May Featured Beer
Hoponius Union
Brewed by: Jack’s Abby
Style: Indian Pale Lager
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 65
From: Framingham, MA
Malt Type Used: Organic Spelt Malt
Malt Grown by: Klaas Martens
Malt by: Valley Malt
Awards: RateBeer Best Award 2013 & 2014 & Great International Beer Festival Bronze 2011
The Grain: One of the flagship beers from the Hendler Brothers at Jack’s Abby, Hoponius Union features Organic Spelt Malt grown by Klaas Martens in Penn Yan, NY and malted at Valley Malt. Spelt is considered the Grandmother of Wheat and is a hard-to-find grain until recently. The farmer, Klaas, has strong German heritage that lead him to want to raise Spelt in the Finger Lakes region of NY. They have now been growing Spelt, a winter grain that gets planted in October, for over 20 years. Spelt is commonly brewed with in Bavaria and other parts of Germany but not so much in the US, until Jacks Abby came along.
The Beer: Jack and his wife Abby like to scope out any ways they can incorporate local ingredients into their award winning beers. Spelt was one of those ingredients. This India Pale Lager harmoniously combines lager yeast fermentation and West Coast IPA hops. It is like a traditional IPA but with a twist – it’s fermented cold and aged for extended periods. A blend of classic American hops creates a huge tropical fruit and citrusy hop aroma. A dry finish accentuates the pleasant bitterness and hop profile.
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