With three beers, Bright Brewery are celebrating three different parts of this time of year. First up, Fred’s Apricot NEIPA is the third beer brewed by women who work at Bright for International Women’s Day. You can read more about the initiative and the person behind it in this article on brewer Madi Bruce, while the beer itself features Simcoe, Idaho 7 and Amarillo hops alongside the Apricot puree. The addition of wheat and oats in the malt bill drive a soft and creamy side while the apricot is both a little tart and more juicy and though it might be a NEIPA, there’s touches of the West Coast to be found too with a resinous bitterness balancing out the beer's sweeter dside.
North East Victorian IPA meanwhile, is a celebration of the ongoing hop harvest and industry that’s around the the corner from Bright’s home. Although it’s not a wet hopped beer (don’t worry, there’s plenty of those on their way), the IPA uses only those hops grown at Hop Product Australia’s Rostrevor Hop Garden. Here the choice is Eclipse and Enigma and combined they bring a local story of mandarin, melon and pine as a slightly rich maltiness hits a building bitterness.
Finally, Chocopalooza is out with plenty of time to spare for Easter. The chocolate and caramel stout was brewed with real cocoa and tastes like your glass of beer has been swapped for dark chocolate with swirls of caramel in it. Having said that, the bitterness and a roasted edge are still there to remind you that while we might be approaching the most chocolatey time of year, beer can still be the best way to celebrate it.
Will Ziebell
Published March 13, 2024 2024-03-13 00:00:00
