Noho Motueka
Against The Grain Brewery

 

This is very citric and slightly salty. Interesting citrus after flavor. Nice mellow tone on it on the aftertaste as well. I suppose I could say that the citrus is a bit too defined and cloying. That night be a turn off to some. A decent beer. I can appreciate it. Definitely quaffable.

 

 

The ever-increasing popularity of IPAs have brewers scrambling to either find the most coveted and rare hops to win over fans, or they are using unconventional hop varieties to invent new interest that's off the beaten path. With all of the new and untried types of hops, like Monueka on the market, it takes the IPA style to portray them in their proper light.

With its medium caramel-copper color, the beer reads like a classic pale ale. Its creamy and firm head denotes well crafted beers of hop focus. Medium lace of just off white foam decorates the glass as the beer falls.

Hop forward aromas capture a citrusy, floral, and spicy blend, while supportive malts carry a light caramel, bread/bread crust, and light grain character. Where the hops certainly stand out, they supply a unique character to the full blown citrusy punch of standard American IPA.

As with the nose, the taste is hop dominant especially after the malty-dry upstart is uprooted by a mid palate of white grapefruit, orange peel, and grassy tea-like spice. Although the malts never challenge the hops for balance, it upholds the hops with a sense of them being caramel-soaked or wrapped in an envelope of light bread crust. The citrusy, grassy, and spicy hops gain intensity heading into finish and concludes with an extended spicy, earthy bitterness well into aftertaste.

Medium-light in body, the beer very quickly sheds its carbonation and dries the beer early on. This allows for the lightly resinous bittering to occur, but also the hops to assist in dryness but also provides light leafy astringency and mild acidic bite. Because the body lightens so quickly, it leaves the beer perhaps thin in the end- this strikes me oddly as I celebrate this type of dryness in IPA.

Although the flavors of this experimental IPA are quirky and not typical of highly acclaimed versions, there's something charming and playful about the beer. Along with its high drinkability, the flavors continue to inform and educate the taste buds with each and every sip.