豪傑 超タープス編 (Goketsu - Mega Terps)

Last but not least in our series of Thiol driven beers is our Mega Terps DDH IPA. This one is a bit different as “Terps” is not a hop variety but refers to terpenes. Terpenes are an aroma compound derived from plants, and are responsible for the aromatic quality plants create. The Terpenes here give off a “dank” character often associated with the cannabis plant, a sister plant to hops. “Dank” can be described as a strong resin-like character which is akin to the aroma of fresh tree sap with notes of sweet over-ripe fruit and honey, all blended into one. This character is often achieved by a blend of hops most commonly found in west coast style IPAs. We really leaned into emphasizing this character by adding a blend of Amarillo, Simcoe and Citra alongside the thiol-enriched Mega Terps hops. This gives the beer strong grapefruit citrus, resin, pine, and lemongrass flavor and aroma. A stronger than average bitterness accompanies this beer, with just a touch of wheat and Vienna malt to add slight color and body, while still ensuring that this beer has a very crisp finish. While brewed more towards the style of a West Coast IPA, the beer underwent biotransformation which not only unlocks the wonderful thiol compounds in these hops, but also adds a touch of haze to the beer as well. We really like the more aggressively resinous and dank character in IPAs, but you don't tend to see a lot of beers like this in Japan, so we look forward to enjoying more than our fair share of this beer!