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Those of you that came out to my Of Pints and Men beer photography show at Gigantic Gallery, got a sneak peek at Chainbreaker White IPA graciously donated by Deschutes Brewery. In fact, we kicked an entire 13 gallon keg in a matter of a few hours! I'm so proud of us.

But playing around with an IPA is a dangerous proposition. It's obvious that we take pride in our huge floral and citrusy IPAs here in the Northwest. Messing with that recipe can be its own recipe for disaster. Luckily, Deschutes Brewery has a lot of thirsty guinea pigs at its Bend and Portland pubs! Testing out new recipes and variations on eager, honest—and hopefully forgiving—patrons is a great way to find new avenues of beer exploration. The addition of wheat and spices to a hoppy base beer brewed with a Belgian yeast strain makes this a truly different IPA. I can attest—alongside those that helped me finish off our keg of Chainbreaker White IPA—this recipe makes a delicious, easy drinking, exceptional IPA. But, you don't have to take my word for it, check it out for yourselves when it hits the store shelves at the end of March. From the official press release:

25 January 2012 – Bend, Oregon – Why not? That’s a favorite question around the Deschutes Brewery brewhouse. This mindset spawned the creation of Chainbreaker White IPA a hop-forward, citrus-packed beer with an unmistakably smooth character. The new beer is slated to be released at the end of March to the Pacific Northwest, with distribution expanded to the remainder of Deschutes’ 19 state network over the next few months.

“We’re always experimenting with new ingredients and new styles at the brewery,” said Cam O’Connor, brewmaster for Deschutes. “In the case of Chainbreaker our experimentation really paid off: the marriage of wheat, spices, yeast and hops have all come together to make a very drinkable, complex White IPA.”

The name Chainbreaker White IPA was inspired in part by a legendary mountain bike race in Central Oregon called the Cascade Chainbreaker. The challenging race features a demanding course with multiple terrains, just as this beer challenges the palate to expand with a fusion of wheat and spice low notes alongside significant hop highs. Sweet orange peel and coriander round out the flavor profile for a refreshing ride.

First introduced at the Deschutes Brewery Bend and Portland pubs, as well as appearing at various special events, Chainbreaker White IPA was so well-received that the team decided to take it to the next level and make it part of the brewery’s year-round line up.

Vital stats: 5.6 % ABV; 60 IBUs

Chainbreaker White IPA will be available in six-packs and twelve-packs in Oregon, Washington, Idaho starting in late March 2012. The beer will continue to roll out to additional states in the brewery’s distribution network later in 2012.