Oh wow! I cant believe I'm finally starting a blog! I think the hardest part about starting a blog is finding something you're passionate enough about to write about in depth, all the time. For me, craft beer is that thing. I'm a scientist by training, so beer is a beautiful marriage of science and delicious liquid.
Sooooo I'd like to make this blog kind of like you guys following along with me as I learn way too much about craft beer. I like to think that things are more enjoyable to drink when you know exactly how much effort is put in by the brewers and the whole brewery team. I know some of you are probably home brewers and that is beyond awesome. I would love to someday start home brewing, but for now, learning the ins and outs of beer will have to do! This first post is inspired by a beer I had from Solemn Oath Brewing that I really enjoyed. If you live in the Chicago area and haven't tried Solemn Oath, you really need to! They have a lot of really great brews! Never tried one I didn't like!
Anywaysssss... Strange Old Woods is a NE style IPA with an orange juice type haze. This was my first NE style IPA I tried and I really enjoyed it! I can best describe it as a tropical fruit bomb with subtle hops. Definitely a good beer if you're trying to get into hoppy beers! But what exactly is a NE style IPA?? Welllll they have a characteristic haze to them as well as a soft, fruity finish. This differs from the typical hoppy IPA in the way that it smells bitter but doesn't really taste it. The hazy look to these beers comes from many different aspects. Some brewers will add different kinds of yeast that do not fall out of suspension and others will add malts with a higher protein content (http://allaboutbeer.com/article/hazy-ipa/).
No matter how they do it, NE IPAs are delicious and if you havent tried one, you need to!
