In classic Shapeshifter fashion, the Adelaide brewers are at it again with a clutch of new releases coming at you almost faster than they can be drunk. Aliens Exist is a DDH oat cream IPA reshaped from last year’s Creatures From Above that utilises Citra, Wai-iti, Nectaron and Cashmere hops alongside Ferveo’s English Ale II yeast. And it’s an all-tropical affair, dripping with sweet, juicy mango, papaya and touch of passionfruit, plus a little milky sweetness floating throughout and no bitterness in sight.
Sticking with hops, cold IPA Decent Dankness showcases Eclipse, Centennial, Amarillo and Mosaic Lupomax, all tasked with bringing the dankness in a light, clean IPA. There's a decent whack of resin seeping from every nook, supported by a little fresh orange and grapefruit, the latter coming through with a snappy bitterness. It's also quite dry all the way, allowing the hops to shine.
Time to tone things down on the booze front for Scream Into the Void, another spin on the increasingly popular West Coast pilsner style, and one that's all about drinkability. Clean orange citrus starts proceedings, before honeydew, gooseberries and peaches chime in. There's a solid balancing bitterness woven in there too, but nothing to take away from how easy drinking this truly is.
Finally, released for Oktoberfest is Stein Swinger, a malt-driven festbier to help punters singen in zeltzen. Pouring a lovely, yellow / light gold with bright clarity, bready dough leads the way with some light toast and caramel characters, with that upfront malt sweetness drying out slightly on the finish. A little herbal earthiness is present too with just a smidge of bitterness. Prost!
Matt King
Published October 12, 2024 2024-10-12 00:00:00
