Remember IPAs? I feel like I haven鈥檛 talked about them in ages, and if I鈥檓 being honest, it鈥檚 because it鈥檚 been a while since an India pale ale has stirred any excitement in me.
There鈥檚 so many different kinds available nowadays. You have your high-IBU, citrus-and-pine-forward West Coast classic IPAs; there鈥檚 the hazy, low-IBU Northeast style IPAs; there鈥檚 milkshake IPAs dosed with lactose (which are thankfully on their way out); there鈥檚 even been a resurgence in traditional, English-style IPAs and Burton ales. There鈥檚 white IPAs, black IPAs, Belgian IPAs, India session ales, India pale lagers, imperial India pale ales, you name it.
But after a while, they can all sort of blend together.
In particular, the Northeast-style IPA has become a staple in the past few years, and admittedly for good reason. It鈥檚 an approachable style, bursting with flavour 鈥攕pecifically fruit-forward hop notes thanks to hop varieties such as Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, Vic Secret and Amarillo. NEIPAs are no fad 鈥� they are here to stay.
However, many examples here in B.C. just aren鈥檛 that interesting. Often, the flavours fall flat. They鈥檙e thin-bodied, cloyingly sweet, lacking balance and many aren鈥檛 even all that hazy 鈥� poor facsimiles of the bold, chewy, juicy beers coming from the States.
Some breweries get it 鈥� Twin Sails and Superflux are obvious examples. And judging by Humans鈥擜n IPA For The People, Port Moody鈥檚 Parkside Brewery gets it, too.
Humans ticks all the boxes for an NEIPA, but it鈥檚 the balance that sets it apart. The bold tropical fruit flavours are complemented by the fruity yeast character, however, the hop bitterness is restrained just enough to balance the sweetness of the beer and ensure a clean, dry finish. The body is luxurious, with a lovely creamy mouthfeel (I hate that word, by the way. It gives me the creeps). This is an easy beer to love, even for those who don鈥檛 like hoppy beers.
So I guess Humans lives up to its name 鈥� it鈥檚 an IPA for the people, even the ones who might not be into IPAs.
Humans鈥擜n IPA For The People, by Parkside Brewery (6.3 per cent ABV, 35 IBU)
Appearance: Hazy straw yellow, pillowy white head with moderate carbonation.
Aroma: Pineapple, tropical citrus, stonefruit, melon, berry.
Flavour: Tropical fruit, pineapple, passion fruit, melon, stonefruit, mandarin orange, citrus, berry, pine. Heavy on hop flavour with moderate-low hop bitterness. Fruity yeast character and mild spice notes. Mild bready malt notes.
Body: Medium bodied with a creamy, coating mouthfeel and a clean, dry finish.
Pairs with: Fish tacos with mango salsa, barbecued prawns and ditching work to drink beer on a patio all day.
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