTDtFFbbRkRcnLGJ7zKoSk CzQhcfJmz4P6tj3SSZ_h0Ev6p8c5w7zbO4N3MyV4_17r9JCbSk sfRUfWwACWxE56nHgK2HX1EH2FjgOSvuhOQOo47LvSafF-KFSzXkoa3UK0DlkQPO0PMVea4WG_evijwpQjTRvvY/s2520/lough_gill_tasmanian_dive_double_ipa.jpg)The Lough Gill offer tops out at 8.2% ABV and a double IPA called Tasmanian Dive. The name is a reference to its use of Galaxy and Eclipse hops from Oz. It's a very fashionable shade of opaque eggy yellow and the alcohol makes its presence felt right from the get-go, in the aroma. It's there with quite a liqueurish and sticky-smelling tropical syrup thing. I get an immediate sense that this one will be hard work. The mouthfeel is nicely light and fizzy, not allowing that big gravity to cloy the palate. There's a large and immediate hit of bitter herbal acidity, all garlic and ginger. The fruit behind this is similarly bitter, going for zest and spritz rather than juicy tropicality. The booze suggested in the aroma doesn't really show up in the taste. Instead, it all fades quickly, which is the only disappointing feature of an otherwise highly enjoyable assertive double IPA.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhkIZo9icM02pFvixqMlUjaAWCr6x4Tql1f8z-9h45G6hTCpyMhaAKEUlIMTN9vLRb2trZDeYHRlIj7Rquws_otw hNWlk3kfQA7pJR2P_nC6SBbOduRg8elfGrEkFHm7Ms-WSb4tI8BPMsmv-VWBIyBzbCRYBouvdkjm7F8jnEarC7dVMelc/w152-h200/galway_bay_i_hear_you_like_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhkIZo9icM02pFvixqMlUjaAWCr6x4Tql1f8z-9h45G6hTCpyMhaAKEUlIMTN9vLRb2trZDeYHRlIj7Rquws_otw hNWlk3kfQA7pJR2P_nC6SBbOduRg8elfGrEkFHm7Ms-WSb4tI8BPMsmv-VWBIyBzbCRYBouvdkjm7F8jnEarC7dVMelc/s2975/galway_bay_i_hear_you_like_ipa.jpg)Cold IPA next, and Galway Bay is refusing to take a side in the cold IPA cold war, choosing to use both lager and ale yeast in its first example, called I Hear You Like IPA. More importantly, Simcoe, Colombus and Strata are the hops. Much like with brut IPA before it, I'm beginning to think that "cold" means nothing more than very very pale. Because this is a very very pale yellow, barely misted with haze. Simcoe's signature piney resins occupy the aroma, and the flavour has a certain dankness to match that. Another pattern I'm noticing is onion, and it's perhaps not surprising that if you make a very hop-forward crisp and clean beer, the hops will take it as an invitation to be sharp and tangy. In the full understanding of how little such things count for most IPA drinkers, this is quite unbalanced, and left me hankering for more malt to offset the hopping in both taste and texture. It's not bad, but is a bit efforty -- making a cold IPA because that's what people are doing nowadays. It's not an improvement on IPA. Yes, I am old.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWkEuhNPHGUVaC5YX_iv8x8nIj84m0Zdx3cGmuvVX2q as4XGD8JtYujfdOoEC2ywBkBtHsXzbGIM_qSZFin6Rh0MG99Zn w4U1AeNRuq8hIoNt5AKrpK2iFtlIi-v8cJAcLgPkmSklpj4DyGGVA3B5XIXwWSPJ5nDeU31pT-G1XTPadyj2V9k/w143-h200/killarney_brewing_full_circle_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWkEuhNPHGUVaC5YX_iv8x8nIj84m0Zdx3cGmuvVX2q as4XGD8JtYujfdOoEC2ywBkBtHsXzbGIM_qSZFin6Rh0MG99Zn w4U1AeNRuq8hIoNt5AKrpK2iFtlIi-v8cJAcLgPkmSklpj4DyGGVA3B5XIXwWSPJ5nDeU31pT-G1XTPadyj2V9k/s3165/killarney_brewing_full_circle_ipa.jpg)I don't get to put many new releases from Killarney Brewing up here as their distribution is very limited in my part of the world. On a day trip to exotic Carlow over the Easter break, however, I picked up a bottle of Full Circle, their IPA. "What coast is it?" I yell at the bottle, "TELL ME!" I suspect, however, the recipe predates the IPA civil war, or at least ignores it. There are no oats in the ingredients, the brewery's description mentions both juice and bitterness, and while there's a haze when poured, it's a more old-fashioned sort, signifying a lightly processed beer rather than deliberate trend chasing. The aroma offers a light rasp of lime and grapefruit on a toasty malt base -- all very Sierra Nevada -- and then the flavour adds in some softer sherbet and lemon drizzle cake. There's a little roughness from the murk but it doesn't interrupt the main hop action. On balance I think this leans much more to the more traditional side of American IPA, and does it rather well at only 5% ABV. Characterful yet sessionable is the sweet spot.