The premise for the 14th release of Rocky Ridge's much-loved Rock Juice is a cool one – and very much of the moment. Take the exact same recipe – malt, hops, water and yeast – and create a pair of imperial IPAs in which there's just one difference: one features hops in the more traditional pellet form; one is brewed with hops in their more contemporary liquid form.
For such an experiment to have real validity, you'll want to make sure the hops are of the same variety, whether that's fruity, piney, floral, etc. I had assumed that was the case here, even though Rocky Ridge haven't given any more detail than telling you which was brewed with pellets and which with flowable forms. But then I poured them into two glasses side by side. There was a little difference in appearance, with the liquid-based IIIPA a couple of notches darker on the SRM scale, but in all other ways they were worlds apart. So I checked in with the boss man – who you can listen to on our podcast here – because by then I was doubtful they'd used the same varieties in .1 and .2.
However, not only did they use the same varieties in both pellet and liquid versions but they consulted the manufacturers' guidelines about the potency of the latter and adjusted hopping rates accordingly. So, if you are the sort of person who is interested enough in what makes beers like they are, or in the innovations taking place in the beer industry, then you'll want to grab some of these beers.
And the outcome... With V.14.1 (pellets) you almost feel like you’re tasting hops in every sip. Sure, there’s the sweetness that begets the sort of juiciness you expect in such massive hazies, but the plant origins of the hops carry through, adding a little texture to proceedings along the way.
V.14.2 (liquid hops) feels somewhat futuristic and enhanced (and not just because that's pretty much what they are). Their character isn't exactly cordial – not least as the booze is more apparent within the juicy fruits than in .1 – but it's certainly leaning that way, and more in the sense of cordial swigged straight from the bottle rather than as intended. In some ways, the aromatics sing louder, albeit they do so the way a fruit reduction does within a cocktail.
It feels like the Rock Juice you’d end up with if you asked AI to create an IIIPA, and adds weight to the thoughts of the brewers we spoke to for our piece on new hop products that, handily, ran the same week this beer dropped. Sure, oils, extracts and other advanced hops products have their place, but nature always has the best tricks.
James Smith
PS As side-by-side beer tastings go, it reminds me of a tour of Flying Dog in the States way back in 2013 where they tested new hop varietals in 10 percent ABV single hop IIIPAs. Potentially delicious, most certainly designed for a good time, not a long time...
PPS I loved the pellets version, and wasn't a fan of the liquids, but Hamish has recommended I try blending them once I crack my second can of each, the idea being to gain an understanding of the skill brewers employ when working with a diverse range of ingredients.
Published August 29, 2024 2024-08-29 00:00:00
