“Heavily hopped but low in bitterness, this hazy, tropical style IPA offers a pillowy mouthfeel and vibrant citrus, pineapple and stone fruit notes.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Hazy mustard-orange pour with a fluffy three finger head perched on top. Good retention and excellent lace work on the glass.

Aroma: How good is Citra! And how good is fresh IPA? This was canned in late December so it’s only two- and a-bit months old, which is super fresh considering what we’ve been copping recently in terms of near out of date beer. Punchy citrus overtones i.e grapefruit, orange rind, subtle tangerine. Juicy stone fruit and tropical fruit laid over a fairly dry and chalky malt base. Some oat characters in there too.

Flavour: We’re getting more of a juicy West Coast IPA vibe as opposed to a hazy. Definitely has something to do with the high alpha acids and the slightly more pronounced bitterness. Hits a subtle dank note, some weedy herbals, pine needle, resin. Tropical fruits and citrus also play a key role as it shifts into a kinda dry, resinous and weedy finish. Good length on it.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, light and aerated, but it holds a solid mild-medium body. Finely carbed and a well poised 6.1% ABV.

Overall: A nice way to wrap up our deep dive into this brewery. Fresh, punchy and bright, well balanced and highly drinkable. MRBC certainly gets the overall tick of approval from us.

“Heavily hopped, resinous and dripping with tropical and stone fruits. West Coast IPA – South West style!”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Rather hazy golden-orange pour with a sturdy two finger crown. The head slowly deconstructs and leaves a good amount of lace in its wake.

Aroma: Smells fresh AF (packaged 5/12/25 so only a few months old) which is a welcome change from all the old cans we’ve been copping recently. Really big and punchy fruits lifting out of the glass. We get a truckload of nectar-filled passionfruit, mango, pineapple and peach. Rockmelon, guava and lychee as well. Massive resinous overtones. Slightly dank. Semi sweet malt profile at the base. Very nice.

Flavour: A big fruity splash washes over the palate with sweet and nectary passionfruit, mango, peach and pineapple. A very mild hint of stewy/canned fruit creeping in a little though. Super resinous, kinda dank, weedy. Caramel malts sitting in the background. A gentle bitterness ascends late in the piece but tapers off into a relatively easygoing finish that hangs on nicely.

Mouthfeel: Pretty smooth, chewy, medium bodied. Co2 slightly on the lower side. The 6.7% ABV was well buried.

Overall: What started with immense promise didn’t exactly end with as much. Don’t get us wrong it was still a decent IPA, it just seemed to fall off the longer we sat on it. Not bad.

“This black IPA version of our champion beer borrows heavily from its siblings signature dank pine, stone and tropical nose from a heavily us influenced dry hopping, but the beast in black now purrs with roasted cacao and chocolate notes, balanced with a lingering bitter, resinous finish”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Solid black pour with a billowing three finger head. It slowly breaks up and leaves an absolute smattering of lace on the glass.

Aroma: One of our most favoured styles and, unfortunately, a style that’s underappreciated by a lot of Aussie breweries. This expression is quite malt-driven. Heavy roasted qualities – ash and licorice fill the nostrils. The hops are somewhat drowned out but we do detect delicate hints of pine resin, grapefruit/rind and fresh herbs. We always bang on about balance being key with black IPA’s and this one is not quite there.

Flavour: Lacking a bit of intensity if we were to be brutally honest. One component not lacking any intensity is the bitterness. The big roasty notes on the nose have pulled back a little and the piney/resinous hops are here but are again, a little muted. A subtle warmth from the ABV as it leads into a fairly dry, acetic and roasty finish that lingers.

Mouthfeel: Slick initially then dry and bitter in the swallow. Medium body, well carbed. The 6.5% ABV comes through intermittently.

Overall: It’s been a very long time between drinks for us and Mash. 9 years to be exact. These guys have been in operation for around 15 years now so they’re officially in OG status. This BIPA isn’t one of their best releases, but it still holds its own.

