Style: New England IPA
Brewery: The Pine Brewery Co.
Origin: Sweden
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 6%
Price: 32kr
Systembolaget: 31852
Award won: Gold Medal (Hazy IPA class) – Beer & Taste 2024.
Based in Falkenberg, Pine Brewing Co. opened in 2014. They recently changed their name from The Pine Ridge Brewery to avoid any name clashes with other companies in the international drinks market. In 2023, they won Swedish Brewery of the Year at the Great Swedish Beer Awards. New England IPA were first invented in 2004 in Vermont and have since grown to be one of the best loved styles of IPA around the world due to the big body and tropical fruit aroma and taste.
This had a massive haze to match the thick yellow to orange hue. A big, fluffy head formed and stayed for a fair amount of time. The aroma was deliciously sweet, with the massive fresh pineapple notes at the forefront along with mango and clementine. Upon tasting, honey dew melon was first noticed, which was then added to with again mango and pineapple. A grapefruit peel note crept in with the aftertaste at the back of the throat. The body was medium, as was the carbonation, and they were perfect for the style.
This was a wonderfully balanced NEIPA, with the big fruit notes at the forefront and the hop bitterness in the back end to finish. Well priced and easy to drink, I think this was a perfect choice for the tasting.