Here’s a new brewery for me: Fort Hill brewery of Easthampton, Massachusetts. Fort Hill opened its doors in 2014 and claims they are situated in Easthampton because of the water character there. You may not think water adds all that much to your beer, but you would be wrong. The pilsners of Bohemia and the ales of Burton on Trent are both highly prized for the makeup of their water, and brewers often tweak their water to emulate them.

Fort Hill says:

In 2015, Easthampton won the gold medal for best tasting water in the 16th annual Great American Water Taste Test. We like to think better water means better beer, and we think you’ll agree.

The brewer is Siebel Institute trained, and Fort Hill has an emphasis on German brewing. Their Jigsaw Jazz Double IPA, however, is not included in that emphasis. They say:

A bright, citrusy Double IPA with a deceptively light body and dry flavor. To compose this brew, we borrowed techniques used by Belgian brewers to achieve a big beer without much sweetness. The Citra dry hop gives this beer its bright citrus notes and aroma.

Jigsaw Jazz Double IPA has an alcohol content of 9.3% by volume with 65 IBUs. My can says it is brewed and canned by 1776 Brewing Company, 30 Fort Hill Rd., Easthampton, MA.

Jigsaw Jazz Double IPA pours to a hazy orange juice color with a thick foamy head and a robust juicy citrus nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a decent mouthfeel and body, more than I expect these days. Juicy orange citrus, grapefruit, definite pineapple and a minty bitter, warming alcohol finish round out this very tasty beer.

I like it!



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