Featured IPA For Microfestivus: Chaos Mountain’s Ultimate Warrior Imperial IPA

Today’s earlier post listed several of the IPAs which are scheduled to show up at Saturday’s Microfestivus. But since today being the “official” #IPADay of 2015, I thought a closer look at one IPA (technically Imperial IPA) in particular wouldn’t be overkill. I mean, it’s IPAs and their bigger brethren we’re talking about – considering all the endless aroma and flavor profiles they provide their fans, overkill just doesn’t seem to be possible in any way, shape, or form.

Quick Look: Chaos Mountain Brewing Company’s Ultimate Warrior Imperial IPA

In the sixteen months since nearby Chaos Mountain Brewing Company opened, head brewer Will Landry and crew have seen their core line up of beers introduced on draft in bars and restaurants throughout the area, and then watched as their hard work took packaged form and began showing up on store shelves. Just recently, the Callaway brewery introduced many of those beers to the Richmond market. Beyond those core beers however, the brewery continues to produce several rotating and seasonal beers, often available at tap takeover style events or only at the brewery itself. One of those, their Ultimate Warrior Imperial IPA, will be available Saturday at Microfestivus ’15.

Landry recently explained to me both how the beer came about and the types of hops that go into the beer. “[Ultimate] Warrior came about as we were looking for another seasonal…one of the owners loves Nelson Sauvin [a particular hop variety] and he had just bought a small quantity and suggested we use that.” Nelson Sauvin is a New Zealand hop variety which has been growing in popularity for some time now, and is said to be able to impart a white wine like ‘fruityness’ to beer, with a name that originates from the Sauvignon grape. “I had [also] bought some small quantities of different hops just before we opened…so we started with some Warrior [another hop variety] which was really the only bittering hop we had, but I like it so it was fine.” Landry continues, explaining the remainder of the hops used in the beer, “…I had a little Falconer’s Flight, which is one of my personal loves, and we saved the Nelson for dry hopping. Because it’s 8.5%, it has a strong malt backbone to support all the hops.”

The resulting beer has been popular at the brewery and at some of the tap takeover style events held around Roanoke, and has enjoyed a measure of success both with those new to IPAs as well as more experienced with the style. “We’ve had dozens and dozens of folks come in and say ‘I don’t drink IPAs but I like this’, while it still succeeds in satisfying the IPA crowd.”

But while Landry and the rest of the crew at the brewery enjoy such feedback, Ultimate Warrior will likely remain as an occasionally brewed beer. “We plan to brew a batch about once a quarter to meet the draft needs of the taproom and a bar here and there…”

On Saturday, Ultimate Warrior will also be available at Microfestivus. I’d say that’s well close enough to celebrate, though somewhat belatedly, the “IPADay” holiday.