Hopzapoppin'

The pale ales, they drop slowly. Here's a handful of recent-ish releases from Ireland's breweries.

"It Ain't Easy" opined Hopfully on an IPA label in 2022. They've changed their tune since they moved from running a brewery back to getting someone else to do that for them, and Easy IPA is their latest. Unusually, there's no information on the can about what it's made from. It looks dreadful: a brackish muddy yellow with barely an effort at a head, like something decanted from a slops tray. Nevertheless, it smells superb, with a bright, clean and zesty kick of citrus. The flavour narrows that down to grapefruit, specifically, with all the acid tartness associated. It's only 4.3% ABV so there's not much complexity beyond that, but it's fun while it lasts, and it lasts for a decent stretch. If left to warm, it does present a degree of dreggyness, but the C-hop onslaught helps mask the worst of it. This is no masterpiece of brewing finesse, nor especially easy-drinking for the strength, but as an unsophisticated slap of bad-ass lupulin, I found it rather enjoyable.

DOT is next, with the latest in their Teeling Distillery giftshop specials. Brewers In Arms is a cold IPA -- the official beer style of the ongoing climate collapse -- and is a particularly light example at just 4.6% ABV. There's a slight haze to the pale golden colour, but more in the realm of unfiltered lager than murky IPA. It's dry-hopped, but we're not told what with. It's a good one, though, the aroma presenting a summer fruit basket of luscious peach and ripe strawberries. The can says it's crisp and the can don't lie: there's a refreshing dry bite right up front, inviting rapid gulping, which wouldn't be at all appropriate for the €6 price tag. After it, the flavour brings a contrasting sweetly floral perfume, which is odd, but pleasant. The oddness may be down to vanillins from barrel-ageing, although the can makes no mention of the beer being barrel-aged. Let's assume it is; all of this Teeling series are, and I'm too old for the system to change. It's good. You really do get the benefits of a refreshing summer lager with some clean and cheery hop fruit. If it's a no-to-light touch on the oak, that's still appropriate. This made for pleasant al fresco drinking on a summer's evening, and could best be improved only by more ready availability and a larger serve size.

More new haze from Rascals, in the form of Space Cadet. The hops are all Australian -- Galaxy and Luna -- and it's 5.8% ABV. It isn't especially hazy, being pale orange with a definite translucency instead of full-on murk. I don't know Luna, but Galaxy tends to present as oranges to me, and this smells of marmalade and sticky cordial, which absolutely scans. It's quite light-textured, and with a crisp fizz instead of the more typical haze softness. At this stage, I honestly couldn't tell you whether or not that counts as a fault. It's not one of those custard jobs, and you can judge it yourself accordingly. Its taste is subtle and leans into the bitter side, opening with a zesty bite. The label promises mango and passionfruit, and while I rarely eat either, I do know those flavours in beer terms and they're not present here. It's oranges again, a dry bite of caraway, and maybe some peach skin. Late on, the strength becomes apparent, making it taste a smidge flabby rather than soft and juicy. As haze goes, this is not how to do it. As an unfiltered IPA to showcase fun Australian hops, however, it has a lot going for it. I liked the sharp zest and its overall cleanness. It could be divisive, but the general proficiency with which it's brewed is beyond doubt.

Latest in the Rye River Seasonal series is River In The Pines, an IPA brewed in collaboration with Adnams. Despite the name and the deep green label, there's no mention of "west coast" in the description. They've gone with "classic" instead, which could well be a good strategy for customers who don't know all the terminology but have noticed IPAs getting worse. To me, it's a west-coaster for sure, evidenced immediately in the beautiful clear dark amber colouring. They're not kidding about the pine: Centennial and HBC 522 hops give it an earthy damp forest effect that really does remind me of drinking Sierra Nevada's long-discontinued IPA for the first time. Flying Dog's Double Dog provided my Proustian reference point for the flavour, which has a sizeable crystal malt component, unsurprisingly. That means a toffee sweetness up front, but one which doesn't cloy, because of a dry tannic finish and a massive hit of spicy wood resin from the hops. It's a simple formula, but highly enjoyable and criminally underused in contemporary brewing. They've finished the beer at 6.6% ABV, and I can't help wondering if it might be worth raising that gravity a little if they do something like this again. And I really hope they do. It's a beer to bring a tear to the rheumy eye of every old hophead. Top work by everyone involved.

Marking The White Hag's 12th birthday, and released to coincide with the eighth Hagstravanza festival earlier this month, a new IPA: Hopstravaganza 12. They, too, have gone west-coast, but with a different approach from Rye River. This is a paler take: still clear, but minus the caramelised malt, and with some surprise oats instead. The hops are Columbus and unspecified Southern Hemisphere varieties, and they have plenty to say, starting with an impressive aroma of citrus candy and tropical fruit. The flavour takes a moment to get going. The body is appropriately dense for 6% ABV, and the combination of smoothness and fizz is all it delivers for the first moments. After that, the deluge. A wave of pineapple and mango follows, chased by a spicy rocket-leaf bitterness. Oily lime and pine provides the finish. It's not as on-the-nose west-coast as the beer above, and has more of a modern sensibility about it, but it's very enjoyable. I guess you can take your revival two ways: either with all the charming, retro features intact, as Rye River and Adnams did it, or channelling the clarity and bitterness into a contemporary take, as though haze never happened. Either is valid, and both are well worth drinking.

I'm not sure when these round-ups last contained two west-coasters in a row, but I'm here for it. Keep that revival coming. Hallelujah.