Our July choice for Beer of the Month, M-43 New England IPA, is from Old Nation Brewing’s “New Orthodox” IPA series.
Last week, we were at HopCat in Grand Rapids on our “best burger and beer combo” tour and had the opportunity to do some taste testing out of both a can and off the tap. While we enjoy a great can of beer, especially in one of our koozies, the M-43 tends to settle a bit near the bottom and we recommend having them pour you a draft when possible.
M-43 is a juicy IPA made using a slightly different process than the normal IPAs we’re familiar with. The brewers use oats to secure the juiciness near the end of the beer. It is also dry-hopped during fermentation.
This beer is hazy and cloudy in features. M-43 gets its haze “not from yeast, but rather from an interplay of lipids from the malted oat and oils and acids which naturally occur in the hand selected Dry hops”, according to the Old Nation website.
M-43 uses a combo of Calypso, Amarillo, Citra and Simcoe hops for it’s 6.8% ABV and 65 IBUs.
BeerAdvocate.com rates it as a “world class” 96. With 242 ratings on their website, M-43 brings home a 4.45 average on a scale of 5.
Old Nation Brewing is located in Williamston, MI, about 90 miles east of Beer City, USA.
From the Old Nation website:
“The First release in Old Nation’s “New Orthodox” IPA series, M-43 is designed to accentuate the deep and complex character from the combination of Calypso, Simcoe, Citra and Amarillo hops. Citrus and Tropical notes of Pineapple, Mango and Grapefruit come through in the huge, yet surprisingly delicate aroma. The flavor backs these aromas with a soft, pillowy mouthfeel. Hop bitterness is not particularly intense, which leads to a very drinkable, New England IPA even non-IPA fans love. The Haze is not from yeast, but rather from an interplay of lipids from the malted oat and oils and acids which naturally occur in the hand selected Dry hops. This beer is a perfect interplay between top grade malt and hops, MI water and brewing technique which cannot be faked.
Hops aren’t cheap, but M-43 is worth every penny!”
We agree.