Beer of the Week: Ascent

There are many hop varietals that are one-note. Citra comes across like citrus fruit, namely orange. Nectaron is reminiscent of nectarines. Chinook smells and tastes like pine. Lemon Drop…OK, you get the idea. These are splendid hops, but I particularly love those that offer a host of different flavors and aromas. My favorite of those multifaceted varietals is Mosaic, with Strata coming in a close second. I still remember the first time I sampled a beer made with the former, an IPA Karl Strauss Brewing’s team was so impressed by that they named it after the hop. While pineapple is the most prominent expression I get from Mosaic, it offers a wealth of other tropical notes, along with citrus and stone-fruit flavors and aromas. There’s likely no varietal that can do the work of four or five different hops the way Mosaic does, but if there is, it’s Strata. Valued by brewers for its trademark berry characteristics, it, too, has far more to offer in the way of citrus, tropical and stone-fruit nuances. During last year’s wet-hop season, when just-picked, whole-cone Strata was available in greater abundance than most fresh hops, local drinkers had the chance to see what this varietal is capable of. Already well aware, I made sure to try as many as possible and, well, let’s just say I had one heck of a harvest season. So, too, did the brewers at Mother Earth Brew Co., who spent the better part of autumn securing above-par lots of Mosaic and Strata for this week’s featured beer, Ascent IPA. A new year-round beer for the Vista-birthed company, it hit their taprooms and store shelves this week, and does both hops justice. A bouquet of passionfruit, pineapple and tangerine precedes a palate intermingling pineapple, peach, grapefruit and red currant. Though texturally on the lighter side for the style, a quick hit of bitterness at the end makes it clear this is a West Coast IPA, and a good one at that.

Ascent represents the first year-round IPA released by Mother Earth in more than five years. The brewing team built this IPA around the dynamic combination of Mosaic and Strata hops. This past year’s hop selections revolved heavily on selecting the exact Strata and Mosaic for this project, and we are digging the combination of ripe tropical fruits and berry jam with a touch of dankness. That dankness is amplified with a small complementary addition of Nelson Sauvin, which elevates the hop funk and adds a richness to the aromatics and flavor profile. As a West Coast IPA build goes, Ascent hits the marks for a pale, moderately bitter, crisp, dry-finishing and intensely hop-forward IPA. And it’s double dry-hopped for an added punch of hop aroma and to make our brewers earn that money.”

Matt Watterson, Head Brewer, Mother Earth Brew Co.

Mother Earth Brew Co.’s tasting room is located at 2055 Thibodo Road in Vista