I refuse to hide my love for the state of New Jersey for you or anyone else for that matter. People dump all over the Garden State, no pun intended. But it’s really a wonderland of fun. It has more diners then any other state, it’s the second largest producer of blueberries in America and I freakin live there. I’m 99% sure I’ve put these facts in another post but whatever. New Jersey is awesome and the fact that the good people ate Flying Fish Brewing Co. are creating a beer to celebrate every exit on the NJ turnpike is awesome. The theme of this post is awesome.
The fourth stop on their trip took us to Exit 16, known to us locals as Hackensack/Meadowlands. If you’re not familiar with the area it’s where you New York jackasses come to watch your football teams play. Suck it. It’s also a bit of a wasteland but apparently at one time had a pretty hefty agricultural thingy going on there. That’s the technical term I believe. Plants and animals have been replaced by strip clubs and hotels though. Nothing for nothing I think it’s a improvement. But in honor of it’s once great agricultural system the Exit 16 beer is a double IPA brewed with wild rice.
Have to say I love this beer, it’s a double IPA but the hops and rice do a great job of covering up the 8% ABV. You get a lot of citrus in the nose, grapefruit or maybe even apricots. Floral and sassy all around. The flavor is pretty different from your standard IPA which is nice to see. The rice dries things out even more then you would expect but the beer is very drinkable. Lots of hops as you’d expect but not too overpowering. Well balance in general and really a great beer for a hot day. NJ represent people.