“Throw on your loudest shirt and step into the party spirit. This hazy IPA drips with Citra and Amarillo hops, boosted by Abstrax blood orange terpenes for a burst of citrus & tropical haze. Bright, juicy and impossible to ignore. Wear it proudly, drink it loudly.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Turbid sandy-yellow complexion capped off by a short white head. Decent retention and healthy lace work on the glass.

Aroma: Big tropical fruity vibes. Like a full on fruit salad packed with passionfruit, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, rockmelon, guava, lemon and lime zest. Mixed orange citrus too i.e tangerine, mandarin, blood orange. The latter is certainly emphasised by the terpenes. Hints of pine and resin. Backed by a rather chalky and bready malt profile. Not too shabby.

Flavour: Pretty much a mirror image of the nose. Loaded with sweet tropical fruit and a range of mixed citrus. We must admit, the blood orange/terpenes are left wanting for a beer that features blood orange terpenes. It does provide a little extra tang but it’s too subtle in our opinion. Gentle pine and resin, dry, bready and slightly sweet malt profile finished off by a moderately dry and sweet fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Super smooth, well aerated and creamy. Light-moderate body, finely carbed and a well concealed 7.5% ABV.

Overall: We’ve been fans of this winery/brewery for a while now. They brew some really good beers for a largely unknown operation but this one kinda fails to excite us. It’s lacking the main feature flavour and overall it’s a bit middle of the road.

“Citrus, Stone Fruit, Tropical, Subtly Boozy An IPA created to please even the biggest ‘Hop Heads’. This quaffable 6.2% west coast IPA will scratch that crafty itch.“

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden-orange complexion. It forms a finely beaded two finger head which slowly deconstructs. Excellent lace work as it ebbs.

Aroma: Massive fruit salad vibes on this one. Everything from orange, tangerine and grapefruit to passionfruit, mango, lychee and peach. Hints a bit at shallot and lemongrass as well. Good malt structure to it…subtle honey, caramel, bread crust and biscuits. Nice and vibrant aroma with plenty of character.

Flavour: Somewhat hard to classify it. We’d say it’s more of a “no coast” IPA…something akin to Toppling Goliath in the US. It has a bit of east coast juice but also a good dose of west coast bitterness and bite. The 6.8% ABV adds some extra attitude too. Mostly citrus fruits, pine and herbal spice upfront, mellowed by the semi-sweet and bready malts. Gets a liiiiitle bit stewy through the mid but it’s cleaned up in the dry and bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Slick and kinda chewy then ultra dry and bitter post swallow. Moderate-medium body, flat-ish Co2. The 6.8% ABV is noticeable but doesn’t get too wild.

Overall: Kinda fell away a bit towards the end there. All in all it’s a fairly decent IPA though. Not short on character which is important considering the lack of character on their cans. Not bad.

“This imperial hop collision fuses West Coast and Juicy IPAs, unleashing atomic flavors of lush fruit, citrus, and sticky pine. First released as a DIPA, we kicked Atomic Torpedo up from 8.2% to 9.2% ABV for bigger and bolder Imperial IPA intensity. Brace your taste buds: Damn the Torpedoes, Full Hops Ahead!”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Deep golden-orange pour, topped off by a fairly thick and creamy two finger head. Excellent retention and lace work.

Aroma: Definitely going into the “can’t believe we haven’t reviewed this” pile. We reviewed the OG torp 13 years ago so it’s inexcusable that we’ve never reviewed this. Anywho, it smells mighty fine. Peak American IPA – grapefruit, orange/rind, tangerine, a hint of freshly squeezed OJ too. Pine, tropical fruit and rockmelon. Slightly sweet and sugary caramel malt structure. Nicely balanced. Boom.

Flavour: Reminds us of craft beer’s glory days of the late noughties and 2010’s. Not exactly a bitter bomb like most were back then but enough to strip all moisture out of the mouth. The caramalt bill does a sterling job of levelling it all out though. Tonnes of orange citrus, grapefruit, pine, light florals and some stone fruit. Kinda dry, slightly bitter finish with a touch of malt sweetness and pine to round it all off.

