Breckenridge Brewery Announces New Breck IPA

We brought you a peek at this beer, and now the official details from Breckenridge Brewery:

Denver, CO – April 2, 2015 – Next week Breckenridge Brewery releases a new year-round India Pale Ale in all of its markets. Simply stated, Breck IPA is what it was designed to be – a stand-out IPA, Colorado style. Breck IPA hits you right away with a distinctively pleasant floral aroma that carries hints of tropical fruit. The bready malt backbone, however, balances its citrus hop flavor and lends it staying power.

Todd Usry, Brewmaster and Director of Brewing Operations, led the brewing team in developing the right recipe for the new year-round IPA offering. “We got a lot of feedback from the market, our sales folks and our production crew on qualities that make an IPA rise above the standard. It was important to stay true to style while differentiating ourselves. That’s hard to do in a market segment with so many choices and so many acceptable varieties within the style. We set out to create something extremely aromatic, but more balanced in flavor.”

“We spent a lot of time in R&D with this one,” shares John Jordan, Breckenridge Brewery’s Quality Control Brewer. “We played around with some experimental hops and malts in an effort to create something totally different, but not so crazy-different that it excludes itself from much of the market. Some ingredients we kept; others were scratched. It’s been a great process – we learned a lot.”

The brewing team found that Mosaic and Cascade hops together lend the aromatic qualities that they sought. Full Pint malt, a relatively new and rare malt variety, provides a fullness in flavor that compliments the bittering hops. Full Pint malt is grown in the Rocky Mountain region using watering methods that are more efficient and produce plump, bright barley. Because this malt is in such limited supplies, not many brewers are able to commit to large-scale, year round beers using it. Breckenridge Brewery is so pleased with the unique flavor Full Pint adds to Breck IPA that it secured a multi-year contract for quantities of it.

Scrutiny of ingredients was paramount, but so was scrutiny of process. Experimenting with different hop treatments in various stages of production assisted in elevating the aroma and balancing the bitterness of this beer. “Recirculating hops for an extended period of time in late stages of production was ideal for this beer. It’s labor intensive, but worth it,” added Jordan. The end result is what the brewery calls a Colorado-style IPA…delightfully hoppy with satisfying body. Breck IPA weighs in at 6.3% ABV (Alcohol by Volume) and 66 IBUs (International Bitterness Units).

Those in the Denver area are invited to join Breckenridge Brewery at its Breck IPA tap-in party Thursday, April 9th, at Pub on Penn at Capitol Hill (1278 Pennsylvania St, Denver). The party starts at 5:30 p.m. with sampling, complimentary pints, and plenty of giveaways.

With the addition of Breck IPA, Breckenridge Brewery’s year-round portfolio now holds eight beers that include several session beers and styles that range from amber and wheat to stout and porter…and now two IPAs. Lucky U IPA has been a staple in the portfolio since 2009, and it will remain so in draft and cans. Usry explains, “We created Lucky U to satisfy the call at the time for IPAs with a bunch of hops and a focus on flavor and bitterness. It’s still relevant with a harmony of seven hop varieties that cascade across the palate as the beer is enjoyed. Breck IPA is much different and fills a void we felt existed in our year-round offerings. The IPA style has evolved and matured in the US, and this beer is for those seeking out a solid IPA – aromatic, flavorful, balanced, and enjoyable.”

Look for Breck IPA in draft and 12-oz bottles.