Rating:

“Cake Eater Citra & Mosaic. DDH Oat Cream Double IPA. The 5th instalment to the Cake Eater series.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Looks damn fine. Pours a light and turbid deep pastel yellow-orange with a well manicured head on top. Good retention and equally as good lacing as it subsides.

Aroma: Wooww! This is literally giving off 2017 Treehouse vibes. The Citra and Mosaic blend together so freakin well it’s amazing. It’s these combinations of citrus and tropical fruits, pine and herbals, ripe stonefruit and green mango etc. The main trifecta for NEIPA’s is here too – white pepper, chalky oats and frosty fruits. All of this is built upon a solid base of smooth oats creamy vanilla/lactose.

Flavour: This is literally on U.S level. The balance is perfect and the dry peppery spice and chalky characters offset the sweet and juicy fruits to a tee. Getting a hint of dank/weedy resin, aniseed/Thai basil, pine, ruby grapefruit and green mango which pulls through the mid as well. It’s intensified by a real oily and or Cryo-esque sharpness which is softened by a sweet, fruity yet peppery finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth AF for 8% ABV. Creamy, dries out slightly in the swallow. Medium body and perfectly carbed.

Overall: World class stuff here from Banks. This series has improved exponentially since the last time we tried one. We’d say without hesitation that this is on par, if not better, than MC. We now officially have two Aussie breweries that can match the best NEIPA breweries in the USA. Magnificent drop.

Rating:

“The second release in our Something Something series sees us dry hop in two stages with Vic Secret™ during fermentation and a double huge charge of Vic Secret™ during conditioning.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Super murky deep pastel orange capped off by a sturdy three finger head. It forms an egg shape and leaves an absolute smattering of lace on the glass.

Aroma: Probably one of Australia’s finest hop varieties. Great for single hopped beers too as it provides heady tropical fruits, some citrus, pine needle, herbs like lemongrass, thyme and eucalyptus such as in this iteration. Unsurprisingly the malt bill plays 2nd fiddle…conveying a delicate oat profile with bread crusts and wheat grains. Diggin it thus far.

Flavour: Man, the hop punch it’s got behind it. Ooft! Quite a rigid bitterness upfront which was totally unexpected. We saw the haze, smelt the green hops and creamy malts and anticipated a smooth NEIPA-like texture but not to be. The piney aspect plays a huge role – very sharp and clean – and then followed by the pineapple, green mango, orange and mixed herbs into a very green and bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Dry and bitter, slightly acrid. Medium body. The 7.7% ABV packs a bit of punch in the finish.

Overall: At its core it’s an okay DIPA but it’s certainly a bit rough around the edges. Far too assertive and bitter for a Hazy IPA. Not the best beer we’ve had from them.

Rating:

“Dripping In Green: Citra + Simcoe is a brand new IPA which we’ve applied our ultra saturating Green technique to. We’ve layered through every single type of Citra and Simcoe product we could get our hands on to produce a super punchy and hop forward hazy IPA.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Moderately hazy, pale golden orange complexion with a thumb of loosely held foam perched on top. Gradual reduction, forming a thick sudsy collar which cakes on the side of the glass.

Aroma: Massive fruit salad characters emanating. Citrus is obviously the standout with overtones of pithy orange, ruby grapefruit and mandarin peel. Then followed through by nectary passionfruit and ripe peach, mango, pineapple and grape skin. Very mild pine and herbal characters filling it out. The grain bill is pretty much just a mix of oats and grainy pale malt. Decent.

Flavour: We really dig this hop combination. It’s been done a million times before but there’s something about the fusion of heavy citrus and herbs that is eternally delightful. The back up shown by the fructose-laden tropical fruits rams it home beautifully. Nice smooth and well rounded finish with good duration.

Mouthfeel: Effortless, kinda creamy and nicely aerated. Medium body and a well concealed 6.6% ABV.

