"Thank You Henry"

was certainly not what I was expecting from that fuzzy character on the label.

But the fact is I really liked the label alot, and of course given that it's made by two of my favourite American brewers - Monkish Brewing (over at Torrance, California) and de Garde Brewing (up in Tillamook, Oregon) - I knew I had to give it a try. 

Henry Nguyen of Monkish Brewing.

Now those of you steeped in America's brewing lore might know that both breweries actually share a rather similar passion, even if today they seem to move in completely different directions, with Monkish having made a name for themselves with their super fresh IPAs, and de Garde best known for their wild ales - the two breweries in fact share a deep love for spontaneous ferments. When Monkish Brewing had first started out, founder Henry Nguyen (hence the "Thank You Henry"!) had endeavoured to produce sour beers and had even wanted to move into Belgian beers, and would even for a long time hang up a sign outside its taproom that read "No MSG. No IPA." - however, Henry eventually relented when he felt he didn't get the kind of acidity he had wanted, and would produce the IPA's that he is best known for today. I suppose life might not always give you what you want, but you can count on it to give you what you need!

Today, Monkish has become a beloved California institution when it comes to IPA - and make no mistake, it's an incredibly competitive scene, and Henry sits amongst the best.

Trevor and Lindsey of de Garde.

And so today, we've got a very special collab beer between the two - this is No Robots Involved, a Strata Fresh Hop Double IPA that aims to showcase a balance between fresh and wet hop profiles. It makes use of a whopping 300lbs of fresh Strata hops that's been harvested within 24 hours from when it would eventually be added into the mashtun - that commitment to freshness is something else altogether! It's then dry hopped with more Strata and a touch of Citra.

The art on the label, which somehow reminds me of a retro 90's Nike street style, comes from Trevor of de Garde - I love it!

Let's give this a go! 

Beer Review: No Robots Involved IPA, Monkish Brewing x de Garde Brewing, 8.2% ABV

Tasting Notes

Colour: Orange Juice

Aroma: Bright and juicy freshly squeezed orange juice, little bit of apricots and pineapples. There’s quite abit of citrus pith, and a slight hoppy grassiness. It’s got good richness and is quite aromatic!

Taste: Medium-bodied, immediately there’s the hoppy grassiness but surprisingly without the bitterness, alittle bit of gasoline, pine, devil’s lettuce, backed up by lots of freshly squeezed orange juice that’s really pulpy and with chunks of citrus pith. It’s got good intensity and also has this really cohesive and singular vibrant juiciness.

Finish: A touch more bitter and grassy, more of the hops coming through here with some diesel, cut grass, citrus pith, and a couple of splashes of orange juice.

My Thoughts

Very solid top class IPA - it’s intense with flavour, really flavour forward, with great freshness and juiciness. It’s heaps of orange juice, pith and then the well-balanced side of hoppiness. The use of the hops here is really impressive - it’s not off the bat bitter, rather lots of its aromas are coaxed out so it really comes off more aromatic than it is bitter. It’s got a good balance, super flavour rich, nice full body too. It strikes a good sweetness and bitterness - very nice!

Kanpai!

@111hotpot