From BrewDog:
The simple notion ‘What if…?’ has a strong resonance with brewers. Experimentation should be at the core of any brewhouse, and this self-posed question is one that comes up almost on a daily basis at BrewDog. Well, today we have an answer in the first of a brand-new series of beers, based on switching up a single aspect of one of our most popular brews.
Our debut Hammer Head – Monk Hammer – is live in our online shop now.
For those who have wondered ‘What if…?’ about our resinous piledriver Jack Hammer, this series is for you. We have ramped up our amped-up IPA to new heights, with four beers released over the course of this year with a different aspect tweaked. And the first of those extra-dimension beers is Monk Hammer; our ruthless IPA fermented with Belgian yeast.
And what a transformation. The punchy citrus layers are still there – on the far distance finish – but the yeast has supplied a massive complementary hit of fruity esters and classic Belgian notes of cloves and peppery spice. We love hops (as you know), and malt is the backbone of a beer – but the effect yeast has on the outcome can be truly awesome.
The other Hammer Heads that will follow also take Jack Hammer into new directions – the next twist (which will be out in June) will be Black Hammer – a ruthless, resinous Black IPA. Following on from that the third release will be the spice-laden Chilli Hammer, and the series will round out the year with a perfect winter warmer in the shape of Rye Hammer.
We love Jack Hammer – we can’t bring ourselves to call it the ‘base beer’. Since bursting into existence as part of the 2013 Prototype Challenge it has become a firm staff favourite, and a beer we simply can’t brew fast enough, so taking these detours of aroma and flavour will give us a whole new outlook and will enable Jack Hammer fans everywhere to see the beer in a new light!
Monk Hammer is live now in our online shop and will be released into our UK Bars in canstonight, Thursday 10th March at 6pm! Let us know in the comments below what you think of Jack Hammer’s Belgian cousin – and although our four Hammer Heads are locked in for this year, if there are any other new takes on our ruthless IPA that you would love to see – let us know!
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