By day, Orion Beach is a quiet little beach with white sand and calm water. By night, it has a reputation for being a bit more exciting, as skinny-dippers and bioluminescent plankton come out to play.*
Orion’s Belt West Coast IPA is a similar blend of calm and exciting. Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe hops bring flavours of citrus, sweet pineapple and a hint of pine, while a little alcohol pokes through until a dry bitterness comes and wipes it away. Orion’s Belt isn’t trying to be showy. It’s just enjoying itself.
When Jervis Bay were awarded B-Corp certification, they celebrated by brewing Trident Hazy IPA. It champions three hop varieties as a hat tip to the three values JBBCo takes seriously in their business: sustainability, their employees, and their community. The Chinook, Centennial, and Victoria hops from Certified Sustainable Ryefield Hops sit alongside organic malt from the super green Voyager Craft Malt, and the beer was fermented on Jervis Bay’s house-propagated yeast. It’s milky in appearance and drinks like pear juice cut with tangerine juice, and just enough spice to make you sit up and take notice.
“This beer is a celebration of where we’ve come from and where we’re headed,” Oisín Sweeney, co-owner and head brewer, says. “It’s our way of toasting to the community that made our success possible, while also reaffirming our commitment to making the world a better place – one beer at a time.”
Then we’ve got JB Lager.
It’s a seasonal lager. I’m guessing that’s because the brewery wouldn’t be able to keep up with it if they made it core range. Not much to say about it. Ridiculously clear. Ridiculously refreshing. Ridiculously easy to drink.
All of these beers, in their own way, are about Jervis Bay having nothing to hide.
Mick Wüst
* I’m sure there’s a joke to be made here about “flashing”…
Published Yesterday 2024-10-31 00:00:00
