white ipa

New Beer Blog Sweetwater Brewing Whiplash White IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Sweetwater Brewing.  It is their white IPA, which is called Whiplash White IPA.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this southern craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into this white IPA.

It has a slight cloudy golden color without a head. There was a white color head at first. The aroma has a slight wheaty with a citrus notes. The taste has a wheaty to citrus notes with a wheaty to bready yeast aftertaste.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.sweetwaterbrew.com):

What happens when a 500year old Belgian style ale gets rear-ended bya truckload of pompous American hops? It equals one heck of an ambulance chaser of a beer.

This is an American style Belgian IPA, with a subtle phenolic flavor in combination with citrusy/piney hops, well balanced at 6.2% and 55 IBUs, with a tart, dry finish.

2014 World Beer Cup Bronze Medal winner for American-Belgo-Style Ale category.

Grains: 2-Row, Wheat, Flaked Oats

Hops: Bravo, Ahtanum, Centennial, Cascade
Dry Hop: Ahtanum, Centennial, Simcoe
Yeast: Strong Belgian Ale
ABV: 6.3%
IBUs: 55
Available: December through February

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.sweetwaterbrew.com

Twitter:  @sweetwaterbrew

Closing, as many of you know, I am not a huge fan of this beer style. I was a little nervous picking up the sampler pack with this beer.  Since I am not a fan, I have to say that this is a pretty good beer.  It is well balance but has some nice hop bitter notes to keep that hophead happy.  This white IPA is a little different than the rest of the white IPA’s on the market.  It is not too wheaty.  This fact is the only reason why I might pick it up again.  I recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Sierra Nevada Snow Wit White IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Sierra Nevada.  It is from their 4-Way IPA sampler pack.  It is their Snow Wit White IPA.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts, you know the history of this west coast craft brewery.  If you have not read them, please, do so to get to know Sierra Nevada.  I bet you already know the history of this craft brewery.  Let us get into this white IPA.

It has a cloudy strew to light golden slight dark white color with a white constant head on this white IPA.  The aroma has notes of wheat, coriander and a slight grapefruit notes.  The taste has a hint of wheat and coriander with a nice grapefruit notes.  The aftertaste has a nice yeasty and slight bitter finish.  It is pretty drinkable brew.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

You don’t need a magic to see the lure of this beer. It’s brewed with seven varieties of experimental dwarf hops. These hops are so called because of their uncommon growing method-shorter hegerows rather than trellis system-that yields a denser heap of cones with unique flavors that diverge from their full-grown botanical counterparts.

Here is a descriation from their website (www.sierranevada.com):

Snow Wit™ White IPA

A seven-hop lineup with a Belgian twist.

You don’t need a magic mirror to see the lure of this beer. It’s brewed with seven varieties of experimental dwarf hops. These hops are so called because of their uncommon growing method—shorter hedgerows rather than tall trellis systems—that yields a denser heap of cones with unique flavors that diverge from their full-grown botanical counterparts. Each year new and different varieties are grown in this method, creating untried and exciting shifts in hop character.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sierranevada.com

Twitter:  @SierraNevada

In closing, I have never been a huge fan of this beer style, however, of late, it is starting to grow on me.  I do not know if that is because there are better White IPA’s hitting the market or my palate is getting use to them.  I love how the Belgian White twists nicely with the IPA side.  The hops selection is perfect with the coriander and wheat notes.  I am pretty impressed and I have to say this one of the best White IPA that I have ever had.  I highly recommend this beer and this sampler pack.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Blue Point Brewery White IPA

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In the beginning, we will sample out another brew from Blue Point.  I am talking about the new beer style in the world of white IPA’s.  It is their version of White IPA.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this brewery.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know this great New York brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear golden color with a constant white head on the beer.  The smell is heavy wheat notes.  The taste is a slightly lemon with citrus and honey notes.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.bluepointbrewing.com):

Remaining at the forefront of experimentation, the brewers at Blue Point have produced a white beer/IPA hybrid that is well on its way to creating a new style for the beer description books. Our White IPA is an unfiltered European-style white ale with a fresh American IPA finish. Brewed with malted and unmalted wheat and just the right amount of west coast hops, it’s fermented with German yeast to give it a perfectly balanced character with less bitterness than traditional IPAs.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.bluepointbrewing.com

Twitter:  @BluePointBrewer

Closing, I will have to say I am not a huge fan of this beer style in India Pale Ale world.  I do not know who makes a better Wheat IPA or White IPA.  I am up in the air between New Belgium Brewery’s new winter seasonal Accumulation White IPA and Blue Point Brewery White IPA, which is featured on this blog.  I love the balance between the India Pale Ale style and the wheat ale style.  Blue Point did a great job on this brew and I will be adding it to my line up of IPA’s in the future.  I recommend you trying this beer. Let me know what you think about it. Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog New Belgium Accumulation White India Pale Ale

