Green Beacon has released fresh harvest beers under The Botanist label for a few years now but, this year, they’ve stepped things up. Rather than brew one gentler pale ale with a few varieties of hop, they’ve brewed two wet hop IPAs, each featuring just one hop variety: one with Galaxy, one with Enigma.
The Galaxy gives you a taste of Galaxy hops on steroids: huge bursts of passionfruit and a little of that citrus brightness. With the sweetness and strong effervescence of this beer, it gives a Pasito-y vibe, but the sweetness doesn’t stick around. The finish is dry, almost literally fizzling out, leaving your mouth clean.
The Enigma, on the other hand, hits you with a surprisingly wide array of flavours. Mandarin peel and candied orange peel dominate on the nose, but the taste is sweet mango and pine, with floral hints and a white wine pungency around the edges. The finish is much longer than the Galaxy, with subtle spices giving way to a lasting bitterness.
If you get the chance, definitely drink these beers side by side.
Mick Wust
Published April 26, 2018 2018-04-26 00:00:00
