Six craft breweries showcased their brewing prowess with Philippine coconuts for a chance to be named the next A Half Baked JamBEERee People’s Beer Champion last 29 February 2020 at the Pedro Tap House in Poblacion, Makati.
Three of the six breweries make their second appearance: the defending champion, Half Baked Brewing Collective, The Marc’s & Tony Brewing Co., and HideOut Craft Brewery. Meanwhile, three new names step up to the challenge: the host, Pedro Brewcrafters, Brewlab 2021, and Craftpoint Brewing Co. In the first round of the competition, the only criterion was to enter an India Pale Ale (IPA) of any strength and sub-category. In this second round, brewers were required to concoct a beer of any style using Philippine coconuts.
Read More: A Half Baked JamBEERee: Round One
COCONUT BEERS AROUND THE WORLD
Beers brewed with coconut are not uncommon creations. If you are looking up beers brewed with this fruit, chances are, you will stumble upon dark beers such as porters and stouts. An example would be the Epicurean Coffee & Fig 2018, an Imperial Oatmeal Stout brewed by Epic Beer (New Zealand). This stout was brewed with diced and dried Turkish Lerdia figs and was matured on whole Brazillian toffee and coffee beans. The beer was then conditioned on toasted coconut from the Philippines. Another example is the Coconut Crown, an Imperial Stout brewed by Horus Aged Ales (USA) and Three Chiefs Brewing Co. (USA). This beer follows a recipe that makes use of different preparations of coconut– candied, syrup, water, desiccated, shredded, and even toasted.
Coconuts have made their way recently into the hearts and minds of brewers in the form of pina colada-inspired beers. Collective Arts Brewing (Canada) brewed Pina Colada Sour, a sour ale created with a huge amount of toasted coconuts, pineapples, and lactose. Another notable example is the Patrons Project 16.02: Getting Caught in the Rain, a collaboration brew between Northern Monk (UK) and Basqueland Brewing (Spain). The brewers used finely flaked untoasted coconuts in the whirlpool. Pineapple puree, lime, and the hop varieties, Citra, Sabro, and Denali were also included to accentuate key flavors.
THE COMPETITION BEERS
The six entries were served anonymously. Drinkers get to order a flight of the six beers to taste and vote for their favorite drink. The beer with the most votes wins. Listed below are our notes and comments on each of the entries:
Green
This first beer has a hazy orange look with prominent notes of pomelo citrus. It is a medium-bodied beer with a flavor profile of pomelo, orange, and some bitter orange peel. We also picked up some hints of sweetness akin to gummy candies. The presence of coconut manifests as mild sweetness on the palate. A similar flavor profile is noted after the first sip with the sweetness from the coconuts becoming more noticeable. Overall, it is a very good beer and a possible contender for the championship.
Yellow
The second entry has a brighter yellow-orange color compared to the first one. Smelling this beer brings back memories of opening a jar of nata de coco or coconut gel. The palate tells a much more interesting story. Up front, this beer reveals toasted coconut bitterness backed by a light citrus note of orange peel. Some slight sourness is also noted towards the end. Medium-bodied. The finish is a symphony of the profiles just mentioned: toasted coconuts, pomelo sourness, and noticeable peppery heat. Like the first entry, we think this is another strong contender given that the coconut is noticeable from the aroma, to the flavor, and to the finish and blends well with the other flavors incorporated.
Red
Similar to the second entry, this third beer also has a hazy yellow-orange color. Fresh coconuts greet the nose. In fact, the aroma is reminiscent of our experiences of buying coconut juice from a street vendor where he slices open a fresh coconut in front of you and pours the juice in a plastic bag. Yes, that is what this beer evoked. The palate offers a similar profile of coconut water with a body ranging from light to medium. We also noted some peppery heat towards the end. While the aroma was a strong point of this beer, we felt that the coconut water-like profile overpowered the other flavors of the beer.
Blue
This looks like a wildcard given the relatively clearer appearance to the other entries. We initially thought this was a West Coast IPA brewed by Half Baked Brewing Collective due to similarities in appearance with the beer that won them the first JamBEERee championship. However, upon smelling the beer, perfume-like coconut and very noticeable lactic acid (e.g., kefir) aroma profiles hinted this was a sour beer. With a light-body, this entry showcases bright sour and citrus fruit profiles with a dash of peppery heat. The coconut flavors surface towards the back end. After the sip, coconut characteristics become more evident, prolonged by lingering acidity. We think this is a well-crafted sour beer and could stand alone even without the coconut additions. However, given that sour beers are not the most palatable of the beer styles, we do not think this entry will win the votes of the masses. Regardless, big respect to the brewer for taking risks and pushing further the envelope.
Orange
This entry looks like orange and pomelo juice. We picked up fresh and sweet strawberries on the nose. It is a medium-bodied beer with strawberry fruitiness backed by coconut notes. There is slight medicinal bitterness and sweetness (e.g., strawberry cough syrup) and some maltiness. The finish continues with the strawberry sweetness this time highlighting more coconut flavors and slight sourness. We think this is another contender for the championship. After all, it is a fun, flavorful, and fresh beer.
White
This last entry looks like a wildcard since it is the only dark beer of the six. This is most likely a coconut porter or stout. Upon closer inspection with light, the beer is actually dark red in color similar to cola. Cacao maltiness and medium roast coffee compose the aroma profile of this beer. The palate exhibits a similar profile mentioned but with a watery mouthfeel. The beer finishes with coffee notes. Unlike the other beers, we did not pick up notes of coconuts in this beer. We also think this beer needs further conditioning or aging to bring out more of its desired characteristics.
THE VERDICT
Based on the official tally from Brewed in PH, Blue and Red both get podium finishes recording 20 and 22 percent of total votes, respectively. The Blue entry is the sour beer while the Red one is the beer with a fresh coconut aroma profile.
The winning beer is the Yellow entry, recording 33 percent of the total votes. Given the results, we have a NEW People’s Beer Champion!
THE NEW PEOPLE’S BEER CHAMP
Master brewer Tatz Ang of HideOut Craft Brewery snatches the title from the Half Baked Brewing Collective with his Milkshake IPA dubbed, Tropicolada. According to Tatz, he just wanted to brew something fun for the competition so he took his base Milkshake IPA (beer brewed with lactose) recipe and incorporated toasted coconuts and various fruit purees that include coconut, mango, and pineapple. He also added Tahitian vanilla and Zabana rum to complement flavors. In addition, given his success with brewing Milkshake IPAs, Tatz envisioned originally a Pina Colada-inspired beer. However, his obsession with fruit purees led to a far more interesting creation. Rumor has it that HideOut might release a limited batch of his championship-winning beer in cans, so be sure to follow the brewery on Facebook and Instagram for updates!
Can HideOut Craft Brewery defend the title in the next JamBEERee? There is only one way to find out!
For more information on the participating breweries:
Brewlab 2021 [Facebook] [Instagram]
Craftpoint Brewing Co.[Facebook] [Instagram]
Half Baked Brewing Collective [Facebook] [Instagram]
HideOut Craft Brewery [Facebook] [Instagram]
The Marc’s & Tony Brewing Co. [Facebook] [Instagram]
Pedro Brewcrafters [Facebook] [Instagram]
