12/28/2023 0 Comments Unveiled brewing double ipaOn the nose, the classic porter attributes of chocolate and coffee revealed themselves, though with a twist: we smelled more white chocolate and Bailey's than the scorched color suggested. Even if "Nitro" wasn't in the name, we'd have been able to tell that aspect as soon as we poured, the thick, off-black brew topped with a tight, silken head the color of coffee creamer. Odyssey is exclusive to tall 1-pint cans, a fact made more intriguing by the fact that, rather than using CO 2, Odyssey is pressurized solely with nitrogen, giving it a creamy smoothness (if you've ever had a true Guinness, think of that). Even on the palate, though, this brew was wet, clean, and highly drinkable, with a slight sweetness that had no trace of citrus, unique for a pale ale. That's not to say that the hoppiness wasn't the prevailing flavor, though - Short Wave abounded with berry hop flavors. Unlike many pale ales and IPAs, the hops weren't overwhelming, either, floating smoothly through our sinuses with an appealing roundness. The aroma was anything but medicinal, with an easy, fruity hop presence. A resemblance to thinned-out orange Tylenol was noted, though the smell and taste quickly dispelled such similarities. At the top-end of the frequencies, Short Wave wore a robust head the color of buttermilk. We started with the static charged West Coast-style Pale Ale, Short Wave, which sported the orange gold of marmalade or, for the more incendiary tasters, gasoline. Here's what we thought of the offerings from one of Canada's coolest breweries: Making us equally happy, though, is the fact that one of our staffers brought some Phillips brews back from her recent trip to Canada (bless you, Flo). He took out a handful of credit card applications and went into massive debt in order to start his company.Ĭonsidering that now, Phillips has also opened a soda company, distillery, and malting company, it's safe to say that his gamble paid off, a fact we're quite happy about. He also accomplished all this without a bank loan, because he couldn't get one. In 2001, a time before craft beer had anybody's attention (least of all in British Columbia), Phillips launched his brewery without a single "normal" beer, like a pale ale or a lager, opting for daring, experimental flavors as his core aesthetic. This is the sentence that describes every aspect of Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. “Your senses need an awakening jolt.2 O'Clock Tasting: Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.ĭespite all odds, Matt Phillips made the system work for him. “Any bold-flavored beer, whether it be hoppy, malty, or even spicy, is a great choice when it’s cold out,” says the Green Flash brewmaster. “Both are capable of helping shake off winter’s chill.”Īnd while Silva believes that a bitter beer is a brilliant choice in Arctic conditions, it’s just the proverbial tip of the iceberg when it comes to winter-friendly brews. “You can sink into and explore big, diverse hop flavor like you would the malt complexity of a winter warmer,” says Ryan Arnold, communications director for Sierra Nevada, which distributes the hop-forward Celebration and Ruthless Rye during the winter. One of the pleasures of drinking a barley wine or an imperial stout is their layered flavors, which unfurl with each successive sip. “Brewing a beer when the hops are at their freshest, for the brightest possible hop character, happens to land at the beginning of winter,” explains Green Flash brewmaster Chuck Silva.īeyond simple agricultural availability-and the warming alcoholic hit-there’s another explanation for the growing numbers of strong and hoppy winter beers. After harvesting, most hops are kilned and pelletized, a process that can last until the cold-weather months. The majority of the world’s hops are harvested in late summer, starting at the tail end of August and stretching into September. Why do such bitter beers work in winter? The answer lies in a happy, hoppy coincidence. From the honey-fueled Bell’s Hopslam to Tröegs’ floral Nugget Nectar and Green Flash Palate Wrecker, these strong and warming imperial IPAs are a cold comfort to craft fans. In recent years, craft brewers have used December, January, and February as a launching pad for releasing their dankest, bitterest brews. While these styles remain popular defrosters, they’re not the only worthy winter warmers. During icicle season, drinkers typically look to a strapping stout or a beefy barley wine-potent beers with alcohol percentages that often trump the thermometer reading (well, Celsius anyway). When blizzards blanket the country, beer becomes a bone-warming necessity.
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