Wake Surfer by Wallenpaupack Brewing Co. is being evaluated as a White IPA according to the BJCP 2015 guidelines for Specialty IPA: White IPA (Category 21B).

The aroma is considerably lacking even from the initial pour. There is a faint note of orange and maybe a bit of coriander but that’s after sitting and swirling the glass for minutes on end, going back to re-evaluate and try to find any characteristics to discuss from the aroma. No fruity esters or yeast character is present. Overall, it has a clean fermentation and if I had to guess the style with a blindfold on, I’d guess it to be a malt forward American Blonde Ale. The most dominant element of the aroma’s profile is a cracker-esque malt base. The appearance is a hazy light blonde with a large fluffy off-white head that maintains its presence.   

The flavor gives us our first introduction of hops with a burst of medium-high hop bitterness and a low hop flavor reminiscent of orange peel and pith. No phenolic presence from the yeast. Overall, there isn’t much going on with the flavor. A punch of bitterness with a bready malt backbone are all that can be found. 

The White IPA was a bit of a flash in the pan when the BJCP 2015 guidelines were being developed. Belgian IPA, Black IPA, etc. haven’t seen much commercial production either. That being said, the best examples of this style should come across like a hybrid of an American IPA fused with a Belgian Witbier. This is a difficult marriage because one style is intense and one is delicate, but when executed well, the payoff can be wonderful. With the severe lack of hop aromatics, it’s possible that this beer was packaged with high levels of oxygen. If you find a White IPA in the market somewhere, give it a whirl – it’s a style that is elusive and rare to find!