LOST Quake: Wolf
Brewery LOST has a name to uphold when it comes to fruity IPAs. We were asked to help think along for their latest Double Dry Hopped (DDH) New England IPA (NEIPA), because hops from European soil are great at delivering the fruitiness so desired in a beer like this!
LOST
Brewery LOST was founded by Lorenzo and Stan (hence the name), shortly after its establishment Michiel joined. All three with different backgrounds, with beer as their common passion. You can read their whole story on their website; we got to know them as enthusiastic brewers with a big passion for hops. A perfect match!
Our hop farm in Slovenia where Wolf is from.
NEIPA? DDH? Let us explain briefly:
NEIPA
One of the most popular beer types of the moment is the New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA), from the region with the same name in the north-east of the United States. It is a hazy beer with a massive fruity flavour, which comes mainly from the large quantities of hops added on the cold side of the brewing process. This allows you to have the fruity aromas from the hops, but not the bitterness. The result is a beer with characteristics of fruit juice.
DDH
This means Double Dry Hopped. You can think of those large quantities of hops as a double amount of hops, but the definition comes from the two (double) moments of addition: during active fermentation and lagering. Everything is aimed to add as much hop aroma as possible.
European hops in an American beer
We are frequently asked whether hops from European soil are suitable for an American beer type like a New England IPA. Asking the question means answering it: YES! Hop Hooligans International Affairs, Rock City Double European Pale Ale, Kees My Name Is Callista, Bevog Garden Dormouse, just four of the many examples where our European hops make the difference in such a beer. With LOST, we have chosen Wolf as the star of their latest DDH NEIPA.
QUAKE DDH NEIPA
LOST until recently barely worked with European hops, but they now know that from European soil come wonderful hop varieties that deliver a very fruity aroma. Wolf is a perfect example of this which rightfully has a place in our Top 5 Aroma Hops. A hop packed with tropical fruit, think passion fruit, mango, banana and coconut. Wolf plays the starring role in LOST Quake, supported by 2 American varieties. This is precisely what we love: looking across borders and beyond the beaten path.
Want to taste it for yourself?
The result is exactly what you would expect from a DDH NEIPA: hugely fruity and juicy. This makes QUAKE another excellent example of a NEIPA with European hops!
You best order QUAKE on LOST's website, also the place where they have nicely described this beer and its story (Dutch).