Mouthfeel: Slick, well rounded texture. Medium body and Co2. The 9.2% ABV is ridiculously well hidden.

Overall: We shouldn’t expect anything less than perfection from Sierra Nevada and that’s exactly what we got here… perfection!

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Kinda deep golden-honey pour capped off by a fluffy one finger head that holds together well. Excellent retention and lacing as we imbibe.

Aroma: A lot more malt-driven than we’d anticipated. It’s a brilliant malt profile though…semi sweet, a tad caramelised and bready. Jeez for a hop bill boasting Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe it’s rather tired. And there we go, FFS. Once again we’ve been sold a beer by a reputable bottlo that is near 12 months old. For an IPA that’s inexcusable. For any other style we could maybe give a pass but on this one we won’t. Extremely frustrating.

Flavour: Drinks exactly as the aroma. The malt bill is holding up rather well considering how long in the tooth it is. Light caramelisation, marmalade on toast, that sorta thing. A distant hint of orange citrus – mandarin, ruby grapefruit, orange peel – but it’s more acidity and pith than flavour. A sign that it’s too old to be enjoyed. Bitter, pithy finish. Some malt flavour but it’s futile.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat gelatinous, sticky and flat. A lot of the Co2 has dropped out of it…again, showing its age.

Overall: God dammit. We’re certain this would be a corker if it was fresher. It seems freshness has been a real issue for imported US beers since covid and it appears the problem ain’t getting enough attention.

“As crisp as a morning in the Mountains. Brewed cold with a blend of Krush Cryo, Citra and Cascade hops. This brew showcases Fermentis SH-45 yeast. A new yeast strain which ferments cleanly for a snappy finish, while boosting citrus and tropical hop notes.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Pours a clear and bright golden hue, capped off by a wispy overlay. It holds together quite well but the lacing is wet and streaky.

Aroma: Smells fresh AF. This was only canned a few weeks ago so the hops are absolutely jumping out of the glass. Loving the old-school vibe from Citra and Centennial… we’re getting those timeless dank and citrusy overtones, pine/resin, weed and grapefruit. The Krush Cryo is a nice touch too, blending in some straight up hop oils, tropical fruits, stone fruit and mixed berries. Solid!

Flavour: This is one of the things we love about this style – after an aroma of that magnitude, we’re awaiting a big, hoppy and bitter flavour profile but due to the lager yeast and the cold fermentation it’s so much cleaner and refined. It still punches hard with the hop flavour though…dank, weedy herbals, pine/resin, oily citrus and zest then some tropical fruit sweetness into a crisp and dry finish that draws out nicely.

Mouthfeel: Clean, refreshing but with a bit of chew. Mild-moderate Co2, medium body and a well hidden 6.5% ABV.

Overall: Sunday Road are one of our go-to breweries for WC IPA’s, cold IPA’s, west coast pilsners etc. They have the clear IPA styles absolutely dialled in. This one included.

“Big Job is a BIG beer, jammed with as many big hops as we could get our hands on and packed full of tropical grapefruit and juicy blackcurrant flavours. If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing!”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Gorgeous bright golden pour with a short white cap perched on top. The head quickly forms a collar with healthy lacing as it ebbs.

Aroma: It’s super fruity – as expected – but it’s not your typical shortlist for a big IPA. We’re picking up lychee, canned peach, papaya, starfruit, passionfruit and guava. Mandarin and tangerine also. The malt profile is pretty ambiguous too… honeysuckle, a hint of toast and toffee apple. It’s bloody unique we’ll give it that.

Flavour: Don’t know where to begin. We get too much of the 7.2% ABV for a start. There are a few decent jabs of orange citrus upfront and a muddled mix of exotic fruits in support. The malt bill is pretty clean but we feel in a highly hopped, juiced up IPA like this the malt needs a bit of bottom end…a bit more rich sweetness to counterbalance. Aggressive booze burn and bitterness into a dry, fruity and acidic finish.

Mouthfeel: Sharp, prickly, warming. Medium body with effervescent Co2. The 7.2% ABV is far too pronounced for our liking.

