Robin Shepard
Hayley’s Comet is named after Hilldale Great Dane general manager Hayley Bergum, who has been with the company for 13 years.
Great Dane-Hilldale brewer Nate Zukas has created an American IPA especially meant to be served soft and mellow on a beer engine.
What is it? Hayley’s Comet, an IPA served on the beer engine from the Great Dane. This beer was made at the Great Dane’s Hilldale location; however, it can also be found at several of the brewpub's other Madison locations.
Style: The India Pale Ale (IPA) emphasizes the bitterness of hops. They are most often medium-bodied and often golden- to copper-colored. They range from 5.5% to 7.5% ABV. When all or at least the majority of the hops used to make them are U.S.-grown, it’s called an American IPA.
Background: Hayley’s Comet is named after Hilldale Great Dane general manager Hayley Bergum, who's been with the company for 13 years. Over those years she’s worked at the Fitchburg location and helped open both the east-side and Hilldale Great Danes. “We don’t normally name our beers after people, but I think secretly she’s always wanted a beer named after her,” says Zukas.
The beer features three types of American hops: Ahtanum, Mosaic and Simcoe. Among the primary malts are Pilsner and Munich. Zukas says he wanted to create a hoppy West Coast-style ale, but to "mellow the hop profile by making it meant to be served on the beer engine,” he says.
The beer engine is a hand-pull tap that pulls the beer from the serving vessel or cask. This is similar to English pub traditions involving beers poured directly from a cask where a valve is opened (or a hand-pump is used) to displace the beer with air. But with beer engines like those used by the Great Dane, as beer is pulled from the cask it is replaced with CO2, so no oxygen gets to the beer. That helps avoid spoilage. Beers served on a beer engine are also warmer and less carbonated than beer on standard bar taps. In the case of Hayley’s Comet, the beer is served between 48-52 degrees. (Cold carbonated beers are served around 34 degrees.) Warmer, less carbonated beers tend to be mellow — softer in body and flavor.
Various styles of beer are served on beer engines. They appeal to a discerning set of drinkers — the uninitiated can consider beers served this way warm and flat. “I think we have a pretty educated beer population in Madison," says Zukas. "There are more than just a handful of places that have cask programs and beer engines."
Hayley’s Comet finishes at 6.2% ABV and sells for $5.50/pint. It is not sold by the growler. It will be available at the Great Dane’s Hilldale, Fitchburg and east-side locations.
Tasting notes:
Aroma: Citrus hoppiness.
Appearance: Allow it to settle after it comes off the beer engine. Then, a clear, golden copper. A soft and creamy off-white to light tan head.
Texture: Medium-bodied.
Taste: A solid blend of piney and citrusy hoppiness.
Finish/Aftertaste: The piney bitterness of the Simcoe hops tends to win in the end, but overall there's a solid blend with the grapefruit of the Ahtanum and Mosaic hops. There’s a pleasant dry bitterness that lightly lingers.
Glassware: The Great Dane will serve Hayley’s in the British pint glass. That’s a nice nod to the British origins of the IPA and hand-pull traditions.
Pairs well with: This is a good beer for sandwiches. From the Great Dane’s menu, match it with the chicken salad croissant. The bitterness won’t overpower the chicken, and it complements the honey pepper applewood smoked bacon.
The Verdict: Hayley’s Comet offers lots of hop aroma and flavor. If you like warmer, less-fizzy hand-pulled beers, or if you're interested in trying one for the first time, this is one I recommend — especially if you enjoy hoppy beer. It has a firm bitterness while being pleasant and easy drinking.
Its lower carbonation and warm temp place it between the bitter character of a lighter pale ale and the more assertive IPA. Serving it on the beer engine really mellows its bitter bite. The hoppiness is more of a blend, so it’s really hard to truly distinguish where the piney Simcoe kicks in and where the citrus-grapefruit bitterness of Ahthanum and Mosaic hops take over. Zukas says he’s not completely satisfied with the beer, and over the summer, as he brews more of it he may tweak the grapefruit side by increasing the amount of Mosaic. However, it is very nice as it is, and outstanding on the beer engine.
