Zesty and crisp white wine-like IPA with white grape from Yamagata
[Character]White wine-like IPA with a dry finish and a flowery citrus aroma. This beer blurs the line between a hopped white wine and IPA with a blend of tanic, herbal and fruity flavors.[Food Pairing]Carpaccio or Ceviche with Seafood, Marinated Vegetables finished with herbs and olive oil, Vietnamese style Spring Rolls[Naming]The word "Hojo", when using the regular kanji, means abundance. We used close kanji, but the second us the one used in the word "brewing", and so is a play on words, evoking images of the plenty of fertile farmland, and the character of the terroir that has made New Zealand one of the most revered hop growing regions in the world. Nelson Sauvin is one of the country's most popular hops now, with grape and stonefruit nuances normally associated with white wine, and so this idea of terroir seemed even more apt.[Brewer's Voice]Like Gyoza and beer, Nelson Sauvin hops and White grapes just make sense together. The last in our series of Nelson beers in a White Grape IPA featuring Nelson Sauvin Hops. Nelson Sauvin Hops are known for giving a grape-like and citrus character in beer. Additionally, the wine industry has taken inspiration from craft beer, and you can find white wines that have been dry hopped often with Nelson Sauvin. We took those two concepts and smashed them together to create a white wine like IPA. This beer has a fruity but dry finish with a touch of herbal and tannic character much like wine. To keep the beer wine-like, we used a simple malt profile of pilsner malt with just a splash of wheat. Sugar was added to boost the ABV while keeping the beer nice and dry. Grape must (the skins left over from processing wine) was added to the whirlpool to contribute some of the tannic herbal character, and grape juice was added to the fermenter to really bring out the fruity flavor and add a touch of acidity. A mix of Nelson Hop pellets and Cryo hops added some more citrus and grape aromas with a touch of Southern cross to help amplify the Nelson Sauvin contribution. Bumped up the carbonation to give it a sparkling like character and help bring out the brightness of the hop aroma. This beer does start to blur the lines between wine and beer so if you are a lover of one, either or both like I am, give this one a try!StyleImperial IPA w/ White Grape + Nelson SauvinSeriesKBC2.0ABV8.5%IBU35Gas Volume2.7MaltPilsner, Wheat MaltHopFlex, Nelson Sauvin, Southern CrossYeastLondon AleOthersGrape Juice, Grape Must, SugerCategoryHapposhuJAN4589718742052
