IPAs have recently been exploding on the scene, not just in hops but in quantities. I have been waiting for a day when several hop explosive IPAs hit the Quebec market that are satisfactory for my hop addictive needs. Where five to six years ago there were some great IPAs coming out of Quebec, their numbers were few. Much has changed since then, a crazy hop explosion (pun intended) has occurred in this frozen tundra. Many breweries have unleashed upon us a horde of options, full of tropical, hoppy, goodness. It feels good to be a hop head in Quebec. I can continue to say the same thing in various different ways, but bottom line is I am pretty content with where the Quebec IPA market has taken off to, and it sees no stopping! One of the more recent spectacles I’ve had the pleasure of trying is Noctem Artisans Brasseurs Catnip IPA, and that’s what makes the kitties go wild!

Noctem Catnip
IPA || ABV: 7.5% || IBU: 45

This IPA comes in at a stronger abv mark but a decent IBU mark, and it really shows on the palate. The appearance as always, for IPAs these days is a great hazy light yellow color. This is meant to fall more in the NEIPA category in my opinion. Why do I say that? Because when people drink IPAs these days and they are not hazy, they are shat on. But what most people fail to understand is that IPAs in their nature are meant to be hoppy, bitter and piney as f*ck. Normal IPAs are not meant to focus on haze or tropical fruitiness. Although I am obsessed myself with the fruity, hazy, hoppy goodness coming out of the North East, I am bred West Coast and I enjoy my IPAs with a bit of aggressive bite and pine. With that said, I did say I’m obsessed with the fruity, hazy, hoppy goodness right?

Catnip delivers on this point well! Of course it has the hazy yellow sunshine and the nose bursts with mango, peaches and papaya. The taste on this one is absolute fire! The initial attack kicks you with all the fruit notes with a complimentary luscious mouthful. The mouthfeel swirls, sways and touches your senses and elicits a response that can only be described by a kitty, smelling some catnip, and losing its f*cking mind. Alright lets slow that roll… before we go all beer nip on this s*ht, lets talk about that finish. It feels to me like no bitterness exists, but there might be a tad light layer of it. In General it finishes of very smoothly, especially considering the abv of 7.5%! That to me is no IPA, it’s a damn double. Noctem has lied to us, fooled us, convinced us, deceived us! Lord have mercy, hallelujah! But hey it taste damn down delicious and any extra abv is good for us no? Us bloggers don’t drink too much, shut up! We got a job to do… getting drunk is just a little bonus sometimes.

The hype on this bad boy is no mystery. Noctem has really placed themselves in the market, more than before, by releasing this stellar IPA. It is what dreams are made of, it is like running that golden mile, it is like haze is raining down on you, like a golden shower….. oh wait…as much as beer wise that may sound pleasant, that has a different meaning in other terms…… It is like gold rain? You tell me.

Words + Photography by Hopcitizen