We wanted to create our first year-round IPA. And given the range of flavors you can build into an IPA, we knew we had our work cut out for us. Should it be tropical or citrusy? Perhaps piney? How much malt flavor? How much should the yeast come into play? Should it be hazy or bright? Light or strong?
To hear the full story behind our creation of the flavor, name, and branding of this very special beer—in the words of the people that created it—you can listen to our podcast below.
ON THE MODERN SIDE OF CLASSIC
So, knowing we had a plethora of options when it came to flavor, where did we land?
To encapsulate its profile, we’d say that there’s a balance of three different types of hop flavor: tropical, citrus, and a touch of pine. At 6.8% ABV, the beer has good, noticeable body, while still being crisp enough so that you can enjoy a couple, if you so choose. To call out some of the variety of flavors you’ll find in the beer, we find notes as varied as orange, melon, lime zest, pineapple, papaya, and just a touch of a coniferous note in the finish.
The final hop bill contains a variety of both longstanding and also newer hops: Nugget, Mosaic, Idaho 7, Cascade, Citra, Cashmere, and El Dorado. We also double dry hop the beer while it’s in the fermenting vessel, to really make sure the hop aromatics are front and center when you enjoy the beer.
SO WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
Lucky for you, Hop Reach IPA is available anywhere you can find Allagash beer. Your best bet for finding some fresh Hop Reach near you would be to head to our beer finder through the button below.
