In 2019, the Manchester-based Cloudwater Brew Co. worked with the Danish craft brewery, Dry & Bitter to recreate Mobile Speaker, their 2017 collaboration juicy and hazy “Double IPA”. However, this time around, the reboot of the original is joined by two brand new reinterpretations featuring different hop combinations. All three versions were dry-hopped at a huge 30g/L ratio. Read more about our review from 2019.
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STYLE GUIDELINES
These beers are being evaluated individually 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.
Cloudwater x Dry & Bitter “Mobile Speaker Grey” Double IPA (8% ABV)
The Grey version is an update of the original Mobile Speaker Double IPA created by the two breweries. This updated version was brewed with the base hops, Citra and Mosaic, and further enhanced with Galaxy and Simcoe hops.
TASTING NOTES
Hazy yellow-orange. The nose is reminiscent of honey, melon or cantaloupe-flavored ice cream, and overripe oranges. Medium-bodied and moderate carbonation level. Delightful flavors of melon, orange peel, grapefruit are prominent and are backed by some bready and light spice character. The aftertaste lingers with honey and melon flavors.
Cloudwater x Dry & Bitter “Mobile Speaker Red” Double IPA (8% ABV)
The red variant features the same base hops, Citra and Mosaic but with added Centennial and Nelson Sauvin.
TASTING NOTES
Hazy yellow-orange. This has a slightly cloudier appearance than the first. The nose has distinct star anise, oranges, gingerbread, and pine notes. Like the grey version, Mobile Speaker Red has a medium body but has a noticeable oaty-waxy character. Unsweetened mandarin oranges, celery, peppery spice, and pine bitterness compose the flavor profile. Softer carbonation level relative to the first one. Orange peels, green tea, and spiciness linger after a sip.
Cloudwater x Dry & Bitter “Mobile Speaker Blue” Double IPA (8% ABV)
The third and last is the blue version, a Double IPA that was brewed with the same base hops Citra and Mosaic but with added Chinook and Simcoe.
TASTING NOTES
Hazy yellow-orange. The nose unveils juicy apricots, oranges, and plums. Medium-bodied as with the other two with the appropriate carbonation level. Plum, oranges, and marmalade are in harmony. The beer leaves the palate with star anise, green tea, and some peppery heat.
THE VERDICT
All three versions had broadly a similar hazy yellow-orange color. For the aroma, the Grey version stood out with its fragrant melon-like and overripe oranges, but the diverse nose of the Blue version was also impressive. In terms of flavor, mouthfeel, and finish, we think the Blue version turned out to our liking. All the variants were top-notch stuff from Cloudwater and Dry & Bitter, but if we were to choose only one of the three based on our preferences, we would go for Mobile Speaker Blue.
