It seems the brewers at Black Hops can’t get enough of Superdelic hops; they’ve been playing around with them plenty recently with a West Coast IPA in late 2023, a hazy in early ’24, then a dry-hopped sour for BH HQ’s eighth birthday celebrations.
For this limited release, they’ve settled on a lean malt bill that makes the 6.6 percent ABV IPA go down easier than you’d expect. While I didn’t get the red fruit and candy notes for which Superdelic is known,* there was plenty of nice citrus acidity and tropical juiciness along with just enough alcohol flavour to keep you from throwing this beer down your throat.
Mick Wüst
* A little research has told me that Superdelic’s sweet berry character only really comes through when it’s used as a dry hop during active fermentation, so perhaps that’s not how it was used here. You learn something new every day!
Published August 26, 2024 2024-08-26 00:00:00
