rhubarb and thyme ipa

Rhubarb and thyme are an unusual flavor pairing, but anyone who’s ever tried a rhubarb cake with a frosting of thyme knows the combination is unbeatable. We could also imagine the unequal couple as creamy ice cream with a delicate kick of herbs or as a sweet compote with a tart note. The Sakiškių alus team even went a step further and brewed a wonderful beer from the duo.

The basis is an India Pale Ale with 5.1% alcohol content, which was brewed in collaboration with the Icelandic brewery Smiðjan Brugghús. The malty backbone was put together from a fine selection of different types of grain. It gives the beer its stature and offers the hops a grandiose stage. The green gold brings grassy hints, notes of resin and a portion of fruit into the aromas. The character-forming components, however, are the freshly harvested rhubarb and hand-picked arctic thyme. Whole stalks of rhubarb were added in the second fermentation, the thyme went into the cauldron at the same time as the cones in dry hopping.

At the end of the process there is a subtly balanced brew that combines fruity acidity, malty sweetness, resinous hops and tart herbal notes into an irresistible treat for the palate. Although you can taste the individual raw materials, they form a successful whole.