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ET7TzAQ19YxF8kmNYQJOf1Jx2cuDRNUO-XWdiJTv77hmoK4C_VOqAjc2AZlvMw7axcBOE2d64njv7_4NBmT kvG26j-8_WU8K06IQWKODa6PvjZqcZzh8JhfxI28QM7QKkWxHfK6QM_ry zSqlTRzC2Pa-SvUaE9nZelLvNcDCIwXONnJ7eqM/w199-h200/trouble_brewing_soda_dream_pale_ale.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ET7TzAQ19YxF8kmNYQJOf1Jx2cuDRNUO-XWdiJTv77hmoK4C_VOqAjc2AZlvMw7axcBOE2d64njv7_4NBmT kvG26j-8_WU8K06IQWKODa6PvjZqcZzh8JhfxI28QM7QKkWxHfK6QM_ry zSqlTRzC2Pa-SvUaE9nZelLvNcDCIwXONnJ7eqM/s2265/trouble_brewing_soda_dream_pale_ale.jpg)Trouble released something they're calling a "cream soda" pale ale, named Soda Dream. A glance at the ingredients reveals lactose and vanilla, suggesting to me a deliberate avoidance of the divisive word "milkshake" in the branding. Well they can't fool me. The beer is 5.4% ABV and hazy orange. Its aroma is surprisingly bitter, with a juicy tang but no lactose. That does arrive in both the flavour and mouthfeel, that latter being very thick and slick -- milkshakes for sure -- and the taste quite artificial. I don't know which candy of my childhood was loaded up with vanilla essence but this tastes like that one. I'm not a fan. It's too sickly and the promise of citrus made by the aroma is reneged upon. On the plus side, milkshake pale ale fanatics can buy this without asking for a plain paper bag to put it in.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VPlFb0V85CR6MWiWUAUAUB3iZQe3p0DZkzlCd7Szn7 oCNQaQmwoXuhXRFdo__bezsmYPjpMPJPgreP7UI8spdZaiKXHa _MJvKcHGBH5grdKbb7rkQPB3NIoz3SIC7Jdzxy8xgj5UKZdizm i9Udo3ha-_eXoEJPAi7C5-OyJlnp_RkbP9xA4/w184-h200/lineman_loose_ends_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VPlFb0V85CR6MWiWUAUAUB3iZQe3p0DZkzlCd7Szn7 oCNQaQmwoXuhXRFdo__bezsmYPjpMPJPgreP7UI8spdZaiKXHa _MJvKcHGBH5grdKbb7rkQPB3NIoz3SIC7Jdzxy8xgj5UKZdizm i9Udo3ha-_eXoEJPAi7C5-OyJlnp_RkbP9xA4/s2450/lineman_loose_ends_ipa.jpg)The latest from Lineman is a hazy IPA called Loose Ends. Not that they've badged it as hazy, of course: that's up to you to find out when you open it. It's hazy to the bone, however, being a pale yellow and smelling of garlic, vanilla and lime peel. For all that the flavour is strangely dry, to the point of being a little acrid, smoky; phenolic, maybe? There's something not quite right about this, which is very unusual for Lineman. My in-house back-up taster didn't detect anything awry so maybe it's just me, in which case I'll simply deem it not to my taste and move on.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqC4QoHCINr6s7-X41F4w0bus-hIoLjqOEVktyJCHWCmNz_5MzpCSQFtNNKl69kqjUFYizTa36PG nigMAC3O1FNpabydlHtE9zVtJ67r1l_CITH_RekLQLtvjYzaUc 77J-1K95I6W-572Uw8AeFHxc5D1p-Cv2mSViaRwuejvDbhqlLv_6J0/w168-h200/outer_place_polar_sequence_cold_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqC4QoHCINr6s7-X41F4w0bus-hIoLjqOEVktyJCHWCmNz_5MzpCSQFtNNKl69kqjUFYizTa36PG nigMAC3O1FNpabydlHtE9zVtJ67r1l_CITH_RekLQLtvjYzaUc 77J-1K95I6W-572Uw8AeFHxc5D1p-Cv2mSViaRwuejvDbhqlLv_6J0/s2695/outer_place_polar_sequence_cold_ipa.jpg)IPA enthusiasts Outer Place have gone cold for their seventh: Polar Sequence. The pale gold colour belies a hefty 6.5% ABV, as does the light and accessible mouthfeel. The lager yeast has a slightly detrimental effect on the flavour too, making it finish quickly and cleanly, which is a shame here because the foretaste is lovely. It's a sharply invigorating grapefruit kick laced with naughty dank resins and a hint of white pepper. I wanted it to go on forever, but it insisted on departing abruptly. The malt side of the equation is deliciously crisp, and I guess that's just part of the deal. So while I wanted more from this, it does what it does extremely well and I should be happy with that.