Running in Circles from Origin Beer Project
Origin Beer Project has a brick and mortar location in Providence, Rhode Island, but, as they are part of Twelve Percent, all of their beers are made in North Haven, Connecticut. The brewery, which opened during the pandemic in 2020, quickly became a local favorite and was even one of VinePair’s best new breweries last year.
While they tend to focus on old world styles and “process over trends” they do offer a lot of different styles, including hybrid and non-alcoholic concoctions as well. It is extremely rare to see them outside of Rhode Island or Connecticut so when I saw a can of theirs up for grabs, I jumped at the chance.
I have their Running in Circles, a hazy IPA brewed with six hop varieties (Warrior, Mosaic, Citra, Riwaka, Wai-iti, and Nelson Sauvin) and three types of grain (2 Row, CaraFoam, and flaked oats). It features a 7% ABV, 45 IBU, and a single can costs a modest $4.50 at their brewery.
Pouring a completely opaque, murky straw color, this hazy had just under two fingers of eggshell white head topping it off. The foam was dense and hung around for a while before finally fizzing down into a half-inch thick layer across the top. There was some moderate lacing to the brew but, for the most part, the foam didn’t cling too heavily to the sides of the glass.
The aroma was a nice blend of hoppy traits. There were those fruity characteristics – like mango, lemon, pineapple, melon, white grapes, and grapefruit – but there were also some diesely and earthy pine notes. The grist added the usual flaked wheat and oats aroma, adding some breadiness to the scent.
Each sip begins with a slow building softer body that adds some creaminess and heft to the brew. There is a little carbonation fizzle early on but it’s the hops that act quickly and waste no time meeting the taste buds.
There is an early pop of lemon, pineapple, and pithy grapefruit that starts right out of the gate. It takes a second or two for the other qualities to catch up and, shortly after, that initial burst is joined by the flavors of honeydew melon, grapes, and some juicy mango.
After a few seconds the malt profile comes into play, imparting that cereal-like quality, but is quickly overshadowed by the hops. For a few brief moments in the middle of the sip those diesel and piney attributes peek through and add a twinge of hoppy bitterness.
It’s not long before the fruits regain control of the flavor. And, towards the back end, the white grapes join forces with the grapefruit rind to add a resinous dry feeling that lingers for a few moments longer than the others. It’s still a mostly clean finish with a bit of pineapple flavor being detected after the citrus rind fades off.
While the 7% ABV is undetectable, Running in Circles does sit a bit heavier so it isn’t a super crushable beer. It is still very easy to drink, it’ll just take a bit longer and that’s okay.
It’s a very solid hazy IPA with those southern hemisphere hops. Worth a try and I can’t wait to find their beers again.
