Cerberus is back, badder than ever, dog pun, etc, etc. You know the drill.
This year, the three-headed mutt is again boasting a hop bill from Australia, New Zealand and the US, but this time the varieties are Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic. Just as Heracles needed both brawn and brain [Clearly a fan of early Pet Shop Boys – Editor] to face Cerberus for his twelfth and final labour, the hops in this red IPA need to be powerful, but also strategic, to confront the intense malt mill.
Head brewer Jake Harrison specifically chose hops he knew would be up to the task.
“Trying to produce a red that has some nice complementary layers,” he says. “There’s obviously a lot of malt that goes into beers like this, characterful malt, so trying to find hop combos that really stand above that, and also complement it at the same time.”
The malts do indeed stand tall, with chewy caramel and burnt toffee dominating and a solid body that you’ve got to chew your way through. But the hops manage to find their way through, bringing a snarl of tropicals, a low growl of pine and citrus, and a bite of bitterness.
Helios should really put up a "Beware of dog" sign. (Or should it be "Beware of dogs"? Does Cerberus identify as singular or plural?)
Mick Wüst
Published May 17, 2024 2024-05-17 00:00:00
