Verified Buyer
May 31 2021Verified Buyer
Live this beer
*Packaging may varyNight Shift Whirlpool Hazy New England Pale Ale
Staff Pick
Ale /4.5% ABV / Massachusetts, United States
Product Details
- Category
- Pale Ale
- Region
- Massachusetts, United States
- Type
- Craft, Independent Craft Brewer
- ABV
- 4.5%
- IBU
- 50
- Tasting Notes
- Citrus, Hoppy, Light, Nectarine, Peach, Tropical Fruit
- Food Pairing
- Cheese - Nutty & Semi-Firm, Chicken, Fish - White, Salads & Greens
- Suggested Glassware
- Pint Glass, Snifter/Goblet/Chalice
- Suggested Serving Temperature
- 45-50° F
Product Description
Explosively juicy, Whirlpool is Night Shift's flagship New England pale ale. It pours hazy blonde with a nose of ripe peach and clementine, and sips citrusy and vibrant. With minimal bitterness on the finish, it's a remarkably crushable sipper. Fun fact - the brewery's entire brewhouse was custom built for this beer’s unique whirlpool brewing process. This allows for an extra-generous dry-hopping of Mosaic and Ella hops that they use in its recipe. Brewed with wheat and oats for additional softness, Whirlpool continues to be an all-time staff favorite.
View all products by Night ShiftCalifornia Residents: Click here for Proposition 65 WARNINGCommunity Reviews
4.7(8 Reviews)
5(87)4
(17)3
(2)2
(0)1
(2)
Newest
scott Brennan Verified BuyerOct 24 2020Verified BuyerMy favorite beer. Great flavor without being too heavy
David Verified BuyerMay 27 2020Verified BuyerThis is a tasty beer. To me it's a pretty standard IPA.
William Verified BuyerApr 23 2020Verified BuyerGreat every day ipa and you can drink a few without feeling gross
Randon Verified BuyerApr 8 2019Verified BuyerWhirlpool is a light drinking pale ale that can be enjoyed can after can. Good for warm days or paired with heavier meals. At $12.99 for a 4-pack of tallboys, it's 20.3 cents per ounce, which would make a regular 12-pack over $29. Its best use case may be picnicking or patio drinking on a warm, sunny day.
Michael Verified BuyerJun 10 2018Verified BuyerGreat
Tim Verified BuyerApr 11 2018Verified BuyerI've been on a Pale Ale kick lately and Whirlpool is great option. It's my current go to option.
channonApr 11 2018 Above average and very interesting. Sweet and dry at the same time. A bit too fruity at the end but in a very refreshing way. Good sesh ale.
FAQs
A standard ale is a malty, mildly bitter style of beer that can trace its roots for thousands of years; the more modern style coincides with the Middle Ages when hops were thankfully introduced to the brewing process. Ale recipes use a quick-acting style of yeast that floats at the top of the brewing vessel; fermentation occurs at a balmy 70 degrees Fahrenheit, leading to the style’s signature sweet flavor and subsequent higher ABVs. A basic ale is fruity, slightly bitter and generally darker in color, though there are dozens and dozens of distinct styles of beer that qualify as an ale.
Because ales yeasts ferment at a higher temperature and create more alcoholic conditions, ales are typically darker in color than lagers and lean towards a sweeter, maltier flavor. It depends on the sort of ale you’ve selected, however, as there are over 75 unique types of ale; a pale ale tends to be more bitter and dry, a brown ale delivers a toasted nut and caramel taste, a sour ale is tart and funky and an IPA is bold and hoppy. Many traditional, European-style ales are best described as fruit-forward, warm and even a little spicy, delivering an undeniably rich tasting experience, especially the darker, robust varieties.
Ales are more alcoholic than lagers, largely due to the style of yeast and the temperature at which the yeasts ferment; ale yeasts tolerate a more alcoholic environment and thus provide a darker, richer product. A standard pub-style pale ale or basic brown ale will generally clock in around 5% ABV, though, with dozens of different styles in today’s crowded craft beer market, you can easily find a pint that packs more of a punch. IPAs, the darling of the craft brewing industry, will typically range from 6-8%, and the popular trend towards double and triple-style versions pushes these well over 10% ABV.
Beer, by definition is crafted from cereal grains (very few of which are gluten-safe) and as such, ale is not a gluten-free product; on the beer spectrum, lagers and stouts tend to contain less gluten than ales which rely on the barley and wheat malt to deliver its distinctive sweetness. Some brewers are experimenting with more gluten-safe grains, like sorghum or rice, and others are introducing an enzyme that helps remove the gluten molecules from the final products. Household names like New Belgium Brewing Company and Stone Brewing offer gluten-safe pale ales and even IPAs, though even then, you’re not guaranteed an 100% gluten-free product.
While a rhetorical question no doubt (an ale is, in fact, an ale after all), you might not know what exactly marks the difference between the two fundamental beer styles; it all comes down to the yeasts employed and the fermentation process. The process by which ales are made is much older than that of lagers, as lager yeasts originally came from South America and thus did not enter European markets for some time. Ales rely on top-fermenting yeast strains, which, as the name suggests, remain on top of the warm wort while feeding on sugars, whereas lager yeasts sink to the bottom and ferment at much colder temperatures.
Ales, especially IPAs and Belgian-style ales, tend to be higher in alcohol than other beers, so you’re likely to consume more calories and carbs per pint. A basic, 5% ABV, 12-ounce bottle of pale ale contains around 150 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates; a common IPA (say, a Lagunitas) is closer to 190 calories and 19 grams of carbs; a glass of dark Belgian-style ale might even surpass 300 and 30 grams of carbs. Ales tend to deliver a richer, maltier taste and often appear as darker shades of ambers and toasted browns — these qualities coincide with a higher calorie count.