This New Hemp Ale Might Be The Closest To Cannabis Yet

@savourcolorado

While hemp beers aren’t necessarily new in Colorado, the New Belgium Brewing Company has launched a beer called The Hemperor HPA (hemp ale) and it might be the closest beer to cannabis yet. The Hemperor HPA will debut on April 2, and its heavy cannabis-like aroma is breaking new ground in the world of hemp ales.

This new hemp pale ale has an ABV of 7 percent with a dank and heady aroma, and you can be sure it actually smells like weed. The light golden lager is all kinds of earthy and has a light, bitter finish.

While IPA fans will enjoy The Hemperor HPA for its smell and taste, the taste isn’t as bitter as its aroma lets on.

A post shared by New Belgium Brewing (@newbelgium) on Mar 23, 2018 at 9:01am PDT

The New Belgium Brewery has found a way to work around strict federal guidelines regarding the use of cannabis as a beer ingredient by using hemp hearts. According to The Cannabist, this part of the cannabis plant was legalized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Hemperor HPA gets its intense aroma from a combination of hemp hearts and a process that utilizes compounds from other materials, which mimic the aromatic terpenes found in hemp.

A post shared by Dana McClellan (@savourcolorado) on Mar 23, 2018 at 1:32pm PDT

If the smell of cannabis makes you happy, you’ll want to keep an eye out for this one. You can find The Hemperor on draft starting April 2, as well as in 12-ounce bottles on shelves nationwide starting May 21.