Beer column: Let this experimental IPA fill you with Whimsy & Wonder

One of East Vancouver's many fantastic breweries has a new creation that, simply put, looks absolutely perfect.

Not only does the colour of the beer remind you of a perfect summer sunset, but the label and branding photography makes it all feel so damn inviting.

I’ll get to the two talented artists behind those a little later, but let’s first dive into what is inside the can with Container Brewing’s Whimsy & Wonder Experimental IPA.

Now, I’ll be up front and say that I haven’t tried this bad boy, as it’s a brand new release this week and I haven’t had a chance to track it down yet.

So most of what I’m about to tell you is from the Container Brewing website and credit to them for having so much great information about their beer online, as many breweries don’t.

And I’m sure you’d rather hear about the beer from the masterminds behind it than some scrub like me anyways!

This Experimental IPA, which comes in at 6% ABV (alcohol by volume), is made with Nectaron and HBC 1019 hops.

The former spent 17 years in development in New Zealand before being released in 2020, while the latter is so new that it doesn’t even have a name yet.

Both types of hop have strong aromas of tropical, citrus and stone fruit, which gives you an early impression of what this beer will taste like.

Whimsy & Wonder is brewed with barley, wheat, oats and rye malts, and rye malts are a little more rare in a modern IPA.

“Rye malt, like oats, is high in beta-glucans, a substance that can make the brew more difficult, but contributes a fuller, smoother mouth-feel in beer,” the brewery explains. “Rye also contributes a subtle and pleasing honey-like sweetness.”

An interesting brewing technique used for this beer is called mash hopping. That means hops are added to the mash step of the brewing process, which typically only contains grain and water.

There is a very scientific brewing explanation for that, but to keep things as straightforward as possible I will just tell you that doing so enhances the aforementioned tropical hop profile in the finished beer.

Finally, if you were wondering what is so "experimental" about this IPA, it means that each batch is a little different as the team experiments with new ingredients and innovative brewing techniques.

Without having tried the Whimsy & Wonder Experimental IPA yet, I can’t say much more than what’s been offered up above.

I can say, however, that Container Brewing makes some absolutely fantastic beers and I hope you’re as excited as I am to get your hands on this one.

And now I want to take the time to shout out a pair of creatives who made this beer look so beautiful on my social media feed that I just had to feature it right away in this week’s column.

Brendan van den Bosch is a freelance graphic designer who creates the labels for Container Brewing and they’re always incredible. This latest one is no different, an absolute slam dunk.

Rob Shaer is a talented photographer who brings the brewery’s beers and van den Bosch’s labels even more to life with creative and fun branding photography.

Josh Duncan is the NowMedia news director and a craft beer lover. Reach him at josh@nowmediagroup.ca. His beer column appears every Saturday afternoon in this space.