You only need to have been paying vague attention to what's been going on at KAIJU! over the past couple of years to realise the sort of experiments they've been indulging in with many of their limited release beers. Danklord. Koldsplif. Dubsplif. There's most certainly a theme. And it feels like, with the 18th edition of their Mutation Program, they've decided to spell it out as clearly as they can.
The Red Weed – a nod to War Of The Worlds but, perhaps, also to Woodstock's infamous brown acid – is a pretty straightforward tale of what's to come: it's red (due to the addition of hibiscus) and it smells like weed (not the sort found in your garden, unless you're that sort of gardener). The second of these factors is down to something we've written and chatted about at some length in recent times: terpenes, with the brewers opting for varieties that leave you in no doubt what effect they were seeking. Apparently, every can they cracked at Sydney BeerFest was met with a "WTF moment".
They're not the only Victorian brewers to play in this space in 2024 and, with this release, the Holgate x Noodledoof collab Dank AF may have a challenger for the weediest beer to pass my way in the past 12 months. You only need crack a can before the aroma hits you – the liquid (which looks like Irn Bru) doesn't even have to touch down in the glass first.
While the cannabis-derived terpenes dominate on the nose, it's a very different affair to taste. There's a citrus-meets-Jelly Baby red berry fruitiness at play, almost as if KAIJU! are providing the smoke as well as the bag of sugary munchies you reach for afterwards in the one can. And, while it's tagged a sour, it's of the tangy not puckering sort, with a crisp, fruity finish belying the relatively sizeable booze content.
James Smith
Published December 9, 2024 2024-12-09 00:00:00
