And once again, like clockwork, Australia's finest imperial Belgian black IPA returns to herald another orbit around the sun by Bridge Road Brewers. The Beechworth brewery keeps throwing out new ideas with such regularity – let's declare an independent micronation, how about a bar made of cardboard – it's easy to forget just how long they've been around. The launch of this beer marks 17 years since Ben and Maria poured their first beers, making Bridge Road easily one of the oldest brewing companies in the land.
That they're now onto the 12th iteration of this birthday beer merely hammers that longevity home. And it comes with, if not a new coat, at least a new feather in its cap: Sabro hops – in souped-up CRYO form – have been added to the mix in a beer that this year tips back into double digits on the booze front.
As such, the hop aroma is definitely more pronounced and coconutty – perhaps in the sense of a rich chocolate with desiccated coconut baked through it – albeit still aromatically within the distinctive range you’ve come to expect over the years. The booze comes through more prominently than some past versions at this early stage in its evolution, but otherwise it remains that viscous, fruity, herbaceous, high couverture chocolate blend you’ve come to know, love and wallow in for a dozen years now.
James Smith
Published June 11, 2022 2022-06-11 00:00:00
