Spring is back! Yeah ok, so it’s been Spring for a month already, but we really haven’t had the warmer days just yet, so I’m calling it.
When the sun is shining, drinking a beer that imbibes that fresh, invigorating spring feeling is one of life’s great pleasures. One such beer is Brookes India Pale Ale from Bendigo.
This release originally began life as a spiced White Belgian IPA which definitely challenged people’s perception on what an IPA could or should be. But after a successful attempt at brewing a “Pliny The Elder inspired” Imperial India Pale Lager named Das Unterseeboot in 2014, the team at Brookes decided their divisive IPA needed a new direction.
Enter a generous addition of US hops including Warrior, Citra and Chinook hops which delivered a lovely pine and citrus aroma at an impressive 70 IBUs, an understated but reliable malt backbone and the ugly duckling became a deliciously sessionable IPA. Seriously, I still remember trying this for the first time on tap late last year at The Cambrian Hotel in Bendigo (about 4kms from Brookes Brewery) and my friends and I hung around for an extra three hours purely to enjoy as much of this IPA as we could. Trust me, it’s a winner.
Brookes IPA is available on tap throughout good beer venues in Melbourne and regional Victoria. At present, they can’t brew it fast enough to keep up with demand, so rest assured if you are lucky enough to grab a pint, it will be fresh!
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Indian Pale Ale
Serving Temp: 4-6 degrees
Origin: Bendigo, Victoria
Food pairing: Spicy Thai or Indian
Price (RRP): 330ml $8-$9 | 24 x 330ml $79
Buy it here: www.brookesbeer.com.au