Overall: We feel they’re trying too hard to be American here. We absolutely love English IPA. We love them with some American influence even more. SOME American influence. They’ve just got completely lost in the sauce unfortunately.

“Rich toffee and treacle malt backbone is exploded with hops.  The highly sought after American hop varieties Simcoe,  and Mosaic are counterbalanced by Aussie grown Cascade, and Galaxy hops. Grapefruit, melon, bubble gum and passionfruit flavours come through and a soft but robust bitterness rounds out the picture.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Copper red pour with a kiss of pink through it. It constructs a two finger head which retains well. Lots of thick blotchy lacing clings to the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: Seems a little shy. There’s a good amount of character in here but it takes a vigorous swirl of the glass to lift it out. Strikes us as a malt-forward red IPA…displaying an earthy toffee sweetness, woody spice and dried leaves below a restrained hop profile of red berries, pine, ruby grapefruit, light herbals and tangerine. Not a bad aroma it’s just too muted.

Flavour: The intensity it lacks in aroma is kinda made up for here. It’s still notably malt-forward with the hops playing 2nd fiddle. Sticky toffee, caramels, earthy/woody notes and burnt biscuits dominate the subdued fruitiness from the hops. Some faint herbals, grapefruit, black pepper and florals present as it all rolls into a pretty lackluster finish which continues to dry out on the back palate.

Mouthfeel: Sticky, chewy, gelatinous. Medium body and Co2. The 5.9% ABV is neatly tucked away.

Overall: Not really fans of it. It was too malt-forward and too shy on the nose. So many better red IPA’s out there.

“Newly released Love Shack Red I.P.A is the red ale that you’ve come to know and love but hopped up!”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Deep amber to copper red pour capped off by a finger of light khaki foam. The head retains fairly well and a healthy lace clings to the glass as we imbibe.

Aroma: Good depth and intensity. Commendable balance too which is crucial for this style. Very rich and sweet caramalt base throwing out toffee, caramel and candy sugars but it’s the fusion of piney, herbal and citrusy hops that really propels this beer forward. It has this oldskool Red IPA quality to it which is kinda hard to explain. Alls we know is it’s smelling the goods.

Flavour: Tasting the goods too! That impeccable balance on show on the nose carries over but with added fire from the 7% ABV and a moderate bitterness. Delicious stuff here…malty sweet, caramelised, and a touch fruity on entry then gradually becoming piney, herbaceous and citrusy through the mid. The bitterness kicks into gear late then it finishes surprisingly smooth, sweet and fruity.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, silky, gelatinous. Medium bodied with good Co2. The 7% ABV was very well concealed.

Overall: This brewery is the perfect example as to why we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The can designs (although trad) are very unappealing but the contents inside are outstanding.

“Surf’s up, cowabunga dude. Hop Dude is riding the Cali wave, hanging ten on a refreshing West Coast IPA. Crisp, pale and perfectly hoppy, popping with bright citrus and tropical fruit, powered by Krush hops and NZ Cascade Amplifire Oil. Clean, dry, and endlessly drinkable.” 

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Bright pale golden pour capped off by a finger of tightly beaded white head. It retains well and produces a fine intricate lace down the glass.

Aroma: She’s a little shy but a good swirl evokes a fairly old-school set of aromas including all types of citrus, nectar-filled tropical fruits and pine resin. The NZ Cascade is a nice touch…we definitely get that green quality that’s consistent across all NZ hops. There’s also notable lime/zest, white peach, unripened pineapple and a subtle touch of blueberry. Crisp and clean malt backing. Decent.

Flavour: One big change that we admire about new-school WC IPA’s is the moderated bitterness. Don’t get us wrong, we do LOVE a good bitter bomb from time to time but these more approachable yet still hop-fuelled modern iterations are much more pleasant. Like the aroma it’s crammed full of mixed citrus, tropical fruits, pine resin, stone fruits and a clean honey malt profile at its core.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, light on and effortless. Mild-medium body, finely carbed. The 6.2% ABV is bang on for the style.

