Inside the Half Baked HQ, three men huddled in one corner. They drank with quiet determination, avoiding serious discussions of troubling brews. In doing this they pitched another yeast strain, a wild one. They were brewing a beer of sorts, one not fully thought out.
The Half Baked Brewing Collective (HBBC) is a group of self-proclaimed “Cosmic Beings” that were apparently sent to Earth to provide Earthlings with heady brews and funk grooves. The three beings are from different parts of the world but were destined to join forces in the Philippines, a country that does not even grow hops.
The Collective is composed currently of Chris, Brad, and Luke. Chris, the founder, is from the land known for Citra hops and Donald Trump. Brad is from a country known for East Kent Goldings hops and David Beckham. Meanwhile, Luke is from a mystical place known for Galaxy hops and Vegemite.
This second chapter of the Half Baked Chronicles centers on three very experimental brews the collective has just released. If you have not checked out the first feature we wrote about HBBC, check it out here. The first two beers, the Ecto Cooler and Soul Vibrations are by Chris. Meanwhile, the last beer we will be covering is a smokey red ale brewed by Luke. It seems these guys are pushing hard for the first Half Baked JamBEERee brewing competition this October.
Before we begin with the reviews, we would like to let our readers know that you can order your one-liter growlers fresh from the HBBC. Just send them a message on Facebook or on Instagram. We have listed the links at the end of this feature.
“Ecto Cooler” New England Pale Ale (5.5% ABV)
Taking after his The Parliament Citradelic New England IPA (NEIPA), Chris returns with another interesting hazy beer, but this time with a New England Pale Ale (NEPA). Unlike The Parliament Citradelic, Ecto Cooler is not brewed using the Kveik yeast strain, but with a blend of Vermont and Sach Trois. The Vermont yeast strain is expected to yield a fruity ester profile of peaches and light citrus. Meanwhile, Sach Trois (or Saccharomyces Trois) is a Belgian strain that helps produce a tart beer characterized by mangoes and pineapples. This NEPA is also double dry-hopped using Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hop varieties.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as an American Pale Ale (18B) 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. Note that, as of this writing, the Specialty IPA: New England IPA is currently a provisional style, but the pale ale version does not yet have its explicit set of style guidelines. As the American Pale Ale is to the American IPA, the New England Pale Ale is expected to have a lower ABV among others relative to the standard NEIPA.
TASTING NOTES
The result is a refreshing and drinkable beer with a dazzling mango yellow-orange color. As expected, the nose returns mild notes of mangoes and bitter oranges. The palate of Ecto Cooler is medium-bodied, with unsweetened mango juice and lime coming through. It is a beer with low bitterness, which makes it very drinkable. More mangoes surface as the finish, but on the tangy side. This sensation is then followed by some bready or yeasty notes.
THE VERDICT
With Ecto Cooler, we are now more excited about the hazy beer direction Chris is taking. It looks like it is a path with juicy mango goodness.
“Soul Vibrations” Rooibos Wheat Ale (6% ABV)
Soul Vibrations is a wheat ale brewed with Rooibos (red bush) tea leaves. This beer is part of the Blatant Rip-Off series of beers Chris brews as homages to his favorite beers. Soul Vibrations is brewed using Mosaic hops and English yeast and is then dry-hopped using Rooibos tea leaves.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (30A) with the American Wheat Beer (1D) as the base style 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
Soul Vibrations pours a sunset orange color. The aroma profile is quite an interesting one: strawberries and cherries akin to cough syrup for kids, strawberry chocolate cake, and sake. This wheat ale comes light-bodied with a flavor profile evoking light notes of malts and juicy strawberries. It is then followed by wheat and bready notes, as well as mild medicinal undertones, which is quite intriguing. This taste profile continues to linger after the first sip.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we think Soul Vibrations is a delightful sessionable beer, especially for tea drinkers. We think this beer would be something pleasant to drink with a strawberry-based dessert or be enjoyed cold on a hot summer day by the meadows. However, if you are not a fan of Rooibos tea, then you can forget it.
Smokey Red Ale (4.7% ABV)
Luke just finished bottling the first test batch of his smokey red ale. Although this particular batch will not be released to the public, it serves as a sneak peek at what to expect from him in the near future.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Classic Style Smoked Beer (32A) with the American Amber Ale (19A) as the base style 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
A mix of Ale, Vienna, Cara Pils, Smoked, and Shepherd’s Delight malt varieties yielded a beer that is dark amber in color, and not to mention, a bit opaque. Aside from the malts, Fuggle hops and Kveik yeast were used to make this beer. The nose takes us by the campfire in the woods as aromas of smoked wood, cherries, and Pedro Ximenez (PX) reduction sauce make their presence felt. On the palate, this red ale is medium in body, characterized further by lychees, apples, and more smokiness. A similar profile lingers after the sip.
THE VERDICT
Luke’s smokey red ale looks very promising. Perhaps, a more pronounced smokey profile (and a proper beer name) might just make this beer more interesting.
To know more about the Half Baked Brewing Collective and their beers:
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