I’m not going to offer any explanation into Wingardium Luminosa’s Harry Potter reference here, although I’m sure there’s plenty of rich material with which to work. It’s the kind of thing that might inspire fellow Crafty writer Mick Wüst to create an epic poem in place of a review but with zero Potter knowledge at my end let’s just focus on the liquid and less on potential cease and desist beer names – not that Feral have had any previous concerns with this. Looking at you, Fanta Pants!
Speaking of that era, this release would fit well into Feral’s mid-2010s oeuvre: hop forward and with a fuller, dare we say "classic", malt profile; it’s almost as if a magician has cast: "Wingardium luminosa!" over the beverage, having it appear a decade later.
In reality, Wingdarium Luminosa is a scaled-up version of one of Feral brewer Owen Leach’s homebrew recipes, one bestowed some of Indie Hops' latest via Australian distributor Bintani. And, although Luminosa’s mother variety Sorachi Ace may be triggering for some – not this writer, mind you – the evidence here is a bright, tropical, citrus affair with support from Strata and Simcoe. Think: mango, orange peel, peach, guava and fruity bitterness across honeyed malts.
The effect recalls golden IPAs and even some Hop Hog nostalgia through a modern lens, with a little Feral magic in the mix too.
Guy Southern
Published May 7, 2024 2024-05-07 00:00:00
