Rating:

“Brewed annually since our 5th birthday, B2 Bomber Mach 16.0 celebrates 21 years of Bridge Road Brewers. This year’s iteration takes our legendary Belgian-inspired ale and pushes it into the stratosphere. Layers of rich, speciality malts, expressive yeasts and punchy hops, work in harmony to create a complex yet moreish Black Belgian Imperial IPA.”

Glassware: Tulip.

Appearance: Impenetrable black pour with a fizzy three finger head. It takes ions to reduce but as it does it leaves a smattering of lace on the glass.

Aroma: Pow! And this right here is why we’ve never missed a B2 bomber release since Mach 5. Even though it’s near $50 a bottle now. That outstanding balance between the dark roasty malts and fresh, green and piney hops sets the standard in Aus. Then laid over all of it is the subtle yet crucial Belgian yeast profile which provides a peppery/spicy, ester-driven fruitiness which completes the aroma.

Flavour: It’s only now that the 11.5% ABV comes into play. It’s so well integrated into the beer as a whole that it plays more of a support role if anything. The hops do most of the talking upfront but the dark, roasty malts immediately even the keel. It’s like a see-sawing motion from there…piney, citrusy and mixed fruits then roasted malt, dark chocolate and bittersweet espresso. Rinse, repeat until it eventually finishes with good length in the tail.

Mouthfeel: Kinda snappy and crisp but with good grip and weight still behind it. Lively Co2, medium-full body. The 11.5% ABV is really well concealed.

Overall: Slightly less Belgian and a lot more black IPA for this 2026 release. The crazy hop bill also boosts the IPA side of things further. Another impressive addition to this series.

Rating:

“Our first Feels of 2026 pours an opaque, glowing orange haze and is bursting with pure Citra hop intensity. On the palate, vibrant waves of sweet mango, passionfruit, and fleshy”¦

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Exactly what we want an oat cream IPA to look like; proper turbid pastel orange to yellow with a thumb of frothy white head perched on top. Gradual reduction and healthy lace deposits as it ebbs.

Aroma: This one definitely goes straight into the “we can’t believe we haven’t reviewed this” pile. Outrageous! The nose is absolutely fricken divine. Sweet and juicy fruits overlaid with tonnes of smooth and creamy oats and lactose. Citra clearly shines (obviously) with its super oily rind, ruby grapefruit, lime/lemon, pineapple, mango and orange. Hints of pine, lemongrass and shallot also coming through.

Flavour: Tastes fresh AF which is ideal. Wave after wave of tropical fruits, mixed citrus, pine, herbals and even a slightly dank character. All of that wrapped up in a delicious, smooth and creamy oat base. Hardly a hint of bitterness too…only in the supremely smooth and creamy finish is there just the slightest dryness at the back of the tonsils.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, pillowy, smooth as silk. Very finely carbed, medium body. The 8% ABV is completely hidden. Incredible.

Overall: It blows our minds that we hadn’t reviewed this yet. We’ve just realised that we haven’t reviewed anything else (except for Motueka) in the whole ‘feels’ series. What are we even doing?!

Rating:

“This is one big, beautiful tropical hop bomb of an IPA with enough malt balance and restrained bitterness to keep it super drinkable.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: It pours that atypical golden-orange colour which is topped off by a creamy two finger head. Good retention and a thick lace deposit on the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: Proper fruit salad vibes. Loads of sweet tropical fruit such as pineapple, mango, rockmelon, paw paw. There’s a good dose of orange citrus too…more in the form of orange soda as opposed to the real fruit though. Mostly clean pine needle aspects as well. Maybe a hint of resin coming off the back of it. Malt bill is nice and chewy, caramelly, some doughy accents. It’s got some good depth to it.

Flavour: The tropical vibes have been dialled down while the orange citrus has been promoted. The soft fleshy melon and papaya also carry over. Lucky for the piney notes and discernible bitterness as the flavour profile flirts with getting a bit cloying. A rich malt bill of doughy bread, caramel and buttery biscuits fills it out but also adds an extra layer of sweetness as it finishes a little dry, bitter and fruity.

Mouthfeel: Rather chewy and a little creamy. Medium body and nicely carbed. The 7.4% ABV was well buried.

Overall: Definitely more of a sipper this one. It has a notably bigger and more rounded body, plus the stewy fruits really bed down on the palate post-swallow. Good but not great.

