Thus Let Us Drink Beer - Holgate Brewhouse
Sometimes it takes a bit longer to come across what eventually proves to be a stalwart of the Australian craft beer brewing scene and one wonders how one could have possibly been so ignorant. Case in point: Holgate Brewhouse.
Having honed their craft and channelled their alchemy in the brewing in excellent beers, Holgate, being a family business, has remained fiercely independent and had their focus firmly set on honouring traditional brewing methods while infusing them with their idiosyncratic innovative approach.
An example par excellence for Holgate Brewhouse’s excellence is their recently released Hazy India Pale Ale. The IPA hits the sweet spot between boldness and well-balanced fruitiness and is technically a revisit of their GABS beer from 2017, which in its original incarnation was a New England India Pale Ale.
I enjoyed my first Holgate Hazy IPA as part of a boilermaker that found its equivalent in my favourite Ardbeg, i.e. Corryvvreckan.
The triumvirate of American hops, i.e. Azacca, Mosaic and Amarillo creates a fruity melange that rests on a foundation of wheat and oats. The fruity character travels along the coordinates of mango nectar, oranges and peaches, which is pierced by an exquisite bitterness.
Clocking in at an ABV of 6.8%, this brew is dangerously more-ish and it makes perfect sense that it comes in 500ml cans.
Holgate’s Road Trip is an American IPA that again offers a bouquet of well calibrated fruity, caramelly and floral notes with piney resinous hops taking over towards the finish, culminating in a bitter finish.
A sessionable, refreshing, flavoursome and well-rounded little number that despite its bold passion fruitiness, it is very much true to its west coast American IPA style, i.e. it has those delicious dank aromas that remind one instantaneously of hop pellets.
Needless to say that my first exposure to Holgate Brewhouse made me more than curious about their seasonal and limited varieties, which we will hopefully be able to shed light on in an upcoming instalment.
