Brewery – MadTree
Beer – Entropic Theory
Style – IPA
ABV – 7.5%
IBUs – 70

From Chaos Emerges Order. From Fermentation Emerges Beer. This IPA hits you with huge aromas of orange, peach, and apricot as soon as you open the can. The nose is followed by a smooth bitterness and soft mouthfeel as it delivers tropical fruit flavors.

They worked on this beer for a long time – it was the result of the multi-yearlong “Treesearch” Project which spawned 20 different recipes, before the brewery finally settled on this final one.

The brewing team and the lab team worked together closer than they ever have before at MadTree, in an attempt to craft this beer from the smallest level up to the resulting beer that ends in your glass.  In a lot of ways it’s a work of art.  I won’t go into a ton of detail here about the philosophical side of the beer… and what I think it really represents for MadTree, as I did that already – but I think I can wrap it up saying that I think this beer represents MadTree, who they are, who they are becoming… all wrapped up in a beer.

The name itself has a lot going for it too – straight from the brewery’s mouth:

In Physics, entropic theories generally refer to forces that emerge from ever-increasing entropy. Jargon aside, Entropic Theory (the beer) refers to a unique feature of all these entropic forces – they are chaotic and unpredictable at infinitesimally tiny distances, yet develop ordered patterns over large distances. This emergence of order from chaos can also be seen in the fermentation process, which involves the chaotically complex conversion of wort to beer by yeast.

But with all that… what’s it taste like?

My Thoughts on MadTree Entropic Theory

This beer bridges the gap for me perfectly between a “traditional” West Coast IPA and the newfangled NE IPAs that seem to be all the rage lately.  While there is a definite bitter hop character present, it’s balanced out by a fruity hop sweetness as well.  All this is showcased on top of a softer mouthfeel than you might be used to in your IPAs, without being over the top, and in your face either.

The beer is a masterpiece of fruity, tropical hop flavors, with just enough of a sticky pine flavor to go along with it.

I’m a big fan of this beer… it’s a great addition to their summer seasonal lineup, and should be a go-to to grab if you’re looking for a nice summer beer with a little more guts to it than your typical light pool drinkers might have!