Today, we brew our house IPA, Rockaway IPA!
Rockaway IPA is a beer that is in a constant state of evolution. We are slowly (one thing at a time) fine tuning this beer to keep updating and improving the flavor, drinkability, and overall enjoyment.
This beer is something of a hybrid between a standard IPA and a hazy. It's got a ton of high protein malt (flaked oats and wheat) for mouthfeel and haze, it's got a chloride heavy water profile, and yet it has a firm backbone of bitterness to increase drinkability and hot side hop flavor contribution.
We started working on the water chemistry a couple years back and now we feel its' in a great spot (low calcium, low sulfate, high chloride). We've also been moving the hop additions around and the ratios to maximize flavor and aroma and dial in the bitterness.
In this particular brew, we use a combination of three hops - Azacca, Sultana, and Citra. Azacca flavor and aroma descriptors include spicy, mango, pineapple, and citrus. Sultana is also heavy on the pineapple notes, with more bright citrus, and a bit of pine. And, of course, Citra ties them all together with a huge citrus punch (think grapefruit), peach, apricot, passion fruit, and ripe melons. We use Citra and Azacca as whirlpool additions and then hit this beer with all three hops as a dry hop.
And let's not forget the yeast. We use a hazy IPA strain on this beer that lends a nice mouthfeel, stabilizes haze, and produces some very complimentary fruity (ie. apricot ) esters.
You'll find this super crushable 6.2%abv IPA on tap and in cans in both of our taprooms and available for distro. Drop by and give it a try and let us know what you think!
Cheers!