Deschutes: Chasin Freshies 2014 (Mosaic wet-hopped IPA)

Two Row Bar, Fitzroy (Melbourne)

Deschutes is among one of the Pacific North West's best and most respected brewers.  In Chasin' Freshies we have a delightful brew that was generously wet-hopped with the relatively obscure, very citrus-forward Mosaic variety.  The end result is an inglorious, bright and sumptuous IPA - one that is among the year's very best.

Chasin' Freshies pours a delightfully alluring, slightly turbid light orange with a thin head that does its level best to linger.  The nose is immediately struck by shimmering, bright fruit forward aromatics.  There is dried apricot, peach; pineapple and a slight malt-driven sweetness thus providing leverage.

Seriously, this is a veritable fruit salad of a beer but instead of a cream topping (gross), we have a pungent, piny and resinous hop kick that provides well weighted balance.  Said resinous hit is the second chair here rather than the limelight-hogging star of the show.  It makes its presence known during the encore rather than the full performance piece.

Between entry and finish a cascading wash of tropical fruit flavour delights the senses: dried apricot, peach, mango, tangerine, ever so slightly sweet pineapple and passionfruit shine through.  As the beer warms, peppery spice lingers thereby adding yet more complexity.

Somehow paradoxically Chasin' Freshies boasts a full-bodied but somehow refreshing mouthfeel, which may be attributed to the brew's medium carbonation.  Moreover, the lingering hit of resin coats the teeth leaving them feel rather dried and chalky.  It is much like drinking Coca Cola but with a helluva lot less guilt.

Those who enjoyed Sierra Nevada's Northern and Southern Hemisphere wet-hopped brews need to get on this post haste.  This is the sort of beer that commands both attention and many a return visit.

Garage Project: Hop Trial #2 (Single-Hopped Double IPA)

Bought from the Freo Doctor, Fremantle (Perth).

The premise behind Garage Project's Hop Trial series is simple: collaborate with New Zealand's foremost food and plant researcher; create a brand new hop variety (through unspecified methods), brew a beer showcasing it and have the public assess the end result.   En masse appraisal might see the hop become the next big thing in beer.  I would hazard a guess that this as yet unnamed hop variety will go a very long way indeed if the second incarnation in the series is anything to go by.

Being a single-hop IPA one simply cannot expect complexity but in saying that Hop Trial #2 is not altogether devoid of subtle nuances.  Aromas of cracked black pepper, pine and grapefruit juice hyperextend to the nose and in so doing tell of what is yet to follow.  The pepperiness of the aroma follows through onto the palate with the note taking on a broader dynamic.   Hop Trial #2 is supported by a bready backbone that balances while it contrasts.  Grapefruit and dried apricot notes poke their head through the mouse hole but retreat as they are overcome by the intensely dry spice and bitter finishing characters.

Hop Trial #2 is set to the backdrop of a beautiful and alluring ochre colour and a mouthfeel that is smooth with low to medium carbonation.

The overall impression that I have of this hop variety is that it is reminiscent of a New Zealand cousin: Kohatu, but with peppery nobs on.  I am also of the thinking it would do well in accentuating and lifting the flavours of more tropical fruit-forward hop varieties, such as Citra or Mosaic; thought it might be too dense to complement Centennial or other overly resinous hops.  Upon it being unleashed onto the beer drinking world, may I suggest that it be dubbed Kakara - the Maori word for spice.

To rate this beer after enjoying it, visit hoptrial.co.nz

Feral Brewing: Kelis (Saison ale)

Draught only release, The Belgian Beer Cafe (Perth)

Bringing boys to the (farm)yard.

The premise and artwork behind Feral Brewing's Kelis saison says more of a history lesson in the style than it does of brainwashing, over formulated and all round terrible pop music. As it happened, the better a farmhouse's saison, the greater its chances of luring cheap labour. As one of the unemployed ~75% of legally blind folk out there, I for one would probably come running. Loose girls singing about milkshakes are indeed surplus to requirement.

First off, I am only now becoming accustomed to old and new world saisons, hence my appreciation (and understanding) thereof is in its infancy. To my knowledge the appearance of Kelis does not look like a typical modern saison; its carbonation does not erupt in leaps and bounds like so many others do, however it bears all the other hallmarks of the style. The mouthfeel also tells of something that is fuller bodied than is typical while Kelis' colour is of a lovely straw, golden hue.

Unlike its namesake, Kelis' aromatics sing in perfect harmony with ginger, coriander, subtle spice and a suggestion of oceanic brininess. In no way do these notes belie what follows, for this solid Feral brew bounds forth with plenty of ginger, coriander, za'atar (suggestive), lemon peel and brine. All of this rides a tropically warm malt wave. The aftertaste is big on lemon zest and peel while remaining somehow dry. Believe me when I say that this is a rather difficult beer to pin down.

On the whole Kelis is a delightfully refreshing beer; perfect for summer imbibing. Moreover, I could imagine fewer better beers to accompany fried; salty, battered and vinegary goodies (best enjoyed by the seaside).

Ballast Point: Victory at Sea (Coffee and Vanilla Porter)

Bought from Cellarbrations at Carlisle (Perth)

Yet another Victory for San Diego's best

Ballast Point's Victory at Sea coffee and vanilla porter is yet another prime example as to how this SoCal brewing stalwart has risen to the top of fierce regional competition. While its rivals focus on daringly hop forward IPAs, Ballast Point have instead showed the world that the representation of Californian beers does not need to begin and end with huge hop flavour profiles. Not only is the Californian beer flag flying high here but also SoCal coffee from Caffe Calabria, who collaborated with Ballast Point in creating this exceptional porter.

