Ice
distilled IPA blind test.
To
celebrate first 500 followers on Instagram, I have decided to finalize the first
blind test ever.
Very
unique beer style – Ice Distilled IPA – to keep the long story short – take a
good IPA and start freezing it. Water freezes faster than alcohol. Therefore,
you can separate both phases easily. The trick is to not lose too much taste of
beer in the process. At least in Europe, not many breweries decide to try, but
I have managed to get 3 candidates:
From Poland:
Spółdzielczy Lodołamacz (www.browarspoldzielczy.com). Ice
distilled Imperial IPA. 11% of alcohol. Spółdzielczy belongs to my favorite
breweries and I hope that they have done a good job here.
From
the Netherlands:
Uiltje
Old Enough to Drink (www.uiltjecraftbeer.com
). Scary 21% of alcohol. Considered by me one of the best IPAs I have ever had.
From
Scotland
Brewdog
Hop Shot (www.brewdog.com ). 22% of
alcohol, West Coast IPA. I am very curious whether the godfathers of craft can redefine
the ice distilled beer style.
Of
course, I am aware that Lodołamacz alcohol content puts it in the different
league than the other two beers, but I need to be pragmatic. Not like I can
pick this kind of beers on the street.
Test
is really blinded. All beers were cooled down to 14O Celsius and
poured in glasses by my wife.
Let’s
go
Visuals:
All
three candidates are amber brown, #3 being a tad darker than the rest. #1 and
#3 still try to for something like a head, #2 looks flat. There are no CO2
bubbles in none of the beers. In fact, I haven’t expected a lot.
Nose
#1
is quite positive surprise. Well preserved hops aroma – some tropical fruits,
grass and citrusy notes. Resin and some alcohol.
#2
very strong alcohol aroma burning the nose, there are some leftovers of hop
resin and malt, but in that case alcohol takes the most.
#3
balance of alcohol and fruity marmalade, caramel, pineapple. Alcohol is clear,
but does not burn the nose like #2. Pleasant.
Taste:
#1
Peach and tropical fruits, caramel and bread. Bit sweet with a resin finish. Clear
hop bitterness in the taste. Finish is bitter and a bit alcohol. Beer is full-bodied,
sticky on the tongue but acceptable.
#2
As already suggested by the aroma, something went wrong here. Heavy alcohol is
hard to beat. Some little notes of sweet malt and bread. Very thick on the
tongue, no carbonation. Interestingly this one is very, very bitter. To tell
you the truth – it is the only thing I like about it.
#3
Very well balanced tropical fruits, marmalade sweetness, floral aromas and
alcohol. Bitter. Body is thick but not sticky, some carbonation is left. Overall
looks like it is very balanced and alcohol is complemented by other assets.
Summary
1:
Before
seeing the bottles
#1
is probably the Lodołamacz (Polish word for Icebreaker). Mostly because of
clearly different alc. Content than #2 and #3. If I am right this also proves
what I have said before – the process is the key, and the longer you distill,
the more you may lose. #1 that one is more on the beer side, whereas #2 and 3
are on the side of degustation alcohols already.
#2
and #3. I hated #2 for its heavy alcohol, #3 for me is excellent drink. Heavy
but perfectly balanced. Unless Het Uiltje screwed this lot, #2 is Brewdog and
#3 is Het Uiltje.
Summary
2:
100%
match.
Comment
– I am not saying who is the winner. I am saying who is the looser. In that
case it is Brewdog. 1% alcohol difference between Hop Shot and Old Enough to
Drink does not explain why Brewdog’s beer is so heavy of alcohol and simply
distasteful.
Old
Enough to Drink proves once again to be a world class beer. Heavy in alcohol,
but still beer. Excellent.
Lodołamacz
is simply very good beer. However, to compare it to Old Enough to Drink it would
require additional double concentration.
Final
notes on the bottles and availability.
Lodołamacz
is impossible to get. You need to know people, who know people and a lot of
begging is included (many thanks to www.ebrowarium.pl).
This has a lot of to do with the costs of production and the policy of the
brewery who likes to produce an exclusive beer from time to time.
Brewdog
was (and still may be) available in many beer shops and Brewdog’s brewbars all
around the Europe.
Het
Uiltje was freely available over the internet and in various shops in Europe.
Even in Poland.
Kudos
goes to Het Uiltje, for making an excellent beer, and making it AVAILABLE to
literally everybody who wants to try it. Everybody else – look and learn.
Now
the bottle – here the situation is different. Brewdog sells the beer is shot,
150 ml bottles. Size fits the taste. Anyway, I couldn’t swallow more of this
thing.
Het
Uiltje, sells their beer in a classical bottle, with cartoon label. Nothing
here suggests exclusivity. That’s a pity, because I would like to keep some of
this beers for presents and they just lack the appearance.
Lodołamacz
looks like the exclusive beer. Look at the label. It is not paper, it is fabric.
Picture and letters are embroidered with a silver thread. Now this is something
I could give to somebody.
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No adverts, just craft beer!
Milkolak is the flagship beer from Recraft. Well balanced and
tasty light stout. Now they present an ice distilled version. And it is
amazing. Like drinking nice thick coffee with milk. Simply great.
