They know a thing or two about celebrating winter at Moo Brew. For one, they brew in Australia's southernmost, coldest state, and they're also part of the organisation responsible for attracting hordes from across the planet to Tassie for Dark Mofo each June. And, while it might not have the outré global appeal of said festival, their Winter IPA has developed quite a following since it first appeared in 2021.
Black IPA or Cascadian dark ale by design, the winter seasonal is a coming together of Sabro, Simcoe and Galaxy hops with dark specialty malts in which the former do a fine job of capturing your attention over the liquorice and roast coffee. Citrus aromas come across with an intensity, accompanied by pine and sweet dark berries – the last of these perhaps the point at which the impact of the hops segues into the malt. Winter IPA doesn't hold back on the bitterness either – both hop- and dark malt-derived – yet still manages to take you on the journey from hops through malt to hops and back again with as much balance as you could hope for in a beer that layers things on so heartily.
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