Cold IPA - 512 Brewing Review
When the weather gets cold, we think about stouts and malty ales to keep us red-cheeked and warm, but the IPA is always calling like a siren to a safe shore. From hop genetics to style twists, we can’t deny that the IPA has led the way for American craft beer, and why not in winter?
Well, this style isn’t technically a winter beer in our minds, but the Cold IPA is hip and cool and ready to party any time of year, and 512 Brewing out of Austin, Texas, has a new one for us, with some new hops as well.
512’s Cold IPA is a rice lager that is hopped with Cashmere and Paradigm hops to give it a crisp, light body, and a punchy, impactful aroma… or so we’re hoping. This all together gives us a 4.8% ABV crossover beer just in time for winter.
512 is an icon here in Texas with some great staples on tap, so we’re expecting a lot from this IPA. Cashmere and Paradigm hops are known to give stone fruit, melon, citrus, and herby aromas and flavors, so we’re excited to see some complexity in this elixir. Let’s get after it.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Pale yellow, clear, and topped with a cream-colored head that diminishes quickly.
On the Nose--Bright and complex. I get some very fruity aromas like peach and melon with herbal and citrus notes at the back. Exciting!
On the Palate--Immediately, the flavor is stronger and earthier than the sweet fruit aroma, so the hops balance themselves nicely. A lime bitterness is followed by herbal flavors, and finally the peach flavor from the aroma fills in at the back. For being a beer that I’m sure was heavily dry-hopped, it is more bitter than I was expecting, but is still well balanced with the sweet aroma. The body is light and crisp and it has a long-fermentation dry finish.
Final Thoughts:
Sometimes crossover beers are an absolute failure, but I think the lager IPA style is here to stay. And I think 512 Brewing’s Cold IPA is a great representation of one. It’s a modern style with modern hops. It’s aromatic and crisp, complex and satisfying, without being too light or wimpy. Cold IPA maintains a lot of freshness from the rice lager technique and the fruity, citrusy, and herbal hop selection. Honestly, the hop selection reminds me a lot of an earthier Galaxy hops, which is freakin’ awesome.
512’s Cold IPA can be consumed all year long, and I honestly think that as the old and crotchety craft beer drinkers like myself, who love malt density and hop bitterness, get pushed aside, this will be the style that comes to the forefront alongside NA beers. A bold but true prediction. And it’s not a bad thing, but the thing that makes craft beer damn interesting to follow.
Try not to be too crotchety, and keep trying new things.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew
If you are a finicky old bastard like me and struggle to let go of the hoppy, malty, and strong beers check out these other beers from 512 Brewing—Black IPA and Pecan Porter. They don’t disappoint.