BOSTON, MA — After countless test batches in Samuel Adams’ Boston-based nanobrewery, the brewers are ready to share Samuel Adams Rebel IPA with drinkers across the country. Rebel IPA is a West Coast style IPA brewed to maximize the aromatics and flavors of five of the brewers’ favorite American hops from the Pacific Northwest.
Rebel IPA packs big citrus and grapefruit aromas along with piney and resinous notes that come from these West Coast hops, each of which imparts unique characteristics to the brew:
- Cascade: Citrus and grapefruit flavor with subtle floral balance
- Simcoe®: Grapefruit peel and pine notes
- Centennial: Citrus flavor with clean resinous notes
- Chinook: American pine character with slight spice note
- Amarillo®: Orange, grapefruit and notes of tangerine and some sweetness
Rebel IPA was among the first beers to be developed in the Samuel Adams nanobrewery, or “nano,” a small batch, 10-gallon brewery system that operates within the walls of the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery. In the nano, the brewers constantly challenge themselves to brew experimental, small batch beers using diverse recipes and ingredients as well as new brewing techniques. For Rebel IPA, the brewers dug deep into the brewery’s rebellious roots passed down from namesake patriot Samuel Adams, and Founder Jim Koch (a rebel in the craft beer movement), to create an IPA that isn’t based solely on bitterness level like many other West Coast style IPAs. Instead, Rebel IPA pays homage to the aromatics and flavors of these West Coast hop varieties, providing a punch of hop aroma and flavor without too much bitterness.
Brewers’ tasting notes:
- Rebel IPA is a medium-bodied IPA with a bright copper color and an ABV of 6.5 percent.
- The West Coast hops used in this brew lend citrus and grapefruit aromas along with piney and resinous notes that come through in both the flavor and aroma. The yeast imparts a slight fruity flavor.
- At 45 IBUs, Rebel IPA is not overwhelmingly bitter. Rather, the brewers went for full hop character with a focus on big hop aroma and flavor, maximizing what each hop brings to the table, resulting in a beer that is full of hop flavor but also refreshing.
What Seth Adams, Brewer at the Samuel Adams nanobrewery, has to say about the beer: “We built the Samuel Adams nanobrewery to experiment with different brewing techniques and ingredients in small batches. The nano acts as a test kitchen within our Boston Brewery, and it was here that Rebel IPA was born. The West Coast hops we use in this brew are some of my personal favorites and I’m extremely proud to see this brew grow from these experimental roots to being available nationwide.”
How to get your hands on the brew:
- As of January, Samuel Adams Rebel IPA is available on draft nationwide.
- Beginning in February, it will be available in bottles, in six-packs for a suggested retail price of $7.99-$9.99, and in 12-packs for a suggested retail price of $14.99-$17.99 (prices vary by market).
Learn more:
- Brewer Tasting Video: http://youtu.be/-IfTeIixaGo
- For additional information and to locate a retailer visit www.samueladams.com.
ABOUT THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY:
The Boston Beer Company began in 1984 with a generations-old family recipe that Founder and Brewer Jim Koch uncovered in his father’s attic. Inspired and unafraid to challenge conventional thinking about beer, Jim brought the recipe to life in his kitchen. Pleased with the results of his work, Jim decided to sample his beer with bars in Boston in the hopes that drinkers would appreciate the complex, full-flavored beer he brewed fresh in America. That beer was aptly named Samuel Adams Boston Lager, in recognition of one of our nation’s great founding fathers, a man of independent mind and spirit. Little did Jim know at the time, Samuel Adams Boston Lager would soon become a catalyst of the American craft beer revolution.
Today, The Boston Beer Company brews more than 50 styles of beer. It relentlessly pursues the development of new styles and the perfection of classic beers by searching the world for the finest ingredients. Using the traditional four vessel brewing process, the Company often takes extra steps like dry-hopping, barrel-aging and a secondary fermentation known as krausening. The Company has also pioneered another revolution, the ‘extreme beer’ movement, where it seeks to challenge drinker’s perceptions of what beer can be. The Boston Beer Company has been committed to elevating the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and competitions around the globe, and is one of world’s most awarded breweries at international beer competitions. As an independent company, brewing quality beer remains its single focus. Although Samuel Adams beer is America’s largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for only one percent of the U.S. beer market. The Boston Beer Company will continue its independently-minded quest to brew great beer and to advocate for the growth of craft beer across America. For more information, please visit www.samueladams.com.