Overall: We won’t go as far as saying that it’s a memorable beer but it’s pretty well polished and it does all the right things. It’s enjoyable to say the least.

“Stunningly beautiful Mystery Bay was previously called Mutton Fish Bay due to its plentiful supply of abalone or mutton fish. This idyllic local beach was renamed after 5 men disappeared there in October 1889 in one of Australia’s most baffling sea mysteries.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Bright golden orange pour with a short khaki head resting atop. Steady reduction and scarce lacing as we imbibe.

Aroma: What we have here is a 100% Australian IPA i.e all the ingredients are Aussie. It’s fascinating to see where our beers sit on the world stage. Personally, we think that in their truest form (as this beer is) they sit between English and American styles…more boisterous than English beers but not quite as loud and extreme as American ones. Interestingly, a very similar parallel can be drawn with the typical Aussie psyche.

Flavour: Now that we waffled our way through the whole aroma let’s get into the tasting notes. It’s a very well balanced IPA. The hops do most of the talking with clean herbal notes, orange citrus, pine needle, nuanced tropical fruits and florals. Quite a sweet and biscuity malt structure which really fills the whole beer out. Delicate bitterness and a semi dry, mildly bitter and herbal finish.

Mouthfeel: Well rounded, smooth and then a little drier in the swallow. Medium body, low-ish Co2. The 6.2% ABV is on the money.

Overall: As a style the Australian IPA will never be as popular as an American or even a NZ IPA. It just doesn’t have the depth of character, no matter who brews it. That aside, we really enjoyed this. Our first crack at this brewery from the picturesque south coast NSW.

“Our take on Belgian IPA, with the wow factor of our Belgian yeast providing white pepper, bubble gum and clove. We added a mix of Citra, Galaxy, Vic Secret and Ella to produce a pleasant spicy aroma with a lingering hint of jasmine and a tropical hit.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Pours a honey-golden colour with a wispy white head over the top. It quickly forms a collar with wet and wavy lace work left in its wake.

Aroma: The old Belgian IPA is such an underrated style. Taking the best of two excellent styles and weaving them together is a masterstroke in our opinion. The Belgian yeast comes through with its spicy, fruity esters and the citrusy and floral hops are equal to the task. The malt bill provides a dash of honey but it’s mostly clean with a fresh sweetness. Solid aroma.

Flavour: It’s all IPA on entry…a nicely tempered mix of citrus/rind, pine needle, peppery spice, peach and soft florals with a delicate bitterness in support. It’s not until the mid-palate that the Belgian yeast shows up, but when it does it imparts the hallmark spice (pepper, clove, anise), bubblegum, esters and Angostura bitters. Nicely balanced finish of mixed citrus, pepper and florals. Good length on it too.

Mouthfeel: Bright, crisp and clean. Mild-medium body, perfectly carbed. The 6.5% ABV conceals itself really well.

Overall: We’ve been wanting to try this ever since we saw that they had one months ago. It was a tad harder to find than the rest of their core range. Glad we tried it as it was everything we expected it to be – high quality, easy drinking and delicious.

“The monster hop has taken a new form. The same all-star cast of New Zealand grown Nelson Sauvin and Rakau hops, now shrouded in haze. Juicy grapefruit, passionfruit and dank resin, fused in a swirling otherworldly Hazy IPA. The beast is back.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Turbid AF, mustard-esque pastel yellow complexion and a creamy two finger head perched on top. Excellent retention and a tonne of lace clinging to the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Smells on point. Absolutely jam packed with Kiwi hop goodness – delicate green grapes/white wine, zesty lime/rind, gooseberry, passionfruit, dank weedy herbals, pine resin and apricot. All neatly bundled up in a super smooth and bready malt profile. Some chalkiness and peppery spice opening up as it settles. High quality aroma.

Flavour: We remember first trying the OG pernicious back in 2016 (just before the haze craze took off in the southern hemisphere). Back then they were still using Nelson Sauvin and Rakau and much like this version now it still imparts a good dose of dank resinous weed and pine, stone fruit, citrus and green tropical fruits. It’s just noticeably smoother, creamier and far less bitter! Extremely soft and silky in the finish too. Superb.

