WHEN you mention the word milk in relation to beer, you probably think about milk stouts. The black stuff seems a more natural fit for the smooth and slightly creamy characteristics the addition of lactose can bring to a beer.
However, in recent years, many brewers have been adding lactose to IPAs with, I must say, varying degrees of success. Like with any style du jour, the milkshake IPA, as it has come to be known, has its ardent followers and its sceptics. I have pitched myself somewhere in between as I have had milkshake IPAs I’ve liked while others I have found somewhat sickly and unbalanced.
The more variables you introduce to a beer beyond the simple water, malt, hops and yeast, the more varied results you’ll get, so adding an extra sugar in the form of lactose must be done judiciously. Getting it right is tricky but when a brewer pulls it off, the results are fantastic, just as they have turned out to be in the recent offering from Beer Hut.
The south Down brewers have just realised their own milkshake IPA called There’s Something In The Water and the first thing that strikes you about this 6 per cent IPA is the stunning open-mouthed-shark can design (echoes of Jaws).
It pours a hazy light amber colour with a very slight white head. On the pour, the fine, sparkly carbonation races up the glass, but quickly settles. There are aromas of peachy and grapefruit, with a slight sweet and sugary smell too.
On the palate, those stone fruit flavours come alive, with a hint of melon and more tropical flavours following hot on the heals. This is a juicy number all right and with the medium, slightly thick, mouthfeel, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were gulping down a glass of breakfast juice.
And therein lies the great success of this beer because the lactose serves to thicken up the consistency and smooth out the carbonation without trampling over the flavour and creating a sickly sweet beer, which has been the downfall of many a milkshake IPA.
The hops used are Simcoe and Citra, and there is minimal bitterness, with a slight hint of grapefruit, but this is a ridiculously drinkable beer and an absolute must for milkshake IPA fans, it might even win over a few sceptics too.
