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Truly a dank IPA? New Belgium The Hemperor ships in April, brewed with hemp

New Belgium The Hemperor

New Belgium The Hemperor, an India pale ale brewed with hemp, debuts in April.

India pale ales have always been hot in craft beer, but lately, their popularity has skyrocketed. You can thank new strains of dank hops, the New England IPA trend, even cheaper ways for small breweries to can their lineup. New Belgium is always experimenting with the green hop-star, but this time the green is a little different.

New Belgium got started in Colorado, known for scenic mountains, breweries and most recently – legal weed. That legal green has given New Belgium the inspiration for what they believe is a new style of IPA, brewed with hemp.

The brewery has developed a way to recreate the terpene flavors in hemp seeds. Terpenes are hydrocarbons derived from the essential oils of the hemp plants. They are major components of resin. Terpenes give plants their aroma, taste and even color. Those potent hemp seed flavors, plus hand-selected hop varieties, promise a truly new and unique “HPA” (hemp IPA).

You’ve probably heard weed referred to as “dank”. You most certainly have heard that term used to describe hops. New Belgium is fusing the two flavors and aromas into one “dank” beer.  It is important to note, hemp seeds and other products are not legally allowed to contain the cannabinoid known as THC (Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol) in them. Any trace of this would be so small it would take an exorbitant amount of consumption to even remotely show up on drug tests, etc. The Hemperor uses the terpenes or essence of hemp, not the cannabinoid THC.

…we found a unique way to recreate hemp terpene flavors in a beer, which complement the inclusion of hop flavors and hemp hearts (seeds) in a brand new, delicious way—not to mention this beer is extremely dank! The flavors and aromas are so unique that it’s a style unto itself, hence HPA®.

New Belgium The Hemperor will start shipping in April, in 12-ounce bottles and draft.

Style: IPA (w/ Hemp)
Hops: Nugget, Cascade, HBC 522, Simcoe
Malts: Pale, White Wheat, Midnight Wheat
Yeast: Ale

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: April 2018

7% ABV