Brewdog: Prototype: Hop Fiction (Scotland: IPA: 6.5% ABV)
Visual: Yellowed and clear. Moderate white loose bubbled head.
Nose: Pine cones. Moderate to high hop character. Jiff lemon on pancakes. Light floral touch. Pungent passion fruit. Pomegranates. Crushed Viennese whirls. Slightly sharp in the fruit.
Body: Sweet peach syrup. Moderate hops and bitterness. Cake sponge. Light lemongrass. Skittles. Slight punk IPA style sour twist. Passion fruit. Pineapple.
Finish: Passion fruit. Slight hops and bitterness. Biscuity. Cake sponge. Slight resin.
Conclusion: I could be wrong, I had the beer ages ago, but this kind of reminds me of a mash up between Lichtenstein and Punk IPA. Which is an instant point in its favour.
Odd, as it took more than an instant for it to grow on me. Initially, while it seemed fairly competent, it seemed fairly straightforward as a USA IPA style. No I can’t say which coast. I always get them the wrong way around. Anyway, it was lightly floral, with sweet peach and decent hop character. The aroma was more pungent than most, with thick, yet still slightly sharp fruit. The main body doesn’t deliver as much as the aroma hints at, but the flavours are big and clear.
What made it stand out, is that slight skittles like flavor – nowhere near as sweet as the sweets, but adds that odd faux fruit flavor which I last encountered in Lichtenstein, that was combined with that slightly soured twist that I expect from Punk IPA. It was a nice mid body punch that only came in after a third of the beer, and give a much needed bit of weight to what was quite a simple IPA before that.
So, it is actually very drinkable and pretty impressive. There is a drawback as a prototype though – it is being considered as a core beer, and Brewdog have the very solid Punk IPA in there already – the quality IPA is not a hole they need filling. This could do very well as an occasional brew though,- a la Jackhammer - very nice, but I think another hopped up IPA beer in the main line up would be pushing it.
Very nice, when it gets going anyway, they picked two very good beers to mash up here. Well worth a try.
Background: Huh – according to a quick search, this was made without dry or kettle hopping, instead using wort and whirlpool hopping. I am not quite sure what that is. I feel suddenly ignorant. Anyway, an IPA, from Brewdog. You are all in shock I know. This is from their 2014 prototype set, one of which may be picked to become a main entry in their core line up. Drunk after an utterly awesome Arch Enemy + Kreator gig. Metal. As. Fuck. Marty Friedman played as part of the warm up band. THE WARM UP. It was that metal. As always I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog beer.
