Two Roads & Industrial Arts Bloomerang NEIPA

I am a fan of Industrial Arts Brewing Company and I am a fan of Two Roads Brewing Company. Both make really nice New England-Style IPAs with both Wrench and Too Juicy respectively. So, I was excited to hear about their most recent collaboration, Bloomerang, a New England-Style IPA with hibiscus. When I mentioned last week that I left the bottle shop with fresh hops, the beer I was most excited to try was Bloomerang.

From the first pour, I loved what I saw. The hibiscus gave the hazy IPA a pinkish-hue that made it reminiscent of grapefruit juice. The aroma was floral with lemon, passion fruit, berries, melon, bready malt, and an herbal spiciness. What I liked here was how strong the presence of the hibiscus was. It gave Bloomerang a blast of lemon tartness. Even though this is a trait that hibiscus flowers add to the beer, it is very strong here. It overshadows the grapefruit, pine, melon, berry, bready flavors that play more as a compliment here to that tart lemon note, than shine on their own. The strength of the lemon goes right into the finish that is dry and herbal.

With so many variations of New England-Style IPAs, Bloomerang certainly breaks from the norm, providing a really interesting and creative take on the style. While I did enjoy it, one can of it goes a long way. After my glass was empty, I was ready to look for something else to drink. That might sound a bit harsh but this is a bold, tart take on a NEIPA. I really did enjoy it but it is by no means a sessionable beer. If you are looking for something different, it certainly delivers on that, I just do not see Bloomerang working for everyone.

Overall rating: 3.5/5


Rating Scale:
1. Repugnant and undrinkable
2. Acceptable but forgettable
3. Good, worth a purchase
4. Excellent, a step above the norm
5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!