Summer may feel like a fleeting memory in Melbourne but for 2021’s hop harvest, Westside Ale Works have brewed the IPA, Wet Hop American Summer. Inspired by West Coast American IPAs as much as American movies, the beer uses fresh Centennial and Chinook hops from AC Hops, which is a small family-run farm located a short distance from Ballarat. The 7.9 percent ABV imperial IPA pours with a dull haze and an incredibly aromatic and mix of pine, spruce and fresh-cut grass. Those distinct notes are joined by a light herbaceous touch, grapefruit and a decently bitter kick that leads into a slight prickle on the back of the palate.
From summer to winter, April also sees the return of Westside Ale Works’ oatmeal rye stout, Ryes N’Shine. It’s a beer that combines a very soft and smooth body with some big roasted notes, from espresso coffee to dark and bitter chocolate - picture a block that’s well above 90 percent and you’re on the right track - and a spiced undertones thanks to the rye.
Will Ziebell
Published April 14, 2021 2021-04-14 00:00:00