expressions: citra ddh ipa

Although craft brewers have an unprecedented selection of hop varieties at their disposal, they don't always choose to pack as many as possible into a single brew. Sometimes, a single variety takes center stage. These creations are called single-hop beers. The art of this is to showcase the hops in all their facets and to coax out every nuance of flavor. Because the aroma isn't composed of a wide range of different hops, the brew can seem one-dimensional and lackluster. The most skilled and courageous brewers rise to this challenge and give us magnificent beers that showcase the selected hops in the best possible light.

A number of these wondrous specimens come from Siren Craft Brew in England. Expressions is a single-hop series that focuses on various hop varieties. One of them is Citra, which delivers a dominant citrus note but also hints of tropical fruit.

Expressions: Citra flows into the glass the color of ripe lemons, adorned with a crown of white foam. The scent of freshly grated citrus zest fills the nose. On the first sip, the juicy citrus fruit blends with stone fruit, grapefruit, and yellow tropical fruits like mango, pineapple, and passion fruit. A subtle bitterness rounds out this anything but one-dimensional beer experience.