Ninkasi Releases Two Single Hop Series Beers and Plans To Bottle In 2014
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MyBeer Buzz
From Ninkasi:
M
andarina and Azacca Available On-draft to Close out 2013, Mosaic Available in 22oz. Bottles and On-draft in January
EUGENE, Ore.—Dec. 12, 2013/mbb/—Officially created in 2012, Ninkasi Brewing Company’s Single Hop Series is a project to help its brewers and consumers experience the unique characteristics of select and newly-developed hops. The series, which kicked-off with the release of Smells Like Purple brewed with Meridian hops in the summer of 2012, uses a standard malt base to showcase each individual hop. Now, each beer in the series is named for the hop in use and lends itself to a deeper understanding of the featured varietal.
“We brew with hops that are unfamiliar to us, and the single hop style lets us bring the most out of the hop, experiencing the full range of flavors possible in brewing and dry hopping the beer,” explains Jamie Floyd, founding brewer and co-owner of Ninkasi. “We promote the single-hop beers for education and to target the real beer geek.”
With a crisp, pilsner malt build, Floyd suggests that these beers be paired with seafood, poultry, spicy foods, most cheeses, and tart desserts like key lime pie.
Released in November, Mandarina is available on-draft in select markets, followed by the release of Azacca in on-draft this month. In 2014, hop-heads can expect to see three beers released to the Single Hop Series, starting with Mosaic on-draft and in 22-ounce bottles found in Ninkasi’s Spring Variety 4-Pack January through April.
Mandarina Stats
Available: Now through Dec.
Style: Single Hop Series Ale
Series: Single Hop Series
ABV: 5.3
IBU: 38
Starting Gravity: 1052
Malt: Pilsner, Flaked Barley, Northwest Crystal C15, Carahell
Hops: Mandarina
Packaging: Draft only
Distribution: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California
Tasting Notes: Cultivated in Huell, Germany, and available to brewers in 2012, Mandarina is an aroma hop known for its distinct tangerine and citrus flavors. This beer is balanced by a crisp pilsner malt aroma, making it the perfect way to sample the unique characteristics of this fruity hop.
Azacca Stats
Available: Dec. – Jan.
Style: Single Hop Series Ale
Series: Single Hop Series
ABV: 5.3
IBU: 38
Starting Gravity: 1052
Malt: Pilsner, Flaked Barley, Northwest Crystal C15, Carahell
Hops: Azacca
Packaging: Draft only
Distribution: Oregon, Washington
Tasting Notes: Named after the Haitian god of agriculture, Azacca hops give this beer a distinctive nose with notes of mango, apricot, apples, and pears. Paired with a clean, crisp Pilsner malt build up-front followed by the fruit characteristics of this hop, this beer is the perfect way to sample Azacca in all its glory.
Mosaic Stats
Available: Jan. – April 2014
Style: Single Hop Series Ale
Series: Single Hop Series
ABV: 5.3
IBU: 38
Starting Gravity: 1052
Malt: Pilsner, Flaked Barley, Northwest Crystal C15, Carahell
Hops: Mosaic
Packaging: 22-ounce Spring Variety 4-Pack and Draft
Distribution: Oregon; Washington; Idaho; Montana; California; Alaska; and Vancouver, British Columbia
Tasting Notes: A new hop variety developed in 2012 by the Hop Breeding Company, Mosaic provides a very complex hop aroma, offering clean bitterness and aroma profiles. Balanced with a crisp pilsner malt aroma, this beer highlights the rich citrus, earthy pine and tropical fruit notes of this new “wonder hop.”
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