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Starting a new tab, we are going to get into the new winter seasonal from New Belgium Brewing.  I am talking about Accumulation White India Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog post on their Pumpkick Ale, you know the history of this green and employee owned craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read that beer blog post to get to know this brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear to slight cloudy strew like color with a white head on it.  The smell is a citrus notes.  The taste is slightly wheat that makes this beer smooth to creamy with citrus notes.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website ( http://www.newbelgium.com):

This winter, IBUs start accumulating like snow in Colorado with our new Accumulation White IPA. Brewing a white IPA was not only a way to salute the white beauty falling from the sky, but a direct revolt to the longstanding tradition of brewing dark beers for winter. At least that’s what our rebellious brewer Grady Hull likes to claim as he shovels in plenty of new hop varietals and a bit of wheat for a smooth mouthfeel. Stack up a few cases of Accumulation White IPA to keep your long nights glowing blizzard white.

Birthdate: October, 2013

Body: Medium-light body.

ABV: 6.2%
IBU: 70
Calories: 170
Hops: Target, Centennial, dry hopped with Mosaic and Amarillo
Malts: Pale, Wheat
Yeast: Ale Yeast for bright, fruity notes
Aroma: Strong hop aroma that displays all of our hop varieties: tropical fruits, bright citrus, spicy/herbal from the heavy dry hopping. This beer is a hoppy wonderland!
Mouthfeel: Resinous and slightly cloying from all those hop oils but finishes as clean and crisp as all of our seasonal family does and should.
Flavor: Big and bitter, just what this IPA ordered. Sweetness just barely dents its IBU armor. Nevertheless the addition of wheat really smooths out the rough bitter edge.
Visual: Cloudy haze, pale golden. Billows of white foam and gorgeous foam.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

Closing out my tab, I have made it known that I really dislike wheat ales and mix wheat and IPA.  I was like what the hell.  I tried several white IPAs.  I have to say they were really bad.  I was really down on this new beer style.  New Belgium came out with their new winter seasonal called Accumulation White India Pale Ale.  I was a little nervous about this brew.  I have to say I have a new thought pattern towards White India Pale Ale.  There is a nice balance from the hops and wheat ale itself.  It is creamy smooth and the wheat brings out the hops character.  I can see this brew bring new beer drinkers into the craft beer world and IPA beer style.  Even your normal hophead will like this brew.  This is different beer style for the winter time.  This beer should and will pop out to craft beer drinkers.  I will hunt this beer down and I highly recommend this brew.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Ghostrider White India Pale Ale

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While in Milwaukee again, we are going to get into a beer at John’s Hawks in downtown Milwaukee.  I have to say this bar has a great beer selection and awesome food.  It is a hidden gem in Milwaukee and I hope more people find this bar soon.  I could not find any information on this brewery.  I found the brewery site with the same name but this beer is not listed.  I do not want to give wrong information.  Let us get into this great beer.

The color is a hazel yellow without a head on the beer.  The smell is a fresh grass and more earthly to the beer.  The taste is a wheaty to yeast with a sweet carbonation earthly to the beer.  The aftertaste is not really there but fate. It is a pretty drinkable beer for wheat and IPA fans.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Legend has it the Ghostrider roams the high-desert seeking revenge on those who stole his recipe for the perfect IPA. … we might be in trouble.

Here is a description from a beer blogger like myself (www.utahbeer.blogspot.com):

It’s looking to be a White Xmas this year at Wasatch Brewing. Yesterday we had the debut of Switch, a Port barrel aged Belgian style Witbier. Today we have its cousin, an aggressively hopped – hybrid beer called Ghostrider White IPA.

First of all it has one of the best looking labels to adorn a local bottle in quite some time. Inside is a beer style that’s becoming very popular in the U.S., the White IPA.

At it’s most basic, a White IPA is a beer that mixes the hop-character and brewing techniques of an India Pale Ale with the wheat base and spice additions of the refreshing Belgian witbier.

GhostRider pours a cloudy, light straw color with a nice sudsy white cap. The nose is full of citrus with hints of wheat and coriander.  The beginning of each sip starts out like a wheat beer with notes of biscuit, coriander, lemongrass, and orange peel. Mid palate big citrusy tangerine hops “pop” adding a bit of bitterness to the back of the tongue. Swallowing the beer releases more of the soft and grainy wheat flavors with an emphasis on coriander & cloves in the finish. 6.0% ABV in 12 oz. bottles

This is a nice twist on an IPA. It takes many of the traditional characteristics of a Witbier and combines them with an intense hop character. The flavors come together quite nicely to make this easy to drink, smooth, enjoyable beer.

In closing, I am not a huge fan of this new trend in the IPA sub categories.  I am hoping it is a trend because White India Pale Ales are growing pretty fast.  There is new White IPA popping on the market everyday.  I have to say I did enjoy  this beer very much.  It was not over the top with yeast or wheaty taste.  It was pretty balance.  I have to say I pick up more hints of the hops.  I would add this to my line up if it was available in Chicago.  I recommend this beer if you can find it in your market.  I know this is not available in the Chicago market.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser