Beer – #1011 – Sparks – Mystical Experience

I’ve been torn between the enjoying the beer and writing about them, and then the Sparks Mystical Experience came by. So here we go. This is an IPA, but it’s a Dry Hopped Belgian IPA. Yes, the power of two, and two popular styles in some weird mashup.

a strong citrus character with a heady mix

500ml bottle of a beer that is of 7.0% ABV, which works out around the 210 calories a service, this would be 2.76 standard drinks in NZ, also this has 20 IBU things.

Sparks Mystical Experience is a beer in the style that is and IPA and it of course is brewed by Sparks Brewing, somewhere in Auckland

Mystical indeed

We used two different Saison strains to dry out the beer and give it a strong citrus character with a heady mix of yeast esters and phenols.

There’s no denying this is a Belgian beer but the hops pull it back into familiar territory as your senses are left wondering exactly where one element ends and the next begins.

So, What could possibly go wrong?

Well they are two lovely styles and mixed together it’s a question of if you’re getting a double banger or it’s a bit of a fizzer.

Aroma is the Belgian yeast thing, and it’s pale yellow like a wheat beer. The head is stark white and brilliantly firm on top, nice carbonation too.

Pale yellow with a stark and lovely firm persistent white head.

The Aroma is that Belgian yeast thing. Last is as confusing as you’d expect, with a slightly sour bitterness underneath some softer lighter notes.

There’s definitely some hop action going on too.

It kind of works, and when I kind of I mean that this is surprisingly accessible and quite nice drinking, there’s no clear winner of the hops over the yeast, although as it warms you begin to get more grassiness in the palate and that is at odds as the aroma stays Belgian bubble gum familiar.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its things from the thing. It’s quite close to being a 9, like really close and if pushed I’d find a reason to make it that good – 8 is very good , 9 is great

The double dip review

Where did I get it? A new place in Auckland town called Bottle Stop only sells craft beer.
Am I enjoying it? It’s really nice and I am indeed enjoying it
Would I have another? I would if I saw it on the shelf, this is a brewer who makes it properly nice
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes because there’ a discussion about the dominance of the yeast over the hops in this, and because it’s a nice beer.

Music for this: Glastonbury 2000 (Live) by David Bowie some outstanding and brilliant songs, in my head this is what I sound like when I sing in the shower.

INDIA PALE ALE & IPA

India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.