Beer of the Week! 04/19/22
Bearded Iris Homestyle
Regularly $14.99 / Now on Sale for $13.96
Single Hop New England Style IPA
Mosaic! Mosaic! Mosaic! If you’re a fan of the Mosaic hop, we’ve found someone else who is as well … and they brew!
Bearded Iris Brewing Company started in 2016 in Nashville, TN. They readily admit that they swing towards APAs, IPAs, and DIPAs. However, they also get excited about both the variety you can get by mixing hops and the fun that you can have playing with the nuances of just one hop. The latter focus speaks to their New England Style IPA, the Homestyle.
The Homestyle is a single hop NEIPA, and that hop (as we’ve already spoiled above) is Mosaic. Now, Mosaic is that magic hop that can produce multiple flavors, from tropical fruit notes to tart citrus notes. Here, mild berry fruits hit you up front to fade into citrus notes on the finish. Loads of oats in the malt bill add to the haziness and smooth out the mouthfeel. It strikes a balance between juicy and citrusy more than almost any other NEIPA that we can remember.
The Homestyle is Bearded Iris’ flagship beer. We read that beer lovers in Music City call it “Nashville’s IPA.” After a few sips, we trust you’ll believe that claim.
Bonus Beer of the Week (‘Cause just one high card is not enough for a winning hand.)
Commonwealth GnarWhale
Regularly $22.99 / Now on Sale for $20.96
Imperial Stout with Pineapples, Bananas, Coconut Crème, Macadamia Nuts and Madagascar Vanilla Beans
We know, we know. You’re like, “Hey, man! It’s spring! The weather’s warming up! I’ve been waiting to throw off the sweaters and bust out my shorts again. I’m not thinking about stouts!” We know, but we don’t control when the good beers come out. Speaking of which … who knew Virginia Beach’s Commonwealth had such an extravagant imperial stout in them?
The GnarWhale is an Imperial Stout made with Pineapples, Bananas, Coconut Crème, Macadamia Nuts, and Madagascar Vanilla Beans. We know!! There’s not a wrong ingredient in that insanely long list, but can they all fit together? Turns out, they can.
The GnarWhale pours just shy of motor oil, but it doesn’t look like it, boasting a warm, deep brown color instead of inky black — probably due to the cream. The cream is also probably responsible for how smooth it is on the tongue. (If you’re a coconut hater, don’t worry. This beer is much more about the cream than the coconut.) The macadamia nuts and vanilla beans give you a slight, earthy duskiness at its core, and then the pineapple and banana rise up on the finish. At least that’s how we make sense of things. You should get a can of the GnarWhale on the cold side of “cool” and play your own game of “Hunt the Ingredient!” Luckily, you might need to go several rounds.
Remember!
You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!