Name: Saturated in Motueka
Brewer: DEYA Brewing Company (United Kingdom)
Style: Specialty IPA: New England IPA
ABV: 8%
Review Year: 2020
Saturated in Motueka is a single-hop hazy “Double IPA” by the Cheltenham-based DEYA Brewing Company. This beer is an ode to the glorious New Zealand hop variety, Motueka.
Theo Freyne established DEYA in 2015 after being obsessed with American beer and beer culture. Prior to that, he earned his Master of Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt and completed his internships at Odell Brewery (Colorado) and Cotswold Brewery (Cheltenham). The first beer under DEYA was Steady Rolling Man, which was brewed first on a local 4bbl commercial system. In 2017, Steady Rolling Man and Into the Haze were two DEYA creations that led the charge as the hazy New England IPAs gained mainstream popularity. In 2019, the brewery expanded into a new 25,000 sq/ft premise and installed a bespoke 40hl four-vessel brewhouse for increased capacity.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Specialty IPA: New England IPA (21B) in the context of the provisional guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) for the said beer style. The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Saturated in Motueka is a hazy pale straw beer with a white head. The fascinating aroma profile is definitely a first for us. It is very aromatic almost like essential oil or perfume: lemon, orange, eucalyptus, and even rosemary. For some of us, the nose evoked lemongrass, honeydew, celery, lavender, and even star anise. Describing the aroma definitely felt like going through a grocery list. The usual New England IPA attributes of a medium-body and a moderate level of carbonation hold up for this one. The flavor mixes up lemongrass and lemon peel with herbal, star anise, and ginger undertones. Others noted cantaloupe, lemon-flavored cotton candy, green mango, and pear. Malt presence, bitterness, and sweetness are perceived as low. Very, very dry. The flavors do not linger long after a sip but faint impressions of lemon, mango peel, orange pith, and pomelo were noted.
THE VERDICT
This beer really lives up to its name. Saturated in Motueka is a delicious hop-forward hazy IPA with uncommon and explosive aromas and an elusive flavor profile. Saturated in Motueka is also one of those beers that demonstrates the wonders brewers can do even with just one hop variety. We have more DEYA beers to review, but with this beer alone, it feels the UK had already responded to the “Haze Craze” for quite some time now.
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