I am a huge fan of the New England IPA. They often make my list of The Best Craft Beer that I drink each month. Hazy Jane pours a turbid light golden-orange color with a frothy off-white foam. I found a light tea note with some bitter herbal flavors to dominate the aroma. Subtle orange and pineapple wafted in and out. The hallmark of this beer is its balance of bitterness and bright fruit flavor in the taste. Growing up is hard, but BrewDog makes it seem less hard. Now going through the peach fuzz phase, their Hazy Jane IPA sees great flavors on the other side of growth. Similarly, Mind Haze didn’t deliver anything mind-blowing. But, we could appreciate the more sessionable qualities of this beer. Firestone Walker opted for a more drinkable, balanced New England IPA. And while the aroma is fittingly citric and tropical, the body and flavor were just a touch too thin for us. Still, it’s more than a solid option for an easy to find hazy IPA. You may notice that they describe this beer as a Vermont style IPA. The New England IPA is still developing and there are lots of different names for it. Some call it a Northeast IPA as well.

Also, my can reads 7.2% ABV which is _way_ above what's listed here. Can looks exactly as it does in the picture, though. Pineapple the strongest aroma here, the alcohol breezes through gently but adds a nice little amount of spicey heat on a deep inhale. Bits of mango and bready malt. General citrusy hop notes, very zesty. Some mango too, typical for the style. The finish is mouth-watering and smooth. Per the style, there was nearly no bitterness to it. Again, for those that typically do not like IPAs, this makes Hazy Jane a great option. Final Thoughts This beer is supposed to be very cloudy. Don’t be shy to get a good bit of the hot break into the fermenter. I see no reason why the demand for New England IPAs will fade. But supply will increase as more and more breweries brew them.Pours out to a turbid deep yellow, forming a modest white head with average retention and lacing. Carbonation is a little on the mild side, ~2.25 or so. The nose is really nice. The munich malt shines through with a nice grainy character followed by pineapple, mango, guava nectar. No pine/MJ or cat pee. Straight up tropical fruits. Mouthfeel is smooth and medium dense bodied, somewhat creamy/slightly syrupy but pillow soft like a cozy blanket. The taste is a recap of the nose, but there is a little pine in the bitterness which is fairly mild. Despite the intense hops, the malt character shines through which makes this a bit more unique compared to many that are brewed with other sugars. Quite drinkable. No off flavors or aromas. Very well brewed. But, over the past few years, everyone has caught onto the trend with several of the larger American craft breweries brewing their own versions. Folks like Sierra Nevada, Rogue, and others have launched their own successful takes on the New England IPA. But these have hit shelves across the country. Not just in one specific market.

While most breweries opt for a predominantly sweet juice flavor, BrewDog has injected some piney bitterness into their rendition of a hazy IPA. There is some malt sweetness and tropical fruit qualities, but the inclusion of some more prominent dank, pine makes for a pleasantly different hazy IPA. Overall the mouthfeel is full and well-rounded without being chewy or overwhelming. It’s a refreshing, tasty experience. The Bottom Line Last year we put together a series around New England-style IPAs. And this year we’re adding a few more to our list. More often than not, the best hazy IPAs are from local breweries. The trendy, turbid beer style, popularized by New England breweries like The Alchemist, Tree House, Lawson’s, and others, is synonymous with fresh. Those explosive, fruit flavors so characteristic of the style will fade over time. So, most small, craft breweries, even those with wide distribution networks, prioritize the small-batch release for their hazy IPAs. Almanac regularly produces this hazy IPA, but often gives the can a makeover whether it’s for the holidays in December or during Pride month in June. Regardless of the outside, the inside always stays the same. Dry hopped with Mosaic, Citra, and Sabroc, LOVE also features pilsner malt and rolled oats. All combine for a super pillowy and approachable hazy with big, bright, and juicy notes. We named this New England-style IPA one of the 5 best beers we drank last June. Bonus: If you do buy LOVE during Pride month every June, Almanac typically donates a portion of the proceeds to a local LGBTQ+ organization. BrewDog nailed it with Hazy Jane. This is exactly what I have come to expect from a New England IPA. Any time there is a trend, I worry that everyone will jump on board. But this doesn’t mean the beer will be good; it just means they want to capitalize on the trend.I poured it directly out of the refrigerator so it was still very cold. I think this added to the appealing flavor it had. While some beers are better closer to room temperature, most New England IPAs seem to be best cold.

As the can will tell you, there is ample amounts of pineapple and mango in the flavor. It has a juice like sweetness to it as well. For many, the sweetness can be a little strong in this style. Hazy Jane has a prominent sweet side to it. But that’s a good thing as most people have been waiting in lines or trading to get this style of beer over the past few years. Most of you aren’t going to spend a good portion of your weekend hunting for beer. In the time since their release, these nationally distributed New England IPAs have been lauded by some and looked down upon by others. But, the accessibility has been hard to deny. So, we decided to dedicate some time to trying, testing, reviewing, and rating these readily available hazy IPAs. Plus, take a brief look at a few new ones we’ve seen hit the market. In early 2018, BrewDog’s forward march collided with the growing popularity of hazy IPAs. Naturally, they introduced a New England IPA titled Hazy Jane, an unfiltered, opaque IPA that would be available throughout its distribution network. Interestingly, though, the beer wasn’t brewed in Scotland, but in BrewDog’s Ohio location. Part of BrewDog’s year-round lineup, Hazy Jane is a stalwart offering from the UK brewery earning acclaim stateside and abroad.