Overall: We must admit we wanted to be blown away by this but we weren’t. Yes, it’s a well brewed Hazy but there isn’t much that differs from the last brewery that put the two together. Good but not great.

Rating:

“2023’s Dark Harvest was designed together with Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster at Firestone Walker, a legend of the US craft beer industry, renowned for his extensive knowledge of and passion for all things hops. Dark Harvest takes influence from FW’s ‘Wookie Jack’ with the inclusion of rye to create a broader malt bill as well as the soft chocolate malts seen in previous editions. An unmissable ale. A complex and beguiling IPA underpinned by a shared passion for the unique and fleeting nature of its key ingredient.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Uber dark brown with a thumb of finely beaded tan head perched on top. Excellent retention and lace work as it subsides.

Aroma: Heady wafts of sweet stonefruit and lightly charred malts emanate from the glass, which we are yet to pick up still. Under the nostrils those two aforementioned aromas are magnified by 100 and then further supported by waves of mixed citrus, cocoa, mocha, peppery spice, cereal grains and ash. Maybe a very fleeting hint of Jaffa and pine needles as well.

Flavour: Man, the progression is next level. It starts off with an almost creamy chocolate malt note which is slowly but surely overlapped by a burgeoning roast and hop bitterness. It hits a crescendo around the mid-palate where the hops throw up everything from pine, mixed citrus, unripened stonefruit and herbal spice. It then settles in for a long finish of roasted malt, hop bitterness and pine.

Mouthfeel: Fairly smooth, a little dry and creamy. Drying out further in the swallow. Medium body, finely carbed. The 6.6% ABV is well concealed.

Overall: An impressive black IPA and an equally impressive partner for this collab. Firestone Walker are on of our all time favourite American breweries so big ups to whoever made that happen. Solid offering.

Rating:

“Located steps away from the trailhead of Great Blue Hill, our ambitious restaurant, taproom, and future production facility at 100 Royall Street in Canton is more than eight years in the making. During that time, we’ve incubated, iterated upon, and continued to endlessly refine our take on the New England IPA style. Trailside is the culmination of everything we’ve learned along the way.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Kinda frosted deep pastel yellow with a frothy three finger head. Super murky. Excellent lace trails on the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: So bright and tropical. Truck loads of mango, pineapple, peach, passionfruit and melon. Quite a heady citrus quality as well – orange, tangerine, candied lemon, maybe a hint of grapefruit. Getting an old-school West Coast piney vibe from it too…super fresh and herbal in its delivery. Dry and chalky, a little peppery. Doing all the right things!

Flavour: Interesting. The big tropical sweetness that dominated the nose has been somewhat replaced by a green, slightly dank and piney quality. Something kinda tart in here too; white grapes, gooseberry? No Kiwi hops in this, we don’t think. A bit of citrus tailing in late before it smooths out for a nice soft and dry finish with lingering herbals on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, pillowy, smooth AF. Finely carbed, medium body. The 6.8% ABV is well concealed.

Overall: Put this and Vicinity side by side and Vicinity would blow it out of the water. Vicinity was OG NEIPA whereas this was a bit more green and bitter. Plus the fruit salad character totally dropped out in flavour. Still, not a bad drop at all.

Rating:

“Brewed in celebration of the first anniversary of Row 34, our favorite Fort Point oyster bar and craft-beer purveyor, Vicinity highlights a neighborhood collaboration of passion and vision. Appearance is bright and straw-colored. Spicy, earthy aromas of tropical fruit notes abound.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Somewhat light mustard yellow complexion. Turbid AF. It holds a thick and creamy two finger head which leaves an absolute mess on the glass as we imbibe.

Aroma: Phwoar! Proper old-school NEIPA. Reminds us of the first time we tried a Treehouse NEIPA all the way back in 2017. Fruit salad type of aroma with the classic dank pine and fennel. Frosty Fruits are coming through strong…so to are tropical mango, orange, rockmelon and pineapple. Getting an umami hit from it too. Dry, chalky and crusty malt profile. Liking it!

