Blended New England Rye IPA

Green Mountain Ryed

“Barrel-Aged IPA” is a tough concept to nail. While time is normally a friend of barrel-aged beers, as longer barrel residencies increase the transfer of flavor from the wood, it is the enemy of IPAs, as aging hop oils break down and lose their potency. In our attempt to achieve the best of both worlds of flavor (aged whiskey and oak AND fresh hop juiciness) we felt we couldn’t brew just one base recipe— we had to brew two.

First, we brewed a high-gravity Rye Ale and aged it in freshly-emptied WhistlePig PiggyBack barrels, capturing the true essence of whiskey made from 100% Rye. Two months later, we brewed a heavily dry-hopped New England Rye IPA featuring some classic citrus-heavy hops. After emptying the barrels, we blended the two into one. The result is subtly hazy with plenty of rye-like spice— perfectly balancing the whiskey and oak characteristics of a barrel-aged beer with the juicy citrus zest characteristics of a hazy IPA. Store cold, drink fresh, and enjoy with a pour of Piggyback Rye for the peak Harpoon & WhistlePig experience.