For many people, it's quite possible that Findon and Seaford aren't top travel destinations. But if you’re a fan beers filled to the brim with hops, well then there's every chance that any time spent in either Adelaide or Melbourne sees you immediately step off a plan and make your way straight to one of those suburbs. That gravitational pull comes courtesy of Shapeshifter and Banks; two fellow travellers when it comes to brewing who have picked up many fans for their modern approach to craft brewing and skill haze. So naturally, when the Adelaidians were in Melbourne, they spent some time in Seaford to brew a couple of collabs, both of which feature the thiol-pushing powder, Phantasm.
Citra Shapes saw the Shapeshifter crew bring their house yeast into Victoria (we're not sure if they have border guards for this or not) and mix it with America's much-loved hop to create a tropical treat. Here, that Citra is all about orange juice, mango and guava, which all blend together with quite an intense ripeness that makes the hazy about as smoothie-like as beer comes (if you exclude the 20,000 smoothie sours released every week).
Nelson Shapes meanwhile, takes a trip to New Zealand's hop fields and uses Banks’ house yeast. Compared with its sibling, the beer's not only a little lighter on the booze but quite a bit leaner too, with this glass of juiciness coming with a dry edge. Although it still has plenty of tropical tones, the real story of this collab is gooseberry, kiwi and stone fruit akin to a classic savvy b from across The Ditch.
Will Ziebell
Published November 16, 2023 2023-11-16 00:00:00