Flavour: This is why we fell in love with NEIPA’s. It’s like breakfast juice, Frosty Fruits, fresh orange and dank pine in luscious beer form. Definitely has a weedy accent to it as well. Shallot, herbal spice, ruby grapefruit and green mango rolling into a smooth, oat-filled finish with lingering dank weedy notes on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Ultra smooth, creamy and aerated. Very finely carbed. Hides the 8% ABV incredibly well.

Overall: Trillium hey. It’s been a long time between drinks. Massive shout out to ExperienceIt beverages for shipping these in as Trillium are one of the OG NEIPA brewers. It has been nostalgic and entertaining to wrap our laughing gear around of their world class beers again.

Rating:

“New Zealand-Style Double IPA brewed with a unique blend of New Zealand-grown hops.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Murky off pastel orange complexion with a two and a bit finger head. It maintains its shape and laces beautifully.

Aroma: Like most American-brewed IPA’s on the shelves in Australia right now, in this post-covid world, it’s slightly long in the tooth (7 months old) and the aroma reflects that in a tired and unanimated fashion. But in saying that it still offers some of that lush green forest and tart green fruits that’s synonymous with Kiwi hops. It’s just kinda muted. We’d love to have another crack at this fresh.

Flavour: Starts off with a promising blast of green grapes, lush forest and pine backed up by a bready malt profile, but then it shows its age and completely drops off a cliff. Vague hints of resin and citrusy bitterness does its best to bridge the middle but it eventually slumps into a weak and fairly pedestrian finish which peeters out.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy and well aerated which leads us to believe that this once was a delicious beer. Finely carbed, mild-moderate body. The 8% ABV was well buried.

Overall: Seriously, we’re so close to never buying another American IPA in an Australian bottle shop ever again. We get that supply lines were drastically interrupted through the lockdown periods but it’s getting beyond a joke now.

Rating:

“King AL uses a mashed-up grain bill from MC² and Toppling Goliath’s King Sue before introducing Equilibrium’s absolute biggest dry hop to date with an all Citra Incognito, Citra LUPOMAX, Citra Cryo, and Citra T-90 hop bill.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Glorious! Turbid pastel orange with a dense and creamy two finger head which holds together nicely. An absolute smattering of lace is left behind on the glass.

Aroma: We could have sworn we copped a whiff of freshly squeezed OJ…man the similarities to straight up juice on this one is amazing. Orange, mango, grapefruit, a bit of mixed stone fruit and a bit of canned fruits. Subtle Frosty Fruit notes now and again. Getting fleeting hints of pine, chalk and bread crusts as well. TG living up to their name!

Flavour: Could not ask for too much more from this. Smooth as silk on entry, the taste buds immediately inundated with tropical fruit juice and a cheeky touch of dank herbs. Ripe mango, pine and orange ensues and carries a dry bready/crusty malt profile into the smooth and fruity finish. Excellent length on display too.

Mouthfeel: Ultra smooth, creamy and insanely palate friendly for 7.9% ABV. Medium body and fine carbonation.

Overall: Absolute corker. Probably not on Scorpius or Golden Nugget level but damn close. Top shelf stuff.

Rating:

NO COMMERICAL DESCRIPTION.

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Slightly hazy light orange with pastel yellow edges when held to the light. It forms a tightly held two finger head that retains well. Nice lace decoration as we go.

Aroma: It’s pretty restrained for a big 7.5% NEIPA. Thankfully, after 5 or so mins it does begin to open up and reveal a sweet and somewhat stewy stonefruit character which offers paw paw/papaya, ripe rockmelon, peach skins, nectarine, guava, lychee and florals. Getting a sweet honey and or caramel from it too. A little undecided here.

