Stepping out of Buffalo again, this time we are traveling to Ellicottville Brewing Company! The other day I saw a social media post about one of their new beers being released and knew it had to be my next Brewview. Ellicottville Brewing Company’s Mermaid’s New Shoes, a New England IPA. I’ve already had a can and enjoyed it immensely and I’ve spoken with a coworker who said it was amazing. Therefore, I’m ecstatic to be doing a deep dive and truly finding out what is in mermaid’s shoes.
The Beer: Mermaid’s New Shoes NEIPA by Ellicottville Brewing Company
ABV: 6.5% IBU: 65
Brewed with American Hops
Brewery’s Notes
Found on their website, Ellicottville Brewing Company gives us a brief note of what to expect when stepping into Mermaid’s New Shoes:
‘Our fresh New England IPA has big, bright aroma and flavors of apple, sappy pears, and stone fruit, with zippy hints of lemon and lime. She’s absolutely beautiful and she’s headed your way for a limited time.’
Yes, there is limited availability for Mermaid’s New Shoes from May to June, so if you like what you see be sure to grab a four pack or two.
Opening Thoughts
So Ellicottville did a great job at making Mermaid’s New Shoes sound impressive, let’s crack open a can and see for ourselves!
From can to glass this NEIPA has quite a few appealing characteristics. One of them is the subtlety of the aromas and their ability to project themselves. Just from opening the can it wasn’t difficult to pick up on them. I’m getting both the apples and pears that Ellicottville spoke of primarily with the stone fruit lingering on the outside. If you really take the time to appreciate the aromas you might even get slight hints of the ‘zippy’ lemon lime. The only way I can describe the aromas is mouthwatering, reminds me of a crisp summer day. Something I’m sure every Buffalonian is looking forward to.
Appearance wise it’s holding a darker straw color and is hazy for days. Though it is not difficult with the haziness to see the energy packed into this beer. Lots of carbonation, this beer will be bubbling for a bit. The head on this beer was very impressive and it’s leaving a nice creamy residue on the side of my glass.
Overall this beer has a very satisfying appearance.
Down the Hatch
One thing I’m noticing right away about Mermaid’s New Shoes is the bitterness. It does seem to hold more bitterness than some NEIPA’s I’ve had in the past. Though this doesn’t take away from the refreshing characteristic NEIPA’s are noted to have. Makes it a bit more unique if you ask me.
Flavor wise this beer is everything Ellicottville described it as. The apples and pears are up front and the most predominant flavor. Though that is the first thing I picked up on, it wasn’t very static. This beer has some transforming flavors, pretty cool in my mind. From the apples and pears in the beginning you get a change of pace and bitterness as well. This is where the ‘zippy hints’ of lemon and lime come in. Towards the back end of each sip I’m getting a lemon lime kick and after taste as well. Though there are still hints of the apples and pears in the aftertaste as well. But more prevalent are the lemon lime notes. Like I said previously, this beer is slightly more bitter than most NEIPA’s, though it doesn’t carry itself in an offensive manner. I’m not losing the taste as quick but I don’t see it being difficult to move onto another beer. The stone fruit is not as strong as the other flavors but I get a sense of them throughout the entire sip.
Closing Thoughts
I really enjoyed Mermaid’s New Shoes. Come to think of it, it’s one of the more unique NEIPA’s I’ve had. This is definitely a beer I’m going to take advantage of with it’s limited availability. I really enjoyed the apple and pear combination and the lemon lime bite at the end. I don’t think I’ve seen that kind of combination in a beer yet, very interesting. What was also enjoyable for me was the overall hop forward characteristic of the beer, not something you find in NEIPA’s typically, that is unless they’re citrus, mango or grapefruit hops. It’s nice to find a NEIPA with some bite to it!
Cheers to Ellicottville for making such a delicious NEIPA! Is there any possibility of extending the availability or brewing it in the future?
Thanks for reading as always and keep your glasses full!
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