329. Two Brothers Resistance IPA

Described on the bottle as an ale aged in French Oak Foudres, Resistance IPA is the first beer from Two Brothers’ new J Series: “What is the J Series? A fusion of updated styles and techniques with old brewing traditions. These are beers that age in our French oak foudres. The tanks impart a complex character to the beer. The depth of vanilla and the subtlety of oak cannot be achieved by using oak chips or even small oak casks. Our J Series beers spend at least 4 weeks in oak to develop these flavors. The beers we produce in these foudres are designed to be enhanced by these complexities as well as evolve the styles by adding our Two Brothers signature to them. Why the J Series? Two Brothers is a family owned and operated brewery. It just so happens that everyone in our family has a first name that starts with the letter J. So this is a simple nod to our family for having sacrificed for years so Jim and Jason could follow their dreams and bring these great beers to market.” This is our sixth beer from Two Brothers; we’ve had Domaine DuPage, Bitter End, Heavier-Handed, Moaten, and Cane & Ebel. We certainly haven’t resisted the subtle allure of Two Brothers.

Resistance IPA pours a hazy copper with a creamy white head; the nose has a sweet malt and lightly hoppy aroma with just a touch of oak in the background. Flavors begin with caramel and light sweetness—the bottle describes it as honey malt, but I’m not sure we could pick that out without having been told—before moving into a bitter middle with a small tannic bite and some pine and evergreen hop flavors; the finish is dry and oaky with lingering bitterness and more of the tannic oak bite. Resistance has a medium body and a medium to high carbonation—there is a decent bite at the end that combines with the tannic oak flavors to dry out the finish. As well, there is fair amount of puckering via the combination of hops and oak. Nonetheless, Resistance is a delicious and delightful beer; the oak and hops balance well in the beer, creating nuanced flavor while also contributing to the crisp, dry finish. This beer is just another reason why we love Two Brother Brewing.

From the bottle: “Complex aromas of oak, honeyed malt sweetness, and piney citrus hops, leads to a full hoppy middle and a finish that’s crisp, oaky, and pleasantly lingering. Why, oh why did we resist the subtle allure of IPA so long?”

ABV: 6.9%
IBU: 70

(5/25/2010)