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVLPzzqbkEygD874TSu7IvMVF1jO5OAYevdfQ-GfTyiZVl7O-FwkOEF9Wn04D5VCuypZimfi1NsnB1KDnja0BSF2_qKCI8N1eXJ f-IJ5D85F5KFv3HO5L9d_iIGVm7MRWxIGKUb5Qr-VQjl_Ix0Tjs2Lb1F3GH8i14uTqwPyoshM1lcTs9og/w185-h200/outer_place_wildfires_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVLPzzqbkEygD874TSu7IvMVF1jO5OAYevdfQ-GfTyiZVl7O-FwkOEF9Wn04D5VCuypZimfi1NsnB1KDnja0BSF2_qKCI8N1eXJ f-IJ5D85F5KFv3HO5L9d_iIGVm7MRWxIGKUb5Qr-VQjl_Ix0Tjs2Lb1F3GH8i14uTqwPyoshM1lcTs9og/s2440/outer_place_wildfires_ipa.jpg)Number eight from Outer Place, Wildfires, is their eighth IPA but the first in the west-coast style. With everything else they've done being hazy I was a little sceptical about that, and sure enough while it's not murky there's a substantial misting in this one. But does it taste clear? The good news is yes, it pretty much does. The bad news is that the smoky sharpness I noticed above in Loose Ends is also in this, which was brewed on the same kit. It's harder to peek around it, but before it takes over the palate there's some fun heavy pine resin and a leafy bitterness, but no grapefruit or related citrus. And then burnt plastic and old rubber running long into the finish. It's hard to say if this would have worked for me if everything were kosher. I'm still waiting on something properly clear from Outer Place, or maybe even a non-IPA.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuzs6jI3TMlavTTeSttLJCRIteJQkxDCiSCAdpSrc6o D9GcUqaZZMk9VGZhrNdOqDZ1hnvLMQ2oyuml98zqyp0DmRAv4o lg2HoxFAXwmgKUGFxa3thbhOhJ7gY85NhxUr1lGPsUFOoUf2kF T87ieLPRva0AhdNsTmMGJGf9a4CsXLZJeBU9A/w127-h200/journeyman_double_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuzs6jI3TMlavTTeSttLJCRIteJQkxDCiSCAdpSrc6o D9GcUqaZZMk9VGZhrNdOqDZ1hnvLMQ2oyuml98zqyp0DmRAv4o lg2HoxFAXwmgKUGFxa3thbhOhJ7gY85NhxUr1lGPsUFOoUf2kF T87ieLPRva0AhdNsTmMGJGf9a4CsXLZJeBU9A/s3280/journeyman_double_ipa.jpg)Back to the supermarket, finally, and there's a new one in the Journeyman series, produced for Centra and SuperValu by Pearse Lyons. Journeyman Double IPA is 7.5% ABV and a very murky dark orange colour, looking a bit muddy. The aroma is clean, however, presenting a sharply old-school west-coast front, loaded with pine and grapefruit. That meant the foretaste was a surprise, being candy sweet, all cake icing and succulent mandarin. The dryer bitter side waits a moment before appearing, scorching the tongue in the middle section before fading to leave residual dark sugar as the finish. For a supermarket cheapie it's quite well put-together, offering fresh and bold flavours which may not be en vogue at present but are still great fun to encounter.
That's it for now. Keep it hoppy!
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/05/dont-call-it-comeback.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyc8FYQlr30zIAIUm2-AcGz2AtPGWc41jauARB-2hAAuUhlmbPJKMYL_BAVWbnurzTu5YWBEYD7jX2XrPbP-GBt19Zhoedempa59lfYbjrzcEPbLOIi3R6Wskn_3f_3sSIax7H uhAwTPVjqO2FrEuFFvFrX4y9Qpa7276sLomz60WwxLwwTE/w169-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_29_session_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyc8FYQlr30zIAIUm2-AcGz2AtPGWc41jauARB-2hAAuUhlmbPJKMYL_BAVWbnurzTu5YWBEYD7jX2XrPbP-GBt19Zhoedempa59lfYbjrzcEPbLOIi3R6Wskn_3f_3sSIax7H uhAwTPVjqO2FrEuFFvFrX4y9Qpa7276sLomz60WwxLwwTE/s2670/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_29_session_ipa.jpg)New pale ales from Irish breweries are back on the shelves after a winter hiatus. Here's what I've picked up in the last couple of months.
They like a session IPA at Kinnegar. Brewers At Play No. 29 is one, as were 7, 8, 14, 18 and 22 in the sequence. Play to your low strengths, you might say. This is 4% ABV and a murky orange colour. There's a lovely bright and fresh mandarin aroma and lots of fizz. The flavour is understated, offering little beyond a basic orangeade note, only a touch of vanilla, finishing a bit watery with a carbonic bite. Still, it's designed to be refreshing and absolutely nails the brief: no frills where none are required.