Have I said before that I love a good IPL? Well, if I haven’t… I do. Big hop character with a crisper mouthfeel? Bangin’ combo.
More often that not, IPLs show up when a hop-focused brewer wants to give a lager twist to an IPA. But here we have someone coming from the opposite direction: Lance Masterton, a lager-focused brewer, giving a hoppy twist to a lager.
The body’s filled out with oats and wheat, while the caramel malts give it the look and (gentle) taste of golden syrup. Like all the beers from Heads of Noosa, the IPL is filtered – “to keep it bright in appearance and clean and crisp on the palate,” Lance says.
But, of course, the noble and US hops are what really capture your attention here. While there's some impression of sweetness and from the malt – and a lovely mouthfeel to boot – the IPL is actually quite dry in the mouth. Taste it straight from the fridge and there's a real cleanness to the dry pine, spice, and stone fruit hop character. Let it warm a little and the fruit opens up more, revealing soft orange juice to go with the stone fruit.
Mick Wüst
Published January 16, 2024 2024-01-16 00:00:00
