While Coopers had been bringing the haze to Aussie drinkers for many a moon before Stone & Wood launched their Pacific Ale, there's a good argument to be made for the latter beer being a precursor of sorts for the current climate in which haze in hoppy beers is so prevalent some brewers don't even both calling hazy IPAs anything other than IPA. Whatever role they might have played in the hazification of the nation, here the Northern Rivers brewers opt for a hazy pale ale with which to launch their All-Australian Hop Series.
They've done so with three of the most vibrant offerings from Hop Products Australia: Galaxy (which was brought to prominence by Pacific Ale), Eclipse and Vic Secret. They're packed into a beer so cloudy you could easily imagine it being bigger than its 5.2 percent ABV. The pineapple / citrus elements you’d expect from that trio of hops are there in abundance, while there’s a grassiness that hints at the voluminous nature of the hop additions too. Add in a refreshing OJ like tang accompanying the bitterness and you've got a welcome addition to the brewery's clutch of pale, hoppy, session-friendly ales.
James Smith
NB The beer has proven so popular that, by 2024, it had entered Stone & Wood's core range.
Published May 19, 2023 2023-05-19 00:00:00
