From the Beer Writer: “Now that’s a mouthful,” I remember uttering through my own mouthful of duck-wing meat at Plan 9 Ale House as I read the name of the latest India pale ale (IPA) from Port Brewing Co. and The Lost Abbey’s newest spinoff operation. The beer in question was The Hop Concept (THC) Hull Melon and Blanc IPA. Told you! Believe it or not, that name could have been longer. The moniker describes the two hop varietals used to dry-hop this 8% alcohol-by-volume IPA—Hull Melon and Hallertau Blanc. They left the word Hallertau out (thank God), but it’s still challenging from a linguistic standpoint. Fortunately, thanks to its ultra-dry nature, it’s very simple to drink. Big tropical aromas come on strong, but the beer’s flavors are more citrusy and followed by a white pepper note I find reminiscent of the finish on sister-biz saison, The Lost Abbey’s Carnevale Ale. There’s no correlation between these beers, that’s just how it hit my palate. And, psst, want to sound super-smart when you order the beer? The Hull Melon is missing an umlaut. It’s actually pronounced “Yule Malone.” Busting that out at the bar should make you at least a tenth as impressive as this tasty IPA!
From the Brewer: “With the four THC IPAs all being an exploration of different combinations in the dry-hopping process, Hull Melon and Hallertau Blanc were some of the first hops that came to mind. Both being new German aroma varietals, the first THC IPA seemed like the perfect fit to highlight these hops and let them do their thing. We’re really excited on how the beer turned out and can’t wait to use these hops again in future recipes.”—Steve Burchill, Lead Brewer, Port Brewing Co./The Lost Abbey/The Hop Concept
From the Bottle: Our flagship series of dry-hopped IPAs explores the limitless combinations of our favorite classic, new and experimental hops. Each one is crafted to bring out the complementary characteristics of the different varietals–and deliver a solid hit of bold, crispy freshness. This big, bright, fruity IPA celebrates some of the newest hop varietals cultivated in the Hallertau region of Bavaria, the epicenter of the hop universe. Huge aromas of passion fruit, pineapple and grapefruit from the Hallertau Blanc hops lead the charge. While the Hull Melon balances things out with floral honeydew and strawberry notes you won’t typically find in other hops.