There are two arms races in the local beer world when it comes to hopping rates in beers. There's the one where heaps of brewers are trying to outdo each other with more grams per litre in their hazy IPAs and double IPAs. Then there's the one taking place at 4 Paran Place, Glen Iris, where the Deeds brewing team are merely trying to outdo themselves.
Taking the in-house mantle of lupulin lunacy champ as the year draws to a close is Fiscal Damage, so called because of the ridiculous amount of Mosaic (pellets and Cryo form) and Motueka the brewers have loaded into the 9.5 percent ABV hazy triple IPA. No less than 50 grams per litre; there are amazing IPAs on the market with around one-fifth of that rate...
Now, I've not always been a fan of such beers; when they're not done right I figure I may as well visit the local homebrew shop and stuff my mouth full of hop pellets then neck a shot of meths, but the Deeds crew have been embarking on such flights of fancy for longer than most and here there's likely to be as much fiscal damage to haze lovers' wallets as the owners' bank balance.
It looks the business and has a deeply alluring aroma, clearly hop-derived (durr...) but with a depth and density to it that, when combined with the beer's sweetness, makes it less a case of picking out defined characters than going with a hop stew of ripe, blended tropical fruits – everything from pineapple to mango to banana. There's a roundness to the aroma too, one that's matched by its creamy texture on the palate, within which there's remarkably little obvious booze, at least 'til you're halfway down a can and realise you should probably stop operating heavy machinery and move to the sofa.
It's like the IPA world's equivalent of the imperial stout: you wouldn't want too much in the one sitting, but you'll thoroughly enjoy what you can handle. Also, it's best consumed before it warms too much, so maybe buy one each with a mate and share 'em fresh from the fridge.
James Smith
Published December 19, 2019 2019-12-19 00:00:00
