As the weather drops and Australian beer celebrates the annual hop harvest, The Mill have released fresh twists on two of their cult favourites.
Chief among them is Freshest Haze, the brewery’s wet hop DDH hazy IPA. The beer's hopped entirely with Galaxy grown by HPA a little way north of Melbourne and its annual release is a favourite for many (The Mill brewers included) and has grown to include a wider celebration of all things hop harvest thanks to their Fresh Hop Takeover.
The beer itself is a wonderful way to enjoy Galaxy and all its layers and, although the variety's well-known passionfruit characters are quite fragrant and the most immediate, there's also plenty in the way of peach, pineapple and orange, all joined by a tang that really throws the beer right into juice territory.
Speaking of celebrations, The Mill marked their seventh birthday by brewing a chilling twist on their popular Dark Lord Black IPA. The Dark Overlord is a "cold black IPA", meaning it was brewed with lager yeast like those more commonly found in cold IPAs. It's a tweak which gives the black beer a deceptively dry and clean finish.
But, fittingly for something released in a demonic can from Melbourne's most metal brewery,* the flavours are still all turned up to 11. It means there's plenty from the hops in a beer that moves between mango, grapefruit and pine, lasting roasted tones, dark chocolate, and coffee that further aids the beer's fruitier side like a cold brew that's more about passionfruit and the tropics.
Will Ziebell
*To be fair, The Mill's probably Australia's most metal brewery.
Published April 5, 2024 2024-04-05 00:00:00