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAUUZqBW_PpKHPIfvYQKz1q_IXdS4qh35rlKnCe5D3l GFUTqWfRJ4gfTMbNeR7yU_-XENKV56P2X-MfZlQVskc0NMFd4Zo1gjyb8CWEtcQAFHdlVh0l3VPaJSR4psgS-9Ym-DL9JZYvv1Bm27keJMnNjy_RX0MqUzZDMHGsxY3PnmLPSgR6Y/w156-h200/western_herd_magnus_barefoot_kveik_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAUUZqBW_PpKHPIfvYQKz1q_IXdS4qh35rlKnCe5D3l GFUTqWfRJ4gfTMbNeR7yU_-XENKV56P2X-MfZlQVskc0NMFd4Zo1gjyb8CWEtcQAFHdlVh0l3VPaJSR4psgS-9Ym-DL9JZYvv1Bm27keJMnNjy_RX0MqUzZDMHGsxY3PnmLPSgR6Y/s2890/western_herd_magnus_barefoot_kveik_ipa.jpg)Western Herd has got hold of some kveik and made an IPA called Magnus Barefoot, because Norway or something. It's a very opaque yellow and short on head. The aroma is an interesting mix of citrus pith and softer stonefruit so I wasn't sure what kind of IPA I was actually going to get. Turns out it was neither of those things. The first flavour is a spicy cinnamon and aftershave kick, followed by a rasping talcum dryness. Where are the hops? There's a little of the pithy orange from the aroma hovering in the background but it doesn't last long. And... that's it. The beer is a lot less exciting than the can art. It's a mercy it's only 5.6% ABV so doesn't take up too much of one's capacity. I get that kveik is all about turning beer around quickly but this tastes raw and unfinished rather than fresh.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7JHq5Sdwv6NXaiIPIKn7EqqWTWKuNcUS6OKmyBm6Jt xabg6lcSHsXFA0TaIaa5FWX0e7iOsRhABR9B4Gj1qKtNWiwvxK oos1s5n4Mj8lIFSGCd8VyWHV9piClJF-JhokG8FYqUi_o4y3YFvKTL1BiRHQgkzwktDeAl9p-lmvUnrV8bTPZ4A/w153-h200/white_hag_wave_sweeper_west_coast_hazy_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7JHq5Sdwv6NXaiIPIKn7EqqWTWKuNcUS6OKmyBm6Jt xabg6lcSHsXFA0TaIaa5FWX0e7iOsRhABR9B4Gj1qKtNWiwvxK oos1s5n4Mj8lIFSGCd8VyWHV9piClJF-JhokG8FYqUi_o4y3YFvKTL1BiRHQgkzwktDeAl9p-lmvUnrV8bTPZ4A/s2950/white_hag_wave_sweeper_west_coast_hazy_ipa.jpg)"WEST COAST HAZY IPA" in block capitals on the label is unnecessarily upsetting. But so it is with Wave Sweeper, new from The White Hag. Breweries seem to be putting a concerted effort into aligning the features of east and west coast IPA, though with little success that I've seen. Let's see how this one goes. It looks eastern: pale yellow and completely opaque. The aroma has a certain lemony crispness, though there's also a hint of lemon curd's vanilla. The flavour dispenses with any sweet aspects and tries hard to present nothing but sharp lime and grapefruit with a little pine resin herbal complexity. Unfortunately there's a savoury twang from the murk which gets in the way and prevents it tasting like a properly clean west coaster. A gallant effort, but I still think east and west should continue their separate IPA ways.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrb-fi6xPdmNOYaSRrEhIW7imwfAbR_Pk0WRlQMALB1mJlRkqWD1J5 yHGPr-sEllxv5D5_o3xY65Zq0TARYG7kvudDjMrfoH3_QU2fPFeBZRF_ HTtrAtXVT1A1oZapXj6cPsELkvUKeXUDlYRtCti2574LaN47Yc bxZyf7Qx1sQgM97IFLrA/w136-h200/white_hag_danaan_hazy_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrb-fi6xPdmNOYaSRrEhIW7imwfAbR_Pk0WRlQMALB1mJlRkqWD1J5 yHGPr-sEllxv5D5_o3xY65Zq0TARYG7kvudDjMrfoH3_QU2fPFeBZRF_ HTtrAtXVT1A1oZapXj6cPsELkvUKeXUDlYRtCti2574LaN47Yc bxZyf7Qx1sQgM97IFLrA/s2940/white_hag_danaan_hazy_ipa.jpg)There's no stylistic prevarication with White Hag's Danaan, released around the same time and badged simply as a "juicy IPA". I got a pint of it at UnderDog and thought it was no such thing. The flavour began with a strong hit of garlic, backed by other green vegetables: celery and spinach, primarily. The aroma too brings the allium, although there it's more of a white onion thing. And then there's a rasp of bitter murky dregs for an even less enjoyable kind of savouriness. I have no doubt that this is the very heights of fashion and may well be just how haze aficionados like it, but as far as I was concerned the juice was entirely AWOL and it's very much not to my taste.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdgXLYD98unxmvWU7zL-4kH87ub3A1MUbqvXVeJhMkEEsftxdCThnahEdkDcqwP8IuBN_b XZwQBD4QQvSPa090LQfh4xBgQv7mWqj25MezSc7lxSUOZc1zQP QTyFTyTgIj6s9lqCbWdEkpgtyjfZi5uh051tDbSYVYXVP5ci7p kLW3Are0IY/w186-h200/hopfully_softseats_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdgXLYD98unxmvWU7zL-4kH87ub3A1MUbqvXVeJhMkEEsftxdCThnahEdkDcqwP8IuBN_b XZwQBD4QQvSPa090LQfh4xBgQv7mWqj25MezSc7lxSUOZc1zQP QTyFTyTgIj6s9lqCbWdEkpgtyjfZi5uh051tDbSYVYXVP5ci7p kLW3Are0IY/s2295/hopfully_softseats_ipa.jpg)Let's see if Hopfully can do any better. First of today's set from them is Softseats, one which looks the proper opaque shade of pale yellow. It's no lightweight at 6.8% ABV but it smells innocently sweet, of vanilla in particular. "Innocent" is a good descriptor for the taste too: there's nothing sharp, harsh or untoward here, all is smooth and gentle. It's a little lacking on the fruit side, offering not much more than a a touch of ripe banana and a rub of mandarin pith. The rest is custard, with a hint of marzipan around the edges. I like how it doesn't try to do anything clever and instead is just a nice beer to drink -- some hazy IPAs give the impression of trying to be God's gift to brewing and the epitome of hop utilisation. This is just tasty and I respect that a lot.