A couple of weeks ago, a collaboration brew day was held at Arbor Brewing Company in the city, hosted by Arbor, Brewnation and CBAI, similar to an event held in December, over at Windmills. This time, the beer made was a Betel Leaf and Lemongrass Ale called Beetlejuice, which as you may know, was a popular Tim Burton fantasy movie in the 1980s.
The last time Arbor made this beer was in 2016, and it was quite a hit with their patrons back then, so be sure to check it out before it runs out! The beer should be on tap around the 17th of February.
Another interesting beer, recently launched, is the New England IPA or NEIPA, brewed by Geist. Beer enthusiasts in the know are probably aware that Geist has three beers being served at pubs and restaurants across namma uru. This new offering is easily my favourite of the four Geist beers available so far.
Geists of honour
Geist hosted the launch at their Beer Factory on Old Madras Road, and some of us got lucky to be invited to the party. John Eapen of Tales of Froth, and I, were engaged in speaking to the guests about the style of beer, and giving them a bit of a background on this particular style, where it comes from, and what to expect from it. The event wrapped up with a top-notch lunch served by the team at Smoke Co. in Koramangala, with of course, lots and lots of beer!
The NEIPA is a relatively new addition to the IPA family, as it was first recognised by the BJCP only in 2015. The best description for this beer in one word is, ‘juicy!’ The first thing that you will notice is that the beer is hazy, and it’s meant to be that way. The Geist NEIPA is a beautiful orange colour, and has just the right amount of haze without being ‘milky’ or looking like a protein shake.
All for the bitter
The aromas off this beer are immense. It’s dominated by citrus aromas, but if you try real hard, you’ll be able to smell an angel’s breath too (kidding!). But seriously, it’s predominantly citrus, with some tropical fruit character coming through as well, and it was hard for me to bring myself to stop sniffing inquisitively and actually begin drinking.
On taking in a mouthful, there isn’t any maltiness, but there is a slight biscuit flavour that comes through along with the grainy, bready texture. Though this is called an IPA, the beer is low on bitterness, and all the hops that have gone in are late additions, which gives the beer massive flavour and aroma, with none of the bitterness.
Oh, and don’t forget to enjoy that burp – you’ll be surprised by the raw mango flavours in your mouth! Cheers, and happy drinking folks!
George Jacob is the Founder of The Beer Chronicles.
george@thebeer-chronicles.com
@beer_chronicles