Beer Quiet Deeds Long Days & Pleasant Evenings & Hummingbird

The Quiet Deeds brewers continue to go crazy for the hazy with another twin release hot on the heels of Fortune & Glory and The Traveller. They continue to find differentiation within that space too, with Long Days & Pleasant Evenings using an all-Southern Hemisphere hop lineup of Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin and Riwaka to move away from the typically OJ and brekkie juice territory of most into something more vibrant. It has a lively hop aroma of lime, kiwifruit, grapefruit and, as they say on the label, white wine. They've nailed the appearance once more in a beer that's a pleasant change, and rather delicate too, with a cleansing rather than punchy bitterness and a slow building warmth.

As for Hummingbird, its subtitle of "Hazy DIPA" could be the understatement of the year. I felt I was inhaling a citrus liqueur at first – Cointreau, perhaps – as here's a beer with the intensity of a cocktail that's just been given that ephemeral citrus rind twist: boozy yet riddled with plenty of fruit, a little spice (leave it a while and the cinnamon comes a-chargin' in), and a hazy IPA's softness.

Further investigation reveals an ingredient list that's more like a shopping list; Hummingbird is inspired by the Jamaican dessert of the same name and features toasted pecans, lime zest, lactose, 200kg of pineapples, vanilla and cinnamon, plus Mosaic and Azacca hops. Off kilter and, like a big slice of the cake, best shared with a mate.

James Smith