Brooklyn Brewery's Scorcher #366

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Brooklyn Brewery's Scorcher #366 podcast

The most recent Brewmaster's Reserve release, which was launched on Monday May 13, 2013, is a rarity -- a repeat recipe! Well, not exactly a total repeat. Garrett and company have brought back the sessionable pale ale known as Scorcher, which was originally released in 2004. But this time around, he's using an entirely new hop strain which has been under development for some time.

Garrett, Brewmaster.

"HBC 366” is a new variety cultivated by Jason Perrault of Perrault Farms in collaboration with Gene Probasco. Beginning in 2001, he crossed some Warrior hops with a “wild” hop. According to the hop-master, “The brilliant coloration of the leaves combined with a nice growth habit and exceptionally formed cones with abundant lupulin (the repository of all those aromatic oils), resulted in a strikingly beautiful plant.” And one that adds very distinct citrus/pine aroma and flavor to the Scorcher.
 

Full house.

At 4.5% a.b.v., Scorcher is designed for a scorcher of a summer day. It's got the color of a Helles, the hop character of an I.P.A., but, with is lower a.b.v. it's gentle on your mind, so to say. There's plenty of malt character, with the use of Pale Ale Malt and Crystal Malt, to balance it's unique hop qualities. There's a nice crispness to this beer, with a tangy note in the middle, finishing with a distinctive hop bitterness from the use of Willamette hops in the boil.

Eddie of Mugs with B.R.

The Scorcher #366 is the first commercially released beer to use this new hop, which you can expect to see more of in the near future, but hopefully with a less clinical, science-project-like name! Maybe "Wild Warrior"? Or better yet, Hopsquatch!

Scorcher #366.