Northern Alps IPA : Background
Northern Alps IPA is a 6.5% American IPA brewed by Northern Alps Brewery based in Omachi, Nagano. It’s part of their regular lineup and is available in both cans and on draught. It’s brewed using Centennial, Chinook, Citra, and Galaxy hops.
At A Glance
- ABV : 6.5%
- Style : American IPA
- Hops : Centennial, Chinook, Citra, and Galaxy
- Adjuncts : –
- IBU : 65
Sale Information
- Availability : Regular
- On Sale : –
- Size : 350 ml
Northern Alps IPA : Appearance, Aroma, and Taste
Northern Alps IPA poured out a dark, muddy orange colour with a thick finger’s worth of head on top, that lingered but collapsed pretty fast during drinking. The head left some streaks down the side of the glass as well, though they faded quickly as well.
The aroma was a peculiar one to be honest as Northern Alps IPA didn’t seem to be fresh. The hoppiness, while present, seemed oxidised and damp, though not in a bad way, but more a case of an imbalance in the hop usage. With Citra and Galaxy hops being used, I was hoping for something vibrant and punchy, but ended up getting lacklustre and limp really. There was a touch of citrus notes with grapefruit and lemon being noted but it didn’t really get going.
It was a case of more of the same in the body really as Northern Alps IPA failed to really get going. I thought warming up the beer would jump start the flavour profile somewhat. Instead, the muddiness and confusion in the beer became more pronounced and left me feeling flat. The damp, oxidised flavour of the hops was a bit of a downer on a beer I had been looking forward to, with just the citrus notes being some saving grace.
Northern Alps IPA : The Bottom Line
After having the Northern Alps IPLager before this, I was left feeling disappointed by this effort – I’ll try and find a fresher can to see if it’s a one-off beer or if it’s actual flavour profile of the beer.
Northern Alps IPA : Where to Buy
It can be bought online at the following places:
