Name: So Long and Thanks for All the Beers
Brewers: El Depósito Brewery, Half Baked Brewing Collective (Philippines)
Style: Double IPA
ABV: 7.5%
Review Year: 2021
So Long and Thanks for All the Beers is a hazy Double IPA made by the newest craft brewery in the neighborhood, El Depósito Brewery in collaboration with Half Baked Brewing Collective. A showcase of Idaho7, Strata, and El Dorado hops, this hazy Double IPA is also the final beer from the Collective as it departs for another realm.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Double IPA (22A) in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Hazy pale gold, white head. On tap, the head was medium-sized, while the grower pour had a relatively smaller one. A fairly strong aroma profile composed of ripe peach, cantaloupe, grapefruit, and orange marmalade led the charge. The body was medium with a moderate level of carbonation and a numbing mouthfeel. The version served on tap had an additional subtle gritty afterfeel. As expected, the flavor was intensely hop-forward with grapefruit citrus being the most prominent character. This was complemented by a moderately low duality of fruity (mango, cantaloupe) and resinous hop flavors. Malt presence took the back seat albeit imparting a bready quality while perceived bitterness was assertive. Semi-dry finish. The aftertaste lingered with the familiar grapefruit citrus and a bubble gum-like accent.
THE VERDICT
Reviewed fresh on tap and another from a growler, So Long and Thanks for All the Beers is an excellent citrus-forward, hazy, and bitter Double IPA brewed by El Deposito and Half Baked. The bitterness of this beer had a firm presence and was perceived to be notably higher than a typical New England IPA or even an American IPA. Despite this, said trait was in harmony with the other flavors. Cantaloupe (or melon) and bubble gum are noted to be two key flavors imparted by the Strata hop variety, so detecting these explicitly in this beer was quite fascinating. In our opinion, if there is one thing this beer can still improve on, that would be to lessen that numbing afterfeel noted.
For one last time… so long and thanks for all the beers, Chris!
Related Reviews:
El Deposito Brewery
Half Baked Brewing Collective
Craft Beer from the Philippines
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