Mast Landing Chasing Satellites

Chasing Satellites is a New England IPA from Mast Landing in Maine, and the style tells you most of what to expect in the glass. Beers like this are brewed with heavy late-boil and dry-hop additions and left unfiltered. They usually pour a hazy yellow to pale orange with a soft, almost juicy body. The aroma tends to lead with tropical and stone fruit, such as mango, pineapple, peach, and citrus pith. Maine's hazy IPA tradition also leans on a fuller, rounder mouthfeel, often helped by oats or wheat in the grain bill. Bitterness in this style is deliberately restrained. Hops are added for aroma and flavor rather than for a sharp, resinous bite. Expect a low, soft bitterness that fades quickly, with a gentle malt sweetness underneath and a finish that is juicy rather than dry. If you usually find West Coast IPAs too aggressive, a hazy like this is a more approachable way into hop-forward beer. The label and brewery are the best sources for the exact ABV and IBU. Serve it cold but not ice-cold, around 40 to 45°F (4 to 7°C). Fridge-cold temperatures mute the hop aromatics that make this style worth drinking, and a few minutes out of the refrigerator lets the fruit notes open up. A tulip or an IPA-specific glass works best because the tapered rim concentrates the aroma. A shaker pint or a wide-mouthed tumbler is a fine second choice. Pour the beer so it leaves a little of the haze and yeast behind and gets a modest head, and drink it fresh, since hop character in hazy IPAs fades faster than in most other beer styles. At the table, the juicy hop profile suits dishes with heat, salt, and fat. Try it with fish tacos and lime, Thai or Indian curries, buffalo wings, fried chicken, or a smash burger with sharp cheddar. It also works with fresh goat cheese and with citrus-dressed salads. Avoid very delicate dishes, which the hops can overpower.