If you love a chance to compare and contrast different beers, then this is your week. The Prototype Challenge returns – and once again you are the ones calling the shots! If you’re unfamiliar with the contest, we release different beers at the same time and hold them up to a public vote across our social media channels to see which we brew again. Previous runnings have unearthed future stars such as Jet Black Heart, Jack Hammer, Cocoa Psycho, Vagabond Pale Ale and Hop Fiction.
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o which beer will rank alongside them and win the 2017 Prototype Challenge?
TANGERINE SESSION IPA
Buy our 2017 Prototype Series online here
Malts: Pale, Cara, Crystal
Hops: Chinook, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, Cascade, Nelson Sauvin
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 40
OG: 1.045
First up we have a perfect summer cooler – an IPA that combines new world hops and the bright flavour of (you guessed it) tangerine. We have combined a fairly colossal selection of favourites from the hop store and used them in the boil, whirlpool and then the dry-hop stage to release as much of their aromatic resins as possible. The reason for this is we wanted this IPA to be as citrusy as we could get even before we added the tangerine. Also we used a touch of Cara and Crystal malt to give the body a hit of toasty caramel and add a slight sweetness to counterpoint the enormity of the citrus on the flavour. Coming in at a session-happy 4.5% ABV, this is your first contender!
BLACK RYE IPA
Buy our 2017 Prototype Series online here
Malts: Pale, Rye, Carafa, Dark Wheat
Hops: Columbus, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, Citra
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 70
OG: 1.060
Next up we have a dark challenger, and it is one that has a left-right jab of two classic twists on the American IPA. Firstly we added into the malt bill enough Carafa and dark wheat to leave a beer as typifies the modern classic Black IPA style. But we also went ahead and introduced rye into the grist as well, hitting that sweet spot between Rye IPA as well. The result is a meeting of two of the titans of the maltster, all layered through with some seriously resinous and piney C-hops (with Simcoe playing the role of honorary C-hop). The result is a bitter – 70 IBU – dark brew with coffee, dark chocolate and a huge amount of sticky resin and pine flavour.
DOUBLE IPA
Buy our 2017 Prototype Series online here
Malts: Pale, Maris Otter
Hops: Columbus, Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra, Amarillo
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 60
OG: 1.073
The final of our three challengers is a Prototype at which we threw the proverbial kitchen sink. Kettle hopped with Columbus and Simcoe, Whirlpool hopped with Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra and Amarillo and then enormous levels of dry-hop with more Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe – this is a hopheads dream. We pared back the malt bill to leave a base allowing these hops to shine and they haven’t let us down. Our American ale yeast powered this double IPA through to 8.5% ABV and leaving a bone-dry beer with flavours of mango, peach, pine, apricot and citrus. Intense and vibrant from start to finish.
In our latest Upcoming Brews post where we previewed this Prototype Series we also revealed there would be four beers this time around. Sadly the Prototype German-hopped Blonde Ale did not make it through our stringent Taste Panel so we have decided not to release it. We live or die by the quality of the beer in your glass, and if we don’t love a beer 100% then it won’t see the light of day. So we are rocking three Prototypes this time around instead!
The Prototype beers are live in our online shop now, and will launch in our UK Bars at 6pm tonight, Thursday 17th August. As with previous Prototype Challenges, it’s over to you to decide which we will brew again – taste them, make notes, compare and contrast – and then vote in the poll below this post, or by checking out the posts on our social media feeds.
So which will it be? The Prototype Challenge is on!
Voting takes place here.
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