Hop Kitchen - Bretta IPA
New Belgium Brewing Company

 

 

 

probably my favorite hop kitchen series release so far. the brett here is super funky and farmy and mature, and to me, its as flavorful as the hops, really complete in its fermentation, and overall this is one heck of a good wild ipa, if you like that sort of thing you are sure to enjoy this one. great head and carbonation on this, very lively from the bomber, and dit holds too. the nose is wet barny funk, almost animal-esque, hay and straw, cut grass, dried hops, and soft citrus from them. there is a richness to this, maybe a little fuller grain body, but its rounded out so well by the brett, the strain seems familiar in flavor but really unique in its impact on the feel. really dry but still flavorful in the finish. hop bitterness comes on late and this ends up pretty hoppy on the back end, but the flavors are really compatible with the brett, which for me is really the defining element of this one. how did this beer not get more attention? i have been really let down by almost all their new beers over the past year or two, so maybe people skipped over this one, but its a heck of a beer, and easily my favorite beer they have made in ages. great brett profile here! going to age one a little while and see if it keeps developing...

edit: a few years old now the funk on this is insane, some would say past optimal, super musty and even decaying to me, like compost and wet animal, and there is a medicinal layer, iodine and rubbing alcohol, super intense, but i still really like it, especially with all the bubbles and how dry this is. hops holding up okay too. really a pretty cool expression of brett, if you can get past the sort of obvious over development.

edit: this continues to be awesome beer, even something like four or five years later, still hoppy, just insanely funky, and with more and more nuance every time i open one. this now has a middle palate sweetness that stands out, like malt devoid of all its character except its simple sugar content, like confectioners sugar right in the center before the now fully wild tasting brett kicks up. still effervescent and easy to drink, enormously complex, definitely overcooked at this point, but in a really delicious way. one bottle left, i will save for several more years and see what happens!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picked up a howler of this at a local shop.

Appearance - Pours a slightly hazy amber with two fingers of foamy white head.

Smell - Citrus hops, hint of bretta yeast, caramel malts, tropical fruit, spice notes.

Taste - A nice hit of citrus hops and bretta yeast straight away, followed by the flavours of malts, tropical fruits, and light spiciness.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes with a lingering bitterness from the hops and a light funk from the yeast.

Overall - A unique and tasty twist to the IPA by incorporating the bretta yeast. I wish there was just a little more hop bitterness to compete with the yeast, but still a nicely balanced ale. Very sessionable and a delight to try.

 

 

 

 

On tap at PreFunk Boise. Pale golden body with light haze. Small, bubbly head. Aroma is bright and sweet, flowers, hand soap. Taste brings in the requisite brett tartness, peppery, sweet. Pretty enjoyable.

Second beer of the Tour de Fat. This pouts a slight hazy color with a lemony funky aroma. There’s a Brett character that’s restrained, but present. Nicely hoppy with a funky finish.

From the howler: pours an effervescent gold with a thumb of beige colored head. Sheets of lacing & good head retention

S: Sour & grassy

T: Follows the nose, a little grapefruit & a little dryness up front, some pineapple. More tartness, grapefruit peel, faint breadyness as this warms, a little green apple peel. Finishes a little funky with grapefruit, green apple peel & grassyness

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, pretty nice balance

Drinks easy, a very nice offering I think this was a very effective mash-up of styles