White Birch Brewing Co.
Hooksett, NH
Inspired by our love of Belgian ales and hoppy West Coast ales. We bring Cascade and Columbus hops together with our house yeast for a smooth, Belgian-style hopfest. Best when fresh, this beer is not intended for aging.
ABV: 7.7
ABW: 6.16
COLOR: 12.8
BITTERNESS: 100
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1076
AVAILABLE: NH, ME, MA, VT, NJ, CA, VA, GA, CT (soon)
Adjust your seat belt: This is an American interpretation of a Belgian IPA. Now, Belgium produces many wonderful beers, but it’s not renowned for IPA, a British specialty for the India trade, while Belgium’s interests lay in Africa. Never mind the history; let’s taste the beer. Orange/red color, heavy lacework and a big, complex aroma of pine needles, bitter orange fruit and fresh whole-meal bread. In the mouth, Cascade and Columbus hops provide bitter and peppery notes, balanced by tart fruit and rich malt. The finish has some malty sweetness, but the overwhelming flavors come from citrus fruit and piney and spicy hops.
Burnt orange and just this side of brown, this beer looks particularly autumnal. The tan foam quickly settles to a ring. Orange peel, lightly burnt toast and some winey notes are wrapped around yeasty aromas. The bitterness is broad and aggressive, letting the malt peek through as a simple caramel sweetness. The beer hits a rough patch as it finishes, ornery and slightly astringent. It’s not at all what the label had led me to expect. Think of it like a big, tough country red wine and serve it with cassoulet.
Author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. Respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. and www.protzonbeer.co.uk.
Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer, the author of The Brewmaster’s Table, and a veteran host of more than 800 beer dinners in 15 countries.
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