- Sweet and sharp balances out nicely
- Azacca hops are complex, dry-hopped aspect is fun
- Thick, not sessionable, more of a mead vibe
- Slightly damp aftertaste
Ah snap, here we go again…I’m enjoying my deep dive into Brulo and I’m hoping to try all their beers and create a personal master spreadsheet ranking them all. I’m hoping it satisfies something deep in my type A brain and serves as a firm reminder to the readers of these reviews that all things in life are better when organised and ranked.
I’ve talked a bit about Brulo before, reviewing Lust For Life (which is amazingly available in Morrison’s off-trade, see their pinned tweet) and their 5 Fruit Gose so I won’t repeat what I’ve written there. One neat thing about Brulo is that they go by B / R / U / L / O. Why the forward slashes? What do they mean? After 5 minutes of online research – Sherlock Holmes would be so proud of my determination – I could not find the answer so I’m forced to make one up. I say, the forward slashes are for a forward thinking beer, boom! Let’s see how forward thinking the Azacca IPA is, it’s time to dance.
Brulo Azacca Initial Thoughts
I’ve never had much experience learning about the nuances of star signs but this weekend I met an avid astrologer who told me I go ‘all in on things’ because I’m an Aries. I’ve now decided that all astrology is fact and no, it’s not because I found this flattering because ‘going all in’ can have both positive and negative connotations. For example, with this beer I feel Brulo went all in on the Azacca hop and we (I) all suffered from their total commitment.
Azacca starts off with a cloudy orange-gold colour. Its nose is not particularly pleasant, it’s very light with some tropical pineapple-mango sweetness and this almost goopy smell to it. I’m not 100% sure if an ENT doctor would classify goopy as a smell but this blogger would be willing to have a spirited debate on the subject if any ENT doc wants to step to me.
Azacca’s mouthfeel is dry and fizzes whilst coating the mouth. It’s pretty pleasant and has a nice complex body, like me after Christmas dinner, JK. This is where things get…WILD. No JK. Azacca has a thick, honey vibe to it; it’s definitely not sessionable. It is more like a tropical peach-pineapple mead and almost sickeningly sweet. The brew does have depth but it’s not great depth. The sweet mead develops into a starchy, dry vibe. It tastes like the grains/malt mixture is off or the general fermentation wasn’t quite right. Brulo definitely got something right with the bitterness but the bitterness doesn’t linger. Rather, the aftertaste is more of a damp flavour.
If Azacca is your absolute favourite hop, this brew is worth a go. It’s an ambitious effort that doesn’t get it quite right but I applaud Brulo nonetheless for the attempt.
Where to Buy Brulo Azacca
I believe Brulo has not continued brewing Azacca so either it was a special limited run or they are taking a break. It’s no longer on the Brulo webshop but you can still find cans of Azacca online at the following webshops…
Azacca IPA Price
The price of Azacca varies depending on where you buy it from and how many cans you buy. I bought 2 cans from Wisebartender for £2.69 per can.
Azacca IPA Nutritional Information, Inredients & Calories
Azacca IPA is a vegan and gluten-free, low calorie nolo choice. The ingredients are:
Water, Malted Barley (Pale Ale, Pilsner, Rye Crystal, Wheat), Yeast and Hops (Azacca, Citra, Columbus, Sabro)
| Nutritional Information | Per 100mL |
|---|---|
| ABV | 0.0 % |
| Energy (KJ / KCal) | 140 / 33 |
| Fat (g) | 0 g |
| Of Which Saturates (g) | 0 g |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 7.9 g |
| Of Which Sugars (g) | 3.8 g |
| Protein (g) | < 1 g |
| Salt (g) | < 0.1 g |
TLDR;
TLDR: Azacca IPA is a single-hopped limited run beer brewed by Brulo. Brulo are based out of Edinburgh, Scotland but their beer is brewed in Belgium as they are what’s known as a phantom brewer i.e. they don’t own a brewery so they come up with recipes and another brewery brews them. I rated Azacca 2 out of 5 stars. It got points for the ambitious recipe and complex depth. However, it had some major cons including: a thick, sickeningly sweet taste, a slightly damp aftertaste, and a heavy starchiness. It was a cloudy, orange-gold colour with a light tropical fruity nose that again isn’t particularly pleasant. In my eyes, it would only appeal to seasoned drinkers who love the Azacca hop. Azacca IPA is no longer available on the Brulo webshop but can be found in other webshops online for varying prices, generally over £2.50. I purchased 2 cans from Wise Bartender for £2.69 per can. The beer itself is vegan and gluten-free and low-calorie. If you love the Azacca hop, go for it!
