There's aroma in beer and there's AROMA in beer. And then there's JESUS CHRIST! WHAT HAS JUST LANDED IN MY GLASS!?!
Holgate Brewhouse's 25 Years of Beers series collab with Noodledoof – the regional Victorian brewery co-founded by one of their former brewers, Alex Carr – fits very much into the last of those categories. So, let's go back to the moment in question...
There I was, welcoming mates over for some birthday / watching-the-Pies'-season-finally-draw-its-last-wheezy-breath drinks, not really paying attention as the first splashes of Dank AF hit the glass in front of me. I swear that no more than 50ml had touched down and instantly I had to break off from conversation. No beer, other than one of Wolf of the Willows' early terpene releases, had come my way that so obviously stank of freshly-plucked bud. Yet there was no mention of the use of cannabis-derived terpenes on the cans so I figured maybe they'd discovered some magical, hitherto unknown combination of yeast and hops that had unlocked such a thing. Or that my palate was being weird.
Hedging my bets, I cracked another can 24 hours later, and promptly sent a WhatsApp message to those responsible: "You guys put weed terpenes in Dank AF, right?"
"Sure did."
Turns out it was a last minute decision designed to boost the West Coast vibes and dankness of said beer, on top of the "fucktonne of US and NZ hops" already in the mix. And it's safe to say: "Mission accomplished."
Move past the Blackberry Kush-derived opening (which falls in with the chasing pack as the beer warms) and the clear golden liquid houses pine needles and citrusy rind amid its huge perfume, as well as a dry, earthy bitterness that (pine) needles its way deep into your palate too.
James Smith
If you're reading this in time, we're giving away three cases of Dank AF as part of Holgate's year-long quarter-century celebrations. They're up for grabs for members of our beer club, The Crafty Cabal. Details online soon...
Published August 14, 2024 2024-08-14 00:00:00
