Name: Suppa Fly 2.0
Brewer: Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits (Philippines)
Style: American IPA
ABV: 7%
Review Year: 2020
Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits head brewer Raoul Masangcay unveils the revamped version of his American IPA, Suppa Fly. One of the many changes in this reboot is swapping the Belgian yeast strain for a clean fermenting California Ale Yeast.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as an American IPA (21A)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
Suppa Fly 2.0 pours a pale amber color with a macaroon cream-colored head. This is broadly similar to its predecessor, which we had on tap last January. The beer clears out as it warms.
Compared to the earlier version, the new Suppa Fly is more citrus-forward(e.g., orange marmalade, orange peel) in the aroma, while juicy apples were also noted as in the first version. No more hints of rooibos tea for the new version, but we picked up some honey-like accents.
In terms of mouthfeel, both versions were noted to have medium levels of carbonation. The 1.0 version had a medium body, while this 2.0 is a notch lighter. For the flavor composition, Suppa Fly 2.0 showcases more hop-driven flavors of citrus (e.g., orange peel), pine, and very soft grass-like notes. Mild sweet fruitiness was also present but seemed to have taken on a supportive role together with the generally clean malty profile. This is in contrast to the Belgian yeast-fermented version that had sweet, apple-like, and earthy tones.
Suppa Fly 2.0 has moderate bitterness that also lingers in the aftertaste. This is then accentuated further by dry orange peel and some indistinct sweet fruits. Warmer, more bread-like characters surface.
THE VERDICT
A very palatable beverage, Suppa Fly 2.0 is definitely more hop-centric compared to its predecessor evident in the aroma, flavor, and bitterness. In beer geek jargon, this version showcases more “West Coast” characteristics without the absurdly high level of bitterness. With this profile, this beer is an ideal beverage to introduce the American IPA style to peers new to craft beer.
In terms of fermentation characteristics, Suppa Fly 2.0 seems to have a cleaner impression compared to the previous version. We think this is a contribution of the California Ale Yeast used. To us, the aroma is already sufficient. However, in this era of super aromatic double dry-hopped beers, maybe more aroma would add to the charm.
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