“Brewed in the English style with generous whirlpool and dry hopping from English and N.Z hops. Tropical fruit on the nose moving into Apricot and Orange with complimentary caramel malts. Our IPA finishes with a bitter, lingering resinous kick.”
Served in an IPA glass. Slightly hazy amber with a two finger crown assembling on top. The head retains quite well, leaving a smattering of lace as it ebbs.
Certainly a more malt driven aroma with the buttery caramel malts leading out. A vigorous twirl of the glass awakens the feature Challenger hops that impart a kind of earthy citrus character. We’re also getting a certain herbal note with hints of crisp pine and lemon drops here and there. Not too bad.
Nothing overly exciting happening in the mouth. Pretty smooth with a medium body. Good Co2. A little dry in texture with the delicate bitterness forming on the rear. Only 5.8% so the alcohol isn’t a big factor.
Again, the palate favours the malts but it offers more of a jammy sweetness as opposed to the buttery caramel on the nose. Subtle hints of herbal hop, citrus and a pinch of spice delivers a dry earthy finish with lingering bitterness in the tail.
Not a bad attempt at an English IPA by any means. It may not be on the same level as the Bacchus Challenger IPA or Brooklyn Brewery’s East IPA but it’s got game and provides a fairly pleasant