Na Zdravi !: Holiday Haze IPA 2017

Wednesday, November 08, 2017

Holiday Haze IPA 2017

"As the holiday season ramps up, we all get busy, so we’re bringing you this all-new IPA as a reminder to slow down and appreciate this special time. Heavy with intense fruit-forward hop flavor, mild bitterness and a smooth finish, this is the perfect beer for the lead-up to the holidays. Let’s all pause, relax, and snap out of that holiday haze."

Seasonal IPA. Part of the winter variety "Snowpack".
Big pine, light citrus aroma that reverses on the tongue. Intensely citrus (mandarin?). Crisp and bright. Very enjoyable.

6.5% ABV, 40 IBU

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.