For their 2023 mixed-pack showcase of hops, HPA (formerly Hop Products Australia) invited eight Aussie and NZ breweries to make beers featuring their hops in a variety of liquid forms. They're available together under the Even Flow banner, with heaps of info online including recipes and suggested food pairings.
Tassie is represented by the team at Hobart Brewing, whose Wavelength is a West Coast Pilsner featuring FLEX, a product designed to deliver a clean bitterness, as well as a tri-nation combo of Mandarina Bavaria, Vic Secret and Citra hops. For all that it's been brewed with a high hop load, the pilsner malt won't be overawed, working with the hops to create something reminiscent of a slice of fluffy German fruit bread, topped with a little lime and a lick of orange creme.
You could be mistaken for thinking KAIJU!'s entry in the packs was Krush thanks to the can design, but instead this is Guy Incognito, an XPA containing much in the way of Amarillo, Citra, Centennial and El Dorado hops from the US. Given the nature of most on the market, "XPA" might have you expecting something pretty restrained yet this is one of the punchiest beers in the pack: a really full, oily texture (without being cloying), a fair bit of cake sponge sweetness, and a hop character that's more dank than fruity or juicy, all wrapped up with a mouthcoating, gently resinous finish.
James Smith
NB If you're reading this before the end of November, we're giving away cases to members of our beer club, The Crafty Cabal – details here.
Published November 14, 2023 2023-11-14 00:00:00
