It has been nearly a year since I first reviewed one of the tasty creations of Town Brewery (Whitby, Ontario).
In the past year, I have been a frequenter of Town nearly every time I visit my in-laws’ house less than ten minutes away (not because they drive me to drink, but becaue the beer is just consistently excellent!).
I was both excited and intrigued to see that Town had collaborated with Muddy York Brewing Co. for the So Long and Thanks for all the IBUs New England Double IPA (NEIIPA).
The NEIIPA is a tough style to master. The mix of boozy, fruity, and hoppy can become a bit of a mess. That said, when done well, they can be extremely enjoyable (see Bill Smith’s recent review of Laser Show by Left Field Brewery for a prime example).
The pour is a hazy golden that I would expect of the style. It was juicy on the nose and very appealing. The head was light and dissipated quickly.
The flavour was shocking. I expected to be hit almost instantly with a boozy punch, but that wasn’t the case. The Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops combined for a beautiful melange of citrus notes, complemented perfectly by the Escarpment Labs Vermont yeast.
The best descriptor of this one is ‘dangerously drinkable’. It has all the keystones of a typical NEIPA, but with a fuller body and heavier punch. The bitterness is very light and the juiciness somehow shines through the high ABV.
This is likely to be a very polarizing brew. The uniqueness of the style will not be for everyone. Hop purists may be put off by the Vermont yeast. Juicy fans may be put off by the booziness.
I love experimentation, even if it fails. In this case, as my score indicates, it was far from failure.
At $6 for a 500mL can, the price point was quite reasonable. So reasonable, in fact, that I bought four. Boy, am I glad that I did.
- ABV: 8.7%
- IBU: N/A
- Style: Double New England IPA
- Taste: Juicy and flavourful
- Rating: 4.8/5.0
- Untappd Reviews
As a continuing feature of my reviews, each review will be followed by a one to two-line review from my wife, Stephanie. As a non-beer drinker, her reviews will be from the perspective of a “layperson” beer drinker.
Stephanie’s review [blind taste test]:
“That’s interesting. It tastes citrusy, but the hops are mild.”
I asked if she would believe that it is an 8.7% double IPA, and her reply was:
“No! This kind of tastes like something I would actually drink. I kind of taste grapefruit.”
Quite an endorsement, indeed!
Ryan Heighton
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- Review: So Long and Thanks for all the IBUs by Town Brewery x Muddy York Brewing Co. - December 7, 2018
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