Without making much noise about it, Hawkers have been racking up an impressive number of collabs with top American breweries. In 2020, they created Jacki with past AIBA champions Three Weavers: a rye IPA honouring Aussie icon Jacki Weaver. And now they're back with another in the same vein: Kylie, also featuring rye, but this time in a bigger double West Coast IPA.
Now, I don't know about you, but when I read "double West Coast IPA", "rye", and "8%" on the same label, I head in expecting something on the heavier, spicier side. Yet that's not what awaits here. You're met instead by a bright, vibrant, almost crystalline character perhaps best encapsulated as "shiny orange". Or maybe that should be "hot pants gold"?
Whatever, it's another fine example of Hawkers packing a beer with heaps of action. You can taste a spiced citrus slice and deep, swirling hop flavours that continue through a long, broad bitterness, which in turn burrows through the rye and booze augmented malt flavours. It's full-bodied yet well structured, like muscular thighs packed into tight pants, and never feels like it’s trying to do too much, that it’s overcooked or stepping outside where it needs to be. A bit like Kylie at her finest – this, this, this, this or this, perhaps – and certainly not this.
There are plenty of breweries garnering more attention when it comes to hype. But, right now, Hawkers are knocking out bangers to match anyone.
James Smith
Published March 11, 2021 2021-03-11 00:00:00