So, this post might be a little late to be of any assistance, since the beer in question is rapidly disappearing and may already be gone. I speak of Alley Kat’s latest Dragon Double IPA, Green Dragon. My lateness is due to my tardiness in picking up a bottle (and in fact I needed to rely on Brian’s personal stash to grab one – thanks, Brian!).
The beer is either the first or the third in their Dragon Double IPA series depending on how you count. This is the first officially listed as a series, but there were two previous releases – Blue and Red. Either way, all have been single-hopped. Green Dragon is hopped with a new proprietary blend called Zythos. Now, I could point out that since Zythos is a blend of hop varieties, you can’t officially say the beer is “single-hopped” with it, but that is likely being unnecessarily bratty. I think we get their point.
I like to try all the new Alley Kat releases, but this one is particularly intriguing since I am quite curious about Zythos. I experienced it in some cask full moon a couple months back which piqued my interest in this new hop (and thus making my tardiness with this beer even more inexplicable!).
So, to the beer. It pours a clear pale orange with a full blanket of peaked white head and significant lacing down the glass. A rather pretty beer, in my opinion. The aroma has soft citrus and lemon, some pine character as well from the substantial hop nose, while the malt gives off a biscuit note.
The beer starts with a balanced hop character. I get both citrus and some earthiness, like one of the C-hops (cascade, centennial, chinook, etc.) toned down – more rounded and not as sharp. The malt is present but hovers backstage a bit. I pick up toffee, some biscuit and a bit of sweet honey. The hops are assertive but not overpowering. Bitterness is quite lemony mid-tongue but becomes more fruity and grassy at the back. A very pleasant linger that leaves a gentle coating of grapefruit.
I think this is my favourite of the three dragons so far. The Zythos really creates a complex hop profile, softening the harsher aspects of the American varieties in some fashion. I wonder if it is a blend of classic American hops with a bit of Fuggles thrown in?
In general I am appreciating the Dragon series, as Alley Kat’s interpretation of double IPA is quieter and more subtle. Even compared to Bad Hare Day (which I hear will be out again shortly), the collaboration between Alley Kat and Sherbrooke Liquor, which is bolder and more assertive. I imagine dedicated hop heads might be disappointed by their decision to not make hops the only feature of the beer (but let’s be clear, this is still a very hoppy beer, it just isn’t so “in your face”), but I think the beer is all the better for it. Much like Paddock Wood’s Loki, the Dragon series don’t compromise balance for hop punch. Which means we get something of both. Personally, I like it that way. Your mileage may differ.
And next time I promise to not be so slothful in picking up a bottle or two.
February 29, 2012 at 10:42 AM
So does “single-hopped” refer to the _process_ of only adding a single physical substance (i.e., one hop blend all at once, as opposed to adding the same hops separately but in the same proportion), or only using a single hop? I thought it was the latter. The former doesn’t seem to be very informative (at least, if I’m interested in teasing out the flavour profile of one type of hop).
February 29, 2012 at 11:06 AM
Isotopic, my understanding is that it is supposed to be the addition of only one variety of hop to the beer throughout the process – hence my slightly catty remark. However, I think the Zythos thing blurs the boundary a bit. For the brewer it is, in effect, a single hop as it comes pre-blended and they do not know what is in it. On their end it is a “single hop” in contrast to if they picked three or four varieties and added them in different proportions themselves. So, I don’t think Alley Kat is doing anything wrong here. We are just in a bit of uncharted territory with pre-packaged blends.
That said, I liked Zythos enough to consider using it in my homebrewery. I often find American hops too sharp and assertive. I like how Zythos keeps the American character but softens the overall impression.
February 29, 2012 at 12:54 PM
Ok, thanks. I wasn’t trying to imply that anyone was trying to pull a fast one, I was just curious.
February 29, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Bad Hare Day is here, it arrived yesterday. We have a very few Green Dragons left. It’ll be gone within a day or two.
If anyone knows a bar that would be interested, we have 1 50L keg available…or maybe you have a home system?
March 1, 2012 at 5:37 PM
That explains why I couldn’t find it in my hop books. I found this hop blend very subdued for the IBUs. It had a hop quality that reminded me of Stienlager, which is all Green Bullet hops.