Firestone Walker releases Double Mind Haze IPA
Firestone Walker Brewing’s NE-style Mind Haze IPA has been a hazy hit, now they are doubling down on Double Mind Haze. Said to be their biggest juice bomb ever, this 8.3% ABV Imperial Hazy IPA will be released in all Firestone Walker markets in six-packs (12-ounce cans), 19.2-ounce single serve cans and draft formats.
“Double Mind Haze is a carefully crafted next step in our long and rewarding journey through the hop world and IPA brewing,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s a platform for extreme flavor, making it fun for both the brewer and the beer drinker.”
More from a press release:
Massive Flavor Machine
Double Mind Haze is the first extension of Firestone Walker’s bestselling Mind Haze hazy IPA, which was launched in 2019. While similar to the original in malt profile and yeast selection, Double Mind Haze comes with its own unique dry hopping regimen and high-gravity character with an ABV of 8.3 percent.
“For me, the amazing thing is the mouthfeel and flavors that come with the increased gravity and ABV of Double Mind Haze,” Brynildson said. “When done correctly, double hazy IPAs transform into massive flavor machines with a creamy mouthfeel and saturated, mind-bending hop flavors. I believe strongly that the synergy between the yeast and the hops becomes most apparent in a beer like Double Mind Haze, and when you hit the right chord, it just explodes with juicy hop flavors.”
The result is a beer supercharged with tropical fruit aromas and juicy flavors of pineapple, melon and mango, all finishing with hints of coconut on a soft, pillowy finish.
Audaciously Dry Hopped
Double Mind Haze is audaciously dry hopped, and nearly five pounds of hops per barrel are used in the making of the beer.
Original Mind Haze hops such as Azacca, Cashmere and Mosaic are now joined by Strata, Sabro, Idaho Gem, Idaho 7 and Motueka. Sabro has a unique coconut aroma, while Strata offers bold, pungent fruit.
“Some of these hops might stick out in a lighter hazy like the original Mind Haze, but in this stronger beer they find a perfect balancing point,” Brynildson said. “While we are great admirers of many double hazy IPAs, we believe that our hop selection and brewing methods make Double Mind Haze truly distinctive to Firestone Walker.”
In addition to traditional post-fermentation dry hopping, Double Mind Haze includes mid-fermentation “midferm” dry hopping, which allows the yeast to work on liberating aroma compounds to amplify the juicy, integrated hop character.
“The Double Mind Haze experience is all about the textures and the amazing hop flavors that we were able to weave into this beer with minimal bitterness,” Brynildson said. “It captures all of the hedonistic flavor and strength anyone could want in a Firestone Walker IPA.”
# # #
Founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker in 1996, Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a California beer company with three innovative brewing facilities. Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio ranging from iconic pale ales to vintage barrel-aged beers. The Barrelworks facility in Buellton makes eccentric wild ales, while the Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice specializes in R&D beers and limited local offerings. Firestone Walker is also the brewery behind 805, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beers. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine.