Although many of my IPAs have been on the session side, I do try to make a full strength version every once in awhile. In this recipe, I aimed for something highly drinkable and packed with hop flavor. Towards the first item, I mashed low and added some dextrose to keep things light. Towards the second end, I looped in some HOPBOX finds–Azacca, HBC 586, and Idaho Gem. Finally, I wanted to experiment with Lutra, a kveik strain that has a reputation of a quick and clean fermentation. It’s a bit of a kitchen sink beer, in order to use up some grains and hops, but it’s all with a purpose.

Big Hop Summer IPA

• 5.25 lb. Golden Promise malt (Simpsons)
• 5.25 2-row pale malt (Rahr)
• 1.75 lb. Vienna malt (Weyermann)
• 0.25 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
• 0.75 lb. dextrose (added to boil)
• 0.75 oz. Bravo hop pellets (14.2% alpha), 60 minute boil
• 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
• 1 oz. Azacca hop pellets (12.7% alpha), 15 minute whirlpool
• 1 oz. HBC 586 hop pellets (11.8% alpha), 15 minute whirlpool
• 1 oz. Idaho Gem hop pellets (14.2% alpa), 15 minute whirlpool
• 1 pkg. Lutra kveik (dry), Omega OYL-071
• 1 oz. Azacca hop pellets (12.7% alpha), dry hop in keg
• 1 oz. HBC 586 hop pellets (11.8% alpha), dry hop in keg
• 1 oz. Idaho Gem hop pellets (14.2% alpa), dry hop in keg

Tasting

• Appearance
  • The beer pours as a hazy gold, with a persistent white head that leaves nice lacing down the side of the glass over time. I am surprised that the haze hasn’t dropped out, even after two months in the keg at temperatures below 40 degrees.
• Aroma
  • Orange peel aroma at the front; very citrusy character overall.
• Flavor
  • The balance is tipped towards the hops (no surprise), with a very citrusy and resin character. I also pick up a bit of stone fruit, which might be from the hops or perhaps from the yeast. There is a little bit of a “twang” of something somewhere in the background, which I suspect is from the yeast but I can’t be 100 percent certain. Even though Lutra is supposed to ferment clean, I’ve seen remarks that it is still a farmhouse-type strain, and they remain a bit rustic. As the beer sits on the tongue, I wonder if some of it is some citrus pith character. In any case, there is something that detracts a little bit from complete enjoyment of the beer by my tastes, but it’s not overwhelming, and it isn’t totally out of character for this kind of beer. The malt is in the background, as it should be, but provides a nice bit of body and a touch of malty flavor to balance against the hop bitterness.
• Mouthfeel
  • Medium-light body, with moderate carbonation and a dry finish. It goes down super easy.
• Would I Brew This Again?
  • I like the beer overall, but I might switch up the hop varieties. I tried Azacca years ago, it didn’t overwhelm me with awesome then, and I had a similar experience this time around. I think it’s just not a hop that does much for me. I’m surprised by how persistently hazy the beer has been, even after two months in the keg; the haze doesn’t terribly detract from the beer, but it’s just a bit more haze than I expected. Those remarks aside, this is a very drinkable beer, especially for something that clocks in at 6.7% abv. The combination of low mash temperature and dextrose addition likely contributed to keeping things on the lighter side.
• Overall
  • 7.5/10