Judge’s Review: 85 Rating – Bitter Luck Next Time by Monkey Wrench Brewing

Mixed-Style Beer | Limited Release | USA

By Dan Preston

Judges Rating: 85
Aroma: 20
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 32
Mouthfeel: 10
Overall Impression: 17

Bitter Luck Next Time by Monkey Wrench Brewing is a cold IPA that falls under style BJCP 2021 category 34B as Mixed-Style Beer (and not category 21B Specialty IPA), due to the combination of styles, 21A American IPA and 1B American Lager. Said to be born out of Wayfinder Beer in Portland, OR, this latest rendition of the IPA not only uses a lager yeast, like another IPA spin-off the IPL (India Pale Lager), but ferments it warm, like a steam beer or Cali Common (BJCP 19B) (made famous by Anchor brewing, who hopefully will survive on!), and also uses a fair amount of adjuncts, like corn or rice of an American lager, to lighten the body and let the hops shine. This is my first of the style, so I don’t have a good comparison to go by, but it certainly seems like it fits the bill.
This beer pours a pale straw color with light haze and a bright white head that has short retention but clings to the glass. It looks like a lightly hazy version of an American lager. It has a moderately hoppy aroma, mostly fruit-focused, with notes of orange and sweet fruit. It reminds me of the German craft hops like Mandarina Bavaria, Hallertau Blanc and/or Huell Melon. Behind the hops there is a light grain character similar to rice crackers as well as more fruit (red apple, pears) from the warmer ferment of the lager yeast. The flavor has similar notes and starts with a moderately low malt flavor of lightly grain and rice that blends well into the sweet fruity hops. This then follows into more hops with a grapefruit and white grape note along with a moderate bitterness that is balanced but firm. There seems to be fairly high level of attenuation, which gives a drier finish, further accentuating the hops as well as working with the adjuncts for a lighter body too. Despite the higher esters from the warm fermented lager yeast, it still retained the crisp finish one expects in a lager. The carbonation was a touch low at moderate/low, but that could be due to the crowler packaging.
Although my first, this certainly won’t be the last cold IPA I have. It’s a welcome break from a market oversaturated with NEIPAs and is the antithesis to the abomination known as the milkshake IPA. A well-rounded easy drinker with the bitterness of an IPA, malt of a light lager and hop character of a pale ale. A little more hops would have helped, but that’s not to say it’s lacking, as it is on par with some of the better IPLs I’ve had.