When opening any business you never quite know who your neighbours will be. Sure, a walk of the block will reveal the signage but, for the Phat team, they soon found the narrow alley that circles the brewery teams with thunderous, bespoke bikes from Rogue motorcycles. As it happens, the crew there quite likes a beer and the resulting relationship has now birthed Easy Rider, a mid-strength red IPA.
Malt-focused, lower ABV beers don’t exactly jump off the page when perusing a list of potential new releases; however, they arguably achieve their aims better than their hop-forward cousins. Here malt complexity carries proceedings with welcoming light toffee and caramel style signifiers. Brisk hoppiness is well supported by subtle cola and spiced orange hints, while a pleasing minerality adds further interest.
The result is a very smart lower ABV beer: something top of mind for anyone that’s put a helmet on. And, with neighbours like this, one wonders what we can expect from the performance training hub that also shares the alley.
Guy Southern
Published May 25, 2024 2024-05-25 00:00:00
