Na Zdravi !: San Diego IPA

Sunday, December 10, 2017

San Diego IPA

"The uncomplicated malt bill – including Vienna and Flaked Rye – allows the large late and dry-hop additions to dominate the nose and palate. Smooth Columbus bitterness is followed by the tropical, resinous flavor of Simcoe hops. Dry-hopped with 4-5 hop varieties lends flavors and aromas of peach and passion fruit. San Diego IPA® finishes dry and clean with a hint of rye spiciness."
Sharp hop flavor. Bitter, spicey with a little pine and citrus. Not remarkable ... but certainly not bad.

7.3% ABV

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.