Beer of the Week! 06/08/21
Even in IPAs, wheat can be neat!
Ballad Love Wins
Regularly $13.99 / Now on Sale for $12.96
Wheat IPA
So, it’s not like we’re experts. After all, we don’t brew (we just imbibe with joy). However, we’ve heard that it’s not the easiest thing to aggressively hop a wheat ale. Partly it’s because you traditionally get a lighter malt base with wheat and barley blends, which can struggle to support high alpha hopping. Also wheat already carries its own tanginess with it that you have to manage with any heavy bittering. Certainly a wheat IPA is not impossible, but we understand that there are challenges. Of course, like we said, we could be wrong, but we’re going to stick with this understanding … because that means we get to be even more pleased when someone rocks one!
Danville’s Ballad Brewing Company’s annual Pride Celebration beer has made it up north to us, and it is a Wheat IPA. The Love Wins’ relies on two yeast strain to deliver a soft wheat ale that Ballad leaves unfiltered, fattening out the taste. A “diverse collection of hops” offer a deep mango/citrus mix that gives you a wonderful hop kick that doesn’t blow away the wheat ale’s delicateness. It’s really a standout brew.
Plus, Ballad will donate a portion of the Love Wins’ proceeds to Pride and mental health interests in their community. You know us. We love community support that you can pour out of a glass!
Bonus Pride Beer of the Week (‘Cause you can’t celebrate Pride Month with just one beer)
Virginia Beer Friends of Dorothy
Regularly $13.99 / Now on Sale for $12.96
New England Style IPA
“ ‘Anyone who knows us knows that we’re here for all, and we’re proud to release a beer for all,’ reflects VBC Operations Manager Luci Legaspi. ‘Our team and our community are made up of a diverse group who come from different places, backgrounds, and experiences. We do everything we can to celebrate the individual and to recognize that we’re all better together. Following Williamsburg’s planned celebration of inclusivity with Love Is Love Tidewater last month, we’re continuing the community camaraderie by releasing our first Pride IPA.’
“Friends Of Dorothy is a beautifully bright 7.3% abv India Pale Ale. It’s dry-hopped with an eclectic mix of South African Southern Passion (the brewery’s first time using these hops) and potent YCH Amarillo CryoHops. Notes of kiwi and melon are complemented by floral aromas and a hint of citrus on the finish. The additional stripes on the can label were added to our standard Pride imagery to highlight a greater inclusivity, with additional black & brown stripes at the top and blue, pink, and white stripes added to the bottom all representing members of our community.”
Virginia Beer Company
Remember!
You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!