Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits joins the global brewing collaboration, ALL TOGETHER to raise awareness and relief to our brothers and sisters from the hospitality industry struggling because of the COVID-19 crisis.
ALL TOGETHER is the initiative of Other Half Brewing Co., one of the most popular craft breweries based in Brooklyn, New York. The objective of this initiative 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.
As of this writing, there are 846 breweries from 53 countries that are involved in this global initiative. In the Philippines, Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits is one of three participating breweries. Part of the proceeds will be directed to Unicef, the selected beneficiary of Raoul.
Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits “All Together” New England IPA
Name: All Together
Brewer: Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits (Philippines)
Style: Specialty IPA: New England IPA
ABV: 6.5%
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Specialty IPA: New England IPA (21B) in the context of the provisional guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) for the said beer style. The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
All Together pours hazy orange-yellow under appropriate lighting. The nose reveals assertive notes of orange juice and marmalade, honey, and distinct but soft fruity-floral notes. Subtle aromas of oats are noted. This NEIPA is medium-bodied with moderately low carbonation and a mouthfeel akin to fruit juice.
The overall flavor balance is hop-driven as malts take on a supportive role. In particular, hops reveal prominently juicy oranges and peaches with the familiar fruity-floral notes that accentuate the former. There is an umami-like presence somewhere that makes this beer quite interesting. The malt profile manifests as bread-like, but low enough to support the assertive hop characters. Some oat character is noted. Fermentation seems to yield orange citrus esters while bitterness is moderately low. The overall flavor impression is orange juice with an oat-backbone. Slightly lingering orange peel, pine hops, some spice, and that notable umami flavor characterize the aftertaste.
THE VERDICT
While we have yet to review the original All Together beer from Other Half, Raoul seemed to have nailed the “game-changing” brew for his New England IPAs. While he followed the base recipe from the NY hazy beer masters, Raoul personally integrated his own trademark brewing style to make All Together his very own. To those who have been following Raoul’s releases religiously, you know what we are talking about. However, the fruity-floral aromas and flavors are something new for sure.
While the appearance can still have a brighter hue, we think the aroma is spot on. The flavor generally balances pleasant citrus and fruity floral notes well and the mouthfeel feels appropriate. Overall, very good. Now we look forward to the next New England IPAs from Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits.
For more information about this initiative: https://alltogether.beer/
