M-43 - Tart Strawberry
Old Nation Brewing Co.

Aroma is strawberries and mild lemon, no real hops. The flavor is fruit/big fresh/pulpy strawberries, malts and a slightly tart/grapefruit/spicy hop finish.

 

 

With Oktoberfest peeking around the corner, I wanted to try something different. With that, I give you New Orthodox M-43 tart strawberry. It's a New England IPA with strawberry. It pours a light amber with a cream white head. The nose gave me pause, wondering if it was skunked. The taste starts with an interesting sweetness from the oats before the hop citrus and tart strawberry come through. I still have to wonder if it's old or skunked. The mouthfeel is a bit rough as the sip concludes. I'd like to try this again from a verified fresh source and see if it's different.

I had this as part of a flight in late July 2024 at the HopCat in Holland. It was very tasty and refreshing. I was dubious about the strawberry in my beer, but it worked!

Copper colored with a hazy complexion. There’s an inch of creamy off white on top. The aroma is reminiscent of Voortman Strawberry wafer cookies. I’m tasting a Voortman Strawberry wafer cookie. The mouth is light and refreshing.

16oz can poured into a SA perfect pint glass

A- pours a hazy golden orange with a one finger creamy white head that has good retention

S- smells of sugary jammy strawberry up front, followed by juicy citrus notes of tangerine and grapefruit zest. Undertones of pineapple and mango

T- tastes of jammy strawberry up front that follows the nose. Mid-palate brings out some citrus and tropical hop notes of tangerine, pineapple, mango, green melon and zesty grapefruit. The finish gives just a hint of tartness with more strawberry and tropical hops on the linger

M- Medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that continues into the finish

 

6/9/24 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) - Can Notes: Purchased from Beer on the Wall 5/30/24 for $3.71. Purchased at store temperature, refrigerated upon returning home until opening this morning. 16 oz canned 4/25/24 at 7:50:00 AM. 6.8% ABV, 65 IBU, New England India Pale Ale. New Orthodoxy India Pale Ale Series - Tart Strawberry. Malt: Pils, Wheat, Oat. Boil Hops: Calypso, Amarillo, Citra. Dry Hop: Citra, Amarillo, Simcoe. Keep cold and drink fresh. Haze is good. Brewed and canned by Old Nation Brewing Company, Williamston, Michigan.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 of the can into a shaker pint glass, Murky orange juice brown hazy pour, bright white generous head leaves creamy cover over the base and thin accompanying lacing after taking a few minutes to recede. 3.25

Aroma: Strawberry the dominant flavor, like Strawberry Crush pop or pop tarts vs. strawberry fruit. Don't get any of the M-43 base, this is heavily perfumed, but is enjoyable. 3.5

Taste: Strawberry dominates similar to aroma, though tart vs. perceived aroma sweetness. I tried to get beyond the strawberry here as well without success. 3.25

Mouthfeel: Tastes sweet with the strawberry and perceived tang as this warms up. Drinks easy, lighter than the listed ABV. Light persistent carbonation adds depth to a medium creamy sweet body. Strawberry sweet finish, like Strawberry crush. 3.5

Overall: I did enjoy the strawberry, but would have preferred it playing a complementary role or even an equal role to the base. This is one note which covers up what makes M-43 great. Will stick with the regular version in the future. 3.25

Looks pretty good but missing some head. Maybe a bad pour or a delay in coming to the table. Smell the strawberry but not overpowering. Taste has a fairly natural taste but I wish there were more bitter hops to balance it. Since you have the sweetness a bitterness was needed (ying/yang) but the hops were pretty flat. Still I like the strawberries and it’s pretty easy drinking. Overall it’s a very good beer (the regular M-43) that isn’t any better but more interesting given the strawberries. I would have it again.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a yellow haze with a white head on top. The smell is of typical IPA,hoppy. Taste is of perfect balance between hops and strawberries. Very delicious beer.

Summer strawberries and IPAs! It’s a unique NE IPA, but great! The strawberries fit into the taste perfectly. The IPA side is light at 6.8% but smooth and refreshing. Not tart or sweet with light carbonation and hints of strawberries. Overall a well done brew for summer!

L: A mango yellow cloud full of fibrous haze sits beneath a yellow-white two finger head. glowing and rich looking.
S: Typical IPA elements but subdued... grapefruit, hops, peach, strawberry (not so typical) pineapple, and a sweetness more pronounced than most IPAs'.
T: Unusually smooth for an IPA. Grapefruit, pine nuts, hops, strawberry, vanilla, cane sugar. A delightful blend.
F: A bit sticky, but not annoyingly so. Sweetness lingers on aftertaste.
O: A refreshingly different 'New England Style' IPA. The strawberries fit into the taste perfectly. I do not care for IPAs', in general, but I really like this beer. A pint can of this 6.8 ABV brew is thoroughly satisfying.