Bad Shepherd Red IPA & South Island Sour & Double Choc Hazelnut Brown

Style
Various styles

They're never shy when it comes to releasing new beers but, for their fourth birthday, Bad Shepherd went on a little splurge. The Red IPA was the official birthday beer, with the style voted for by their fans. Pouring a rusty deep orange, it mixes floral and berry hop aromas with toffee and a deep, broad, toasted bitterness. Indeed, it's a bitterness that packs a punch, one bigger than the restrained aromatics might lead you to expect.

The South Island Sour comes with the "session IPA" tag and is something of a three-in-one beer, with the various elements standing apart from each other. The citrusy, tropical Kiwi hops – Riwaka, Motueka and Taiheke – deliver a full on lime-citrus character on the nose, one that takes on an oily texture on the palate, where the lactose creates a sweet stickiness. It's kettle-soured too, which contributes a tangy edge and a hint of funk to the aroma too.

The pick for me, perhaps unsurprisingly given it's a beefed up version of their cult favourite, is the returning Double Choc Hazelnut Brown. The brewers have managed to pump up every element – the chocolate, the hazelnuts, the creaminess and the drying toasted finish – of the original and keep them all in balance. More drinkable than a beer of such size has any right to be.

James Smith

Published December 5, 2019

Name
Bad Shepherd
Address

386 Reserve Road
Cheltenham
VIC 3192

Phone
(03) 8555 3175
Open Hours

Mon & Tues: 4.30pm onwards
Wed to Thurs: midday to 11pm
Fri & Sat: midday to midnight
Sunday: midday to 8pm

Regular events

Wednesday: 50c wings all evening, with around seven different wing sauces and rubs available.

Pickled OnMarket
CBCo Goldy

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