Na Zdravi !: The Pupil IPA

Monday, June 01, 2020

The Pupil IPA

"The Pupil is a smooth, medium-bodied, pleasantly dry IPA with forward aromas and flavor evocative of tropical fruit. Notes of guava and mango are most commonly detected by connoisseurs of this gently bittered beer, a crowd-favorite and one of our flagship hoppy creations since day one."

A really solid IPA. Not getting the tropicals as promised. Slightly sweet with some pleasant soapiness. The high(ish) alcohol content is well hidden.
Overall an extremely pleasant beer.
I'll do this again.

ABV 7.5%,
Hops: Nelson Sauvin, Citra, Centennial
Malt: 2 Row Pale, Malted Wheat

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.