Victory at Sea pours a dense black with a tanned, at first firm head that dissipates to fine lacing. On the nose, this coffee and vanilla-infused imperial porter bounds forth with promising aromas of intensely sweet coffee, vanilla extract and dried dark fruits and berries. Indeed, there is a sharp quality to Victory's aroma.

The addition of fresh, cold brewed coffee from Caffe Calabria makes its presence known right up front. Riding a sweet malt backbone is a torrent of lusciously dry coffee and the sort of roasty and earthy character that suggests the telling of stories by the campfire (preferably while visiting the mountains outside San Diego - which I hope to do one day). Vanilla undertones do their level best to shine in however are ultimately overwhelmed; perhaps this is why the next victory at Sea incarnation sees its omission. The well rounded finish is characterised by roasty coffee and hop bitterness. Victory at Sea's mouthfeel is perfectly complementary to the overlying flavours in that it is relatively smooth once the medium carbonation has settled upon the tongue.

Victory at Sea is among the most intense porters I have ever enjoyed. It is an absolute must for anyone searching for something that better represents the truly broad scope of Californian brewing.

Ballast Point: Sculpin (IPA)

Bought from The International Beer Shop, Leederville (Perth)

The supurb beer named after the super-strange fish.

Mother nature must have got heavy on the turps when she drew up the blueprint for the sculpin; a truly strange looking and at times (depending on the genera) downright ugly fish. When man wants to get on the turps, he can turn to Sculpin, a beer brewed by SoCal legends Ballast Point that is perhaps a lot more attractive than its namesake.

According to the brewers themselves, hops were added over five stages during the brewing process. Moreover, the idea behind Sculpin was to see Ballast Point relive the spirit of its home brewing roots. The end result is a beer that showcases what is great about the SoCal scene.

Sculpin pours a dense ochre colour with a decidedly unfiltered look to it (which is not at all a bad thing). Its head is hued to the same colour of the beer and quickly dissipates to light lacing.

Tart, tangy and zesty aromatics get things going right from the off. There is even a hint of oceanic sea breeze, but one should not be surprised given that this is a SoCal beer.

Rollicking resinous hop bitterness bounds forth immediately on entry, leaving no doubt in my mind that this is one bottle in amongst a fresh batch. As the beer warms, the intense bitter resin backs off somewhat, leaving in its wake bountiful tropical fruit flavours. Lemon zest, apricot, mango and grapefruit dominate. There are even surprising suggestions of leafy greens such as kale, herbaceous notes and plenty of brininess on the finish. Hop bitterness in all its resinous glory returns to round out proceedings.

Sculpin's mouthfeel reflects the unfiltered appearance of the beer in that is not at all coarse while maintaining a home brew-like yeasty character, while its carbonation is quite low for its style.

Indeed, the sculpin fish is as dangerous as it is ugly. Much like the poisonous spikes on the fish's fins, there is a certain sting to this beer. Sculpin is yet another terrifically complex and impactful SoCal IPA well worthy of sampling time and time again.

Special thanks to the lads at The International Beer Shop who selflessly let me have the very last available bottle instead of keeping it for themselves!

Golden Road: Heal the Bay IPA

Purchased from The International Beer Shop, Leederville (Perth, Western Australia)

A brilliant beer that encapsulates the California spirit.

Los Angeles' Golden Road epitomise bright, summery beers in both image and flavour. Heal the Bay IPA is an astonishing beer that encapsulates and embodies the Californian spirit and coastal living like no other has conjured..

The inspiration behind Heal the Bay IPA was found in partnering with LA's foremost ocean and beach- environmental conservation group of the same name, hence this is a very clean beer in every sense.

Heal the Bay IPA pours a colour unique to IPAs as it lays somewhere between lager and pale ale hues. On the nose the aroma is simply mind blowing. Oceanic brine collides head first with an easterly breeze bringing in earthy, slightly volcanic notes. Fresh tropical fruit is also gloriously abundant.

Upon entry, the resin factor is huge in its mouth puckering effect. As the recipe includes Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Centennial the hop character is as deep as it is complex. Beneath a deep sense of earthiness, all manner of tropical fruits shine through; especially notes of pineapple and passionfruit. A hint of paw paw precedes a torrent of walloping grapefruit-forward hop bitterness.

Heal the Bay IPA's aromatics and flavours are not the only elements that showcase Golden Road's superb brewing prowess; the mouthfeel is also rather noteworthy. The way in which the beer rolls over the tongue like the more gentler waves one might experience along the Los Angeles coastline with carbonation and smoothness that somehow strikes both lager and double IPA qualities.

Much like Wolf Among the Weeds, Heal the Bay IPA is unique, phenomenally complex and full of surprises. With a limited run hitting Australian shores, there is no time like the present to get going along the Golden Road.

Twisted Manzanita: Iron Mountain IPA

Twisted Manzanita: Iron Mountain IPA

SoCal beers are becoming something of an obsession with me. San Diego's Twisted Manzanita is just one brewery among many in the region pumping out weapons-grade hop bombs, including this gem of a beer.

The Twisted Manzanita IPA pours a deep ocre; not pale by any means. The colour tells no lies of the bold tropical fruit and ramped up hop impact that eventually follow. Its head dissipates to virtually nothing from the can however this was a half-pour (the other half being shared with a friend). Mouthfeel is smooth with medium carbonation.

The aroma is all spring florals, pine and tropical fruit. What follows is a dogfight between bold pine resin and tropical fruit. Strangely with all this fruitiness Twisted Manzanita's Iron Mountain IPA is in no way sugary sweet; a dryish savoury malt backbone rumbles beneath. There is even a hint of salted, burnt caramel as well (indicative of the caramel malts included in the brew).

Finishing off this delightfully confusing experience is a burst of rollicking, astringent, piny and resinous hop bitterness.

I am suitably impressed by this truly unique IPA.