20170127

Samuel Adams reformulates its successful IPA

You have to give it to Jim Koch. The Boston Beer CEO isn't afraid to tinker with success.

The brewer's Samuel Adams Rebel IPA, launched in 2014 to solid consumer response, has been reformulated with the addition of several hops. In addition to the original blend of Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe and Chinook hops Rebel now has Mosaic hops, experimental bittering hop HBC 682 and HBC 566, a new hop variety proprietary to Sam Adams.

It now is brewed solely with Samuel Adams’ two-row malt blend, and caramel malt has been removed from the grain bill. According to the company, Rebel IPA’s new flavor profile is “less malty,” and features more tropical, citrus and pine-like notes.

So, why the change? As Koch told the Boston Globe, "Rebel was well received, but I have this motto that the status quo sucks. The only reason the status quo exists is because we haven’t yet figured out how to do it better. We apply that to our beers.”

This is the first time Boston Beer has changed the formula of one of its prominent beers.

The company also is releasing Rebel Juiced, a 6.2% abv version of Rebel plus flavorings from such fruits as tangerine and mango to complement its Mosaic, Mandarina and Zeus hops.

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