Scratch #211: Double IPA (Enigma)
Tröegs Independent Brewing in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - Imperial / Double Series|
Score
7.02
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The flavor of Scratch #211 is ensconced in mystery. In fact, you’d be surprised to learn that we brewed this puzzling DIPA exclusively with a single hop variety. The hop in question is a new Australian variety appropriately named Enigma. Cultivated through Hop Products Australia’s in-house breeding program, Enigma is a tough hop to crack flavor-wise. Reminiscent of semi-sweet white wine, raspberry, and faintly tart redcurrant (similar to a gooseberry), this versatile hop variety also demonstrates shades of bright tropical fruit and delicate fleshy melon (think honeydew and cantaloupe).
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8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Draught at Meadhall, 12/17/15.
Light amber-golden body shows good clarity and a white head atop that is well-retained.
Some sweet citrus notes mix with lightly dank, green, lightly earthy notes. Not to cop-out of an adequate review, but the commercial deScription here does a fantastic job. Definite dry raspberry/redcurrant notes and even some light honey from the malts. No alcohol or flaw.
The flavor on enigma is my favorite part and I think, as far as personally trying to describe it, I’d go with a star fruit-like character. It’s got a bit of sweetness followed by a lightly tart/bitter character, almost pear-like, but a little zestier/bitter, as is a star fruit compared to a pear. Love the suggestion of semi-sweet white wine; I can definitely see that, and there is light tropical fruit, almost papaya-like. Hint of black pepper as well. Really frickin’ awesome hop variety. I don’t know how anyone doesn’t love this stuff, though everyone’s tastebuds react to/perceive differently all of the intricate differences of a lot of the new aroma hops. Other than the hop character, the beer shows light notes of honey, a good, mostly tight carbonation and not too much bitterness nor alcohol. Not the textural perfection of Trillium’s Fort Point Enigma version, but right up there flavor-wise.
Light amber-golden body shows good clarity and a white head atop that is well-retained.
Some sweet citrus notes mix with lightly dank, green, lightly earthy notes. Not to cop-out of an adequate review, but the commercial deScription here does a fantastic job. Definite dry raspberry/redcurrant notes and even some light honey from the malts. No alcohol or flaw.
The flavor on enigma is my favorite part and I think, as far as personally trying to describe it, I’d go with a star fruit-like character. It’s got a bit of sweetness followed by a lightly tart/bitter character, almost pear-like, but a little zestier/bitter, as is a star fruit compared to a pear. Love the suggestion of semi-sweet white wine; I can definitely see that, and there is light tropical fruit, almost papaya-like. Hint of black pepper as well. Really frickin’ awesome hop variety. I don’t know how anyone doesn’t love this stuff, though everyone’s tastebuds react to/perceive differently all of the intricate differences of a lot of the new aroma hops. Other than the hop character, the beer shows light notes of honey, a good, mostly tight carbonation and not too much bitterness nor alcohol. Not the textural perfection of Trillium’s Fort Point Enigma version, but right up there flavor-wise.
Tried
from Can
on 22 Dec 2015
at 15:39