Allagash and IPA—two phrases we by no means thought we’d use in the identical sentence. However boy are we excited to announce the launch of Allagash’s new year-round IPA—Hop Attain.
Allagash has dabbled with a number of restricted IPA releases. However they’ve by no means flipped head first right into a pile of hops.
We all know and love Allagash for its iconic witbier—Allagash White—impeccable Belgian tripel—Curieux. Together with an entire host of different spontaneously fermented beers and sensational saisons.
Extra lately, the brewery made waves for its cans of River Journey, a Belgian-style session ale.
However a brewery that made a reputation for itself on a little-known fashion of beer again within the late Nineties, has for probably the most half resisted completely tapping into the preferred American craft beer fashion.
Till now.
Allagash Introduces Hop Attain
Allagash’s first new year-round launch in fairly a while, Hop Attain is a 6.8% ABV IPA that includes a mix of some older American hops—Nugget and Cascade—alongside new “extra horny proprietary hops,” says Allagash Brewmaster Jason Perkins, together with Citra, Mosaic, Cashmere, and El Dorado.
“From the get go, we had been in search of one thing timeless,” says Perkins. “One thing approachable to a whole lot of completely different folks, however assertive in hop aroma.”
As a result of in basic Allagash style, the brewery resisted present tendencies. As an alternative, they targeted on merely brewing the perfect IPA they might.
“We had been excited to place our innovation course of to work, creating an IPA with our personal spin that appeals to established Allagash followers and curious beer drinkers alike,” says Rob Tod, founding father of Allagash. “Hop Attain is our personal, uniquely Allagash IPA and we are able to’t await folks to get pleasure from it as a lot as we do.”
And true to Allagash, this beer got here collectively due to the efforts of the whole Allagash group.
A Collaborative Brewing Venture
Beginning on the pilot system, Hop Attain went by way of seventeen completely different check batches over the course of seven months. With every iteration, Perkins and the brewing group tried out varied combos of hops, elements, and strategies. Afterwards, Allagash staff examined and reviewed the batches.
Based on Perkins, the group collected effectively over 400 completely different assessments from employees sensory evaluation.
Alongside the best way, the manufacturing group labored with the advertising and marketing division to develop the beer from brewing to branding.
“Approachability was a giant factor,” says Brett Willis, Allagash senior communications specialist. Accordingly, the cream background welcomes you in whereas pops of inexperienced evoke hops and splashes of blue and orange spotlight the citrusy, tropical profile.
He continues, “It feels acquainted with our branding…It feels prefer it’s part of the year-round group of beers, however it additionally feels considerably completely different and stands out on the shelf.”
One thing that shall be essential as Allagash strives to crack right into a shelf already crowded with IPAs.
Why Get All Hopped Up Now?
Maybe Perkins summed it up finest: “We felt it was time.”
Based on Perkins and Naomi Neville, Director of Gross sales at Allagash, everybody from followers to wholesalers and even the Allagash employees have been asking for a year-round IPA from the Portland, ME-based brewer for fairly a while.
“At the beginning, our employees loves ingesting nice IPAs, myself included,” says Perkins. “It’s by no means unusual for me to go go to an account on the town and, in fact, my first beer is Allagash however my second beer is usually an IPA from considered one of our good friend breweries.”
Afterall, IPAs have captivated customers’ palates for fairly a while.
Based on market analysis firm IRI, IPA gross sales at off-premise chain retailers account for 45.1% of all craft {dollars} yr thus far by way of July tenth.
And even with out an IPA frequently on the menu, Allagash nonetheless skilled this hop craze first hand.
“Within the tasting room, the primary query folks get is what’s your hoppiest beer or do you’ve got an IPA?” says Neville. “And now we’ll lastly be capable of say sure.”
Trying to faucet into the recognition of IPAs, Allagash hopes Hop Attain will ultimately rise to the extent of success of Allagash White
First, Allagash White; Second, Hop Attain
Designed to go with Allagash White, which remains to be the brewery’s best-selling beer, Hop Attain shall be a robust model in an approachable fashion.
Thus far, Allagash White gross sales are up 9 % in IRI-tracked channels, in response to Neville, who indicated the objective for Hop Attain is to fall in line behind this flagship.
“We anticipate Hop Attain to be quantity two,” says Neville.
As a brand new year-round IPA, Hop Attain isn’t actually a attain for this brewery per se, however it’s type of like paddling down a unique department within the river.
“We wished to make a beer that we hope will resonate for a few years to return, one thing you had been ingesting a number of years in the past and some years from now,” says Perkins. “We’ve by no means been development followers and that is no exception. We had been simply targeted on making the perfect beer we might. There’s a nice buzz across the brewery proper now about this entire venture and I can’t overstate how excited the group is about this beer popping out.”
And we are able to’t assist however discover ourselves simply as excited to see Hop Attain make its method onto the shelf subsequent to a few of these different basic American IPAs you will discover at a retailer close to you.
The place Can I Discover Allagash Hop Attain
Hop Attain will start rolling out to all of Allagash’s markets in 4-packs of 16oz cans, 6-packs of 12oz cans, and 12-packs of 12oz cans beginning in January 2023.
