Fjord NEIPA

  First of all in case you were wondering, S.Y.C. stands for “Show Your Colors,” an apt name for a new brewery dedicating itself to making top notch new beers. SYC brewing has devoted itself to brewing a variety of styles, instead of focusing on just a couple as some new breweries tend to do. Instead, SYC’s range of beers include lagers and IPAs as well as Saisons, Belgian dubbels, and a couple of sours. 

On a recent trip to the liquor store, I found a single can of Fjord in the "breakage" section. This is the section where the liquor store breaks up a 4 pack of beer when one of the cans is broken. This way, the store sells the other three cans without losing too much money on a 4 pack they can't sell. It's also great news for me since I can try new beer without havin to commit to a 4 pack of beer I might not like. Fjord NEIPA is hazy, and a bright, almost golden amber in color. The head is rocky, bone white, and lasting.

The aroma on this NEIPA is fairly bursting with hops. I could smell those citrusy hops as soon as I opened the can. On closer examination, Fjord’s nose is all about the hops. Hops are an enticing mix of navel oranges and ripe peaches, combining to give a ripe, fresh fruit juiciness. Hints of rising bread dough lend support to the beer’s overall hoppiness. These two elements of clean, simple malt and ripe, juicy hops give Fjord a pleasing nose any hop lover should enjoy.

As for the flavor and mouthfeel, Fjord NEIPA is smooth, and medium bodied. There’s a gentle, spritzy carbonation helping give support and structure to the beer’s flavors. Bready malt flavors come in first, giving a platform for the upcoming hop blast. As with the nose, the hops are all ripe fruit juiciness. Hop flavors start with slightly bitter flavors of orange before moving into more generic flavors of pear and ripe stone fruit. All of this leads into a lingering dry, bitter finish.

I think Fjord NEIPA deserves an 8.5 out of 10. It’s very much what a New England IPA should be. There’s a huge hop presence that is all about ripe, fresh fruit. Malt profiles take a back seat, giving a simple platform for the hops to stand on and be the star of the show. Well worth checking out, and one of the better examples of the style.