Samuel Adams Releases Rebel IPA: Now Available Nationwide
30 Jan 2014 --- After countless test batches in Samuel Adams' Boston-based nanobrewery, the brewers are ready to share Samuel Adams Rebel IPA with drinkers across the country. Rebel IPA is a West Coast style IPA brewed to maximize the aromatics and flavors of five of the brewers' favorite American hops from the Pacific Northwest.
Rebel IPA packs big citrus and grapefruit aromas along with piney and resinous notes that come from these West Coast hops, each of which imparts unique characteristics to the brew:
- Cascade: Citrus and grapefruit flavor with subtle floral balance
- Simcoe: Grapefruit peel and pine notes
- Centennial: Citrus flavor with clean resinous notes
- Chinook: American pine character with slight spice notes
- Amarillo: Orange, grapefruit and notes of tangerine and some sweetness
Rebel IPA was among the first beers to be developed in the Samuel Adams nanobrewery, or "nano," a small batch, 10-gallon brewery system that operates within the walls of the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery. In the nano, the brewers constantly challenge themselves to brew experimental, small batch beers using diverse recipes and ingredients as well as new brewing techniques. For Rebel IPA, the brewers dug deep into the brewery's rebellious roots passed down from namesake patriot Samuel Adams, and Founder Jim Koch (a rebel in the craft beer movement), to create an IPA that isn't based solely on bitterness level like many other West Coast style IPAs. Instead, Rebel IPA pays homage to the aromatics and flavors of these West Coast hop varieties, providing a punch of hop aroma and flavor without too much bitterness.
Brewers' tasting notes:
- Rebel IPA is a medium-bodied IPA with a bright copper color and an ABV of 6.5 percent.
- The West Coast hops used in this brew lend citrus and grapefruit aromas along with piney and resinous notes that come through in both the flavor and aroma. The yeast imparts a slight fruity flavor.
- At 45 IBUs, Rebel IPA is not overwhelmingly bitter. Rather, the brewers went for full hop character with a focus on big hop aroma and flavor, maximizing what each hop brings to the table, resulting in a beer that is full of hop flavor but also refreshing.
What Seth Adams, Brewer at the Samuel Adams nanobrewery, has to say about the beer: "We built the Samuel Adams nanobrewery to experiment with different brewing techniques and ingredients in small batches. The nano acts as a test kitchen within our Boston Brewery, and it was here that Rebel IPA was born. The West Coast hops we use in this brew are some of my personal favorites and I'm extremely proud to see this brew grow from these experimental roots to being available nationwide."