Rating:

“Malt base, dry palate with full bitterness, stone fruit and citrus. Mix of Tassie and US hop varieties. Malt, citrus, stone fruit, pine resin.“

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden-orange pour which caps off with a big and fluffy two and a bit finger head. Excellent retention and healthy lace work as it subsides.

Aroma: Pretty mellow for an IPA. It’s a mostly fruit-laden expression…mixed citrus (orange/peel, tangerine, ruby grapefruit, candied lemon), paw paw, rockmelon, peach and a hint of pineapple. There’s a delicate resinous scent which is certainly more piney than weedy. Bready malt structure, some biscuit getting amongst it as well. Very stock-standard IPA aroma.

Flavour: There’s a significant step up here. It’s like the whole beer has come to life. The hop bitterness, soft booze burn and citric acidity gets us underway. Oily citrus rind, bittersweet grapefruit and pine resin are emphasised by a dry and toasty malt profile. Good carry through the mid-palate and into a bone dry, slightly bitter and resinous finish that draws out well.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat prickly and sharp then drying out in the swallow. Mild-medium body, finely carbed. The 6.5% ABV is noticeable but intermittent.

Overall: After our recent Tassie beer tour we wanted to bring one brewery’s whole range home to review. We decided on these guys a little off instinct and a little off a nudge from the shop attendant. And it appears our gut instincts are correct!

Rating:

“A cracking collaboration with our mates at Squinters Brewing for a classic West Coast style IPA.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Bold light amber with soft orange hues which is topped by a frothy two finger head which gradually deconstructs. Leaves a smattering of lace as it ebbs.

Aroma: A little standoffish to begin with. Not too sure what to make of it as yet. There’s a new(ish) experimental hop called Pink (formerly known as EXP-158) which is said to be a “stablemate of Idaho-7”. The combination hops of Cashmere and Mosaic are predictably more dominant but if we do pick up any distinctive qualities it is the somewhat musky and lemon-scented laundry detergent?  We’re a bit unsure about that experimental hop. It’s weird.

Flavour: We will say one thing. The flavour profile is unique, so if it is in fact the Pink hop creating that then more power to it. We’re getting unusual citrus flavours i.e tangerine/mandarin, pomelo, orange peel etc. That candied/musky note, floral perfumes, an earthy and or bushy honey sweetness and melon roll into a rather dry, bitter and acetic finish.

Mouthfeel: Bitter, dry, pithy. Mild-medium body, lively carbonation. The 7.2% ABV has a bit of a sting in the tail.

Overall: Not all that fussed about this one unfortunately. Strange characteristics and minimal west coast IPA attributes equals a bad time. Nah it’s not all that bad…just easily forgettable.

Rating:

“Splash out with Hazy IPA, brewed with the pick of the Nelson Lakes Hop Harvest. Motueka, Cascade and Nelson Sauvin bring super juicy stone fruit and bright citrus top notes in a lush smooth hazy base that’s as refreshing as a moonlit dip. It’s naughty, but it’s nice. Brewed nude with our friends at Mikkeller.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Light and milky pastel yellow pour with a nice and fluffy two finger head. Excellent retention and thick, blotchy lace clings to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Man, GP are the masters of NZ hazy IPA. This one smells similar to another favourite GP beer of ours – Hazy Pernicious Weed – with its alluring scents of juicy tropical fruits, mixed citrus, gooseberry, lime and herbals. Quite a significant resinous character to it as well; piney, sappy and weedy. Nice and creamy malt backing, a tad oaty and chalky. Lovely aroma.

Flavour: Crazy soft and pillowy. Literally zero bitterness and full-on juice. What we love most about NZ hazy’s is that the juice component isn’t overly sweet and artificial. It’s greener, citrusy and nectary with a hint of pine resin and weed. We must give credit to a gorgeous malt bill too…it’s super soft, bready, husky, subtle oats. The whole beer just comes together so neatly.

Mouthfeel: Beer clouds. So light, creamy and aerated. Mild-moderate body, finely carbed. The 5.5% ABV basically puts it in session IPA territory.

Overall: Highly enjoyable. As we said earlier, it’s very similar to Hazy Pernicious Weed so if you dig that you’ll love this too. It’s just so soft, pillowy and crushable and the Kiwi hop characteristics are but icing on the cake.

Rating:

“Introducing Mikkeller Brewing New Zealand – a collaboration between Garage Project and the legendary Mikkeller Beer from Denmark. Mikkeller is a kindred spirit of brewing creativity and we’re thrilled to be working together on a range of beers. These beers will be popping up in their venues throughout Asia, and we’re also lucky to have secured limited amounts for enjoyment closer to home. Mikkeller works with select top breweries across the world, and we’re stoked they have chosen us as their partner for Asia Pacific. These are Mikkeller beers and their recipes brewed in New Zealand by Garage Project, with our own input, specially selected hops from Nelson Lakes, local Gladfield malts, and sprinklings of our lot selected YCH hops.”