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxOrSu1xPq4BxZ6uRBR4l6FQ0DR_AJgBh6S4XPowJ2C cDbg6oNoCKoSmt0Z6ri7yeo9z5qr4y7_sWdjXLei3z-iF-8MIKr3VpmJrMLU3z8dsOg9l-GHPu5lFmoHZkaCArr3KlgHuhlVm2iPWudc4OLluIguL3oGb6ql pgko34IY5RWFx64P0/w168-h200/hopfully_longlegs_coffee_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxOrSu1xPq4BxZ6uRBR4l6FQ0DR_AJgBh6S4XPowJ2C cDbg6oNoCKoSmt0Z6ri7yeo9z5qr4y7_sWdjXLei3z-iF-8MIKr3VpmJrMLU3z8dsOg9l-GHPu5lFmoHZkaCArr3KlgHuhlVm2iPWudc4OLluIguL3oGb6ql pgko34IY5RWFx64P0/s2055/hopfully_longlegs_coffee_ipa.jpg)While there's no inherent reason not to mess about with the basics of New England IPA, coffee is a strange choice of addition but that's what Hopfully has gone for with Longlegs. It looks perfectly normal: an even opaque yellow colour. The texture is pleasantly soft and creamy -- on the good side of normal for the style. And then the foretaste is a powerful and unsubtle blast of freshly brewed coffee. This is creamy too, like a latte. Only a minor tropical tang on the finish brings us back to the basics. It's a bit of a mad chimera, and it absolutely shouldn't work, but it does. Above all it's fun, and more than a little silly, but fair play to the brewery for giving it a go.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3GxK8DsxV0vzbfUjzWldqtJqbiyYp5Ps1h-Bskit4tVhGnNQ7Y4hpB8u4ReKwNmnGrT42iX3Y1boJQAxsxbGY kT-dB8EMC7h35DU7hO92-6eokvTtQhq4A_ErWBXptF_9BcJICSAxzTLiEIiJmEchLQiUtBS wOxxPQuHkRR9E0A2UHQL6Zs/w181-h200/hopfully_electrick_sheep_sour_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3GxK8DsxV0vzbfUjzWldqtJqbiyYp5Ps1h-Bskit4tVhGnNQ7Y4hpB8u4ReKwNmnGrT42iX3Y1boJQAxsxbGY kT-dB8EMC7h35DU7hO92-6eokvTtQhq4A_ErWBXptF_9BcJICSAxzTLiEIiJmEchLQiUtBS wOxxPQuHkRR9E0A2UHQL6Zs/s2500/hopfully_electrick_sheep_sour_ipa.jpg)They take us further from IPA purity with Electrick Sheep, a sour one, no less. It's a big beast at 7% ABV and hopped with Citra, Amarillo and Galaxy. The high gravity makes its presence felt in the texture, which is heavy and cordial-like with quite a significant sweetness. The sour isn't long behind and is a very simple and straightforward jolt of something that tastes a lot like lemon juice but is actually the work of lactobacillus plantarum, according to the can. I like sour IPA but I like them to be refreshing, and this one is just too heavy for that. Neither the souring culture nor the hops add enough complexity for it to really get off the ground. It's OK -- a fun and weighty party-in-the-mouth palate-thumper -- but I would have liked more subtlety and nuance.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE42bEM4rtgb-oioMNMz9tCLY6z3KjeVSMBZECOQLefRBMQ-gGlZnBFkvWjkOqdV-76V6Ns2_N4E8kW62J-0ylwAmS27gzm3oPf5CqZtUoF5ptn8EHJCvn4s05p-66urId_koJHxVVS532YUUWHNwL104PfJyEc9PL3LiKMnUXFpJi IEDAyCY/w189-h200/lough_gill_spearhead_look_west_red_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE42bEM4rtgb-oioMNMz9tCLY6z3KjeVSMBZECOQLefRBMQ-gGlZnBFkvWjkOqdV-76V6Ns2_N4E8kW62J-0ylwAmS27gzm3oPf5CqZtUoF5ptn8EHJCvn4s05p-66urId_koJHxVVS532YUUWHNwL104PfJyEc9PL3LiKMnUXFpJi IEDAyCY/s2385/lough_gill_spearhead_look_west_red_ipa.jpg)Lough Gill has given us something altogether more serious with Look West, in that rare substyle, red IPA. Canadian brewery Spearhead gets their logo on the label too. This 6.5%-er is a red IPA to its bones, and it provided me with an opportunity to analyse why I don't get on with the style. Which I will now explain to you. I like American amber ale, to which it's related, for the mix of fudgey malt and sparking hop pizzazz. When you dial all of that up into a red IPA the spark gets dampened and the result is both harshly bitter and cloyingly sweet. That's what this is. Nobody eats toffee with a side of grapefruit; the flavours simply don't get along. The result here is sweaty, rubbery, sticky and hot. I'm sure it's exactly what the brewer meant it to be but it doesn't suit this blogger's palate one little bit.