Flavour: Yeah there’s something about it we’re not liking. It has a noticeable syrupy quality to it which we hate. It is pretty subtle though and it’s fortunately well balanced by tangy orange citrus and slightly tart nectarine. Some pithy citrus and rind through the mid and then into a rather dry yet smooth-ish finish.

Mouthfeel: Gassy, aerated and light then drying up in the swallow. Mild-moderate body. The 7.5% ABV was well enough concealed.

Overall: Well they had a bloody good run of about 4 or 5 beers before we got a dud. It seems IPA’s are a bit of a weak point for this brewery. Doesn’t matter a whole lot as everything else they brew is top notch!

Rating:

“Double Dry Hopped Southernhopalistic was brewed with Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Wai-iti and Topaz, and then dry hopped with a double dose of Motueka, Nelson and Topaz.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Kinda soft cloudy orange with bright pastel yellow edges. Three fingers of sturdy off-white foam perched on top. Broken lacing clings to the glass on its way down.

Aroma: We must admit it’s not as clear-cut as we were expecting it to be. It’s flush with all the hallmark green aromas that Kiwi hops bring but it’s just not being driven home in our opinion. Picking up a bit of a catty scent as well but it ain’t all bad…there’s discernible zesty lime/rind, luscious green forest, juicy green grapes, earthy spice and tomato vines. Not bad.

Flavour: Slightly disappointing…like the aroma. We can’t actually pick up much of that green, resinous and vinous character that is so synonymous with NZ hops. Somewhat muted tropical fruits, brekky juice and grassy notes open up and half-heartedly languish into the mid. Hints of zesty lime here and there and then a less than inspiring finish to punctuate.

Mouthfeel: Not bad actually – smooth, creamy, medium bodied. The 7.4% ABV is very well hidden.

Overall: Not massive fans of it. We’ve tried a bunch of Aussie and NZ-inspired IPA’s recently and this doesn’t stack up. It appears tired and uninspiring. Very average for a brewery of this calibre.

Rating:

“Double Dry Hopped Citra + Galaxy is an Imperial IPA with a combo of two of the best hops ever grown. Period. This iteration was double dry hopped with Citra Lupulin powder and Galaxy.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Light pastel yellow and turbid AF! It constructs a big and fluffy three finger head that hangs around. Very thick and intricate lace work as we tuck in.

Aroma: We wholeheartedly agree when these guys say how much they love this hop combination. Together they impart most of the favoured fruit aromas in IPA’s – grapefruit, tangerine, lemon/lime, passionfruit, peach and mango. All of them here in spades. We’re also getting more subtle suggestions of spicy herbs i.e basil, peppermint, aniseed and rocket. Nice and dry bready/crusty malt to balance. Supoib.

Flavour: Enter the juice! Just a mild touch of stewy sweetness along with tropical punch, light herbals and pine upfront. Delicate dry peppery spice, grapefruit and pithy citrus developing through the mid which lays down for a relatively fruity-sweet finish, but it’s nicely cleaned up by slightly resinous pine, herbals and a soft bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Pillowy, creamy and well aerated. Just a light but vibrant effervescence, mild-moderate body. The 8.5% ABV is nicely cloaked.

Overall: Very respectable offering. Two of the world’s best hops brewed by one of USA’s finest. You can’t go wrong!

Rating:

“All late addition hops and dual dry hops also get rid of any potential bitterness lending to an absolute juice bomb of a Hazy DIPA. “Absolutely bursting with Nelson, this collaboration single hopped IPA with our friends over at beer zombies is exploding with the gooseberry and tropical flavors that nelson is known for.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Hazy pastel orange and a fluffy two finger head forming on top. Excellent retention and healthy lace work on the glass.

Aroma: Aaahhhh Nelson! One of our most favoured Kiwi hops. Particularly in IPA’s (but also in other styles like NZ Pilsners, Pales and Sours) because it brings a certain fresh greenery which balances out any extra sweetness from other hops, malts or yeasts. The resinous aspect isn’t as strong as other expressions but it’s certainly here along with dry white wine, green grapes, pine forest, green mango and subtle spice.

