South Sydney brewers and distillers 2 Halfs sent me seven unique beers in one delivery and now it’s my job to taste them. I should’ve studied harder in school.
Taking them on in two (not quite) halves – the first focusing on the hoppy trio of the bunch – why not dig in with a suitable session starter? Citra Lite Session XPA has a modest 0.9 standards per can and arrives harvest gold with a luscious head as if poured on tap rather than from my can. It's alive with dank, sticky aromas of the titular hop. Generously carbonated, packed with hop flavour, and not overstaying its welcome, Citra Lite is as refreshing as an ice block after sunburn and something I could knock back by the caseload.
With green and ready-to-rave can art in place, Alex XPA enters the glass as gold as Ponyboy [Presumably he of The Outsiders, rather than the inspiration here – Editor] with refreshing, sweet, mixed berry fragrances. There’s a little more going on in Alex too as a bit of spice swishes across your palate alongside more typical citrus, possibly due to Alex being the canned result of years of XPA refinement at 2 Halfs. Chewy, sweet and fun, this is a beer you wish you could inflate like a stick of bubblegum.
Turning the volume up a little the Balaclava Lane Strong Pale Ale, initially brewed as a hazy pale but with added "strong" when it turned out more potent than anticipated. It’s also not particularly hazy so good on brewer Kirk for being honest, even if it is hazy-esque on the nose with punching passionfruit and pineapple aromas landing with a sweet and spiky splash. The bitter-meets-juice balance comes with a hefty whack of Simcoe hops and a sprinkling of Amarillo and Galaxy.
In the second not-quite-half, onto the non-hoppy quartet...
Benedict Kennedy-Cox
Published July 16, 2024 2024-07-16 00:00:00
