Already in its short existence, Rocky Ridge has made a considerable impact on the WA beer scene. Besides almost out-collaborating every other brewery in the state, the steady tide of limited releases has left little room for what most would consider a traditional core range. This seems a tenuous means of building a brand and, to a degree, it probably would be for owner/head brewer Hamish Coates if it wasn’t for the consistently high quality of his releases.
Which brings us to the second iteration of Holy S**t It’s A Mid – The Kiwi Fruit Edition. The first, draught only, expression featured mandarin and responsibly quenched many thirsts during the spring/summer beer festival season. For the current release, more than 300kg of local kiwifruit was sourced from a local farmer who was otherwise going to have to pay to dump it because it didn’t meet supermarket specifications, making it a move that sits well with the brewery’s sustainability ethos. A small addition of Rocky Ridge grown Goldings hops, a yeast culture from the Rocky Ridge dairy and Margaret River sea salt complete the picture.
The result is a highly drinkable, medium bodied beer with acidity supporting its restrained fruit and salt characters. And, in what's becoming true Rocky Ridge style, it's flying off the shelves.
Guy Southern
Published April 25, 2018 2018-04-25 00:00:00
