Thursday, March 15, 2018

Sierra Nevada No Middle Ground Coffee IPA

Sierra Nevada No Middle Ground. 6.9% ABV. 50 IBU. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, California. (And elsewhere.) Ale with coffee added.

Clear, copper/bronze color, big ivory head that slips down shortly.


In the nose:Coffee and hops butting heads. Mixing and mingling, but none taking court. Earthy coffee notes with pine and citrus just below. And then hops take command.

In the mouth: Earth and coffee grit get on the palate first, with sweet malty flavors beneath. Slowly, hops flavors kick up from below. Medium-bodied, long finish, lush malt. This is an odd one. I'm still not on board with this not quite a style. Coffee IPA? Why? Does it work? No.
I'm not getting what I want from an IPA and the coffee ingredient adds little value. These two elements don't belong together, no matter what it says beneath these words.

At first glance, it might seem strange to combine coffee and hoppy beer, but really, the two flavors have a lot in common. Good coffee and hops both have complex and fruity aromas which create layers of flavor. No Middle Ground is brewed with fruit-forward hop varietals and cold-brewed coffee for a unique take on the IPA.

INGREDIENTS

YEAST  Ale yeast
BITTERING HOPS  Simcoe
FINISHING HOPS  Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, Simcoe
MALTS  Two-row Pale, Munich, Oats, Midnight Wheat

OTHER  Cold Brewed Coffee

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