The Hopsteiner Denali, hanging out.
The newest craft beer craze, better known as the New England IPA or “Hazy” IPA, offers intense tropical fruit and citrus notes with a smooth, juicy mouthfeel. This style of beer relies heavily on a perfect combination of bitter and fruit-forward hops, which means achieving the perfect New England IPA brew depends on having the perfect juicy and fruity hop pairing.
When introduced as a late addition in the kettle and whirlpool or used as a dry-hop, varieties with high oil content and unique chemical specifications will impart the aroma and flavor compounds that offer singular experience for the end consumer. This is why Hopsteiner, a hop growing, trading, breeding and processing firm, wants you to know about Denali and Lemondrop.
“Bitterness is not necessarily desired in this style of beer, so hop aroma varieties with big, bright, citrus and fruit-forward notes make for the best combinations,” said Doug Wilson, regional sales manager at Hopsteiner. “Denali boasts enough hop oil content [5 percent +] to support full-bodied flavor and delivers bold, pineapple, citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Using Denali in combination with other unique varieties, like Lemondrop, can help bring your next NEIPA to a whole new level.”
While New England IPAs are known for their unique taste and aroma profile, they are even more celebrated for their appearance. They are opaque, cloudy and hazy with minimal chance of clarity. In recognition for such popularity and demand from the craft brewing community, the Brewers Association recently created three new “Hazy” categories in their 2018 Beer Style Guidelines.
In addition to Lemondrop and Denali pairings, varieties such as Calypso, Eureka! and even experimental varieties known only by number (X06297, X09326 and X07270) bring wildly diverse opportunities to this specific style of beer.
