Tasting Notes: WAR IPA (White IPA)

The WAR IPA was something of an afterthought. I was anxious to re-brew Walk-off White. WAR IPA was intended to use the yeast I bought to brew the witbier, and also experiment brewing my own IPA. The hop selection was somewhat haphazard based on my desire to use up leftover hops from other recipes.

Decent bit of haze. Color not too dark.

The beer pours a hazy gold color. It is darker than Walk-Off White likely due in part to the additional malt used to boost the final gravity and alcohol content of the beer. I also consciously chose to use slightly darker malted wheat as opposed to having all of the wheat be flaked so I could contrast the two. The color was still exactly what I was going for. The beer has a thick, frothy white head with good retention.

The hop aroma is muted, but overall but quite complex. The hop aroma doesn't hit you like a bus, but there are citrus notes there. Being a White IPA fermented with Belgian yeast, the expected hay and straw aromas are present as well.

When crafting the recipe I hemmed and hawed whether or not to add citrus and spice like a traditional Belgian Witbier, or let the American hops contribute most of the flavor. The beer finished with more than enough citrus flavor, likely from the Citra and Centennial hops. The mouthfeel wasn't as creamy as Walk-off White, but the wheat flavor was noticeable. I didn't get the kind of silkiness from the flaked oats like I would expect from an Oatmeal Stout. The carbonation is high like a witbier which may have cut into any character from the oats. The body was medium, maybe a touch too heavy, but not a major flaw. The hops and carbonation give the beer a dry finish. I found this beer brewed with 3944 Belgian Witbier yeast was more phenolic, than the Walk-off White brewed with 3942 Belgian Wheat yeast.

I am enjoying the beer, but not as much as the Walk-off White. The mouthfeel and head retention were higher using the unmalted flaked wheat as opposed to the malted wheat. The lighter body in the Walk-off  made it more refreshing. The 3944 Belgian Wheat gave it a more delicate flavor.

I ended up with two very drinkable beers. By using different ingredients in two similar, but different beers, I know which ones I prefer for the future and firsthand the differences they will provide.

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