Some call it NEIPA, others call it "Hazy IPA" or "Juicy IPA". These three terms pretty much all refer to the same style of beer first seen in the East Coast of the US, specifically in the New England region (a northeastern region of the US comprising of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island). The NEIPA was popularised in the mid-2000s by The Alchemist Brewery from Vermont. Brewer John Kimmich experimented with an original IPA recipe but decided not to filter or pasteurise the beer. 

The most noticeable thing about a NEIPA would of course be its trademark opaque haze appearance generated by tiny flecks of oats and wheat, suspended hop oils and the occasional fleck of wild flower, this "haze" giving the beer a distinct smooth, creamy mouthfeel. NEIPAs often have more tropical notes and very little to no hop bitterness. 

Learn all about the New England IPA here.

Recently, Singaporean craft brewery Brewlander has collaborated with "KaijuKingz", who apparently have produced one of the most popular NFT Collections, to produce a new New England IPA made with Mosaic, HBC586, and Vic Secret hops. The beer can comes in a bright mural art-style label featuring a Godzilla-looking Kaiju greedily drinking some blue juice from a truck.

 

 

This is said to be juicy, hoppy with citrus and tropical aromas, a pine-needle fragrance finishing and a softly bitter mouthfeel.

Let's give this a taste!

Brewlander x KaijuKingz Scale Ale NEIPA, 7.1% ABV - Review

Colour: Fresh orange juice, dark yellow and hazy.

Nose: Rich, juicy, hoppy and complex.

Rich citrusy notes pour forth from the beer head: plenty of juicy grapefruits and  pomelos (with their rind) take centre stage, accompanied by the bright sweetness of tropical fruits; soft pink guava, passion fruit and sweet pineapple concentrate. 

A little more hoppy bitterness begins to show. More pomelo rinds followed by fresh hay and the aroma of a dew-soaked pine forest.

On the palate: Medium bodied with a silky mouthfeel . 

The first sip is much of a continuation of the nose: lots of bright tropical fruits – pineapples, guavas, ripe mangoes and lychees with a more moderate level of citrus tartness. The mouthfeel is a little thicker with very very tiny sediments, giving the beer a soft, silky and pillowy texture signature to many a New England IPA.

Very gentle, restrained bitterness from the hops as compared to typical IPAs, and while the rich mouthfeel parts way, the palate is left with a clean note of very mildly savoury coconut cream – reminiscent of coconut pandan layered agar-agar or Agar agar santan lapis (a layered jelly cake that combines sweet pandan and jellied rich coconut milk popular in Southeast Asia). 

The finish: medium length, continuing with fading notes of coconut water followed by mild notes of barley.

My thoughts 

Another decent drop from Brewlander, my favourite part of this NEIPA is fairly basic – the exquisite silkiness of texture that you won't find in most commercial beers. 

All other components are fairly well-balanced with a moderate sweetness and a very gentle hoppiness. Certain purists may find the flavours here a little too moderate or balanced because no bold notes really quite jump out. But that's really what a NEIPA is designed for – with appeal with its great pillowy texture and gentle floral hoppiness, instead of the aggressive, palate-punishing strength of an IPA, or even a Double IPA.

Read our review of Brewlander's Courage Double IPA here.

Whether purists like it or not, the success of NEIPA-style beers is undeniable. And if anything, there are some complexities here if you know where to look: the coconut-pandan jelly note is a fun minor chord that makes for an interesting tasting session. 

@CharsiuCharlie