Style: New England IPA
Brewery: Amundsen Bryggeri
Origin: Norway
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 5.3%
Price: 25kr
Systembolaget: 33165
As you might expect with a chocolate tasting, a lot of the beers that we tested were dark and rich. I wanted to slip a light and fruity beer into the selection to cleanse the palate, so a NEIPA seemed like the perfect solution. Amundsen is a respected Norwegian craft brewery that I’ve sampled many beers from in the past few years, with distinctive artwork and a high reliability. This however didn’t quite reach the high levels I’ve grown to expect from them.
This was cloudy lemon coloured with a thin head and medium body. The aroma was strong, indeed I could smell it emanating from the glass from far away! It smelt so juicy, with fresh pineapple, lemon and freshly picked hops all blending together to form a delicious scent. A big bitterness hit the palate first, with lemon peel and pine really pulling through strongly. I was surprised though at just how bitter it was, as most NEIPAs I’ve tried recently don’t have this level of harshness and tend towards the sweeter end of the IPA spectrum. The addition of lactose and oats to the brew has helped to give this an adequate mouthfeel, but not as thick as I expected with those ingredients. The bitterness rode the palate for a while but soon tapered out.
I am quite torn about reviewing this beer as it was a nice beer, but I wouldn’t class it as a NEIPA. It’s too bitter and lacks the intense juicy hits and sweetness that should be present for the style. I would say this more like a hazy IPA if I have to be specific. If you’re looking for a big, fruity NEIPA there are better options on the market at a similar price point.