Na Zdravi !: Mountain High IPA

Friday, August 24, 2018

Mountain High IPA

"A deep golden, mild and malty India Pale Ale. Late hop additions contribute floral and pine aromas reminiscent of Mount Shasta. A classic American IPA uniting hops with fresh mountain spring water. The alcohol by volume is at 7% and uses Centennial and Simcoe hops to reach its 63 IBU's. The hop profile is not overpowering, starting smooth and building up to its mellow, bitter finish."

Meh ... not undrinkable but not a beer I'm drinking more than one of at a sitting.
Nice malt flavor but it gives way to a slightly off-putting bittersweet overripe fruitiness.

ABV 7%, IBU 62

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.