Hargreaves Hill Chaos Of The Universe: Demeter & Ares

Style
American Brown & Red IPA
ABV
5.5% & 6.0%

Ye gods! Hargreaves Hill are back with two more beers in their Chaos Of The Universe series.

Having kicked off in the company of Apollo and Hades, this time around a goddess gets a look in. Arguably my favourite of the Greek deities – what's not to love about someone who presides of the health of the planet? – Demeter takes the form of an American brown ale. And it's one that comes with a thoughtful twist: acknowledging her role in the grand scheme of things, the beer features a long list of alternative grains – rye, oats, buckwheat, spelt, millet, sorghum and rice – alongside Mosaic, Simcoe and experimental variety HS16660, which is said to lean heavily into the realm of the fruity.

The colour reminds me of a freshly polished conker ahead of fighting season, albeit with a distinct hint of ruby when held to the light. Carbonation is low which seems to allow the flavours from the cornucopia of grains to deliver their bounty with subtlety: chocolate, lightly roasted coffee, nuttiness, toasted cereal, something very reminiscent of wattleseed. They're the ones singing loudest, leaving the citrusy / red berry hops for the most part tucked away under their grainy blanket.

Could Ares, the god of war, have been anything other than a red IPA – an imperial red IPA, perhaps? Blood / amber in colour, there's a rich cake batter / syrup sponge top note with the IPA-ness found swirling within a toasted biscuity sweetness. The hops are old school – Cascade and Chinook – but added to the beer in a more modern, concentrated manner, with their earthy, bitter citrus rind character sitting deeper in the mix, like the bass in Spinning Away, attempting to dry out said sweetess.

James Smith

Published September 20, 2024

Name
Hargreaves Hill
Address

Factory 60
64-86 Beresford Road
Lilydale 3140

Phone
(03) 9730 1905
Bintani Abstrax B
IBD 2025

More from Hargreaves Hill

Hargreaves Hill x Celestial Beerworks Midday & Witching Hour
Fruited Double Hazy IPA & Pastry Imperial Stout
7.8% & 12.0%
Hargreaves Hill Chaos Of The Universe: Apollo & Hades
Double Hazy IPA & Black IPA
7.5% & 6.0%
Hargreaves Hill R.I.S.
Imperial Stout
11.2%
Hargreaves Hill Kenny & Hazy Double IPA Citrus
West Coast IPA & Hazy Double IPA
6.0% & 8.0%
Hargreaves Hill Strawberry & Watermelon Sour
Sour
5.0%
Hargreaves Hill Whirlpool Pilsner & Celestial Fuzz Fruited IIPA
Hoppy Pilsner & Fruited IIPA
5.5% & 8.0%
Hargreaves Hill 0 IBU & 100 IBU IPAs
NEIPA & San Diego WCIPA ft Terpenes
Both 7.0%
Hargreaves Hill The Phoenix '23 & Double ESB
Imperial Red Ale & Double ESB
9.6% & 8.0%
Hargreaves Hill Superdelic Fragilistic Expialid Oatish & Naughty
Oat Cream IPA & Barrel-Aged Schwarzbier
7.6% & 6.0%
Hargreaves Hill Team World DIPA & R.I.S. 2022
Hazy Double IPA & Russian Imperial Stout
8.5% & 11.2%
Hargreaves Hill Team America, Australia & New Zealand IPAs
Hazy IPAs
All 6.7%
Hargreaves Hill Fruit Ninja & Kenneth Son Of Zenith '23
Smoothie Sour & Imperial IPA
6.0% & 8.5%
Hargreaves Hill Sunshine and Roller Skates California IPA
California IPA
7.2%
Hargreaves Hill 18th Birthday Packs
Various styles as indicated
5.2% & 4.9% & 11.5% & 10.0%
Hargreaves Hill Red Vienna Lager & Single Origin Coffee Stout
Vienna Lager & Coffee Stout
5.0% & 6.2%
Hargreaves Hill Barrel-Aged Double ESB & Creaming Soda Stout
Barrel-Aged Double ESB & Sweet Stout
9.0% & 6.0%
Hargreaves Hill R.I.S. 2021
Imperial Stout
11.2%
Hargreaves Hill Phoenix 2022
Imperial Red Ale
9.6%
Hargreaves Hill Paper Hands & Diamond Hands
West Coast & Hazy Double IPAs
Both 7.7%
Hargreaves Hill Guava & Strawberry Sour & Margarita Gose '22
Fruit Sours
5.0% & 4.0%