Widmer Brothers Hopside Down
Widmer Brothers Hopside Down is an India Pale Lager. What is an India Pale Lager you ask? Is it a really hopped up pilsner? Is it a dry-hopped IPA that’s crafted with lager yeast?
Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose it’s up to the brewery that’s diving into his latest trend in beer styles. According to the Widmer Brothers website, it looks as though they’ve taken a lager and “aggressively hopped” (with a blend of Alchemy and Cascade varieties) this latest offering in their Rotator IPA series.
At 50 IBU, this crisp brew certainly packs a good amount of bitterness and it’s aroma definitely hints at an IPA. It’s body, however, leans toward a lager with it’s smooth drinking crispness and solid malt backbone. Hopside Down is a nicely balanced brew that brings the best of two realms (IPA and lager) together in a singular, tasty product.
Appearance
Hopside Down pours golden in color with a small and relatively short-lived cap of white foam.
Aroma
A solid amount of piney, citrusy hops fill the nose with hints of grapefruit, grain and lager yeast in the background.
Taste
The lager backbone is definitely there throughout the life of the brew, from the initial burst of grapefruit and citrus rind to the linger dryness and pine in the finish. The bitterness is pretty assertive and driven by a sharp mouthfeel but it’s also balanced out nicely with grin and a light malt sweetness. At 6.7% ABV, the brew leaves a bit of a warming glow in the finish.
Overall
I thoroughly enjoyed this brew. Hopside Down brings a well balanced approach to combining an IPA and lager into a single entity. S solid hop character with good bitterness and bready malt come together as compliments. This bottle may have been a sample provided by Widmer Brothers, but the future six packs of Hopside Down to fill my fridge gladly be purchased on my part.
Rating: 4/5
This is a review of a promotional sample from the brewery.
