Zero Issue Brewing Muspelheim IPA (Issue #46) – India Red Ale at 5.9% ABV (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 10-Jun-2021, reviewed 16-Jun-2021)
Appearance: slightly hazy red-tinged medium amber with two fingers of rocky light tan head, excellent retention and moderate chunky soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: sweet caramel, grass, light pine, faint citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter mildly warming finish. (4/5)
Muspelheim is, of course, one of the Nine Realms, the home of the Fire Giants, guarded by Surtr (“Surt”). The brewer calls this “a Red IPA with a hop profile that pays homage to the west coast varietals. A delicious offering we can imagine even Surt might enjoy.” Well, I can’t speak to what a giant fire being might or might not enjoy, but I personally don’t see a whole lot of West Coast influence here. It’s malt-dominant, with some slightly muddled hops playing second fiddle to grassy slightly piney hops. (Yes, I know it’s Muspelheim, not The Devil Went Down to Georgia!) Checking my records, I see that this is a style I neither frequently have, nor enjoy all that much: for n=10, μ=7 & σ=0.62. Zero Issue , on the other hand, I’ve had more frequently, and generally enjoy: for n=22, μ=7.4 & σ=0.51. So, I dunno – better than average for the style, but worse than average for the brewer? Yeah, that sounds about right. (And, by the way, with Midgard, this is the second of the Nine Realms now represented. I assume we’ll be seeing Asgard, Jotunheim, Svartalfheim, Vanaheim, Nidavellir, Niflheim, and Alfheim in due course?) (15/20)
7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze
