New Zealand’s Birkenhead Brewing Company (BBC) has collaborated with US brewers Ninkasi to create Beautiful Trouble IPA.
The collaborative brew launches at the same time the BBC is preparing to enter the Australian market on 1 April.
Beautiful Trouble is a combination of New Zealand and US hops. It is a big American IPA which has a citrusy hop aroma with a big hop flavour balanced on rich UK Ale, Munich and Vienna malts. It is 7% ABV and 65 IBU.
It will be available in 30 litre kegs along with 888ml and 330ml bottles and 330ml rip top lid cans.
BBC’s Founder and ‘Beer Baron’ Steve Simms told Beer & Brewer that Beautiful Trouble is designed to be an “an amazing invasion” in the mouth.
“What’s different about this style of brewing versus the way that we traditionally make IPAs in New Zealand and Australia is the way that they dry hop the process in the US, which is a closely guarded secret like the 11 herbs and spices of Colonel Sanders,” said Simms.
“My brief to Ninkasi was that I just wanted something that goes in and causes an amazing invasion and explosion in your mouth. I wanted something that would disappear as soon as you drank it and I wanted something that when you smell it you know what’s coming. So that was my part and then the scientists made it happen.
“Needless to say, our dry hop process took a very long time and it was done specifically at certain points. So we actually think that we’ve got a good little KFC recipe out of this.”
Ninkasi already boast the top selling IPA on the Northwest Coast of the US, but what’s really interesting about the brewery is that it also has its own recording studio and each of its beers has its own song.
Beautiful Trouble IPA is no different.
According to Simms, this will be the first beer in Australasia to be released with a song attached to it. The song Beautiful Trouble by New Zealand musician Andrew White can be downloaded by scanning a QR code on the bottle.
On 1 April BBC will launch its range of beers in Australia through the on-premise and select retailers.
The range includes Rawene, a 6% ABV and 22 IBU Coconut & Vanilla Oatmeal Stout; Kauri Double IPS, which is 7.6% ABV and 65-70 IBU; Pacific Pale Ale, which is 4.6% ABV and 27 IBU; Birkenhead Pilsner, which is 4.8% ABV and 21 IBU.