BlackStack Focus Group:Simcoe Single Hop West Coast Style IPA

 BlackStack Focus Group:Simcoe Single Hop West Coast Style IPA.

7.1% ABV, BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

Clear, bright golden, slim white head.

In the nose: highly hopped, floral, slightly tropical tones, with a whiff of grapefruit, Sauvignon blanc, and litter box. 

In the mouth: high bitterness, bold hops, with a long, dry, abrasive finish. My kind of thing. That pop of white wine mingled with citrus and pine. Goes down nice and easy, with a pinch of sweetness/ fruitiness to match the bitterness. 

I like it. 

Before we get to the beer, I just need to get your opinion on a couple things. Focusing all of our attention on simcoe hops. Can I get a show of hands on who’s ready to crush one of these bad boys?

BlackStack Citra ...But Make It Pop NEIPA

 BlackStack Citra ...But Make It Pop NEIPA.

7% ABV, BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Another Neepa from BlackStack is in my glass, and drink it I must. 

All clouded-up, bright golden hue, huge head, long lasting, lace leaving. 

In the nose: bold and citrusy, big lemon, orange, grapefruit. Big and beautiful. 

In the mouth: Juicy and just a little bit bitter. All fuzzy and yeasty, with bitterness dying on the palate. Tasty and bright, to a point, but ...lacking necessary pizzaz. Yeah, I need an IPA to have pizzaz, but the kneepas never do. 

I mean, they’re okay, I guess, but I still don’t get the fuss. Meh. 

A new series dedicated to our hop suppliers & their tolerance for us during selection. It’s a running joke when we go out West to rub hops each harvest… “Yeah, I like everything about it… I just wish it popped more.” It turns out that “popping more” can be an incredibly difficult thing to quantify for a lab that is trying to screen hop lots as they come in. Showcasing some of our favorite selected lots and putting them out to pasture with Cryo Pop, a blend from Yakima Chief Hops specifically formulated for dry hopping during primary fermentation. Yeah, I like it… But can we make it pop?

BlackStack Kviek 755 NEIPA

 BlackStack Kviek 755 NEIPA. 

6.8% ABV. BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

Hazed-out, bright, sunshiney yellow hue, slim white head.

In the nose: flush with citrus notes, big time lemon and lime, with a trace of pine.

In the mouth: enters the palate with some citrus, no bitterness, and a whole lot of smooth. Plush and mellow. Drinkable to a potential fault. More citrus flavors keep cutting a trail on the palate. It’s a hoppy beer and you can drink it, but man, what’s everybody got against bitterness?

Now, some cool-sounding nonsense from the brewery: We brewed and dry hopped 755 just like normal but fermented it with a not-so-farmhousey Norwegian farmhouse ale strain. A refreshing spin on our favorite brewski?

That’s not what’s on the label ....but it’s not much different other than referring to their flagship beer as “their favorite fog dog”, again, or calling it’s yeast “our beloved “ once more. You don’t need to know that.