Mouthfeel: Aerated, pillowy beer clouds. Light-moderate body, finely carbed. The 6% ABV is neatly tucked in there.

Overall: GP are absolutely kicking arse right now. One other thing that we’d forgotten to touch on is its seriously sharp price…it ended up coming in under $6 a can (after a small discount from our friendly bottle shop owner) which is an absolute steal considering its quality. Sensational stuff.

“It’s beer from back when malt mattered. English style IPA. Ripe juicy Maris Otter and chewy crystal lay down a foundation of rich malt flavour, supporting an assertive load of East Kent Goldings and Slovenian Celeia hops. Notes of toffee and fresh baked biscuits balanced with firm bitterness and floral, earthy citrus aroma. Sometimes you’ve got to get old skool.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Gorgeous bold amber pour with full transparency. It forms a thumb of khaki head which gradually peels off. Not much in the way of lacing it has to be said.

Aroma: This is a style we’re very well versed in and we’re highly critical of any non-English brewery that tries their hand at it. GP can usually do it all so let’s crack on. It’s certainly a malt bomb but it’s nicely balanced. The hallmark richness and caramel sweetness of maris otter malts lay down a sturdy foundation for the spicy, floral and somewhat fruity old world hops. Pretty good.

Flavour: This is typically where the men are separated from the boys and that is exactly the case here. We go on all the time about non-English breweries not having the capability to brew English IPA’s and the telling difference in most cases is the depth of flavour and balance. In this case in particular, it’s just a hodge-podge of sweet malt and spicy hops, lacking in any refined flavour and direction as it finishes messy and unbalanced.

Mouthfeel: Not bad actually. Smooth and chewy, the bitterness develops late. Medium body, low-ish carbonation. 5.6% ABV is spot on for the style.

Overall: We’ll chalk this up as another fail for a non-English brewery. If GP can’t even get it right then who can?!

“We’re heading south for our fifth collaboration with Boston brewing legends Trillium, down to Garston Hops in Southland’s Nokomai Valley. A massive dry hop of hand selected Nelson Sauvin, Motueka and NZ Cascade bring passionfruit, peach and citrus in this giant juicy hazy homage to one of New Zealand’s most exciting new hop growing regions.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Turbid pastel orange-yellow pour capped off with a short white head which settles to a fine film. A good wavy lace decorates the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: It’s no wonder any release under the “Valley” series sells out so damn quickly. We’re getting the old one-two from the juicy and nectar-filled passionfruit, pineapple, peach, guava and mixed citrus. Loving the subtle tartness from the gooseberry too. Picking up a little resin, some onion/shallot, fruity white wine and green grapes. Dry, bready malt structure to boot. Very good.

Flavour: The Nelson Sauvin features pretty heavily here. It’s super green, resinous, weedy, vinous and tart with the fruit salad components opening up mid-way. It keeps quite dank and resinous and continually flirts with a dry bitterness but it never makes a move. It’s impressive how it holds its overall intensity all the way through to the smooth, creamy and fruity finish which draws out on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Light and fluffy which is wild for an 8% ABV beer. Mild-medium body. Finely carbed.

Overall: At this stage the line-up of our favourites are like so;

1) Sunrise

2) Galaxy

3) Matakitaki

4) Nokomai

5) Yakima

6) Willamette

“You know we love anything DANK, so when we tried this oily, tangy, ganja-smelling IPA, we wanted to make sure that this beer’s name said it all! Strata and Idaho 7 lead the way with bright tropical fruit and sour diesel spice with a touch of Centennial and Simcoe for undertones of citrusy terpenes. Clear and crisp for that West Coast kick that we all love so much.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: On the lighter end for a WC IPA – slightly hazy with a golden-yellow complexion. It forms a thumb of fizzy white head which settles to a collar. Skint lace work as it ebbs.

