X331: An Experimental Super-Hop Strain that will likely become the next Citra/Mosaic for IPAs
Featuring the X331 New England India Pale Ale. This hop puts out super fruity and dank notes at the same time, its kind of like a mix of Simcoe and Citra. The official description from the creators at Indie Hops is “Fresh tropical citrus, with a hint of wafting joint smoke from around the block." It seriously tastes exactly as they described it, and it is seriously good. I have a strong feeling this strain is going to be BIG so look out for commercial examples over the next year.
Ingredients:
Briess 2-Row Pale Malt
X331 Hops
London ale III Yeast
Pictured is the x331 SMASH NEIPA I brewed in a sweet Burial Brewing Co. Teku glass and some of my laundry room "brewery."
Tasting notes on this batch: Lots of tangerine and passion fruit; its more juicy feeling than citra, which was my previous go to to support this style. I noticed that before the 2nd dry hopping it was much more fruit forward and less dank so next time i may take it easy on the quantity! A whole # went into this one...🤤 If you've never had a home brewed example of this style, or any IPA, I suggest you go make friends with a homebrewer! Something just gets lost in translation on a commercial scale for all but the best brewers.
That is of course only my opinion, and I will actually be reviewing a lot of really good commercial brews coming out of Asheville, NC in the near future so give me a follow!
Additional Details:
I brewed this to be a New England IPA, or NEIPA. This style is characterized by its hazy appearance, heavy late boil/dry hop additions, and for coining the descriptor "juicy." These IPAs are low bitterness and can be highly fruity/dank. There were two dry hoppings on this batch, the first charge was 4oz during high krausen, meaning the beer was actively fermenting which allows the hops to undergo a process called bio-transformation. The second charge, also 4oz, was dropped directly into the serving keg.
Also if you have any further questions about my process, water profile, etc just leave me a comment and I will definitely get back to you.
I would love to try this, sounds phenomenal. Still hoping I can make it down to Asheville in the coming months, need to get back there and hit up more of the craft breweries. BTW...
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Let me know if you have any questions regarding the project or nomination. Hope to hear from you soon!
Hey thanks for reaching out and you will definitely have the opportunity to try this hop strain soon, its still basically unknown but that won't last long! I am interested in the @ocd project and have followed. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for your project, and you can expect to see more reviews of Asheville beer as well as my own batches daily. PS if you get the chance to come out to Asheville I would love to link up or at least give you some recommendations on where to visit.
Oh I will definitely reach out to you if I am heading down that way, would be more than happy to meet up or just be pointed in the right direction.
So it's cool if I nominate your post right? lol, just need to be sure since if your post is selected they will want to be able to use one of your pictures.
Absolutely go for it! There will be much more content to come as well.
I'm excited to see what's to come. BTW I may have to hit you up once I get my Dad's brewing equipment down at my house and start brewing myself!
Its a lot of fun, i'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys beer! Definitely hit me up. I might make some guides in the future as well.
I have always been fascinated with making beer but a lot of the kits and what have you suck. If you don't mind my asking what is your set up and how long did it take you to get your ale like that? I think it looks rather good as I can see the fullness in both the head and lack of transparency.
Hey @jacobchamplain thanks for the kind words! Making beer is a blast, and I agree the kits might help you get your foot in the door, but they fall short of a real brewing experience. I use the most simple "all grain" set up to brew which is called "BIAB" or brew in a bag. The trend started in Australia, and is becoming widely recognized as not only the most simple method, but as a method which produces quality indistinguishable from some of the more complex brewing methods. You only need one vessel, and a large mesh bag which will hold your grains. I will definitely write up a quick BIAB guide sometime next week when I brew going from "grain to glass." I've been brewing consistently for close to 2 years now, its a great way to kick back and enjoy a morning or afternoon!
Hmmm, very interesting, New England IPA's are so hot right now, I'm interested in the Hop as well as Citra would have to be one of my 'go to hops' whether drinking or brewing.
Citra has definitely established itself, i'm a big fan as well. If its a pale or an IPA i'm hard pressed not to include citra! I look forward to seeing the way the meta shifts in the next 6 months though and see where the market takes us. Cryohops (think water hash but hops) have definitely been an interesting development and I'll have some posts on that in the near future!