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7ZAeCaAXfNpJ85CbZVUnRm95hK6E_imdu-hc2_RPY2yI4GEiSVFKYH-LjlQXEK1s7ReAe1LS6wIB2Wx12x-UK4ZuW9RFkv7F8dNp_NWOZsB80VagY49-AThGjgKvQSWjeBPDydo_869RAh_Upow0wouVd7a7WvFqohzuyR p2e1qE4hssDeo/w171-h200/lough_gill_la_muette_yellow_warning_ddh_hazy_ipa.j pg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7ZAeCaAXfNpJ85CbZVUnRm95hK6E_imdu-hc2_RPY2yI4GEiSVFKYH-LjlQXEK1s7ReAe1LS6wIB2Wx12x-UK4ZuW9RFkv7F8dNp_NWOZsB80VagY49-AThGjgKvQSWjeBPDydo_869RAh_Upow0wouVd7a7WvFqohzuyR p2e1qE4hssDeo/s2640/lough_gill_la_muette_yellow_warning_ddh_hazy_ipa.j pg)Here's hoping for better with the brewery's latest hazy IPA, Yellow Warning, brewed in collaboration with La Muette in France. It's not yellow, it's orange, and not quite full-on hazy. Citra and Sabro are the hops, and the zest from the former is beautifully loud and bright in the aroma. Where's the Sabro? In the flavour: a sizeable dollop of dessertish coconut, front and centre. Behind it, the pith which Sabro also brings, though mild rather than sharp. And that's it. While it's 6.3% ABV, the body is light and the taste balanced and accessible with no savoury side, which is great. Maybe because it was the first beer of my weekend (not that you asked) but I found this downright gluggable, in a way that something of this strength probably shouldn't be.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAF1XuKE7UKqRqW5TrI4NMxTDtFFbbRkRcnLGJ7zKoSk CzQhcfJmz4P6tj3SSZ_h0Ev6p8c5w7zbO4N3MyV4_17r9JCbSk sfRUfWwACWxE56nHgK2HX1EH2FjgOSvuhOQOo47LvSafF-KFSzXkoa3UK0DlkQPO0PMVea4WG_evijwpQjTRvvY/w179-h200/lough_gill_tasmanian_dive_double_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAF1XuKE7UKqRqW5TrI4NMxTDtFFbbRkRcnLGJ7zKoSk CzQhcfJmz4P6tj3SSZ_h0Ev6p8c5w7zbO4N3MyV4_17r9JCbSk sfRUfWwACWxE56nHgK2HX1EH2FjgOSvuhOQOo47LvSafF-KFSzXkoa3UK0DlkQPO0PMVea4WG_evijwpQjTRvvY/s2520/lough_gill_tasmanian_dive_double_ipa.jpg)The Lough Gill offer tops out at 8.2% ABV and a double IPA called Tasmanian Dive. The name is a reference to its use of Galaxy and Eclipse hops from Oz. It's a very fashionable shade of opaque eggy yellow and the alcohol makes its presence felt right from the get-go, in the aroma. It's there with quite a liqueurish and sticky-smelling tropical syrup thing. I get an immediate sense that this one will be hard work. The mouthfeel is nicely light and fizzy, not allowing that big gravity to cloy the palate. There's a large and immediate hit of bitter herbal acidity, all garlic and ginger. The fruit behind this is similarly bitter, going for zest and spritz rather than juicy tropicality. The booze suggested in the aroma doesn't really show up in the taste. Instead, it all fades quickly, which is the only disappointing feature of an otherwise highly enjoyable assertive double IPA.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhkIZo9icM02pFvixqMlUjaAWCr6x4Tql1f8z-9h45G6hTCpyMhaAKEUlIMTN9vLRb2trZDeYHRlIj7Rquws_otw hNWlk3kfQA7pJR2P_nC6SBbOduRg8elfGrEkFHm7Ms-WSb4tI8BPMsmv-VWBIyBzbCRYBouvdkjm7F8jnEarC7dVMelc/w152-h200/galway_bay_i_hear_you_like_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhkIZo9icM02pFvixqMlUjaAWCr6x4Tql1f8z-9h45G6hTCpyMhaAKEUlIMTN9vLRb2trZDeYHRlIj7Rquws_otw hNWlk3kfQA7pJR2P_nC6SBbOduRg8elfGrEkFHm7Ms-WSb4tI8BPMsmv-VWBIyBzbCRYBouvdkjm7F8jnEarC7dVMelc/s2975/galway_bay_i_hear_you_like_ipa.jpg)Cold IPA next, and Galway Bay is refusing to take a side in the cold IPA cold war, choosing to use both lager and ale yeast in its first example, called I Hear You Like IPA. More importantly, Simcoe, Colombus and Strata are the hops. Much like with brut IPA before it, I'm beginning to think that "cold" means nothing more than very very pale. Because this is a very very pale yellow, barely misted with haze. Simcoe's signature piney resins occupy the aroma, and the flavour has a certain dankness to match that. Another pattern I'm noticing is onion, and it's perhaps not surprising that if you make a very hop-forward crisp and clean beer, the hops will take it as an invitation to be sharp and tangy. In the full understanding of how little such things count for most IPA drinkers, this is quite unbalanced, and left me hankering for more malt to offset the hopping in both taste and texture. It's not bad, but is a bit efforty -- making a cold IPA because that's what people are doing nowadays. It's not an improvement on IPA. Yes, I am old.