Two breweries united by one brewer who each marked major milestones within weeks of each other in 2024. One is Holgate Brewhouse, who clocked up a remarkable quarter century of brewing this year – take a trip down Memory Lane via our podcast episode with founders Paul and Tash. The other is Wolf of the Willows, who marked a decade of beers earlier this month. The brewer that unites them is Josh Kendal, who worked at Holgate prior to becoming head brewer at Wolf.
The beer they've created together – 23 in Holgate' 25 Years of Beers series – is Tropical Hazy IPA, released in cans featuring a wolf and bull in deckchairs gazing over an ocean sunset. In translating such vibes to liquid form, they've employed additions of lime, guava and blood orange alongside an all-Aussie hop lineup of Eclipse, Galaxy and Topaz. Their aim? A beer as juicy as a Mai Tai on the beach at sunset.
The haze is minimal, but the fruit juice / citrusy hop combo brings the promised tropical beachside cocktail vibes, albeit with aromas more subtle than the previous 25 Years of Beers IPA collab, Dank AF, which was like stumbling into a Cali weed-grower's den. While Tropical Hazy IPA was brewed at Holgate, there's plenty here that's reminiscent of what we've come to expect from Wolf's IPAs too, not least the dry and refreshingly crisp finish.
James Smith
NB Look out for a Tropical Hazy IPA giveaway for Crafty Cabal members going live in early December.
Published Yesterday 2024-11-20 00:00:00
