Somewhere along the line, I decided I wasn't interested in Wachusett beers. Maybe its all their fruit beers or a less than positive experience back in their early days.
Whatever happened, its only recently that I discovered the hoppy Green Monsta Ale and rediscovered a hidden gem here in Massachusetts. It turns out, the brewers at Wachusett love their hops. And it was with some excitement that I tried their IPA.
The beer looked great coming out of the bottle, a nice copper color with no haze and a thick creamy head with lots of lacing. The aroma was surprisingly earthy - it didn't have the big floral aroma I typically associate with american IPAs. Its emphasis on earthiness and spicy notes suggest Kent Golding or perhaps Willamette hops.
The flavor is all hops - prickly bitterness on the front of the tongue and a long dry finish. Lots of heavy resin hops - perhaps Columbus or Warrior - that stick to the tongue well after you've finished a taste. The body is sufficiently malty to balance the hops with mild caramel notes and a crisp, clean flavor.
I looked up the hop varieties online, to no avail. Much like the Green Monsta, the brewers seem to favor a more English, spicy hop aroma and flavor to the over abundance of citrus-y american IPAs. I suppose I need a brewery tour to figure out just what hops they use.
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