Aroma: Pretty dank…as the name would suggest. It’s got that old-school pine dominance that hints at resin, tree sap, shallot and eucalyptus. Heady citrus notes, mostly lemon and grapefruit with a good helping of rind and zestiness. A fleeting hint of fresh green capsicum also coming through. The malt bill is really shy, definitely biscuity with a delicate bush honey sweetness. Not bad.

Flavour: Follows on from the nose. Dank everything really…dank pine, dank resin, dank weedy herbals, dank spicy citrus and rind. Again, hinting at shallot and spruce while the Strata hops provide that epic green capsicum/chilli component around the mid. Surprisingly low on bitterness as it all sets up for a notably smooth finish of dank pine/resin, citrus/rind and green onion.

Mouthfeel: Really smooth and effortless for a WC IPA. Mild-medium body, moderate Co2. The 6.5% ABV was really well hidden.

Overall: It certainly lived up to its dank namesake. All in all it was a well balanced and well structured WC IPA. What it lacks in wow factor is made up in pure brewing ability.

“Galaxy, with its crazy tropical Pineapple – Orange – Guava aroma that’s laced with zesty lime and ginger spice, is one of those hops that doesn’t require other hops with it to make a beer pop. One sniff and sip of this beer will show you what we are talking about. In order for you to have an unadulterated Galaxy experience, we brew Galaxy Blaster with our house neutral ale yeast which doesn’t obfuscate the beautiful hop character.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Looks awesome – milky and super turbid pastel yellow with a light and frothy two finger head perched on top. Steady reduction and patchy lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Our world renowned Galaxy hops feature all on their own here. Instantly the nostrils are filled with sweet nectary fruits like passionfruit, orange, guava, lychee and unripened mango. We’re picking up a gorgeous scent of creamy blood orange sorbet which is an absolute pleasure to take in. Nice dry malt bill…white bread/crusts, oats and a subtle hint of chalk. Solid start.

Flavour: Much more bitter than we’d anticipated. It opens up with the same blend of fruits as the aroma but there’s a lot less sweetness to them. The whole flavour profile and texture feels a lot more aerated and drier with the bitterness slowly intensifying as it rolls through the mid. It all hits a crescendo then tapers off into a fairly mellow finish where the bitterness continues to dry it all out.

Mouthfeel: Super smooth and creamy then bitter and dry in the swallow. Light-moderate body, finely carbed. The 6.8% ABV shows through intermittently.

Overall: What started with so much promise ended with much less. In the end we couldn’t get on board with the totally dried out flavour profile and lifted bitterness. Not bad.

“Far away in the distance we saw what appeared to be a large rotating pineapple. That could only mean one thing, we’d found a kiosk, slangin’ the freshest juice of all the land. This expressive yeast Hazy IPA Features a melange of hop varieties for a great offering of red fruit, white grape, grapefruit oil forward terpenes & a nice dusting of pine. Hopped with Strata, Nelson, Simcoe, Centennial & Motueka.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Looks the goods – kinda milky and turbid mustard-yellow pour capped off by a frothy two finger head. It retains well and decorates the glass nicely on the way down.

Aroma: Massive hop bill in this brew (Strata, Nelson, Simcoe, Motueka and Centennial) so it’s no surprise the dominant scent is straight up fruit salad. Lots of pine/sap, evergreen, shallot, weedy resins, green grapes, literal hop oil and sweet juicy nectar. Some nuanced candied fruits like strawberry and watermelon also get a look in. Nice bready malt structure. Diggin it.

Flavour: We were quietly hoping it was going to be a bit drier with some unripened fruit but it’s a bit more saturated and stewy. The Kiwi hops are the saviour… bringing all that zesty lime, weedy resins, pine and green grapes to an otherwise tropical fruit bomb. Definitely picking up the Simcoe with its piney, oily and passionfruit-filled nectar as it rounds off on an ultra smooth and creamy finish.

Mouthfeel: Not exactly beer clouds but close to. Light on, well aerated, creamy. Medium body and finely carbed. Nicely concealed 7% ABV.

Overall: It’s awesome to see Cellarmaker on Aussie shelves. The last time we got to drink their beer was on our US beer pilgrimage through California back in 2017. Very high quality stuff back then and still is now.