Flavour: Displaying more juicy fruit sweetness. The best thing is it’s not overly sweet, just nicely tempered notes of mixed stone fruit, orange citrus and green grapes with the resinous and piney undertones developing through the mid. It does appear to taper off a lot but the finish still offers some fruit salad notes, pine and fresh herbs.

Mouthfeel: Ultra smooth, aerated and light on. Slightly creamy as well. Moderately carbed. The 8% ABV is very well buried.

Overall: It’s a huge step up from Nightmare Water. The Nelson hops were showcased brilliantly and the rest of the beer supported it. Decent offering.

Rating:

“CASCADE, CENTENNIAL, CITRA. CLASSIC AMERICAN IPA. PRONOUNCED BITTERNESS A BALANCED HOP FORWARD BEER.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Bold light amber pour with a faint haze. It forms a thumb of tightly-knitted white foam which holds together nicely. Excellent lace work as we go.

Aroma: Much like the Pilsner it’s scaled back with the same what you see is what you get approach. Very traditional hop bill of Citra, Cascade and Centennial so expect those conventional West Coast qualities i.e grapefruit, orange peel, zesty lime, white florals, pine needle, subtle pepper and unripened tropical fruits. Quite a dry and crusty malt profile with the slightest of honey accents to it. Loving the simplicity.

Flavour: We’re loving their M.O of peeled back classic iterations but not so much when it forsakes flavour and character. We’re kinda feeling they’ve gone too safe for this beer. Particularly, with this style, its nature is to be brash and a little aggressive and to take that away from it is like taking masculinity from a man…it’s left a tad limp and lacking direction. On a positive note though, it does draw out well on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth, moderately bodied, perfectly carbed. The 6.3% ABV we must say is very well concealed.

Overall: It’s definitely neck oil (although at 6.3% ABV it’d be dangerous). At its core it’s a well brewed beer without a doubt…it’s just a little lackluster for our liking.

Rating:

“Double West Coast IPA with a Hazy Twist! Loaded with Citra, Mosaic & Strata. Fresh berry, bubblegum, tropical fruit citrus & of course that passion fruit comes in right before the dank cannabis finish.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden – amber pour capped off by a dense and creamy two finger head that stays put. A lovely intricate lace is strewn down the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Smells fresh as a daisy. Which can’t be said about a lot of American IPA’s that hit our shores…understandably. There’s a certain tropical fruit sweetness which we’re really digging – almost like fruit salad but more centred around ripe stone fruit covered in passionfruit pulp and orange citrus/juice. A touch of dank pine, sappy resin, blueberry and mango also. Not much in the way of malt. It’s the hop show here.

Flavour: Noticeably greener than the nose. Still getting a lot of ripe and slightly stewy stone fruits but it’s nicely blended with hints of spring onion, coriander, green mango and deciduous forest. A little bit of dank later on in the piece before it finishes on a rather sweet, sticky note paired with an assertive bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, gelatinous texture turning drier in the swallow. Medium body, nicely carbed. The 8.5% ABV was well concealed.

Overall: We highly doubt this “No Coast” idea will ever take off. Maybe we’re just purists but whenever a brewery tries to merge West Coast and East Coast IPA’s together they just seem to end up in the middle of nowhere!

Rating:

“When the mission went to hell, Eve didn’t take chances… #SheShotFirst. This Hazy IPA is an evolution of one of our opening-day beers, brewed with Mosaic, Simcoe, and El Dorado hops, and now finished with a clean shot of sweet pineapple and vibrant passionfruit.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Murky pastel orange complexion and a thumb of white fluffy head on top. It steadily recedes and settles to a fine overlay. Healthy lace clings to the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: Incredibly sweet and juicy but it’s also impeccably balanced. Heady notes of Frosty Fruits lift out of the glass and fill the nostrils with fresh orange/juice, passionfruit, mango and pineapple. Really well countered by a dry and grainy malt profile, a subtle chalky note and bread crusts. Dead set this smells bloody divine.

