Tasting panel findings: Double Europe Pale Ale
Koen from Rock City Brewing was very pleased with their Double Europe Pale Ale brewed with Cardinal, Wolf and Ernest, as it turned out to be exactly the fruit cocktail they had been looking for. We're very happy about that, but what does our tasting panel think?
All the beers from the Hop Trophy get tasted by our below panel of independent beer experts, we introduce them to you here. On this page you can read their findings of the first Hop Trophy beer.
Fruity with a pleasant bitterness
"Pours like a dark pineapple juice, beautifully hazy, with a white fluffy head. The nose is pleasantly tropical fruity, with hints of peach and blossom. The beer has a very full, fruity and fresh-bitter taste that lingers in your mouth for a long time, before finishing with a good bitter aftertaste and, if you squeeze your eyes tightly, a subtle coconut note. I did not expect this from European hops!" said Tina.
Amanda is also positively surprised: "The Double IPA is hazy right from the pour and the aromas of yellow fruit and fresh hops are immediately apparent. The beer itself is nicely full-bodied and creamy. Again, lots of fruit but also a pleasant bitterness."
Photo: Tina Rogers / 010beerblog.com
Fruit explosion
Rick confirms the hoppy fruit cocktail: "As soon as you open the can, you know what this beer is all about: tangerines and other citrus fruits. Exceptionally cloudy, pale yellow and with a generous, bright white head. Again, tangerine dominates the aroma, complemented by peach - this promises a fine fruit explosion in the glass! In all this, the creamy mouthfeel, with a slight bitterness reminiscent of orange peel, does not disappoint. With the 7% alcohol, which you don't taste, Double Europe Pale Ale drinks away freakishly easy. Altogether, a refreshing and very balanced Hop Trophy beer where the hops chosen wallow in the spotlight!"
Still from a Bierfaktur's Reel (Matthias Kopp)
Freshness wins
To conclude we have Matthias: “I tried this beer without looking at the label. When opening the can the hop aromas flow directly into my nose even from a distance of 50 cm. Delicious bubble gum, wine gum and the classic tropical fruit potpourri hammers my nose. Very intense aroma, without being intrusive. The first sip immediately tingles the carbonic acid very lively, no champagne gets it right like this! It lies like a freshly squeezed fruit juice on the palate, and that is how it shows in the glass. Fresh yellow-orange, nicely cloudy, topped with a pure white head. Now the beer has gotten some air, I smell pine cones, fresh forest scent after the rain and a little cold bath. In the aftertaste there’s hardly any bitterness, almost like a NEIPA. This beer shows wonderfully what hops can do, if you let him and shows beyond that, the beer must actually be treated like a fresh product, because otherwise you are deprived of the potential of hop-accented beers. Hence the title: Freshness wins".
Want to taste it yourself?
The Europe Double Pale Ale is a one-off brew, so be quick! The beer is available at Rock City's brewpub and Webshop.
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