Advanced Fluid Dynamics: Sultana by WeldWerks Brewing Co. is a New England Double IPA and is being evaluated as a Specialty IPA (category 21B in the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). The focus of the Double IPA style is hops, hops and more hops. Additionally, despite being a high-alcohol content style, Double IPAs are fairly drinkable and lack a heavy malty body, which are more typical traits of beers of these strengths. New England IPAs are known for their juicy/tropical fruit/citrusy hop forward character, hazy appearance, and lighter-than-typical American IPA bitterness. Advanced Fluid Dynamics: Sultana is brewed with Sabro, Lotus and Sultana hop varieties.

Advanced Fluid Dynamics Sultana pours golden in color with a slight haze and a finely beaded white head. The aroma is of very prominent hops with resiny, tropical fruity and citrusy characters; no malt is evident in the aroma. The flavor is again very strongly hoppy with hop flavors of resin, pine, tropical fruit  and coconut with few malt flavors. The bitterness is medium, and the beer finishes with very prominent citrusy, piney, resiny and tropical fruity hops.

This is an excellent Double IPA that has a little “New England” element; tropical fruit is added into a typical Double IPA profile, the beer is hazy, and the bitterness is a little restrained. The hop character is broad and the balance between the different hop flavors is even. This is a beer that “old school” and “new school” hopheads will equally enjoy. Dangerously drinkable!