Wet Hop Red IPA With Coffee
The Hidden Mother Brewery

never seen a wet hop brew with coffee before, i was pumped to try this one when i was at the new brewery. they use anvil coffee, which i still havent checked out yet, but its obviously quality, a nice roast and dry cocoa character to it is immediately compatible with the richer red malt in this, not sure it would work as well in a standard ipa. some kilned and toasted notes to it, sweet cereals, honey, toffee, and chestnut. the hops are piney and northwestern, but moderate to me in their intensity, i feel them and their oily slickness almost as much as i taste them here, but there is a curious synergy with the coffee that i really like, unique on my palate, tasting this relationship really for the first time, and thats a rarity anymore for me, so i appreciate this right away. the malt balances any bitter intensity from the hops for sure, and with the coffee, it seems a little more grounded than a lot of wet ipa types, this isnt overly hoppy on the palate, but its complex and different, the coffee has a fruitiness to it as well, and the whole thing seems quintessentially autumnal to me. i really liked this, even if the beer is a little rough around the edges, the recipe is creative and cool, and i was happy to have got to spend a little time with it. hidden mother is making some really inventive beers right now, stoked their new space is up and running!