Mr Banks ‘Sweet Axe Skills’ DDH Double IPA

Rating:

“This is an ultimate juice bomb & we think one of the very best DIPA’s we have brewed to date. With some of the Finest Air freighted hops – Nelson Sauvin, Rakau & Motueka straight outta Freestyle Hop Farms in NZ, this has all the juicy tropical vibes & a mouthfeel you could replace your Memory foam pillow with..”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Turbid pastel orange with soft sandy highlights. A thumb of finely beaded white foam emerges and holds together nicely. Healthy lace clings to the glass as we imbibe.

Aroma: This trio of Kiwi hops (Nelson Sauvin, Rakau and Motueka) provides a really green and resinous backdrop with tonnes of mixed fresh herbs, juicy tropical fruits like guava, pineapple, lychee and mango, green fruits like honeydew and kiwifruit, peach skins, tomato vines, orange juice and nectar/passionfruit. Somewhat hard to detect the malt profile but it appears pretty dry, oaty and cereal-driven.

Flavour: Incredibly smooth and juicy. Still getting the super green, piney and resinous overtones but the sweet and sticky tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, orange and passionfruit) have been given a bit of a boost. Definitely tasting more of the creamy oats here. A hint of peppery spice and a cheeky little addition of dried apricot setting up for the sweet, tropical and herbaceous finish.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth AF! It almost has a nitro feel to it. Really coats the whole palate. Medium body. The 8.3% ABV… almost totally hidden.

Overall: Mr Banks, in our opinion, would most likely be the brewery to take on MC for the title. This is a very solid hazy, probably the best crack at the style they’ve ever released. Still a ways to go to take the number 1 spot though!