Freedom Units was first trailed by Hawkers in 2020, but the first batch never saw the light of day. The triple NEIPA was born free of the requisite opacity and thus the imperial measurements-mocking beer, complete with what appears to be a version of a MAGA hat on the label, had to wait for its moment in the sun.
Second time around, they got what they wanted and now it's back, complete with "2.19791oz MORE FREEDOM!" – in other words, they've put it out in bigger cans, and there's certainly no debate as to whether it's hazy / opaque enough... Freedom Units III pours with a visual consistency not far off wallpaper paste and takes aim for your nasal passage with a dense mass akin to a stewed tropical hop curd fired from a double barrel shotgun (or, perhaps, one of splurge guns from Bugsy Malone; not as MAGA a reference, but potentially more apt).
There’s a vegetal edge to the hop character throughout, too, in a beer that's not as soupy on the palate as it is on the eye but still lays down a carpet of sticky hops, booze and a bitterness that verges on the grippy and the resinous. Having fallen for Kylie, I'll confess Freedom Units is rather supersized for my tastes in such beers, which means it's probably destined for a 4.5 rating on Untappd. "MAGA!"†
James Smith
† Make Alcohol Ginormous, Asshole
Published March 18, 2021 2021-03-18 00:00:00