After releasing a pair of German bocks just in time to whet our collective Oktoberfest appetites, we’re having ourselves a second breakfast featuring a unique single hop hazy and a devastatingly good Baltic porter Slow Lane have brewed in collaboration with fellow lager-heads, Bracket.
Motueka is a fantastic hop. Ask any brewer what their favourite all round hop is and … well, they’re probably not going to say Motueka, but it’s almost certainly going to be up there. As a hop that can be used for both bittering and aroma, its versatility means that, once you start looking, you’ll probably start seeing it everywhere. From pilsners to saisons to DIPAs, Motueka rules and anyone who says otherwise drools.
This isn’t only a single hopped hazy IPA, the Motueka in Lot of Mot has been sourced from a single lot on a single farm. To highlight the hops, Slow Lane brewed a simple hazy featuring pale malt, rolled oats and a specialised English ale yeast. The result is a great expression of Motueka. Intense lime zest, citrus and white grapes with an earthy herbal undertone. The yeast character provides additional complexity to what is otherwise a hop showcase. A great full mouthfeel, moderate bitterness and slight malt sweetness help create an eminently slurpable hazy IPA.
Baltic porters are a great example of a style of beer that springs out of people recreating a beer that they love while incorporating local ingredients and customs. Baltic porters came about from countries on the Baltic Sea desperately trying to fill the gap of imported English porters created by Napoleon’s blockade of English trade vessels in the early 19th century. So, although we now know this style collectively as a Baltic porter, variances in style can be attributed to roots in Scandinavia, Poland, Estonia and Russia where these beers were brewed independently of each other.
Hibernation is a collaboration between Slow Lane and brewery in exile, Bracket. Although probably brewed to be a warming ward against the winter chill, it was 33 degree celsius winter's evening when I got my hands on it. Hibernation pours a deep, dark brown with a long lasting mocha head. It starts with aromas of dark chocolate, coffee, nutty malt and yeast esters which continue to deepen with some warmth. On the palate is a heady melange of luscious malt notes with dark fruits, biscuit, toasty dark bread and the bitter/sweet combination of molasses.
Balanced, smooth and with a superbly clean finish that belies the hefty ABV, winter or no, it’s a beer that longs to be savoured.
Judd Owen
Published September 7, 2024 2024-09-07 00:00:00
