The original New England IPA??

A couple weeks back I introduced CBC listeners to a new kind of IPA – new at least for these parts. New England IPA. You can listen to the CBC column here if you wish.

The column was inspired by my sampling of the three-way collaboration brew Troubled Waters (read my full review of that beer here), produced as a first year anniversary celebration for Bench Creek, Blindman and Troubled Monk. They call the beer an East Coast Double IPA, but the moment I first took a sip I knew this to be a really strong rendition of the burgeoning New England IPA style.

New England IPAs, which maybe should be called Vermont IPA to reflect their region of origin, are a relatively new take on IPA and one that is markedly different than anything the beer world has seen before. Light-bodied, aromatic and intensely fruity this new sub-style pushes the bitter hit to the background – although there are clearly IBUs in there – to instead accent hop flavours and aromas of citrus, fruit and fresh grass. It is also as hazy as your best hefeweizens.

The most famous version of the style – and some argue the first, although that is a murky situation – is Alchemist Brewing’s Heady Topper, which I got to try a couple of years ago (read my review here). Regular readers will know that I am something of a style curmudgeon. I resist such terms as “black IPA” and grumble and grouse about the kids these days with their “session” this and “imperial” that. But after tasting Heady Topper, I was sold on the fact this is sufficiently different to rate a unique name. Plus, I rather appreciate it is named after the region of its birth, rather than some oxymoronic descriptor.

I don’t think I can overstate just how different New England IPA is from your regular American, or even West Coast IPA. Intense, attractive fruit aromas and flavours backed by a delicate malt bill. Common descriptors are of Five Alive or Tropical Punch – that is how fruity we are talking. The bitterness is almost an afterthought.

Despite their huge popularity on the east coast, they are still relatively unknown on the prairies. I can’t remember one being brewed around these parts before (although my memory could be faulty). Troubled Waters was a one-off but in a matter of a couple weeks, a new version from Bench Creek, called Apex Predator, will be released. Upstart Outcast Brewing is also playing around with a New England approach to its beer – fruity aroma and flavour forward. I have also just learned that Grande Prairie’s Grain Bin has just released a one-0ff New England IPA as part of its Democracy series.

So, maybe, just maybe, the New England-style is finally reaching our part of the world. About time I say.