If you've been keeping up with Noble Ale Works and their single-hopped Double IPA Showers Series, you know their Sorachi Ace Showers (not sriracha) is their 13th installment of the series, following storied hops such as Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado. And oh is it delicious.
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The concept behind brewmaster Evan Price's use of single hop varietals in a Double IPA is no different than a single origin cup of coffee. Isolating a single hop in a beer allows the hop to show its true flavor without blending with the flavors of others. And while Price is not the first to present a series of single-hopped beers, he is the only brewer practicing this sort of release in Orange County, which means he has a monopoly on optimal freshness.
The Sorachi Ace hop, originally designed for Sapporo Breweries in Japan in the 1970s, finally became available in the US in 2008. It is a blend of Saaz and Brewer's Gold hops and lends bright notes of lemon and coriander to any brew. Price's use of the hop results in a beer that tastes like a mimosa and piña colada had a sweet, sweet baby with an above average booziness of 8.8 ABV.
Price and his team churn out batches of single-hopped brews quickly, so they can be here today and gone in an instant. But because their team is so quick, no matter when you stop by the Anaheim brewery, a Showers beer will almost always be sitting in kegs waiting for you to drink. So this week try Sorachi Ace Showers before it's all gone.
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