Name: Dank Harvest
Brewer: McLeod’s Brewery (New Zealand)
Style: Specialty IPA: India Pale Lager
ABV: 5.7%
Review Year: 2020
Dank Harvest is an India Pale Lager (IPL) brewed by the award-winning McLeod’s Brewery from Waipu, New Zealand. This lager was hopped entirely with the classic American varieties Simcoe, Citra, Centennial, and Columbus.
Established in 2014, McLeod’s Brewery is a small 20HL brewery located up north in Waipu, a small town with Scottish heritage. The brewery was founded by siblings Geoff and Clayton Gwynne but now has Jason Barthgate as head brewer. In the 2019 Australia International Beer Awards (AIBA), McLeod’s was named the Champion Small International Brewery with a trophy and 11 medals. The brewery also had a brew included in New Zealand’s top 30 beers and ciders in the New World Beer and Cider Awards.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as an India Pale Lager (IPL). As of this writing, the IPL is not yet an official/ explicit style and, thus, lacks a comprehensive set of guidelines by the BJCP.
However, in Specialty IPA Clarifications and Q&A published in 2017, the BJCP noted that the IPL often describes a distinct variant of the IPA that has seen some commercial and homebrew popularity. In particular, this variant may be described as (1) a pale lager brewed to IPA strength and hopping rates or (2) an American IPA brewed with lager yeast. These beers can be entered as a Specialty IPA with the entrant providing a brief description of the style to the judges.
Recommended Reading: Specialty IPA Clarifications and Q&A (BJCP, 2017)
In the 2020 Beer Style Guidelines of the Brewers Association (BA), the closest match to the IPL appears to be the American-Style India Pale Lager.
TASTING NOTES
Brilliantly clear straw gold; well-formed white head with good retention. Fresh orchard in the morning: very fragrant orange peel and lemon on the nose. Light-medium bodied and moderately carbonated. The flavor opens up with a clean malty character that allowed the classic American hop flavors to shine. Think of pine, lemon peel, orange with hints of floral notes. Moderate bitterness; no sweetness. The aftertaste lingers with subtle fresh oranges and piney bitterness.
THE VERDICT
Outstanding. Dank Harvest is a well-balanced, refreshing, drinkable, yet very characterful IPL that highlights the classic American hop varieties. Two thumbs up for that brilliant clarity.
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