Na Zdravi !: Santa Lucia IPA

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Santa Lucia IPA

Firestone Walker Brewing (Paso Robles, CA)

"Santa Lucia is a next-generation unfiltered West Coast IPA inspired by our flagship Union Jack IPA—but with its own unique blend of Cashmere, Azacca, Amarillo, Hallertau Blanc and El Dorado hops. The result is a fresh twist on a familiar favorite, combining a bold malt foundation with a progressive hop profile."

Sweet and malty. Slightly bitter grapefruit finish. Solid but not really exceptional. Very good.

ABV 7%, IBU 65

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.