Disclaimer: We will come clean. This article was, unfortunately, written at a time when we were not aware that mats of bubbles are symptoms of a dirty glass. Just because we are Drink Me Dirty, it does not mean it is acceptable to drink from a dirty glass. Clean and rinse your glasswares properly. As better informed drinkers, we now vow to spread the gospel of clean glassware. Read more about this topic here. #DirtyGlassMafia
This time last year, we published the first chapter of Seeing Double and narrated how Tony Sindayen, head brewer of the Antipolo-based The Marc’s & Tony Brewing Co. has been blurring the lines of the contemporary IPA by pushing his own interpretations of the hazy and juicy New England IPA (NEIPA), Hop Bombs and Tropic Jam.
A year and tons of beer releases later, Tony continues to perfect his craft with his latest twin NEIPA offerings, Trippin on Grass and Walkin on Sun Shine. These two beers mark a new dawn in Tony’s brewing process. With his permission, we get to discuss some of the said changes briefly before reviewing side by side the two new beers.
Tony tweaked his brewing contraption to eliminate oxygen during the dry hop and keg transfer phases to preserve ultimately the hop flavors and aroma of his beers. Is oxygen bad for beer? Well, it depends on which brewing phase you are referring to. In the early stages of growth, the yeast will absorb all of the oxygen from the beer and will use it to grow and expand. Therefore, oxygen is vital for a beer before fermentation. However, oxygen is considered a contaminant once the yeast has begun with fermentation. Even in very small quantities, oxygen is harmful to finished beer as it can spoil rapidly and negatively affect the long term flavor stability of beer. The term, “oxidation” is used to describe this fault. Oxidized beers tend to have stale, paper-, and/or cardboard-like characters.
Aside from this, Tony also switched to cold hop oil extraction. This means that he dry hops his beers when these are very cold to extract more of the hop aroma and flavor, and less or none of the acids that contribute bitterness. In coffee, this is akin to cold brewing.
Recommended Reading: Why Oxygen is Bad in Your Home Brewed Beer (BeerSmith, 2015)
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.
TASTING NOTES
“Trippin on Grass” (7.8% ABV)
TASTING NOTES
Trippin on Grass exudes juicy pineapples, orange zest, lemon peel, lychees, and some semi-ripe mangoes. Hops dominate the flavor profile: semi-sweet mangoes meet fresh tangerines. Hints of pine, tea leaf, bell pepper, and basil make their mark. Light medicinal, mangosteen tartness, and pecan nuts add to the kaleidoscope of flavors, while bready malts support. Bitterness is moderately high but well-integrated– just enough to remind you that this is still a hop-driven beer and not fruit juice. Smooth, soft, and medium-bodied.
The aftertaste lingers, bringing together the fruity characters of slightly sweet mangoes, lychees together with some pine, mangosteen, and pecan nuts. A pinch of black pepper at the very back end gives this beer a close.
Hops: Galaxy, Mosaic, and Topaz
“Walkin on Sun Shine” (7.9% ABV)
TASTING NOTES
The nose of Walkin on Sun Shine is a salad bowl of java apple (macopa), pears, pomelos, and oranges. Just like Trippin on the Grass, the hops still compose the majority of the flavor balance, but malts are more distinct this time around. It is summer season in the glass: freshly-squeezed orange juice with some mangoes and pears. Strawberry shortcake on the side.
Walkin on Sun Shine has more pronounced ripe fruit sweetness while the peppery heat starts earlier unlike the first one, and lingers all the way until the finish. On the flipside, malts seem to lend modest caramel sweetness. Medium-bodied, but not as soft and smooth as Trippin on Grass. The aftertaste lingers and calls back pears, caramel, and the mentioned peppery heat.
Hops: Mosaic, Topaz, and Lemondrop
SUMMARY
Trippin on Grass and Walkin on Sun Shine are two new beers of the same style from the same brewer but were both brewed differently from Tony’s previous NEIPAs. Same same, but different.
Since we do not have the same beer brewed using the new and the old methods, it would be difficult to test the hypothesis that the new method is better. However, with what our senses could evaluate, whatever process or ingredients Tony optimized for this new generation of beers is a step in the right direction.
For instance, Trippin on Grass was an aroma and flavor bomb to us, and the flavor combinations present were quite unique. The smooth and soft mouthfeel was also a standout feature of this beer. We hope more NEIPAs from Tony in the future would have this. Meanwhile, Walkin on Sun Shine was spot on with the assertive ripe citrus fruit character and the complementing sweet caramel malt backbone. Juicy. However, the future versions of this NEIPA could tone down the peppery heat.
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