Beer of the Week! 06/20/23
A Couple from Resident Culture Brewing Company
Resident Culture Forever Alone: Citra
Regularly $20.99 / Now on Sale for $18.76
Single Hop New England Style IPA
Back in 2003, international hop giant John I. Haas formed a partnership with Yakima Chief Ranches. They called it, simply, the Hop Breeding Company. Its mission — to develop growable, sellable, pest and disease resistant hop varieties. And how have they succeeded in that mission? Well, they’re the breeders who gave us Equinox, Mosaic, and, in 2007, HBC 394, now known as Citra.
The Citra hop is one of the most popular hops in the American craft beer world, if not the most popular. In fact, we’re pretty sure we’ve had more IPAs in the shop with Citra than with any other hop. It bitters your beer with distinct, you guessed it, citrus notes while also succeeding as an aroma hop. As Yakima Valley Hops explains, “Citra® hops are noted for their higher Geraniol content, which is biotransformed by yeast into Citronellol a highly-sought-after aroma compound in fruit-forward IPAs.” Not only does it pair well with other hops like Galaxy, El Dorado, and its Hop Breeding sibling, Mosaic, it’s also strong enough to solo an ale. As proof, Charlotte NC’s Resident Culture Brewing Company features Citra here in its single-hop IPA series, Forever Alone.
The Forever Alone: Citra releases that Cintronellol to rush up your nose like a Republic B-movie villain releasing the hounds! In the glass, the Forever Alone sports a deep haze that is infused with a pillowy presentation of that classic Citra taste — a mix of tangerine and lime with a hint of dankness. However, Resident Culture gives you Citra strength without Citra sharpness. It’s a burst of flavor that gives you all the tingle without the overly bitter bite. Don’t have it ice cold to better sink down into its delightful depths.
Bonus Beer of the Week (‘Cause you know you’ve always wanted to try that Beer Relay Race idea you have.)
Resident Culture Lighting Drops
Regularly $20.99 / Now on Sale for $18.96
Hazy IPA
Just a few years ago, husband and wife Phillip and Amanda McLamb started a brewery because they thought it would be a good thing to do. For decades, Phillip’s family had owned the property at 2101 Central Avenue in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood in east central Charlotte, North Carolina (you know, as one does). Papa McLamb was talking about selling it when Phillip convinced him that a brewery could work. Soon it was, “Summon the architects!” So, they had generational wealth and renovated property in a non-bombed out section of downtown with only one other craft brewery as competition. Now, all they needed was someone who actually knew how to brew beer.
Fortunately, Chris “Tropes” Tropeano, a brewer at the famed Russian River Brewing Company wanted to move back east. He became Resident Culture’s head brewer, giving the brewery its name from a book he was reading on Belgian beers. They opened in 2017 with the intention of brewing the kinds of beers they liked, lagers and IPAs — coincidentally the two popular styles right now. Since then, the brewery has very quickly made a name for itself both inside and outside its community.
Lightning Drops is their flagship IPA, and, as one might expect from a Russian River alum, it’s got a West Coast vibe about it despite its use of Mosaic and Strata hops. Then again, there’s also Citra (see above). This brew is a hazy IPA with a dryness that slaps down any juice to let a dankness shine through. It’s impressive that you can have so little fruit coming from the Mosaic and Strata.
If you like the haze but need a break from the juice bombs people (like us) keep throwing in your direction, let us drop some lightning on you.
Remember!
You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!