A coven is a group of or meeting of witches, an occurrence once said to be commonplace in Uraidla's past. But if the part of the Adelaide Hills the town and brewery call home is alleged to have hosted such secretive activities, far less of a secret is that the brewers are masters of working with hops, punching out consistently top-notch pale ales and IPAs. But they didn’t get to that point overnight or without spending time honing their skills, instead taking time to dial in the right water profile and malt bills to allow clean hop flavours and aromas to shine.
Here, with the building blocks set up just so, Uraidla showcase Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops in a double dry-hopped 5.8 percent ABV juicy pale called Coven. The brewers' tasting notes suggest elements of Starburst lollies and they are 100 percent correct, with such juiciness found alongside myriad other punchy hop flavours in a manner that gives breakfast juice vibes: pulpy papaya, guava and orange citrus working in harmony with the aforementioned Starburst sweetness. The body is light and fluffy but still full enough to support the hop characters, with a sweetness the rides to the end, barely encumbered by bitterness.
Matt King
Published July 19, 2023 2023-07-19 00:00:00
