Beer Review Roundup: NE IPA from Bearded Iris and Free Will
It’s time for another beer review roundup, and this time I’m looking at a few similarly styled beers from Bearded Iris and Free Will. Specifically these three beers are all New England Indian Pale Ales (NE IPA). NE IPAs are unfiltered IPAs. They usually have a cloudy, hazy appearance and a juicy, thick texture. Some people love them, some people hate them. I’m in the former camp—I think NE IPAs are the culmination of decades of American IPA experimentation. I was never a huge West Coast IPA fan—yes, there are some great ones, but the circle jerk of trying to put the most hops into a beer never interested me. Give me a well-balanced East Coast IPA over an overly hopped, unbalanced West Coast IPA any day (blaspheme, I know).
NE IPAs are their own unique style. They are often aggressively hopped, but the hops are balanced out by the fruity and juicy characteristics. They are well-balanced, complex, fruity, and delicious. Perfect for a hot summer day, but good any time of the year. And the texture… the texture/mouthfeel is what dreams are made of.
A relative newcomer to the Nashville brewing scene, Bearded Iris put themselves on the map when they first released Homestyle, the first (as far as I know) NE IPA to be brewed in Nashville. With the immediate success of Homestyle, they quickly became known for their IPAs. Their company slogan is, ironically, “Cultivate Variety”—ironic because at the moment, their entire lineup consists of only IPAs. When they first launched, they did have a more diverse lineup, but I guess they didn’t find much success with their non-IPAs. I tried their entire original lineup at a launch party, and thought it was pretty decent. I especially enjoyed their Bière de Garde—Local Color—and I usually hate Bière de Garde style beers. I do love their IPAs, but I hope that they eventually bring back Local Color and add a few other styles of beer.
I’ve been enjoying beers from Bearded Iris for a while now, but I only just recently visited their taproom for the first time. It’s a really great place to hangout and drink some good beer. If you live in or near Nashville, or are visiting from out of town, be sure to stop by sometime. It’s definitely worth a trip.
The other NE IPA I’m looking at is from Free Will Brewing Company out of my hometown of Perkasie, PA. If you are a regular reader here, then you are familiar with Free Will. I’ve talked about them plenty. More Structure is one of their NE IPAs, and the first beer that they have canned (previously they only bottled their beer). I’ve had quite a few different IPAs from Free Will, and they have all been excellent. More Structure has quickly become one of my favorites.
OK, on to the reviews.
Bearded Iris Homestyle (Nashville, TN)
6% ABV
Mosaic hops
Juicy. Lots of light citrus, orange in particular, as well as other tropical fruits. Like a beer mimosa. Dank—tastes like how a basement smells (in a good way). The mosaic hops are clearly present, but fairly subdued. Could stand to have a little more hop influence. Thick and rich mouthfeel that is simply wonderful.
Grade: A-
Bearded Iris Sky Hopper (Nashville, TN)
6.4% ABV
Galaxy, Simcoe, and Columbus hops
Similar juiciness as Homestyle, but the orange citrus notes are dialed back a bit. Cleaner and brighter than Homestyle. More hop forward and a little bitter. Doesn’t have the same dankness. A nice amount of grapefruit. Very tasty.
Grade: A-
Free Will More Structure (Perkasie, PA)
7% ABV
Ekuanot, Chinook, and Simcoe hops
Bursting with citrus candy and tropical fruits—orange, grapefruit, papaya, mango. Pop Rocks. The sweetness is balanced wonderfully with bright, hoppy bitterness. Like other NE IPAs, this has a terrific mouthfeel. Thick and rich, yet light and refreshing. Delicious.
Grade: A-
Yep, I’m giving all three of these beers the same grade. All three are great. But I suppose if I had to pick one as my favorite, I’d probably go with Homestyle. I really like that dank element found in Homestyle that is less present in the other two. Plus I love the flavor of mosaic hops—yes, the hop notes in Homestyle are less pronounced, but there’s still enough of that mosaic goodness to stand out (slightly).
Regardless of which is my personal favorite, these are all great beers. Give one (or all) a try!
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
