Our beer industry sees so many new variations on styles and processes, seemingly each with its own acronym or set of initials, that even a self-respecting beer writer can get confused. I’ve been seeing the word DIPA for enough years that when I saw DIP HOP TDH on Bridge Road’s latest NEeD IPA, I began to interpret it as Double India Pale Hop Triple-Dry-Hopped. But this, fair reader, is not what it means.
The name refers to dip-hopping – a process we’ve written about here – and the TDH in this instance refers to the IPA being triple dip-hopped rather than triple dry-hopped. And while this beer sits at 8.5 percent ABV, the "double" or "imperial" simply has to be assumed; if Bridge Road called this a DIP HOP TDH DIPA, people would think there’s a glitch in the Matrix.
This triple dip-hopping – or Trip Dipping, as I like to call it (patent pending) – has allowed Bridge Road to wring a massive amount of clean, bright fruit notes from the hops without some of the heavier characters that might usually accompany them. Orange peel and mango come through tasting rich with some sticky toffee, holding their own alongside the pleasant alcohol flavours, with enough bitterness to balance without bludgeoning.
Even though this is a powerful double IPA, the overall impression is one of well-integrated flavours. It’s like a high quality blended Scotch that’s drinks like a single malt – smooth enough for sipping neat. The flavours are clear, but there’s no single element here that tries to steal the show. It’s the musician in the corner playing great acoustic covers – sometimes you tune in and listen for a while and find yourself impressed, while at other times you let the music flow into the background and set the scene for your conversation with friends.
Mick Wust
Published October 15, 2021 2021-10-15 00:00:00