Glassware: IPA

Appearance: Perfectly clear light golden complexion. Looks like a lager! It caps off with a one finger head that holds together. Laced well as it ebbs.

Aroma: Crisp and clean AF. Also, like a lager. Unlike a lager though, are the big hoppy aromas lifting out. Certainly getting the NZ aspect from the hops i.e lush rainforest, yellow grapefruit, lime zest, peach, lychee, kumquat and pine needle. Not much in the form of malt…like the hops the malt is clean with a hint of white rice and cereal grain.

Flavour: We’re picking up on this overall aura of full-on crisp cleanliness. From the appearance, the aroma, and now also the flavour. But it’s also quite flavourful too – piney, herbal, grassy, unripened honeydew, lime, a hint of grapefruit and peach. It all comes across as very green as it finishes ultra smooth and inoffensive.

Mouthfeel: Super crisp, clean, refreshing. Light-moderate body. Subtle effervescence to the Co2 and a tidy little 6% ABV.

Overall: Before you almost wet your pants (as we almost did) because you’ve seen Mikkeller back on our shores don’t get too excited. Mikkeller has teamed up with Garage Project as their “partner for the Asia Pacific” so GP will be brewing their beers for us down under. Good thing or a bad thing? We’re still undecided.

Rating:

“Available only in Winter, hence the name. IPA brewed with whole cone Citra + Simcoe hops.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Bold light amber pour with 100% transparency. Holds a fluffy two finger head fairly well. Gradually reducing and weaving a healthy lace down the glass.

Aroma: Don’t know how many times we’ve said this but these guys are proper resetting the bar in that OG West Coast IPA department. Such a simple hop bill of citra and simcoe but when they’re used right these two hops are all you need. Just the right amount of zesty citrus and tropical fruit blending with the earthy herbals and pine needle. The chunky caramel malt bill quells the hops perfectly. Right on the money.

Flavour: Literal transportation back to 2012 when IPA’s were basic but bloody delicious. The hop combo provides zesty grapefruit, pineapple, a hint of boiled candy, pine needle and slightly dank herbs. It’s the malt bill that makes it though (hard to believe for an IPA, we know!) with its semi-rich caramel and honey sweetness that eventually bows out for a dry, zesty and piney finish which lingers nicely.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean AF. Some dryness but it’s well balanced. Mild-medium body and a ridiculously well hidden 7.4% ABV.

Overall: This is Faction’s Winter IPA. To be honest it could also be enjoyed in the height of summer it’s that versatile. Absolutely spot on and leaves us wanting more. Lots more.

Rating:

“This collaboration was brewed especially for Bridge Road’s annual harvest festival, The High Country Hop. It’s a Dark IPA, bursting with the unique flavours of freshly harvested local hops from HPA’s Rostrevor Hop Garden, picked and added to the beer within 6hrs.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Black with a skerrick of light cutting through at the base of the glass. It forms a sturdy two finger head which refuses to budge. Healthy lacing once it decides to recede.

Aroma: We won’t lie, we bought this purely because it’s a collab with Stone. We’ve been reminiscing on the days of old lately and Stone was the benchmark brewery back then. We pick up those OG American WC IPA traits immediately too – dank pine and resin, oily citrus rind and grapefruit. Lovely mild char and roasted malt notes which impart subtle hints of coffee, chocolate and licorice. Excellent aroma.

Flavour: We’re not as enthused here. We note that it’s not a black IPA so that contrast between hops and malts won’t be as noticeable but alas, even if a “dark IPA” is essentially just a hoppy dark ale, we’d have liked to see a bit more grunt/roast/bottom end from the malt bill. Even the hops don’t punch as hard as they were on the nose. It’s like the whole beer has gone to sleep on us.

Mouthfeel: Nicely weighted. Pretty slick, kinda oily, medium bodied. Slightly lower Co2 and a well behaved 6.8% ABV.

Overall: It didn’t finish as strong as we’d hoped. We saw Stone, copped a beautiful aroma and thought we were on to a winner then the flavour profile completely dropped the ball. They need to ditch the dark IPA and go back to black IPA’s for this release.

