Hop Nation Freestyle Double IPA & Raspberry Sour With Key Lime

Hop Nation have been staying committed to their name with their ongoing Double IPA series that tours New Zealand. First up they headed to the very bottom of the South Island with All G, then turned to Nelson Lakes and now they’ve arrived at Freestyle Hops’ Nelson farm. Like the previous entrants in the series, Freestyle Hops Double IPA includes Mosaic (in Cryo form) but largely the focus is squarely on Nelson Sauvin and the impact different growing regions can have on the final flower and, by extension, final beer. Taking its cues from the world of West Coasts, the double IPA pours with a golden orange hue as the fruit flavours move between green table grapes, passionfruit and grapefruit while the dank and tongue-coating pine leads into a hefty and quite resinous bitterness.

OK, so maybe it’s not all about nation-exploring hops for the brewery since Raspberry Sour with Key Lime is an entirely different affair. I’m no expert on colour palettes but I feel like I can comfortably say that this beer looks like it’s the exact halfway point between pink and red. Turning to other palates, there's plenty of tartness that continually acts as a counterpoint to the sweet rapsberry while the key lime comes through like the beer's been dosed with a touch of classic green cordial from Cottee's.

Will Ziebell

Published February 15, 2024 2024-02-15 00:00:00