Oskar Blues Brewery, a favorite among craft beer fans everywhere, has just introduced another beer in its Steep Coast Mountain IPA series. The new beer is Steep Coast Zappa Double IPA, a beer that is brewed to spotlight a single hop varietal like others in the series.
What makes Steep Coast Zappa Double IPA special is the inclusion of Zappa hops in the brewing process. If you have never heard of this hop, you are not alone. Most of us hear the word “Zappa” and think of the late musician Frank Zappa, but this is an actual type of hop and it belongs to an American subspecies of hops known as Neomexicanus. This species is native to the mountainous areas of New Mexico and it serves up flavors such as lemon and white pepper for a distinct taste experience.
Steep Coast Zappa Double IPA is actually brewed with small amounts of other Neomexicanus hops, Medusa and Sabro, but Zappa hops take center stage. Oskar Blues Head of Brewing Operations Tim Matthews says the beer’s hybrid personality makes it perfect for the Steep Coast Mountain series.
“It’s a blending of the distinctive styles of West and East Coast IPAs,” said Matthews. “It doesn’t have the palate- wrecker bitterness of an old school West Coast IPA, nor the fluffy bitterness of the New England – it’s definitely somewhere in-between. We targeted the hop load of a New England but the palatability of the West Coast style.”
Steep Coast Zappa Double IPA weighs in at 8 percent alcohol by volume. It will be available in 4- packs of 16 oz. cans and on tap in Oskar Blues Taprooms in both Longmont and Boulder, Colorado. To find this new beer near you, visit the Oskar Blues beerfinder online.
This sounds really interesting. I’ll definitely have to track it down and give it a try at some point!