It seems that every brewery these days is brewing session IPAs. This is most likely because it is an easier drinking beer; all the hoppiness without the extreme bitterness. Even though 40 IBUs is already a serious IPA, the extreme bitterness of a 100-plus IBU beer is only for the serious IPA lover.
Hey Joe Brewing Co is a new-ish brewery from close by, even though I have never been there. It is surely one for the bucket list.
They have been brewing good beers consistently for a couple of years now, and I usually drink one of their brews with my father; their beers have become one of those standard beers we grab when we braai (BBQ).
Recently, I grabbed their Session IPA, expecting the usual overly pine-and-citrus IPA, especially because this was on the back of the label. But I was pleasantly surprised when the beer was everything but the usual session IPA.
The first smell and taste of the beer left me wanting more, it was familiar, yet totally new. And I loved it.
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I had some fun with the logo and design of the beer. A long time ago, I bought myself a jacket and along with the jacket came the pipe pin. Now, I had some use for the pin!
On the bottle cap, there is a pipe, and the Hey Joe beer logo, the old man I presume to be Joe, is also smoking his pipe. Small details from breweries are what I love about exploring new beers. Attention to these details goes far beyond just the beer.
I digress, back to the beer.
The beer had a nice dark amber colour, with the classic white head. The smell was truly amazing. I had hints of litchi and passion fruit, and not the overly pine-citrus which I am so used to by now.
The first sip led to the second and third, and the beer developed into a more complex one as it started to warm up a bit.
I am a fan of a cold beer, IPAs included, but as soon as they get closer to room temperature, they release more complex notes, sometimes the fruity and hoppy notes, but sometimes the complex malty undertones so often masked over by the extreme hops.
I poured the beer into a wide-bottomed glass with a smaller opening on top, almost like a brandy/cognac snifter. And this is a great thing. Every time I went in for the smell, and taste, I was met with the fruity and not overly hoppy flavour. The mixture of maltiness, hoppiness, and fruity flavours was a good surprise, one that I would really like to experience again! As with last week's IPA, this IPA truly surprised me for breaking away from the usual ones.
Even though the beer has around 40 IBUs, it was not too bitter and the alcohol, also not too high, warmed me up with the expected results. The beer was full-bodied and it felt like a really good and well-rounded beer. The only problem I had with the beer was that it only came out in 330ml bottles! I would have loved a full pint (500ml) of this beer; maybe they will have it available on tap at the brewery!
I was alone for about two or three weeks. Most of my family went to visit my brother in the UK, and my then-girlfriend now-fiance was still at her place, 1000km away from me.
So, to cope with the loneliness, I bought myself this beer, to think about the good times I already experienced in the presence of this beer with my father, and the expectation of my then-girlfriend's arrival. The beer was not bitter at all, and the taste of loneliness soon dissipated as I remembered all of the good times around the fire with this beer in hand.
Usually, my father drinks the Belgian Ale or the stout from Hey Joe (which I will review soon) and I typically drink this session IPA or some of the other heavier beers.
And in that moment, drinking this beer, I was transported from being alone, to being in the company of friends and family, of those who care and share similar minds - good food, good company.
Alas, as the beer glass got emptier and emptier, lacing the only trace of the beer on the side of the glass, I was brought back into my own company of this beer. The taste of passion fruit got stronger and stronger as the beer warmed up, and a slight toasty element from the malt. And I fell in love with the beer with every sip.
I hope that you find yourself in the presence of at least a good beer over the weekend!
Keep well, and remember, life is too short to drink bad beer! Get yourself a good beer and good company to share it with.
Inside the Philosopher's Beer Fridge
| Cederberg Brewery | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Voertsek IPA |
| Clarens Brewery | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 IPA | |
| 🍺 Hazelnut Brown Ale: Clarens Goes Nuts | |
| 🍺 Stout | |
| 🍺 Tondon Pilsner | |
| 🍺 Village Lager | |
| 🍺 Weiss | |
| 🍺 English Ale | |
| 🍺 Blonde | |
| 🍺 Mulled Apple Cider | |
| 🍺 Red Ale |
| Darling Brew | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Warlord Imperial IPA | |
| 🍺 Arrow Head Russian Imperial Stout | |
| 🍺 Long Claw Modern Saison |
| Devil's Peak Beer Company | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Jucy Lucy Hazy IPA | |
| 🍺 King's Blockhouse IPA |
| Drakensberg Brewery | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Cathedral Peak Pilsner | |
| 🍺 Champagne Castle Blonde Ale | |
| 🍺 Giant's Castle Stout | |
| 🍺 Amphitheater Red Ale |
| Mad Giant | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Capital DIPA (in Collaboration with Capital Craft) | |
| 🍺 Killer Hop Pale Ale |
| Route 96 Brewery | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Zamalek Lager | |
| 🍺 Summer Blond | |
| 🍺 Africa Pilsner | |
| 🍺 Stout |
| Saggy Stone Brewing Co | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Bear Jam - Session IPA |
| That Brewing Co. | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 That Blond Ale | |
| 🍺 That Subtropical Ale (Delicious Monster) | |
| 🍺 That American Pale Ale (APA) | |
| 🍺 'el Juicy IPA | |
| 🍺 VESS KISS IPA |