They love a themed series at Hargreaves Hill. And, more often than not, they like to fill said series with plenty of IPAs. Who knows what lies ahead with the next ten beers in the Chaos Of The Universe, but the first of the bi-monthly double-drop features IPAs of the double hazy and black variety.
Before we get to them, a doff of the cap on the title of the series; sure, the beers might each be named after a god, but chaos feels increasingly like the term that will define 2024 just as, say, pivot did in 2020. So, let's embrace the chaos, shall we?
Kicking off with Apollo, you have a double hazy that captures the god of light's essence in the beer's very pale, almost milky appearance and chalk white head, as well as the use of the rarely-seen Apollo hops, most commonly used for bittering rather than adding flavour or aroma. They're not alone in the beer, however, with tropi-citrus, watermelon rind and brekkie juice aromas making the first strike. There's a little grassiness to taste too, seemingly on a mission to keep it lean, but up against a coconut-creaminess working in the other direction, and a fluffy sweetness rounding things out on the palate.
Black IPAs are a far from homogenous beast, ranging from those that aim to keep the black confined to their appearance as far as possible, reining in any roast / choc / coffee flavours, and those that could equally be tagged a hoppy porter. I'd put Hades more in the latter camp, as the roasted and other specialty malts take control of the Underworld from the Columbus, Simcoe and HBC 638 hops.
There's a prominent dark choc-espresso character which seeps into the bitter liquorice finish, while said hops contribute some dark berry / figgy fruitiness and pine to an IPA that definitely has its eyes on the deeper realms of your taste buds.
James Smith
Published July 25, 2024 2024-07-25 00:00:00
