Bearded Iris Homestyle IPA
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Tasting Notes
Homestyle pours hazy and leads with a saturated aroma of ripe tropical fruit — mango, papaya, and a hint of tangerine — layered over a soft, almost pillowy malt base. On the palate it's full and round with very low bitterness, letting the hop flavor do the heavy lifting rather than any sharp bite. The body is creamy without being thick, and the finish fades clean with just a faint resinous warmth. It's a well-dialed example of the style from a brewery that has spent years tightening this exact profile.
About the Brewery
Bearded Iris is based in Nashville, Tennessee and has become one of the more respected NEIPA-focused breweries in the American South since opening in 2016. They built their reputation almost entirely on hazy, hop-forward beers, with Homestyle as a flagship that put them on the broader craft map. Their taproom in Germantown draws a consistent local crowd, and their cans have earned national distribution and strong ratings attention on beer-tracking platforms.
Food Pairings
Spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes work well here because the soft, fruity hop character tempers heat without fighting it. A fish taco with mango salsa echoes the tropical fruit notes in the beer while the carbonation cuts through the richness of fried fish. Creamy cheeses like brie or a mild triple-cream are a natural match given the beer's rounded, low-bitter profile. Grilled shrimp with citrus butter also pairs cleanly, letting the beer's tangerine and papaya notes mirror what's on the plate without overwhelming delicate seafood.
Style Guide
New England IPA — sometimes called a hazy IPA — is defined by its intentionally cloudy appearance, low bitterness, and forward fruit-forward hop aroma achieved through heavy dry-hopping and late hop additions. The style originated in New England in the early 2010s, with The Alchemist's Heady Topper widely credited as a foundational example, and it spread rapidly as a counterpoint to the sharp, resinous West Coast IPA. Where West Coast IPAs emphasize clarity and firm bitterness, NEIPAs prioritize soft mouthfeel, tropical or citrus hop character, and approachability. ABV typically runs 6–8%, though the style reads lighter than those numbers suggest.