Behind the Bar: GBG Beer Week New and Improved!
Author: Barmacral Tigana, February 2018
Once upon a time a beer festival was held and the festival had its own beer made by one of the attending breweries and as far as you can tell I’m talking about approximately 80% of all beer festivals in existence. But at this one festival in Gothenburg, Sweden in the year 2016 a brewery called Stigbergets got the chance to brew the beer so they brewed an IPA that is to this day widely considered the best beer ever made in Sweden. Today we’re talking not about that beer, but its successor, GBG Beer Week New and Improved!
GBG Beer Week New and Improved! is very hazy New England IPA but also a pale shade of yellow with a white head that lasted a few minutes before it faded. The aroma is powerful citrus with pineapple dominating and orange/grapefruit a more distant supporting cast but also some earthy undertones. The mouthfeel of this beer is soft and smooth, with a muted bitterness following the juicy flavours that match the aroma. This beer could almost be mistaken for a juice, and would be an excellent substitute for orange juice along side your hearty morning breakfast.
Rating – 5/5 – One of my favourite beers hands down. I could drink this all day and never get tired of it. If you don’t like bitterness at all I’d stay away because there is a small amount, but otherwise make sure to try it, be prepared to try at least two.
Beer Facts: All aboard the New England / Vermont IPA train!
What exactly is a New England IPA anyways? Some years ago a brewery called The Alchemist created a beer named Heady Topper and it has become one of the must try beers for every beer nerd. Since then a number of other breweries in the region of New England and Vermont such as Treehouse have also started creating their own IPAs that fit the same general category as Heady Topper, but are different enough from the classic West Coast style IPA to get their own category.
What makes it a NEIPA anyways? Hallmarks of the style include cloudiness, a super soft mouthfeel, low bitterness and a juice-like quality to the flavour.
Be warned though, the designation of New England IPA is very contentious amongst beer nerds and for each one who gets excited about the style, another will get annoyed. NEIPA is not an officially recognized style by major beer organizations such as the BJCP at this time (though that is likely to change).
