Hoppy & Smoky

I'm thinking about brewing a Rye IPA with some applewood smoked malt added to it. I'm not sure how the combination of smoky and hoppy will work together.

Has anyone made a beer like this?

The only smoked IPA I ever had tasted like tobacco spit. Not pleasant.

Anybody else?

What are you thinking of for hops? Something dank and earthy?

Spartan1979 said:

Anybody else?

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I've never done it, but Oskar Blues makes a beer called Oskar the G'Rauch, which is a smoked IPA. It's really nice. Works shockingly well together.

Everytime I have made any smoked beer with too much hop, I've had to wait a good six months for the taste to die down before it was drinkable. For some reason the bitterness just make the burnt rubber taste stand out too much. Heavy hops I love, heavy smoke I love, but the two together work like dill pickles and vanilla ice cream.

Try this, grab a basic IPA you have on hand, soak a handful of the smoked grain and let it sit for a few hours, it should give you a good idea of the combo.

the key to making this work is dial back one of the flavors. The best ones I have had have been hoppy with a bit of smoke or smokey with a bit of hop. Don't make the two flavors compete let one be the clear winner and the other be a side note.
Also the right type of hop is important I would go with the more spicy, or earthy flavors. I have had pretty good success with this Including one of the best beers I have ever made which was a Smoked American Barley Wine