Tag Archive for: Fresh Fruity & Hoppy

New England Special Double IPA – ABV 8.6%

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This brash, unapologetic New England-style double IPA, with Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic hops, packs a tropical fruit punch.

Look: A golden pour with a haziness that almost approaches a peach-coloured murkiness with a small white foam.

Aroma: Hop-driven with aromas of mango, pineapple, orange, backed up by some light maltiness and yeast notes.

Taste: Sweet and slightly sour, a juicy start dries slightly to a tangy bitter finish.

Verdict: Bold, juicy, unapologetic; sometimes bitter but ultimately agreeable – a lot like a girl New England I used to know.

Great Eastern IPA – ABV 7.4%

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This IPA has a malt-packed menu including Maris Otter, which is balanced by the dry bitterness of late hopping and the tropical juiciness of a paradise island.

Look: Similar to the colouring of the bottle’s label, this pours a lively hazy orange with a thin, just off-white head.

Nose: The aroma is driven by chinook, columbus and nugget hops to give tropical fruits: citrus, pineapple, grapefruit, with hints of pine and some background floral and fruity malt notes.

Taste: More complex than your average an IPA, as coconut joins the juicy tropical paradise party – dare I say I even detect a rum warmth in the alcoholic mouthfeel. Long, slightly dry bitter coating finish and intriguing earthy character.

Verdict: Just like my favorite type of Caribbean party, this leaves you with memories of tropical fruits and takes a long time to finish.

Problem Solved Imperial IPA – ABV 7.5%

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An extension to Stewart’s core range, this collab brings in some Dutch expertise for a Belgian Double IPA that is full-on with sweet fruit, piney hops and biscuit-flavoured malts.

Look: Amber-orange on the pour with a well-lasting white head and medium carbonation; quite subtle-looking for a Belgian DIPA.

Nose: Naturally hoppy, almost grassy, with those obvious bold citrus orange notes coming through, plus grapefruit and mango.

Taste: Again subtle for a DIPA but obvious hints of caramel and biscuit, toasted malts; some yeast shining through. Sweet and juicy fruits in abundance: orange, pineapple, melon, maybe even some cherry tang the sugars moving to a mildly bitter finish.

Verdict: If the “problem” was that you couldn’t find a good beer collaboration between a brewer Edinburgh and a brewer Bodegraven, then this is indeed the solution.

3 Way Action DIPA – ABV 9%

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Launched at Craft Beer Rising, this DIPA is dry-hopped with shedloads (that’s a technical term) of Galaxy, Vic Secret and Mosaic hops for a tropical finish.

The “three-way action” here simply refers to the three Welsh teams behind this collab beer: Tenby the southwest, Cardiff’s Crafty Devil and Heavy Industry the northeast, to make a Welsh triple-pronged brewing powerhouse.

It’s got a nicely balanced, juicy tropical beer full of peach, mango and passionfruit – but with a very active, bitter kick.

Of Foam & Fury DIPA – ABV 8.5%

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Furiously high levels of fruity flavour this hard-hitting 8 percenter. Beoir voted Of Foam and Fury Imperial IPA the Beer of the Year in 2014.

Look: Hazy golden orange with a foamy white head and nice amount of lacing.

Aroma: We were surprised at the amount of fruit going on in this boozy imperial IPA. There’s loads of bold tropical flavour like grapefruit, mango and orange.

Taste: The galena, chinook, Pacific jade and simcoe hops provide more sweet and juicy tropical fruit, plus some resin, pine, spice and citrus. This is all supported by a hearty malt backdrop to give a complex yet balanced bittersweet character with a lasting bite and soft finish.

Verdict: No fury here; just a happy beer drinker. It’s not hard to see why Beoir has been singing the praises of this brewery, just like the boys of the NYPD choir were singing ‘Galway Bay’.

14|04 – Tripel – Hallertau Blanc – ABV 8.5%

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BBNo’s Abbey tripel uses the Hallertau Blanc hop which produces notes of white grapes and a refreshing bite to balance that classic Belgian sweetness.The fourth version of the traditional Abbey beer comes hot on the heels of 14/01 Mosaic, 14/02 Wai-Iti and 14/03 Ella.

Look: Hazy amber-gold on the pour with a just off-white foam which lasts nicely throughout, plus fine to moderate carbonation.

Aroma: Fresh and sweet with some soft sweet fruits thanks to that Hallertau Blanc hop – there’s an almost candied orange peel feel to it. Sweet caramel and toffee are interspersed with subtle spice for nice balance.

Taste: The first thing you notice is that it doesn’t get too sweet – a bit of a signature (and smart) Brew by Numbers manoeuvre to keep it drier and more bitter than usual – the hoppy finish keeps it nicely crisp. There is still of course a lot of grape and fruit sweetness, including jam, fruit peel again with some light spice and stewed fruits, plus toffee and caramel.

Verdict: Sweet but not cloying and surprisingly refreshing for a tripel. If this doesn’t make you want to move to Belgium and become a monk, not much will.

Dr. Raptor Imperial IPA – ABV 9.2%

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Uiltje called it “the hoppiest beer they ever brewed” after reengineering their IPA to this monstrous nine-percenter which somehow stays crisp and refreshing.

Look: Dark hazy amber-orange with medium off-white head and medium carbonation.

Aroma: Pine and zesty orange, hoppy freshness.

Taste: Layers of sweetness and bitterness with fruity refreshing hops laid over caramel and yeast tones. Medium-bodied and a nice persistent oily mouthfeel with more bitterness in the finish.

Verdict: Considering the high ABV this surprisingly refreshing. We’ll be paying another visit to the Doctor very soon.

822 Double IPA – ABV 8.7%

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An homage to the first reference to the importance of hop farming, this resinous, smooth, mango-flavoured beer is loaded with Amarillo and Centennial hops.

Look: Hazy orange-amber with a large just off-white head

Aroma: Floral and light with mango and pineapple; some jammy and marmalade notes

Taste: More tropical fruit with a peaches, pineapple and apricots on a caramel base with a tangy alcoholic warmth and orange zest

Verdict: This classical DIPA had to be good to be an homage to the birth of beer production. Yet again the Monks up North nailed it; balanced, fruity and zingy.

Eternal Infinity India Pale Ale – ABV 7.4%

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A tropical, hoppy drinkable IPA the Leeds brewery team, this is an amplified version of their World Beer Cup award-winning session IPA, Eternal.

Look: Golden yellow and hazy with a creamy off-white head. Great lacing and fine carbonation.

Aroma: Tropical fruits – mango, orange and grapefruit – plus hoppy accents and notes of pine.

Taste: Hoppy bitterness and lots of citrus zing; some caramel the malts and tropical fruit sweetness underneath. Finish is crisp and hoppy bitterness and pine freshness.

Verdict: Eternal Infinity is not just the name of this brew; it’s the number of them we want to drink.

Patrons Project 6.01: Hazemaker IPA – ABV 7.4%

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Northern Monk and Deya and Verdant in one collaboration? Tempting. Amarillo, Simcoe and Columbus hops make this IPA fresh, fruity, punchy and hazy. Go figure.

Look: Hazy amber-gold colour, with a small lasting cream-coloured head and fine carbonation.

Aroma: Tropical fruits – orange, mango and pineapple – punctuated with nice Amarillo hoppiness and a zing of spices.

Taste: More mango and zesty orange, crisp and dry with some malt and subtle creaminess. Light, sweet finish and medium bodied.

Verdict: This IPA is a knockout (tropical fruit) punch.