I FOUND myself asking after a weekend of varying beer experiences, does every brewery need to make an IPA?
Now, many will probably argue that a nice, sessionable and accessible IPA can be a gateway beer for many breweries, but sometimes trying to ape the market and follow whatever the latest craze is can allow some beer makers to take their eye off what they’re really good at.
Let’s face it, Trappist brewers seem to have managed pretty fine without dipping their toe in the world of the India Pale Ale. For other brewers, pushing the boundaries of IPAs is what they’re all about. Doubles and triples, black, red, white, milkshake, lemonade, hazy or clear, it’s always interesting to see where the next IPA craze is going.
For me though, no matter what the ingredients or concept, some IPAs just wind up being better than others. Ever since they burst on to the seen in the past year or so, Verdant have carved themselves out a reputation as crafters of fresh, juicy and bitter IPAs.
That reputation has been maintained with one of their most recent offerings See The Physics, an 8 per cent double IPA which comes in a 440ml can and pours like a fresh glass of morning orange juice. It’s thick and juicy and resinous and chewy, another great offering from the Cornish brewery.
It wasn’t the only IPA I cracked open at the weekend. Going by the name, I was keen to try Tasty Juice by Norwegian brewers Lervig. This was a much lighter affair, although robust enough at 6 per cent. There’s a juicy, almost grassy, aroma and a decent amount of haze in the glass but it just doesn’t follow through on those juicy flavours on the palate.
There’s a fair amount of bitterness, but not the flavour explosion I was expecting, which brings me back to my original point. Lervig are well known for producing cracking stouts and their 3 Bean Stout poured all weekend at the recent ABV Fest in Belfast to great acclaim.
So while Verdant has forged a fine name for IPAs, should the Scandinavians stick to the black stuff that has made their name? Personally, I don’t expect every brewer to produce IPAs and many have found their own niche, be it sours, stouts or dark ales because when it comes to juice, you need to get it right in the glass as well as on the label.
