BentSpoke Brewing certainly know a thing or two about brewing IPAs. If you asked the entire nation of craft beer drinkers, they’d probably tell you Crankshaft is their favourite IPA or beer in the country (and indeed they have, multiple times during the GABS Hottest 100). But if you asked The Crafty Pint, we’d have to point to Sprocket as one of Australia’s best ways to enjoy hops, although Keep It Simple has been a recent favourite too.
But in spring 2023, they brought out an IPA with a point of difference in FreeWheeler; a hoppy creation that’s less than 0.5 percent ABV. It’s part of their Drifter range of limited releases and as well as being free from booze, it feels quintessentially “BentSpoke”. That's thanks to the finely structured way the hops move from one field to the next, starting tropical, leaning into stone fruit and then moving towards citrus zest while a slight caramel note sets an underlying tone. Pouring with a soft haze, there's plenty of weight to the mouthfeel too while a substantial bitterness comes through on the finish.
Will Ziebell
Published October 25, 2023 2023-10-25 00:00:00
