From the Beer Writer: While breweries nationwide were jumping on the haze train at the onset of the New England-style IPA trend, Simon Lacey stayed back, biding his time, observing and tasting local examples of the style. That examination period paid off, because his eventual interpretation of the style, Whole Lotta Hazy, not only has all the soft-pillowy, fruit-forward appeal one desires from a beer like this, but features a lovely finishing bitterness more akin to a traditional West Coast IPA. For me, this renders New English Brewing’s 6.7% alcohol-by-volume hazy IPA one of the best in San Diego County. All too often, NEIPAs taste like bright, viscous mimosas, overloaded with a nearly pulpy citrus flavor profile that, while delightful, lacks any contrasting characteristics to balance it out. Whole Lotta Hazy’s pithy, piney backdrop evens out vibrant hop-wrought flavors of peach, apricot and tangerine so they can be enjoyed again and again over the course of a pint.
From the Brewer: “A true New England-style IPA with all that haze fans love…plenty of juicy fruit flavor from tons of Simcoe and Mosaic dry hopping. What sets our hazy IPA apart is the addition of Citra hops in the kettle to bring a hint of bitter citrus flavor to the party for those who crave an IPA with character. As with all our beers, Whole Lotta Hazy IPA is brewed with Clarity Ferm, making it a gluten-reduced reduced option for those who seek it out on draft or in six-packs.”—Simon Lacey, Co-owner & Brewmaster, New English Brewing
