Robin Shepard
New England or Northeast IPAs and pale ales have been creating a lot of buzz among craft beer drinkers, especially as local brewers try their hand at making these hazy, hoppy brews. A Wisconsin take on this emerging style — one that lives up to the hype (and maybe more) — is Dare Mighty Things from The Brewing Projekt in Eau Claire, especially its wet hop version. That takes it to an altogether different level with fresh seasonal hoppiness. It’s well deserving of the accolades that this small brewery and its brewmaster Will Glass have been getting over this beer.
What is it? Dare Mighty Things Wet Hop from The Brewing Projekt of Eau Claire.
Style: The India Pale Ale (IPA) is all about hops. It’s medium-bodied, often golden- to copper-colored, and 5.5 to 7.5 percent ABV. The New England twist on the style involves additions of wheat or oats into the grist; when unfiltered, this makes the beer hazy. Brewers in the northeast also like to use tropical, juicy hop varieties which gives the beers more fruitiness than bitterness. Wet-hopped beers showcase freshly picked hops which also boost aroma and flavor.
Background: Dare Mighty Things was first offered last May at the brewery’s anniversary party. “It was a sleeper beer; we didn’t even package it in cans until recently,” says Glass. The beer has certainly prompted a following from those who love assertively hopped beers. The wet-hopped IPA features Citra hops. It rapidly sold out in several Madison eastside stories in just one or two days (as of press time you can still find it at Steve’s Liquor Store locations on the west side).
To make the fresh hop version Glass had Citra hops flown in overnight from Yakima, Washington, to Eau Claire. “It cost an arm and a leg, but we were able to brew with them in less than 24 hours,” says Glass. Roughly 140 pounds of fresh hops go into a 20-barrel batch. To keep peak freshness, the finished beer is trucked to Madison within a day or so after canning.
Dare Mighty Things has become The Brewing Projekt’s Spotted Cow, of sorts. “It’s been the vast majority of our growth,” says Glass. “We’re in this position that we can’t make enough beer fast enough.”
That’s why Glass is trying to capitalize off of Dare Mighty Things’ popularity with hoppy riffs on the original recipe that combines Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic and El Dorado. The brewery is also releasing single-hopped versions, one every couple of weeks, focused just on a specific hop. “It’s fun, it gives people an opportunity to know what those hops taste like,” says Glass. These single-hopped beers have four to five pounds of hops per barrel, enough to really punch up aroma and flavor. Over the next few months, watch for single hopped takes on Dare Mighty Things, distinguished by can color, that will showcase Amarillo (pink), Mosaic (purple), Galaxy (black & silver) and El Dorado (green).
Dare Mighty Things finishes around 6.4 percent ABV. Four-packs of the original recipe go for about $10. The Wet Hop version sells in four-packs for $20.
The Brewing Projekt self-distributes and has been bringing beer to Madison for only the last six months. Here’s a tip: the brewery brings its beers to Madison about every other week and usually on Wednesdays. This week’s shipment includes Dare Mighty Things (original) and a single-hopped version made with Amarillo hops.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: A huge, wonderful, burst of orange and citrus hoppiness.
- Appearance: Cloudy, milky orange with a soft bubbly light tan head.
- Texture: Full-bodied, lots of soft bubby body.
- Taste: Robust citrus with grapefruit, orange and tangerine.
- Finish/Aftertaste: The citrus follows all the way through to the end. There’s also a light grapefruit dryness that lingers.
Glassware: The Willi Becher is great for showing off the milky orange appearance while focusing the assertive citrus notes in the aroma.
Pairs well with: sharp, well-aged cheddar and blue cheeses.
The Verdict: Wet-hopped Dare Mighty Things may be approaching cult status. There’s huge citrus aroma and a flavor that stays solid through the entire flavor profile. It’s bright in its grapefruit, orange and tangerine. That juiciness continues through into the finish, as its turns slightly dry, yet still fruity and crisp.
Wet-hopped Dare Mighty Things at its freshest is in a class of its own and is a seasonal treat worth searching area stores for. It puts The Brewing Projekt on the map as a craft beer destination. For those who’ve traveled the northeast and chased this style, Dare Mighty Things is right up there with The Alchemist Focal Banger IPA and the highly sought-after Heady Topper IIPA. But, best of all, this one is local!
