Almost everything in 2020 halted because of the pandemic. Restaurants and taprooms had to close, while festivals and other social activities had to be canceled. But in some parts of the world, the spirit of cooperation burns bright as craft breweries continue to collaborate albeit virtually.
Two of the many breweries that keep the camaraderie alive in the United States are Colorado’s WeldWerks Brewing Co. and New York’s Other Half Brewing Company. These two have released at least three different collaborations this year and here we are again recalling our close encounters with these interesting brews: All Together, Extra Shipper (a triple collaboration with Virginia’s The Veil Brewing Co.), and Triple Juicy Diamonds.
What is a Triple IPA?
Unlike the classic styles like the American IPA, Triple IPAs remain very eccentric types of beers. Both the Brewers Association (BA) and the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) do not have explicit definitions or guidelines* for these beers as of this writing. However, beyond the BA and BJCP, it seems Triple IPAs, in layman’s terms, are more potent versions (with ABVs of around 10% or more) of the hop-forward beer styles such as the American IPA and New England IPA (NEIPA)/Hazy IPA.
WeldWerks x Other Half “All Together” (6.5% ABV)
All Together is the initiative of Other Half Brewing Co. The objective of this global collaboration effort is to support hospitality workers whose livelihoods have been drastically affected due to the closures and quarantines in various countries. The brewers of Other Half have created an open-source base recipe complete with the design materials needed to create the beer with the lowest possible cost. The base recipe was designed to be flexible for brewers that want to make their collaboration beer as a New England IPA or a “West Coast” or American IPA. This is the WeldWerks version of the recipe brewed with Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe, and Cascade hops.
TASTING NOTES
Hazy pale gold-to-straw color with a foamy white head that does not last long. Partially ripe mangoes soothe the nose, with lemon peel, vanilla, oranges, and tea. For the palate: medium-light body, a moderate level of carbonation, and a notable dry impression. Sweetness is very low, but light partially ripe mangoes are joined by lemon peel, orange, and faint bready notes. Bitterness is moderately low, but a distinct floral-fruity accent, which we often associate with Other Half, is noted. The aftertaste leaves an impression of lemon juice, black peppers, and a light malt character.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we think All Together is a “dry” take on the hazy and juicy beer style but pales in comparison with the other New England IPAs produced solely by the Colorado-based squad. It just does not have that trademark juiciness the brewery is known for. Then again, this recipe was created by Other Half and not by WeldWerks. It is, however, still a decent brew that supports a very noble cause.
WeldWerks x Other Half x The Veil “Extra Shipper (WeldWerks Version)” (7% ABV)
Extra Shipper is a triple collaboration of WeldWerks, Other Half, and The Veil Brewing Co. from Virginia. There are three variants of this beer, but this one here is the WeldWerks version brewed with Citra and Lotus hops. All three versions feature the Citra hop variety.
TASTING NOTES
Hazy straw-colored with a white well-formed head. The nose opens up with faint lemon and partially ripe mango peels with a dose of alcohol. Medium-bodied, carbonation level a notch higher than average. Dry on the palate. The flavor profile is composed prominently of lemon peels followed by pineapples with partially ripe mangos in the back end. Bitterness is elevated and has a resinous, piney, and grassy character. Very low sweetness as expected. Warmer, hints of lychees, black peppers, and light hop burn surface. Malt presence is supportive, of bread and biscuit. The aftertaste mirrors the flavor profile.
THE VERDICT
Like All Together, the profile of Extra Shipper was not something we expected. Again, the notable dryness we do not usually get from the Colorado-based brewery was noted in this beer. Considering everything else, this WeldWerks variant gives off a very “fresh” impression of a relatively drinkable, hoppy-bitter hazy IPA– a far-cry from the signature fruity-juicy beers from the brewery. However, we think more fragrant aromas could make this beer more interesting.
If you were able to try the Other Half and The Veil versions, feel free to send us your insights or comment below.
WeldWerks x Other Half “Triple Juicy Diamonds” (10.5% ABV)
The last in this unofficial trilogy is Triple Juicy Diamonds, a “Triple IPA” that features Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado, and Galaxy hops.
TASTING NOTES
Hazy straw yellow color with a foamy white head. Meringue, white chocolates, rum, lemon peel, and lemon custard on the nose. It is a medium-bodied beer with a moderate level of carbonation. Similar to the first two beers, Triple Juicy Diamonds also gives that dry impression on the palate. Alcohol burn jolts the palate up front. Beyond this, impressions of white chocolate, lemon peel, floral fruitiness, and a bright hoppy character follow. Bitterness is moderately low, but the sweetness is notable. Faint peppery heat and star anise in the back end. This “Triple IPA” leaves the palate very dry with hints of leafy/ tobacco and lemon peel making rounds.
THE VERDICT
Very good, but not excellent. The aroma and flavor profiles are complex and delivered a punch but the alcohol burn was noticeable. We think this “Triple IPA” is too dry or highly attenuative, so less of the alcohol heat and a finish more on the sweeter side could improve this beer.
SUMMARY
The restrictions imposed by the pandemic may have hampered the momentum of restaurants, bars, and festivals around the world, but it seems the spirit of collaboration in craft beer lives on… remotely. We have acquainted ourselves with three collaboration beers between Colorado’s WeldWerks and New York’s Other Half (one with The Veil) released at different times this year. WeldWerks is the American craft beer most familiar to us given the number of beers we have tried from them (backlog of reviews to be addressed soon). Other Half is also a very notable name and one that is starting to be synonymous with “collabs.”
So, what did this unofficial trilogy tell us?
First, virtual collaborations will be more common in this time of social distancing. Extra Shipper, a beer with three interpretations by three breweries from three different states, is a project that illustrates the sense of “co-opetition” in the US craft beer scene. Meanwhile, the All Together initiative by Other Half takes these virtual collaborations to the global level to support a cause bigger than craft beer. In the Philippines, Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits released their own interpretation of All Together. A similar model was adopted by Weathered Souls with Black is Beautiful with the ultimate objective of supporting justice and equality for people of color. This cause reached the Philippines with the Manila-based Half Baked Brewing Collective successfully participating in this initiative.
Second, collaboration brews can be wildcards. With the three beers we reviewed, our a priori expectations went down the drain. We expected very ripe fruity and juicy hazy beers Weldwerks-style but ended up noting very different characters such as the recurring dryness and fruity-floral undertones. If you are an avid follower of a particular brewery, drop all expectations when they have a collaboration and welcome the final product with open arms.
*2020 BA Beer Style Guidelines and 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the BJCP
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