By: Naomi Kerchinsky
Meet Andrew the Shrubber. An arranger, designer and seller of particular shrubberies. Some might think him a brewer, but he is so much more. He specializes in hop variety shrubberies that The Knights Who Say NE(IPA) will approve of: hard-hitting hops, making the bearer worthy of passage. But don’t be a silly person. After all, the Knights who say Ne want a shrubbery that is just a good, hoppy beer. So give them a can of this hazy New England IPA that reveals the true character of Galaxy and Strata hops, and your quest shall continue.
| BEER NAME | |
|---|---|
| ABV | 6.6% |
| IBU | 40 |
| SRM | 4 |
Tropical-Strawberry Fruity Explosion, Shifting Citrus, Hazy
This visually hazy NEIPA hits the nose with delicious tropical fruit and strawberry aromas backed by sweet candies and a bit of pine. The flavour is much the same with a more ripened strawberry flavour, a shifting citrus character, and a herbal dank finish. This beer is a palette obliterator: big on hops and bigger on flavour. It features some unique ingredients, including the use of Escarpment Labs Laerdal Kveik yeast for the first time along with a high amount of oats.
Fun Fact: This beer was mashed at Troubled Monk’s highest temperature to date: 71 degrees celsius.
Hard-Hitting Hop Duo: Strata & Galaxy
In 2018, Strata was Oregon State University’s first hop to hit the commercial market after Indie Hops, owned by Jim Solberg and Roger Worthington, partnered with OSU in 2010. But Strata was no newbie, having been around the block a few times prior to this commercial release. In 2013, Worthington’s Worthy Brewing used Strata hops in a pilot batch that won “Best of Show” at Basecamp Brewing Prontohop Brewfest in Portland. And in 2017, Worthy Brewing’s Strata IPA took first at an Oregan state competition. With qualities similar to the hazy-lovers Galaxy and Mosaic hops, this variety was impressive, achieving a balance usually found only by blending hop varieties. Strata hops create a magical mingle of fruity strawberry flavour, shifting citrus, passionfruit, grapefruit, and dank undertones.
2021 marks 11 years of continuous growth for Galaxy hops. An Australian hop giant, Galaxy hops was created in 1994 when a female plant known as J78 was crossed with a male plant derived from high alpha German Perle. After initial breeding and test plots, this hop was released in 2009. It quickly became a favourite of Australian brewers and spread with force into the worldwide market. What makes this variety so popular is its high percentage of essential oils creating an aroma and flavour that is both tantalizing and delicious. It features a flavour profile alive with passionfruit, citrus, peach and pineapple. In 2021, Hop Products Australia (HPA) picked 675 hectares of Galaxy hops weighing 1,526 metric tonnes.
So what happens when you combine two hard-hitting hops and make them a duo? You get a good shrubbery that even The Knights Who Say NE will take as fair exchange to continue your epic quest.
A Beer for the Knights who say NE (IPA)!
We are the Knights Who Say NE(IPA), and we shall say NE(IPA) to you again if you do not appease us. We demand…a shrubbery! Or a beer. A beer would work, too. One that looks nice, and not too expensive. Actually, forget the shrubbery. A beer would work just fine for the knights who say NE(IPA)!
