Eclipse IPA - Saint Arnold Review
New IPAs pop up on shelves what seems like every day, and even after all these years of drinking these hoppy beasts, I can’t wait to get my hands on a new one. Maybe it’s chasing that first bitter and piney high, or maybe it’s seeing what brewers are concocting with new hops in a classic style. Likely both.
Eclipse IPA from Saint Arnold had me from ‘with Eclipse and Citra hops’ printed right on the can. I know and love the flavors and aromas of Citra, but Australia is rising in the hop game with cones galore of Galaxy, Vic Secret, Enigma, and now Eclipse hops. In the beer world, these are all pretty new hops, and their prowess is seen in really impactful aromas and hazy beers, so it’s always a fun experiment to see how they mesh with the citrus and pine punch of American hops.
Besides Citra and Eclipse, Saint Arnold set a malt foundation of Pilsner, 2-row, White Wheat, Carafoam, Vienna, Acidulated malt, and English yeast. I did not fully know why brewers used Acidulated malt, but a little research tells me they use it to lower the pH of wort to optimize enzyme activity to improve character and flavor of beers. Essentially, they use it to get more bang for their buck.
All that together gives us a 7.5% ABV and 55 IBU IPA. Let’s see if traveling down under has paid off for Saint Arnold.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Golden, slightly hazy, and topped with a shiny cream-colored head.
On the Nose--Very lively aroma, but with fair balance between the hops. Citra is powerful, but it doesn’t overpower the Eclipse hops, if anything, it’s a nice flow between the citrus and fruity Citra and the sweet and stone fruit notes often associated with Aussie hops. Quite light actually for an IPA.
On the Palate--The first sip is fruity and floral with a smooth juiciness that starts quite sweet and ends with a very mild bitterness for a decently high IBU (55) IPA. It is low-to-medium bodied and finishes with the slightest lingering sweetness. I get a mix of tropical fruit and sweet stone fruit that bends only slightly to a zesty citrus and floral bitterness. It’s really quite complex, with a lightness in the malt that benefits the hops greatly.
Food Pairings: Eclipse is the kind of beer that pairs well with a salad, fruit salad, burgers and even desserts. It’s a bright spring and summer beer fit for the foods of the seasons.
Final Thoughts:
This trend of sweeter and juicier IPAs is becoming more and more apparent, and even pushing some of the west coast-style IPAs off the shelf. I’m neither for it nor against it, but the modern scene is very sweet and experimental and Saint Arnold is at the forefront with similar beers like Banger IPA and Tropic Boom Imperial IPA. Eclipse IPA is right in that vein. It’s sweet, expressive, and bright, with a lighter body and juicy finish. It’s difficult to find balance with these really powerful hops, but I would go so far to say that Eclipse is even sweeter than I was expecting and certainly sweeter than most will expect considering the decently high IBU (55). The fruity sides of these hops are on full display, making this beer a little surprising at first. But once that first sip is down, you nod your head and say: ‘Oh, yeah, that’s what I should have been expecting.’ It’s modern and experimental, with a juiciness that deceives its high (7.5%) ABV. It’s a great IPA for warm weather drinking, and it’s a style that’s here to stay, much to the chagrin of the old bitter tongues.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew
Check out some more of Saint Arnold’s modern and fruity IPAs: Banger IPA and Tropic Boom Imperial IPA.