Following on from their recent Electric Feel seriesSix String continue their exploration of newer beer styles and brewing techniques. This time round we have the Cold Dip IPA, which is their take on both the on-trend cold IPA and dip-hopping techniques, and you could be forgiven for thinking there will be a spate of breweries rethinking the branding of IPAs as La Niña appears to be settling in for another cooler year.
The Cold Dip is crisp, light and refreshing, brewed with NZ hops Wakatu and Motueka, while the dip-hopping is designed to add extra layers of flavour and aroma. Pilsner malt gives the beer a light, crisp body while the Kiwi hops add fruit and floral aromas (the use of the Wakatu hops reminds this reviewer of the lager topped with a dash of lime juice his mother drank in the 70s). There's an ever-so-subtle dry finish from the Central Coast crew who continue to hit the mark with their creative monthly series. If the sun pokes out this summer, it’s one for the hotter of days.
In Bloom is a collab with The Honey Kings, and as you pour this almost decadent IPA and inhale the aroma of organic honey it’s hard not to imagine Greek gods resplendent on chaise lounges, nectar in abundance. The Honey Kings have been beekeeping for more than a decade, with a number of apiary sites located around the Central Coast. Each site has been hand-picked to ensure they're within a 4km radius of native shrubs, gum and eucalyptus trees, while being as far away from chemicals and pesticides as possible.
The beer pours thick and hazy, while there is a subtle warmth of honey and sweetness on the back palate, as if an IPA flavoured cough lolly with honey locked inside has just been crunched. There's a hint of fresh lychee on the palate while the aroma of stone fruit and honey is complimented by the smooth bittering of the Nelson Sauvin hops. If you read The Iliad very closely, you might just notice how the gods of Olympus supped on their pint glasses, brimming with In Bloom Ambrosia, stress-free, as Troy and Achilles did battle.
Neil Richardson
Published November 13, 2021 2021-11-13 00:00:00