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWkEuhNPHGUVaC5YX_iv8x8nIj84m0Zdx3cGmuvVX2q as4XGD8JtYujfdOoEC2ywBkBtHsXzbGIM_qSZFin6Rh0MG99Zn w4U1AeNRuq8hIoNt5AKrpK2iFtlIi-v8cJAcLgPkmSklpj4DyGGVA3B5XIXwWSPJ5nDeU31pT-G1XTPadyj2V9k/w143-h200/killarney_brewing_full_circle_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWkEuhNPHGUVaC5YX_iv8x8nIj84m0Zdx3cGmuvVX2q as4XGD8JtYujfdOoEC2ywBkBtHsXzbGIM_qSZFin6Rh0MG99Zn w4U1AeNRuq8hIoNt5AKrpK2iFtlIi-v8cJAcLgPkmSklpj4DyGGVA3B5XIXwWSPJ5nDeU31pT-G1XTPadyj2V9k/s3165/killarney_brewing_full_circle_ipa.jpg)I don't get to put many new releases from Killarney Brewing up here as their distribution is very limited in my part of the world. On a day trip to exotic Carlow over the Easter break, however, I picked up a bottle of Full Circle, their IPA. "What coast is it?" I yell at the bottle, "TELL ME!" I suspect, however, the recipe predates the IPA civil war, or at least ignores it. There are no oats in the ingredients, the brewery's description mentions both juice and bitterness, and while there's a haze when poured, it's a more old-fashioned sort, signifying a lightly processed beer rather than deliberate trend chasing. The aroma offers a light rasp of lime and grapefruit on a toasty malt base -- all very Sierra Nevada -- and then the flavour adds in some softer sherbet and lemon drizzle cake. There's a little roughness from the murk but it doesn't interrupt the main hop action. On balance I think this leans much more to the more traditional side of American IPA, and does it rather well at only 5% ABV. Characterful yet sessionable is the sweet spot.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ET7TzAQ19YxF8kmNYQJOf1Jx2cuDRNUO-XWdiJTv77hmoK4C_VOqAjc2AZlvMw7axcBOE2d64njv7_4NBmT kvG26j-8_WU8K06IQWKODa6PvjZqcZzh8JhfxI28QM7QKkWxHfK6QM_ry zSqlTRzC2Pa-SvUaE9nZelLvNcDCIwXONnJ7eqM/w199-h200/trouble_brewing_soda_dream_pale_ale.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ET7TzAQ19YxF8kmNYQJOf1Jx2cuDRNUO-XWdiJTv77hmoK4C_VOqAjc2AZlvMw7axcBOE2d64njv7_4NBmT kvG26j-8_WU8K06IQWKODa6PvjZqcZzh8JhfxI28QM7QKkWxHfK6QM_ry zSqlTRzC2Pa-SvUaE9nZelLvNcDCIwXONnJ7eqM/s2265/trouble_brewing_soda_dream_pale_ale.jpg)Trouble released something they're calling a "cream soda" pale ale, named Soda Dream. A glance at the ingredients reveals lactose and vanilla, suggesting to me a deliberate avoidance of the divisive word "milkshake" in the branding. Well they can't fool me. The beer is 5.4% ABV and hazy orange. Its aroma is surprisingly bitter, with a juicy tang but no lactose. That does arrive in both the flavour and mouthfeel, that latter being very thick and slick -- milkshakes for sure -- and the taste quite artificial. I don't know which candy of my childhood was loaded up with vanilla essence but this tastes like that one. I'm not a fan. It's too sickly and the promise of citrus made by the aroma is reneged upon. On the plus side, milkshake pale ale fanatics can buy this without asking for a plain paper bag to put it in.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VPlFb0V85CR6MWiWUAUAUB3iZQe3p0DZkzlCd7Szn7 oCNQaQmwoXuhXRFdo__bezsmYPjpMPJPgreP7UI8spdZaiKXHa _MJvKcHGBH5grdKbb7rkQPB3NIoz3SIC7Jdzxy8xgj5UKZdizm i9Udo3ha-_eXoEJPAi7C5-OyJlnp_RkbP9xA4/w184-h200/lineman_loose_ends_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VPlFb0V85CR6MWiWUAUAUB3iZQe3p0DZkzlCd7Szn7 oCNQaQmwoXuhXRFdo__bezsmYPjpMPJPgreP7UI8spdZaiKXHa _MJvKcHGBH5grdKbb7rkQPB3NIoz3SIC7Jdzxy8xgj5UKZdizm i9Udo3ha-_eXoEJPAi7C5-OyJlnp_RkbP9xA4/s2450/lineman_loose_ends_ipa.jpg)The latest from Lineman is a hazy IPA called Loose Ends. Not that they've badged it as hazy, of course: that's up to you to find out when you open it. It's hazy to the bone, however, being a pale yellow and smelling of garlic, vanilla and lime peel. For all that the flavour is strangely dry, to the point of being a little acrid, smoky; phenolic, maybe? There's something not quite right about this, which is very unusual for Lineman. My in-house back-up taster didn't detect anything awry so maybe it's just me, in which case I'll simply deem it not to my taste and move on.