Flavour: We like that they’ve dialed back the fruity sweetness a touch. It allows the slightly musty and chalky malts to come through more as opposed to the aroma. It’s still chock-full of tropical fruity goodness though – Frosty Fruits, passionfruit, pineapple, orange citrus and mango all rolling into a much greener finish with hints of pine and herbals.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, pillowy and well aerated. The perfect amount of effervescence gives it a refreshing lift. 6.4% ABV so it’s not overly boozy.

Overall: High quality stuff from a world class brewery. It just does the right things at the right time. Brilliant offering.

Rating:

“What do dreams about water mean? Water represents the unconscious, the place our minds go and the thoughts we have when we are not paying attention. Ever dream about a Hazy Double IPA with 100% Citra Incognito Hops? Nightmare Water is just this! Let your tastebuds and unconscious free and discover notes of citrus and floral and aromas of passion fruit. Nightmare Water has said to be cleansing and healing but not ‘yet’ confirmed. It will however, leave your palate with a nice juicy finish.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Hazy pastel orange with very faint sandy golden edges. It forms a finely beaded two finger head which maintains its shape. A brilliant cascading lace is left in its wake.

Aroma: Smells like it’s a bit long in the tooth i.e muted and stewy but we’ve only just realised this behemoth weighs in at 10.5% ABV so that may explain it. It’s still too shy and subdued for our liking though. We’re getting delicate hints of canned fruits like peach, pear and mango but there’s this off-putting scent of plastic and what we can only describe as rotting citrus. No good.

Flavour: Oh my what has happened here? We can’t be certain if this beer is off/infected or whether it’s just brewed terribly coz what we’re tasting is this extremely unpleasant stewy sweetness which is emphasised by ripe paw paw and papaya. We don’t mind this in some IPA’s but when it’s totally unbalanced like it is here it’s in sink pour territory.

Mouthfeel: Pretty full, chewy and dense. Co2 is low-ish and the 10.5% ABV is pretty well hidden.

Overall: Our first crack at Mason Aleworks and it’s nothing short of an absolute fail. We couldn’t find a BB date on it so it’s gonna go down as a potentially infected beer.

Rating:

“This one’s got the same base as our OG recipe with a little spin. Bru-1 hops bring in a bit more citrus to mingle with Citra and a touch of pine to balance it all out.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Hazy pastel yellow with a frothy four finger head forming on top. It takes an age to reduce and leaves a smattering of lace on the glass.

Aroma: Proper summery vibes on this one. Really light, refreshing and zesty citrus overtones with freshly picked pine needle, pineapple, green mango, unripened peach and a very subtle touch of lemongrass and thyme. There’s something uniquely Australian about this…which is strange as it has no Aussie hops and it’s brewed in the States. Dunno, we dig it but.

Flavour: Again, super light and effortless to drink. Although all the flavours are delicate it still has a lot on display – zesty lemon and lime, fresh pine needle, a range of unripened tropical fruits like mango, pineapple and peach which roll into more of a pithy and herbaceous finish which draws out nicely.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, zippy and light on. Light-moderate body and an energetic Co2. The 5.7% ABV surprised us a little but it’s actually perfectly weighted.

Overall: Our 2nd entry for Aslin and we must say it’s notably better than the first. It’s well into session territory and the light refreshing nature of it emphasises that even further. Solid.