Rating:

“Mosaic hops take center stage in this truly West Coast India Pale Ale. The perfect companion for enjoying a sunny day on Main Street with us in our charming little town, affectionately known as “Mayberry by the Sea”.

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Be careful upon opening your can. We cracked ours and either due to travel or that bloody dint in the can, foam came spewing out the top and we ended up losing about a 1/4 of it which isn’t ideal! Anywho, only a slightly hazy, golden-orange pour with a billowing four finger head. It takes millennia to recede and leaves a huge lace deposit on the glass.

Aroma: Despite the Co2 issues on the pour it smells mighty fine. Up to its eyeballs in oldskool WC IPA vibes – dank pine/resin, weedy herbals, oily citrus rind, grapefruit, tangerine, orange blossom, shallot and a hint of berry sweetness. The malt bill offers a somewhat honey-on-toast character i.e a touch of sweetness and toasty-ness.

Flavour: Coming hot off the heels of a couple of Faction IPA’s, we’ve got our standards set pretty high, so this one seems to be lacking a bit of the finesse that Faction has. It still has that oldskool WC IPA vibe in spades though…packed to the brim with slightly sweet and acidic citrus/rind, shallot, dank pine and weedy herbs. Very crisp malt profile, allowing a heady bitterness to dominate a rather harsh, dry and bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Super bitter and dry as a bone. Mild-medium body, Co2 is on point. The 7.2% ABV adds a little sting in the tail.

Overall: It’s a decent American IPA. Maybe falling a little bit short in the polish department. It certainly has that oldskool enamel-stripping bitterness that was the norm back then. Not bad.

Rating:

“Sparkle Motion is a modern double IPA built on classic American structure – copper-hued, crystal bright and driven by bold bitterness and luminous character from Superdelic, Superdelic Cryo, El Dorado & Chinook hops. High impact. No haze. Built to shine.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Honey-golden pour with a light and fluffy two finger head. Steady reduction and healthy lacing on the glass.

Aroma: One of the main hops used in this IPA is Superdelic/Cryo, which is a Kiwi hop. It’s particularly intriguing coz it doesn’t display any typical Kiwi hop characteristics. We’re getting more distinct notes of rockmelon, watermelon, honeydew, unripened red berries, boiled candy, pine needle, ruby grapefruit and green mango. The malt bill is kept fairly nondescript but we’re detecting semi-sweet honey and light caramels.

Flavour: It isn’t really doing much to be honest. We dislike IPA’s with too much focus on stewy stone fruits and unfortunately this IPA is showcasing exactly that i.e fleshy and stewy rockmelon, papaya etc. Some artificial candy sweetness, grapefruit and a notable booze burn. A mild bitterness forming late in the mid then delivering a dry, fruity finish that fails to draw out long enough for our liking.

Mouthfeel: Pretty smooth and chewy texture. Mild-medium body, Co2 on the flatter side. The 7.7% ABV is a tad too noticeable.

Overall: We’ve been fans of this brewery for a while but lately they’ve been a bit hit and miss. This one in our opinion is a miss. It has many traits we don’t like to see in an IPA. Also, calling this an imperial IPA at 7.7% ABV is cheeky. 8% ABV is the cut-off for a double IPA, so it doesn’t even make it into DIPA territory!

Rating:

“An immoral amount of hops is used to brew this IPA with golden reflections, inspired by Morality, our American IPA. Its sharp and resinous bitterness is balanced by flavors of passion fruit and candied lemon. On the palate, the alcohol brings a certain warmth that intertwines with the roundness of the malt.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Somewhat hazy burnished orange complexion. It conjures up a thumb of creamy white head which takes an age to recede. Healthy lacing on the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Multi-layered and rather complex. The main component that hits us is the dankness. The warmth from the booze and a slightly stewy stone fruit quality in support. Typically we’d be turned off by anything stewy/cloying but this also offers a peppery spice and or black tea-like character that balances it all out. Over-ripened rockmelon, papaya and mango. Lemongrass. Biscuity malt base. Quite a unique aroma.

Flavour: Kinda changes direction here. The fleshy stone fruit (rockmelon, papaya, mango) makes up a small chunk of the flavour while a notably boozy orange citrus quality takes shape. There’s a heady bitterness, dank and piney resin that lends it all a weedy/herbal note too. It’s interesting as it all seems to taper off into a reasonably smooth, resinous and zesty finish that ensures.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and silky then eventually a bit sharper and rigid in the swallow. Medium body, light effervescence. A discernible but well behaved 9.2% ABV.

