Style: New England IPA
ABV: 5.6%
Joe’s take
Monday blues and Monday brews have been going hand in hand lately. This time, the beginning of the week sorrows are calmed by a solid offering from not so far away Koi Pond Brewing Company in Rocky Mount, NC. We were out of town in Virginia on a ski trip this weekend (you may have noticed our lack of a new release post last Friday) but made sure to swing by this spot on our way back down I-95. The taproom is set in a rustic residential building that is set in the Rocky Mount Mills, a unique area you should check out that blends industrial, residential, and retail into one (it also houses their neighbors, Hopfly Brewing).
The beer we chose as our NC beer of the week is “Another Necktie,” a hazy New England IPA (NEIPA) that, if I had to guess, was named after the somewhat ubiquity of this style as of late. I think it would be uncommon to walk into a brewery these days and not see one of these ales on tap. However, I think they sold themselves short as this isn’t just another NEIPA, but kept me guessing as to what flavors were in the beer throughout the whole tasting.
“Another Necktie” was served in the standard shaker pint glass and was a hue of gold and orange. It had a particularly nice color when held up to light and transformed from the beer I held in the dimly sunlit “living room” area of the taproom (we could have turned the lights on, but enjoyed sipping our brews in the setting sunlight). On top of the nicely colored beer sat a fluffy, cloudlike, white head that slowly dissipated into a thin white layer. The beer was mostly opaque and only let a little light through.
After I eyed the NEIPA up, it was time to see what smells the beer had to offer. I got loads of hop aroma, and after the beer warmed up a touch, it was easier to parse out some of the fruity aromas I was getting. The first compounds I detected were tropical fruits, and immediately thought of pineapples. After this, I started to notice some sweet stone fruit and a touch of citrus. I picked up some notes of mandarin orange and slight scents of sweetness. The smell of the beer reminded me of a fruit juice and I enjoyed the aromas the beer gave off and was ready for a sip.
Once I finally took a sip of “Another Necktie” I experienced a simple mouthfeel that was smooth and tinged with some sharp notes of carbonation. Once the beer exited the mouth, there was a noticeably drying characteristic left. I immediately took another sip and appreciated the medium body of the beer and again experienced its smoothness before moving on to tasting the beer.
The flavors of the beer mimicked the scents and added some further depth of character. Again, I picked up on sweet tropical fruit and some stone fruit. However, I leaned a bit away from the pineapple character I first detected in the aromatic evaluation and began to taste more stone fruit. However, it was not a peach or nectarine like flavor and I couldn’t put my finger on it. After the tasting, Nick and I discussed and we had the revelation that it may be apricot flavor we were picking up (it’s been a minute since I have had anything with apricot in it). Beyond that, I appreciated more fruity hop aromas and light bitterness that played well against the sweet fruit. I think this beer would pair well with several foods, but would have gone great with the pizza we picked up from their neighbor The Tipsy Tomato. That is, if I didn’t drink the beer before the pizza arrived.
Drinkability of “Another Necktie” was high and the drying characteristic and non-aggressive hop bitterness and flavor profile contributed to the fast rate of drainage from the glass. All in all, Koi Pond produced another quality beer that left me satisfied and ready to try another beer (or two) on their tap list. If you’re ever in Rocky Mount, make sure to do a mini brew tour in the Mills and check out their spot, you won’t be disappointed.
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Hazy, opaque, nice fluffy white head, calms down to a thin layer. Golden to orange. (4/5)
Aroma: Tropical, pineapple, fruity hops, citrus, like mandarin orange, slightly sweet. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Drying, carbonation tingle, medium bodied, smooth. (3.5/5)
Taste: Sweet tropical fruit, light malt sweetness, stone fruit, minimal vegetal quality, good hop aroma and flavor, not bitter. Clementine. (4.5/5)
Drinkability: Pretty crushable, drying quality keeps you sipping. Could have a few of these easily. (4.5/5)
Total: 20.5/25
Nick’s Take
After a long weekend out of town, it was nice to break up the trip back with a couple of stops. Driving through Rocky Mount, it seemed totally reasonable to pull off and visit Koi Pond Brewing Company to stretch out our legs and get the blood moving. Okay, so maybe it was for the beer, but we also have to look out for our health, right?
Joe and I have been to Koi Pond before and it’s in such a neat part of Rocky Mount. On this particular excursion with our fiancees, we ordered a couple pints of “Another Necktie” and grabbed seats in the back room (yes, we are back to sitting already). This New England IPA poured a beautiful gold color that reminded me much of honey. Coming in from the windows, some light danced through the beer, though it was slightly hazy. On top of all that was a frothy and creamy looking collar that laced the glass. After a long day on the road, this NEIPA was looking very enticing.
On the nose, “Another Necktie” didn’t come across as very potent, but its subtle aromas were very pleasing. I picked up a good amount of juicy hop aroma that brought notes of pineapple and citrus. More specifically, I was smelling some orange peel/zest that brought a lot of freshness to the beer. I searched for more throughout the tasting, and later, I detected some other sweet-smelling fruit that resembled apricot. Overall, I was happy it smelled as juicy as it looked.
Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of this NEIPA was the mouthfeel. I enjoy a good, kwispy boi and “Another Necktie” was adequately carbonated. The initial tingling was bright and exciting, and it persisted even after swallowing. This led to a bit of drying later, but nothing that bothered me. With the sparkling, carbonated mouthfeel I was getting, I was incredibly interested in how that would mesh with the flavors.
My first tasting note was that of the hops, which were floral and a touch dank, mixed with some fresh, juicy attributes. I found orange-pineapple juice to be a large role in the flavor, which matched what I caught whiffs of earlier. Indeed, the pleasant carbonation and the juicy, hoppy balance made for an exciting NEIPA that was not overly bitter or sweet. A touch of sweetness did make its way through in the form of some alcohol on the finish, but it was still a smooth sipper.
I very much enjoyed this NEIPA and will be looking out for future releases of this variety from Koi Pond. Great hop character and a crisp, juicy mouthfeel made this entirely too easy to drink. It was great on its own, but it made me crave pizza from the joint next door – The Tipsy Tomato – and Joe shared this sentiment. Naturally, we went ahead and ordered a Margherita pizza and that was the perfect way to finish the evening at Koi Pond (along with another pint).
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Honey-gold color that’s a bit hazy and color gets lighter around edges. Smooth, frothy head. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Subtle, juicy hop aromas, orange peel, apricot. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Good crisp carbonation leaves tongue feeling tingly. Little bit of mouth coating. Slightly drying. (4.5/5)
Taste: Floral, slightly dank hop flavor, orange-pineapple juice, sweet alcohol flavor on backend. (4/5)
Drinkability: Tasty NEIPA that contains great juicy qualities and hop character. Try with Tipsy Tomato pizza from next door! (4.5/5)
Total: 21.5/25
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