The Uraidla brewers put out three new limited releases in cans at the same time in early August. I chose to run one of them solo – Mana NZH102 IPA – as it was one of the most impressive beers I've come across in 2022. That's not to say there was anything wrong with the other two, just that it was that rare release where you can't see how the liquid could be improved upon.
That said, Deceptive Gravity does all you could reasonably ask for in a red IPA, and manages to do so at an ABV not far off mid-strength territory, making the name less one that's in keeping with their mythic schtick than a simple definition of what's going on in the cans. More burnt orange than red, it nevertheless delivers those deep, ripe and zesty orange citrus and red berry tones of bigger RIPAs (courtesy of Cryo Centennial, Cryo Idaho 7, Mosaic and Galaxy hops), woven through sweet biscuity caramel malts and a bitterness that’s perceptibly bigger than many contemporary IPAs twice its size yet still fits the package just right.
With Arcane Awakening, they return to what's proved to be a fertile hunting ground in the past: West Coast IPAs. It demands a good nose dive before it’s whiter-than-white head gives away too many clues as to what the combination of Idaho 7, Centennial and Amarillo have in store. Lean and quenching, there's lively grapefruit-led citrus characters alongside a kinda herbaceous neomexicanus vibe, leaving you with an IPA that's rather less flouncy than many of its contemporaries.
James Smith
Published August 10, 2022 2022-08-10 00:00:00
