Na Zdravi !: Experimental Hop Double IPA

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Experimental Hop Double IPA

Sierra Nevada Brewing (Chico, CA)
"Complex and resiny. An aggressive new hop varietal plays tricks on the mind in this bold Double IPA. Though the beer has never seen the inside of a barrel, HBC 472 lends it a distinctive oaky, barrel-aged character. Jackson 104 brings heavy fruit-forward and citrus-like flavors to the beer, while Steiner 07270 rounds out the hop finish with deep, resinous notes of dank pine and grapefruit for a complex and powerful beer."

Smooth, fruity. A little citrus and a hearty maltiness.
Very complex, very good.

ABV 8%,IBU 67
Hops: Experimental Hops 472, 104 & 07270
Malt: Two-Row Pale, Honey Malt, Caramel, Chocolate
Yeast: Ale Yeast

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.