Beer of the Week: Colors

From the Beer Writer: So, what hops did you use in this beer? It seemed like I was asking an innocent enough question, but some things are sacred. The response I received from Brian Mitchell, lover of Prince and the color black, and headman at North Park’s Pariah Brewing, was that such info was confidential. I’m accustomed to brewers not wanting to give up the store. In fact, when this happens, it almost makes it even more fun to sample a beer. Instead of imagining sensory attributes of ingredients I know are present, my olfactory and taste buds get to flex their muscles. For Colors, a hazy IPA coming on in conjunction with Pariah’s four-year anniversary and sticking around as a year-round beer, I get tangerine oil on the nose followed by orange, peach and cantaloupe on my palate. The finish has a gentle, tannic bitterness that reminds me of white wine. There are numerous hops that could bring on these characteristics, which makes for a fun guessing game for hop-centric beer nerds. It would appear I’m part of that club.

From the Brewer: “Colors IPA is a representation of everything we’ve learned in making hoppy beers over the last four years at Pariah. Arriving at our own distinct profile has always been my top priority, and I feel we’ve achieved that. We use a very purposeful blend of American and New Zealand hops in this beer which, to us, express some pretty rad notes of enriched orange juice, cantaloupe, dried mango and passion fruit that develop throughout the drinking experience. Our house Fidelio yeast throws complimentary Fruit Stripe Gum esters into the mix, and a balanced bitterness keeps the finish clean even for a fluffy bodied beer. We strive for elegance within boldness and hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do!”—Brian Mitchell, Owner & Brewmaster, Pariah Brewing