Time to take an adventure in hops courtesy of White Bay and the quartet of beers with which they welcomed autumn 2024. To prepare yourself for Reverence, your best bet is to check out Will Ziebell's recent article on West Coast pilsners and California IPAs, as this beer slots neatly into the former. A combination of their house lager yeast, a multi-step mash, and German malts lay down the platform upon which dry-hopping adds layers of soft citrusy aromas, before flavours arrive like essential oils squeezed from a hop cone at harvest.
From a new style out of the US to new hop products from New Zealand... Essence of Time is a session hazy IPA featuring goodies from Freestyle Hops that's so pale it warrants the milky tag. It doesn't come across as creamy, however, due to a grapefruit rind like bitterness that’s not much more than gentle but has enough presence to add a leanness to the mouthfeel. It won't blow your head off aromatically yet there’s plenty to explore, from lemon-lime top notes – both fruity and herbal – plus melon aplenty and something akin to hops' smokable brethren lurking below.
If Reverence is all about presenting hops with grace, Breakout is more brute force: even the sticky, treacle-biscuit malts can’t hold the deep, burrowing earthy bitterness from having its way with your palate. There’s an old English marmalade intensity to the bitterness in what’s a journey back in time to the American IPAs of yore.
It's not the largest IPA of the three on offer here, however, even if it packs the bitterest punch. Big DIPA takes the boozy crown, but swings the needle into full-bodied sweetness. There's a sticky, mango flesh texture and aromas that meld musk with ripe tropical fruits. It's hazy to the point of a NEIPA and has an intensity that lets you know your head will be warmer and fuzzier by the time the can is drained.
James Smith
Published March 4, 2024 2024-03-04 00:00:00
