Blåtand
HammerHeart Brewing Company

 

Appearance: Murky brown-orange, big head.

Smell: Berries, a little piney.

Taste: Berries to start, then more berries, with some pine in the finish. Low bitterness.

Overall: I'm not usually one for having fruit in beer, but the blueberries work well in this solid IPA from Hammerheart. Some batches have had really strong blueberry flavor, this particular batch is a little more balanced.

 

 

 

750 ml mini growler from the brewery. Poured into a Hammerheart tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep amber orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. Good finger of off white head that settles into a thin patch.

Smell: A juicy and earthy hop driven aroma with a scent of blueberries, citrus, and pine. Upfront scent of blueberries. Citrus hop scent of orange peel, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, and melon with pineapple. Earthy hop hints of pine resin and grass. Malt scent of caramel, grains, and cracker with yeast. A very nice aroma.

Taste: Like the nose hints at, a juicy and earthy hop forward taste with notes of blueberries, citrus, and pine. Good taste of blueberries. Citrus hop notes of grapefruit, orange peel, lemon, melon, and tangerine with some pineapple. Earthy hop notes of pine resin and grass. Background malt notes of caramel, grains, and cracker along with yeast.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Juicy, oily, and drying.

Overall: A very good twist on an IPA. Good blueberry flavor that blends well with the citrus and piney hops.

 

 

a really tasty ipa from one of the coolest breweries i have ever been to. its quite subtle on the fruit, and is ipa long before its a fruit beer. barely a purple hint to the hazy heady brew, it smells a touch tart and a touch sweet form the fruit, like the skins more than the flesh, but the hops are very obviously dominant. great bitterness to it, not the most far out hop variety types, but with the fruit, take on a whole new flavor match than i have experienced. blueberry always does similar things to beer, but not here. there is just a hint of the fruit, and its mostly all in the finish. a straight forward malt base lets these other flavors take the spotlight, and although its almost harshly bitter in the finish, i find it amazingly easy drinking because of how unique it is. carbonation is upbeat, and the body is right in the middle of the spectrum. i greatly enjoyed this one, its just the right fruit for an ipa, and overall my experience here was amazing. a very unique concept and beautiful execution.

 

Aroma is fairly malty, with caramel sweetness dominating. There's a lot of grassy, earthy character, and a sharp note. Flavor is sweet, as well, with underpinnings of citrus adding contrast, becoming harshly bitter and resiny in the finish. Blueberry skin is evident in the aftertaste, but the harshness dominates. Vegetal notes detract from the experience. Finish is just too harsh.

With no end in sight to the imagination, persistent experimentation and the dare to dream, the overlay of blueberry onto the ever-popular IPA style gives HammerHeart brewers a bitter taste with as much intrigue as it does apprehension.

With the rising scent of fresh blueberries, not blueberry pie or pancake, but actual tangy berries leaping right out, there's the tropical, lemony and grassy twang from hops to give the fruit a bright and hoppy counterpart. But once the taste ensues, the beer changes to an IPA balance in a hurry.

With the character of identifiable blueberry waning, its the light malt character of caramel and biscuit that lurks in the background and supports the hoppy display to high degree. Pink grapefruit and passionfruit lead the way with lemon, orange, pineapple, apricot and mango rounding out the complex hop flavors. Yet there's a fruity tartness that disguises as hops, but are actually the remnants of blueberry wondering about the tastebuds.

Trending dry and bitter in finish, the malt falls out leaving behind light starch underpinnings. Sharp with spruce, fresh-cut grass and fragrant botanical quality, the hops are again accompanied with the piquant spice of blueberry skins and grape seed as its pectin-rich closure is as playfully astringent as the hops are bitter.