Rating:

“Prepare to have your taste buds axed, we have taken this hazy double ipa to the next level with enormous mounds of Galaxy & El Dorado hops. Hitting you with juicy peach, pineapple whip, over ripe mango and a hint of dank resin to round out the backend. There is no hiding from the Axe that Brews Vengeance!”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Pours a slightly muddy dark orange to sandy golden colour with a loosely packed thumb of white foam atop. The head breaks up but manages to weave a thick, sudsy lace down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Seems a tad muted on first meet. It is quite juicy, quite nectary and sweet though. Canned peach, ripe orchard fruits, juice concentrate and slightly dank herbs make up the bulk of the aroma. Fleshy tropical fruits like mango, rockmelon and paw paw mingle with caramel and a gentle touch of toffee but luckily a hint of pepper takes the edge off the intense sweetness.

Flavour: Much more of the same here – lots of stewy, fruity sweetness but thankfully a hearty bitterness pulls it all into line. A soft jab of peppery spice is crucial to the fine balance it has on offer. The resinous/dank and piney aspect is also dialled up a bit more too and it actually finishes quite pithy and bitter which is great.

Mouthfeel: Fluffy and well aerated. Medium body and the Co2 is spot on. The 8% ABV is noticeable but fairly well behaved.

Overall: Our first entry for Beer Zombies. Weird name, weird artwork but in the end not half bad beer. It’s no Treehouse or Monkish but it’s respectable.

Rating:

“Dry-Hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Chinook, and Centennial” 

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Slightly hazy pale golden complexion with a tonne of very fine suspended sediment. It forms a healthy two and a bit finger head which holds its shape. Excellent lacing as it ebbs.

Aroma: First thing we notice is a real weedy, resinous character but it’s quickly morphed into a heady onion-like scent which we haven’t smelt in an IPA for yonks! Lots of unripened peach and nectarine, woody and slightly earthy tones, white florals, hints of spice, pine and subtle orange also coming through. The vibe is sorta old-school but it isn’t. More of a No Coaster if we had to pick.

Flavour: Similar to the nose. Upfront it’s a tad resinous, piney, weedy…almost a bit dank. Tasting green onion/shallot, unripened peach, pineapple and mango. Peppery herbs like rocket and basil feed into the earthy/woody cedar. It develops a subtle pithy-ness late in the piece which helps set up the dry, bitter and citrusy finish that draws out nicely.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light on, drying up post swallow. Mild-medium body with good Co2. The 6% ABV slots in neatly.

Overall: Our first crack at this Virginian brewery. We’re getting splinters in our bum coz we’re fence-sitting. Can’t decide whether we like it or not. It ain’t bad.

Rating:

“New world meets old world. At Beer Fontaine we love Saisons. We love Hops. We’ve dry hopped this farmhouse ale with piles of Saaz Lupomax & NZ Motueka Hops to create A fresh & funky IPA. This beer was Crafted with Australian & Belgian barley malt, Australian Triticale, Saaz, Moteuka & Nelson Sauvin Hops, Farmhouse Yeast.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Nice bright golden pour with a sturdy three finger head perched on top. Excellent retention and lacing as we imbibe.

Aroma: Man there’s no getting away from that Farmhouse yeast profile! We’re getting strong wafts of bubblegum, banana runts, barnyard and musty funk. Also big wafts of straw/hay and wheat grains on offer too. Candied orange, tangerine, white grape juice, freshly sliced pineapple, quince paste and aniseed just to add some further depth and complexity. It certainly isn’t short on character.

Flavour: Hhhmmm. Dead set this is bloody intricate. We’re getting everything from sweet tropical fruits, candied orange/citrus and spicy rye to wheat grains, dank herbs and musty funk. Then there’s the barnyard qualities, quince paste and a strange earthy-ness all rolled up into one. It has a very unappealing finish to it and unfortunately that lingers on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Light on and somewhat fluffy but it has a flat carbonation to it. The 6.7% ABV is pretty well hidden though.

Overall: We must admit the M.O of this brewery is very left-field so it’s no surprise this was an eccentric beer. Our issue is it’s untidy and it doesn’t really gel. It’s a shame it didn’t really come off in the end coz we do like this brewery.