Overall: We’ve been massive fans of this brewery since we started our journey into craft beer over 15 years ago. And you know what, they’re still churning out beers as good as they were back then. Kudos DDC!

Rating:

“Our rotating single hop West Coast IPA series. This time we went All IN with Columbus hops from CLS Farm.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden-orange pour with a billowing three finger head that holds its shape. Excellent retention and tonnes of lacing as it subsides.

Aroma: Smells like pure American IPA. It has that oldskool piney resin quality which is stirring up all types of nostalgia for us. Big weedy notes integrating with extreme levels of orange peel, grapefruit, tangerine and candied lemon. It literally smells like we’ve crushed up a bunch of Columbus hop pellets in our hands. The malt bill is crisp and clean…cereal grains and oats mostly. Cracking aroma.

Flavour: Man we miss having access to beers of this calibre. Australia’s golden craft beer era truly ended after the 2nd round of covid lockdowns. This is just pure oldskool WC IPA – a clean cereal malt base that elevates overtones of weed, pine resin, grapefruit, dank herbs, citrus rind and peppery spice. Absolutely void of any tropical fruity hop flavour but still jam packed with character.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, slick and well rounded. Minimal bitterness, medium body. Nicely carbed and a well placed 7% ABV.

Overall: Just like cracking a can of 2014. Everything that made IPA so good as a style back then is here in spades. Columbus, we salute you.

Rating:

“Its back! Now bigger and punchier than before! This is a very special beer, A 100% Australian Independent IPA. Using Certified Sustainable Ryefield Hops, Voyager Artisan Malt and Mogwai labs yeast. A generously double hopped Aussie IPA with notes of grapefruit, pineapple, stone fruit and mango on a lean malt base.  Supporting all Australian Independent producers to create incredible beer.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Honey-golden pour with a light and fluffy two finger crown. Excellent retention and healthy lacing as we indulge.

Aroma: Quite reserved for an IPA, but then again, 100% Australian IPA’s aren’t known for being loud and flamboyant. The fruit profile comes through with tropical sweetness, some nectar and zesty citrus while hints of herbal spice and pine needle fill it out. A rather clean malt profile…some buttery biscuits and honey, a very soft touch of earth. Not too shabby.

Flavour: Again, it’s much more about the subtleties. The tropical fruits take a step back while the herbs and earthy spice come to the fore. There’s a slight taste of alcohol creeping in but at 7.5% that can be expected. The malt remains fairly clean with a flutter of mild honey and biscuits developing late whilst a notable bitterness kicks up around the mid and helps set up a kinda dry, bitter and zesty finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, slick texture. Some warmth from the ABV. Medium body with mild-moderate carb.

Overall: On one hand it’s awesome that we’ve forged an “Australian IPA” with its own character. On the other it highlights a limitation that Aussie produce has i.e lacking distinct qualities which make a style a style. Alas, a decent drop.

Rating:

“The most sought after & signature Series beer here at Banks Brewing, Cake Eater is an Oat Cream Double IPA. Brewed just a handful of times throughout the year, Cake Eater has an ever changing and evolving hop combination that allows us to showcase just how unique & incredible different hop varieties can be. This iteration like all gets a generous double dry hop seeing Cashmere & Eldorado take centre stage this time around.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Looking the goods – turbid, slightly milky pastel yellow-orange with a finger of creamy white head perched on top. Good retention and thick lace rings mark each sip as we imbibe.

Aroma: Smells mighty fine…mosaic and cashmere in all of their high alpha acid glory. The fruit profile is lifting out like crazy – massive tropical notes of pineapple, mango, guava, rockmelon, mixed citrus and peach. Well supported by slightly resinous pine, dank herbs, kaffir lime and shallot. Nice chalky and bready malt bill at the base.

Flavour: It has some ripe and sweet fruit flavours mixing it with some green and bitter notes which is fantastic. Sweet and fleshy pineapple, rockmelon and peach blend beautifully with a hint of green mango and grapefruit. Lovely little jabs of pine and sappy resin, shallot and lime zest. A bit of warmth from the booze arrives late as it finishes rather sharp and resinous with some lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Soft and pillowy initially then a bit more rugged post-swallow. Medium body, finely carbed. The 8% ABV is fairly well behaved.

Overall: We sat on our laurels for a bit too long (literally a couple of weeks) and almost entirely missed out on getting even a single can. It’s no wonder why. The Cake Eater series is by far the best beer this brewery produces.

Rating:

“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.

Rating:

“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.

Rating:

“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.

Rating:

“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.

Rating:

“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.