Robin Shepard
The New England IPA is a big deal. Last weekend’s Great Taste of the Midwest had over 40 listed in the program, making it among the most represented styles. Madison’s One Barrel Brewing had its Hypercolor IPA on tap at the festival, where it drew a constant line.
What is it? Hypercolor IPA from One Barrel Brewing
Style: The New England IPA is juicy, with assertive tropical notes of grapefruit, peach, melon and/or tangerine. They are also made with wheat or oats and served unfiltered, which leaves them hazy. They range from 6.3 to 7.5 percent ABV, and 50 to 70 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). The juicy or hazy IPA was recently added to the official style guidelines of the American Brewers Association.
Background: One Barrel brewer Matt Gerdts has been working on a New England IPA for about 10 months. Hypercolor is his third attempt. Each time he has tweaked the recipe in the amount of hops and the timing of when they are added during brewing. His goal has been to maximize the tropical aroma and flavor, and Hypercolor certainly succeeds in both. The beer has a trio of juicy hops: Citra, Mosaic and Centennial. Wheat makes up about one-fifth of the malts in grist, and that lends the beer its hazy appearance.
The beer has quickly caught on since it started appearing about two weeks ago. One Barrel owner Peter Gentry describes it as one of the fastest selling beers upon its introduction since he opened One Barrel in 2012.
For bottle production, One Barrel ramps up recipes developed by Gerdt,s with the assistance of Octopi Brewing in Waunakee. The initial run of around 20 barrels (300 cases of four-packs) has been selling much faster than expected, so Gentry says he’s altering his late summer brewing schedule to keep up with demand. There may be a lull in its availability by late August; however, expect it to return to local shelves by mid-September.
The beer’s name, Hypercolor, is a reference to heat-sensitive t-shirts. The shirts were trendy in the early 1990s, so the name is meant to be draw attention to how beer styles can come and go. “We’re just tipping our caps to the fact that this is a very new style, and who knows where it’s going,” says Gentry. “But I do think it is here to stay.”
Hypercolor finishes at 6 percent ABV. It sells in four-packs for around $10.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Juicy, citrus.
- Appearance: Hazy, yellow golden color. A medium, bubbly off white to tan head.
- Texture: Medium-bodied, bubbly, with roundness.
- Taste: Lots of juicy citrus throughout with the flavors of grapefruit and orange.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Lingering tropical hoppiness and just a light grapefruity dryness.
Glassware: The Willi Becher with its inward flare at the lip will focus the tropical aroma and citrus flavor while displaying the beer’s bright golden hazy color.
Pairs well with: sharp cheddars and mildly spicy meats and smoked seafood.
The Verdict: I have been a little slow to embrace the New England hoppy beer craze. However, Hypercolor is making me a fan. I was able to try quite a few at the Great Taste and One Barrel’s stood out for its fruity topical hoppiness. As I stood by watching Gentry and Gerdts serve it, I talked with several Great Taste of Midwest attendees who remarked they don’t normally like hoppy beers but this is one they like a lot. That’s in part because Hypercolor doesn’t offer much bitterness. Instead, it’s all about juicy orange and grapefruit. Enjoy it as fresh as possible, and very cold. Then all its tropical character will explode.
