Beer of the Week: All Gas, No Brakes
An exploration of advanced hop products leads to the co-founder of Alpine's Mcilhenney Brewing creating what's become his favorite IPA
Even as someone who has used this term countless times to describe beers brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops, I understand how offputting it sounds. Diesel! I mean, imagine if a mixologist described their latest house cocktail as tasting of pomegranate, tangerine, lemongrass and Arco unleaded. Uh…yum? I see this say-what sentiment in the eyes of anyone who asks me what to expect from an IPA brewed with the aforementioned New Zealand-bred hop varietal. Expect notes of Sauvignon Blanc wine grapes, gooseberry, tropical fruit and petrol. It sounds so outrageous, but it’s spot-on accurate, as that unmistakable aroma is an omnipresent characteristic of Nelson. I’ll be honest. Despite loving much of what this unique hop brings to the table, I am not a fan of its fuel-like notes. They’ve ruined a great many otherwise fantastic IPA for me. That said, some of the best New Zealand-hopped IPAs I’ve ever had have been Nelson-forward, exhibiting diesel notes. It’s really something when a brewer finds a way to skillfully integrate such a polarizing varietal. Enter this week’s featured beer, All Gas, No Brakes from Mcilhenney Brewing. As an early adopter and constant celebrant of New Zealand hops, that Alpine operation’s co-owner and head brewer, Shawn Mcilhenney, has been working with Nelson for decades. And it really shows in this beer, which has plenty of gasoline going on, but rather than insisting upon itself as an outlier, that quality works with the IPAs hop-bitterness to balance out its sweetness. The result is a bone-dry texture, which allows one to pick up on the subtler Satsuma orange, nectarine and white-peach notes imparted by supporting hop varietals, Nectaron and Superdelic. It’s a truly delicious IPA that’s easy to drink and enjoy even if one of its sensory descriptors is sure to confuse those who are new to Nelson. If you fit that description, give All Gas, No Brakes a shot, as it might be your best local shot at understanding this admittedly odd yet much-beloved hop.
My goal for this beer was to showcase my personal-favorite hops from New Zealand and the newest advanced hop products from Yakima Chief Hops, in an approachable 6.6% (alcohol-by-volume) West Coast IPA. At the time, Dynaboost was new to the market, as were Cryo versions of Nectaron and Superdelic, so obviously I had to combine them to see what would happen! It gained popularity amongst local brewers and taproom patrons, and recently took gold at the San Diego County Fair Craft Brew Competition in the West Coast IPA category. It’s loud and aggressive, but infinitely drinkable. Not only is it my favorite beer to brew…it’s currently my favorite beer to drink.”
Shawn Mcilhenney, Co-owner & Head Brewer, Mcilhenney Brewing
Mcilhenney Brewing is located at 2363 Alpine Boulevard in Alpine