“Resonator IPA is a pale golden India Pale Ale that showcases Nelson Sauvin and Motueka hops, with notes of aromatic resin & passion fruit. This beer was originally made for the 2015 West Coast IPA Challenge at the Malthouse.”
Served in an IPA glass. She pours a hazy apricot hue with a fizzy two finger crown emerging over the top. The head holds its shape well and weaves a healthy lace trail down the walls of the glass.
This is one seriously resinous number! (Hence the name ‘resonator’). The dominant scent is obviously pine but if fruits like passion fruit, mango, pineapple and lychee could produce resins then there would be a tonne of them in here too. Getting a suggestion of green fruits like lime, kiwi fruit and honeydew as the really sweet caramel/honey malt backing works in. Pretty good.
The mouth feel is well weighted with a nicely balanced malt to hop ratio. Fine carbonation also, giving the texture a good lift. Quite a hefty IBU (75) why doesn’t shy away.
Lots of piney/sprucey/herbal resin getting amongst it on the front. We’ll acknowledge that those honey/caramel malts inject themselves with a discernible sweetness early in the mid but it’s thwarted by an assertive hop bitterness. Good carry in to the finish where the sweet malts and bitter, resinous hops battle it out for the taste bud’s attention.
We’ve found this Kiwi brewery to be a bit inconsistent but this IPA certainly plays a part in balancing it all out. Not an overly memorable beer but it’s definitely an enjoyable drop. Decent offering from Kereru here.