Six string ‘one’ anniversary ale

Rating:

imageThis very special brew marks one year of business for six string. This beer, bottled in a champagne vase, is 186/860 and is a DIPA, sitting at a whopping 10.2%. It has an IBU of 90. It is the big brother of the red IPA and uses double the malt and 4x the hops!! Here goes..

Pours a dark red/mahogany due to some chocolate malts added, there is a 10mm creamy off white head that retains gloriously. We see mild carbonation but that may be the dark hue of the beer. Solid resin like hop aroma with citrus and gentle pine, alongside caramel malt. The first sip is the winner. So smooth in the mouth with such a well balanced alcohol to malt ratio. Creamy on the tongue, with a bold, full body and mild carbonation. Bitterness is amazingly subdued for being 90 IBU. There is a sweetness from the chocolate and caramel malt, there is a balanced tartness from the citrus hops, a balanced bitterness on the back palate from the resinous hops and a presence of stewed fruit, possibly from the late additions of hops used. We don’t get much chocolate so it must be on the minimal side in terms of malt component, but it gives the beer a beautiful colour. There is a fair amount of patchy lacing on the glass. Wow. We must admit, we have been to six strings brewery numerous times and thought the only decent beer is the red IPA..well this limited addition has to be the best we have had. The ‘2’ anniversary ale is very nice but this ‘1’ beats it. What an impressive australian IPA from a microbrewery two years old. Can’t wait for no ‘3’.