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqC4QoHCINr6s7-X41F4w0bus-hIoLjqOEVktyJCHWCmNz_5MzpCSQFtNNKl69kqjUFYizTa36PG nigMAC3O1FNpabydlHtE9zVtJ67r1l_CITH_RekLQLtvjYzaUc 77J-1K95I6W-572Uw8AeFHxc5D1p-Cv2mSViaRwuejvDbhqlLv_6J0/w168-h200/outer_place_polar_sequence_cold_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqC4QoHCINr6s7-X41F4w0bus-hIoLjqOEVktyJCHWCmNz_5MzpCSQFtNNKl69kqjUFYizTa36PG nigMAC3O1FNpabydlHtE9zVtJ67r1l_CITH_RekLQLtvjYzaUc 77J-1K95I6W-572Uw8AeFHxc5D1p-Cv2mSViaRwuejvDbhqlLv_6J0/s2695/outer_place_polar_sequence_cold_ipa.jpg)IPA enthusiasts Outer Place have gone cold for their seventh: Polar Sequence. The pale gold colour belies a hefty 6.5% ABV, as does the light and accessible mouthfeel. The lager yeast has a slightly detrimental effect on the flavour too, making it finish quickly and cleanly, which is a shame here because the foretaste is lovely. It's a sharply invigorating grapefruit kick laced with naughty dank resins and a hint of white pepper. I wanted it to go on forever, but it insisted on departing abruptly. The malt side of the equation is deliciously crisp, and I guess that's just part of the deal. So while I wanted more from this, it does what it does extremely well and I should be happy with that.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVLPzzqbkEygD874TSu7IvMVF1jO5OAYevdfQ-GfTyiZVl7O-FwkOEF9Wn04D5VCuypZimfi1NsnB1KDnja0BSF2_qKCI8N1eXJ f-IJ5D85F5KFv3HO5L9d_iIGVm7MRWxIGKUb5Qr-VQjl_Ix0Tjs2Lb1F3GH8i14uTqwPyoshM1lcTs9og/w185-h200/outer_place_wildfires_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVLPzzqbkEygD874TSu7IvMVF1jO5OAYevdfQ-GfTyiZVl7O-FwkOEF9Wn04D5VCuypZimfi1NsnB1KDnja0BSF2_qKCI8N1eXJ f-IJ5D85F5KFv3HO5L9d_iIGVm7MRWxIGKUb5Qr-VQjl_Ix0Tjs2Lb1F3GH8i14uTqwPyoshM1lcTs9og/s2440/outer_place_wildfires_ipa.jpg)Number eight from Outer Place, Wildfires, is their eighth IPA but the first in the west-coast style. With everything else they've done being hazy I was a little sceptical about that, and sure enough while it's not murky there's a substantial misting in this one. But does it taste clear? The good news is yes, it pretty much does. The bad news is that the smoky sharpness I noticed above in Loose Ends is also in this, which was brewed on the same kit. It's harder to peek around it, but before it takes over the palate there's some fun heavy pine resin and a leafy bitterness, but no grapefruit or related citrus. And then burnt plastic and old rubber running long into the finish. It's hard to say if this would have worked for me if everything were kosher. I'm still waiting on something properly clear from Outer Place, or maybe even a non-IPA.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuzs6jI3TMlavTTeSttLJCRIteJQkxDCiSCAdpSrc6o D9GcUqaZZMk9VGZhrNdOqDZ1hnvLMQ2oyuml98zqyp0DmRAv4o lg2HoxFAXwmgKUGFxa3thbhOhJ7gY85NhxUr1lGPsUFOoUf2kF T87ieLPRva0AhdNsTmMGJGf9a4CsXLZJeBU9A/w127-h200/journeyman_double_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuzs6jI3TMlavTTeSttLJCRIteJQkxDCiSCAdpSrc6o D9GcUqaZZMk9VGZhrNdOqDZ1hnvLMQ2oyuml98zqyp0DmRAv4o lg2HoxFAXwmgKUGFxa3thbhOhJ7gY85NhxUr1lGPsUFOoUf2kF T87ieLPRva0AhdNsTmMGJGf9a4CsXLZJeBU9A/s3280/journeyman_double_ipa.jpg)Back to the supermarket, finally, and there's a new one in the Journeyman series, produced for Centra and SuperValu by Pearse Lyons. Journeyman Double IPA is 7.5% ABV and a very murky dark orange colour, looking a bit muddy. The aroma is clean, however, presenting a sharply old-school west-coast front, loaded with pine and grapefruit. That meant the foretaste was a surprise, being candy sweet, all cake icing and succulent mandarin. The dryer bitter side waits a moment before appearing, scorching the tongue in the middle section before fading to leave residual dark sugar as the finish. For a supermarket cheapie it's quite well put-together, offering fresh and bold flavours which may not be en vogue at present but are still great fun to encounter.
That's it for now. Keep it hoppy!
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