Carolina Bauernhaus - FRIPA

Second up from Carolina Bauernhaus is their unfiltered farmhouse Rye IPA. This delicious hazy IPA is brewed with regionally grown and malted two-row barley and heirloom rye malt, providing a spicy-sweet backdrop for massive levels of Falconers Flight, Simcoe, and Zythos hops. For how many hazy IPAs we’ve had cross our tasting panels as of late, it’s always great to encounter one that truly stands out. The rye component here is sublime, with core malts offering chewy sugars and rounded, complex earthiness that’s pervasively spicy throughout.

FRIPA pours a hazy, bright amber-orange color with nicely formed off-white foam. The aromatics come through brightly from the start, with that chewy core rye accompanied by subtle cotton candy and candied sweetness, and just a ton of dense hoppiness. Lots of tree fruit present: limes, lemons, a hint of tangerine. This avoids the melony focus of lackluster hazies in favor of bright fruit, firm accompanying pine, and especially smooth hoppiness.

This hazy IPA nails the overall mouthfeel: nicely creamy and juicy, with a seemingly endless rollout of generously fruity hops. There’s the aforementioned lemons, limes, and tangerine, along with sweet mango, pine, even a hint of passion fruit. The hop character firmly lands in bright-tree fruit territory, but there’s also lots of welcome core bitterness here to balance out against the lightly sweet malt character. The spiciness of the rye serves to help amplify those hops, alongside some subtle chewy caramelization. A touch of fruity vinous alcohol plays out along the edges, keeping this feeling streamlined, as that hop bitterness gradually builds in sip after sip. For how much soft, engaging maltiness is present here (plus that complex rye), the hop additions do great work steering this into super drinkable territory. This was absolutely a standout beer for us, offering up everything we’re looking for from a hazy IPA, and more.

We encourage folks to enjoy this one as fresh as possible. For a fruit-forward hazy IPA with some spicy rye present, look to either some rich cheeses as a creamy counterpoint, or grilled chicken with tropical salsa. Maybe wood-roasted pizza, with caramelized fennel and onion.