Like many I heard the buzz around Superflux’s arrival in Alberta. I know they had many demands of local retailers. They picked who got the beer. The store had to keep the beer in cold storage at all times. They had to promise to sell it all within a certain timeframe.

That is a pretty long rider list.

We haven’t seen a launch this sophisticated in a long time. The question is – is it deserving?

For those of you who don’t know, Superflux is a Vancouver brewery that officially opened in 2020, although it had been contract brewing for a couple of years before that. They launched with more hype than I have seen in a while. And according to local beer people in the area I know, deservedly.

The owners, Adam Henderson and Matt Kohlen, are sticklers for quality. The brewery mostly brews IPAs and related styles, many of the New England variant (maybe that isn’t a word I should use these days). they emphasize experimentation and innovation. Their volume is not big, but their reputation is over-sized.

Which is why it is surprising they sent a shipment of beer to Alberta. Seems a long way to go to sell more beer. I can’t speculate their reasons, but can rejoice in their decision. The question is whether their high maintenance approach is needed. I appreciate New Englands are delicate, but Vancouver to Edmonton is not the most onerous trip a beer has ever made.

So is all the fuss worth it? I picked up the first two that arrived a few weeks ago. I sampled them within days of their arrival and took notes. It has taken me a bit to write up the post.

I tried the Pale Ale first, called Marigold Hazy Pale Ale. It pours deep yellow with a big haze. I note immediately it is cloudy, not murky, nor are there any flakes or chunks, two things that plague many versions of the style. The head is a bit disappointing, a thin white wisp, but that can be forgiven.

The aroma starts with a bit of orange and is sharp and tangy with grapefruit edges. I find a soft floral underneath. There is a big citrus start to this beer. The first sip produces a sharp, almost sour citrus note. I find it prickly. the middle softens it by bringing out a medley of fruits including kiwi, pineapple, orange, and grapefruit. The finish is moderately bitter with a Tang-like linger. Tropical fruit is balanced by a noted prickliness, which makes it stand out from many NEPAs. I also get a touch of wheat in the malt backbone.

Overall this beer is light and refreshing, hazy without tasting hazy. I am still not sure about the prickly sour-like note. That said it is a well-executed NEPA.

Then comes the Manana Hazy IPA. This also pours bright yellow and deeply hazy, and also with a thin white head. Frankly it looks identical to the pale ale. The aroma is different, however. It has a softer citrus with orange, peach, kiwi, passionfruit and teasingly some berry. The sharp prickliness is absent.

There is a distinct soft orange juice note at the beginning, shifting into a more complex profile which includes grapefruit, kiwi, passionfruit and papaya. Not as “five alive” as many NEPAs, but more subtle and rounded but fully fruity. the base is light and refreshing, offering a clean grain and touches of wheat and oat. the finish has a slight bitter bite but balanced by continued citrus.

Surprisingly, the IPA is more rounded and multi-dimensional than than the PA. Doesn’t have the same degree of prickliness, which I think I prefer. both are solid examples of how to brew a New England style.

Upon tasting I am glad they made the retailers jump through so many hoops, although I continue to be unconvinced it makes that much of a difference as to be worth the trouble. New Englands are fragile but if they are THAT fragile then you shouldn’t be shipping them across provincial borders.

That said I respect Superflux’s attention to detail when it comes to quality. Too many B.C. (and other) breweries make a habit of dumping almost stale beer into the Alberta market because it is easy to do, regardless of what it means for the quality of the product. So I guess I am onside with this kind of demanding approach if it means we get the best of what B.C. has to offer.

Well done, Superflux! Keep raising that bar.