West Sixth Brewing, one of Kentucky’s largest craft breweries, has announced the newest installment of its Hop Static series of rotating IPAs.
Hop Static Channel 8 will be the brewery’s first-ever Cold IPA in market, and the series’ first deviation from what has up until now been a rotating lineup of West Coast style IPAs.
“We’re super excited about this one,” said Andy Smith, head brewer at West Sixth Brewing. “Our team has loved the Cold IPAs that we’ve tried, and we’ve experimented in small batches here over the past year, but it’s not a style we’ve seen make its way to Kentucky in large waves. Unlike some other more recent beer fads, we really think the Cold IPA speaks to a wide range of beer drinkers, and I’m thrilled with how ours came out.”
Fermented at cold temperatures using West Sixth’s House Lager yeast, this Cold IPA has a light and crisp body with a zesty and dry finish. The bold combination of Mosaic, Citra, and Centennial hops are used both in the kettle and for dry-hopping, making the final product bright with grapefruit and pine notes.
The first installment in the Hop Static series debuted in the fall of 2019. The original goal behind the series was to give customers a similar experience to the brewery’s beloved flagship IPA, but featuring the freshest combination of hops they could source, or in some cases trying experimental hops. During that time, many breweries in different parts of the country had a similar idea: educate customers on different hop varieties while giving them something they wanted, which was a new IPA.
Not long after the series was launched, the Covid-19 pandemic brought sweeping changes to consumer behavior and brewery practices. But the Hop Static series managed not only to survive that major disruption, but evolve and prosper.
“So many breweries had to clamp down on product experimentation and adapt to the health, regulatory, and logistical needs of the pandemic,” said Kelly Hieronymus, Marketing & Creative Director of West Sixth Brewing. “Creating new packaged beers was a luxury that many breweries couldn’t afford when they were just trying to figure out how to get their core beers into the hands of customers. But we managed to keep this series going despite the challenges, due largely to customer reception to them! We look at Channel 8 as a celebration and evolution of the series: honoring the IPA that built our brand but introducing customers to something new and different.”
The Cold IPA traces its roots to Wayfinder Brewing from Portland, Oregon – one of the areas most commonly associated with the origins of craft beer. Although it has begun to slowly pop up in different parts of the country, West Sixth – one of the leading craft breweries in Kentucky – is hopeful that they can help pioneer the style in their native state.
For more info about this release and other updates on West Sixth Brewing, follow them on Instagram at @westsixth or online at https://www.westsixth.com/.
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