Citrus Hystrix IPA
Nøgne Ø

So, I have absolutely no idea what I should classify this as: IBA? IPA? Red Ale? Fruit beer? The reasons will become apparent. According to the label this is "an attempt to put new and wonderful flavours in an IPA", including (but not limited to) kaffir lime and tangerine juice.

With this description in mind, I wasn't expecting the colour of the pour: a deep, dark red colour, possibly even too dark, or at least too opaque for a Red Ale. Head is a shockingly deep dark orange (really, it looks very orange even after the body has drained out of it). Carbonation forms in very fine rivulets up the side of the glass, allowing the head to be very persistent and relatively fine. Lacing is intricate and fine. Overall, I'm confused but very excited.

Nose is more reminiscent of a traditional IPA, but there's quirks here as well. Along with the classic citric hop aroma, there's dark sweet hints of burnt sugar, a jammy marmalade character and a fresh, delicate, slightly herbal character of kaffir lime. It's just a little too sharp and direct to be an American Red, although that's probably where this is trending towards. It's lovely stuff.

Taste again gives a rather silly and twisted view on the world. There's hops aplenty, giving a coating bitterness throughout the palate, mingling with a true citrus/grapefruit bitterness, some oily, herbal notes on the back and an muted clang of spicy malt that ricochets off the bitterness almost to become a smouldering smoky character. It's quirky.

Feel is smooth, but layered with fine carbonation to keep everything alive.

Overall, while this does ostensibly fit into an IPA category, everything about it is weird in someway. If you don't look beyond the surface, it's perhaps a little unsettling, but no more; if you actually try to deconstruct it and figure it out, it's extremely elusive and very strange indeed.

And that's pretty damn good.

May 2012: From cask at HaandBryggeriet Beer Festival, Drammen. Cloudy brown colour, low off-white head. Distinct aroma of citrussy and piney hops, some sweetish malts in the background. Lovely hoppy flavour, citrussy (esp. grapefruity) notes. Resinous and piney notes too. A solid bitterness in the finish. For all hopheads: Hallelujah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sincerely hope this was just a bad/old bottle. It was the ugliest looking IPA I have ever seen. There was zero hop character in the nose or the flavor. It was loaded with sweet malts and only a vague hint of bergamot and citrus.

 

I thought this was one of the best beers. The beer is unique and has a lot of flavor.

Aroma is yeast, citrus, complex tropical fruit and a hint of hop resin. The flavor is citrus, fruit, grapefruit, light pine needles, hop resin, malts and a very tangy/bitter finish.