When I saw a beer from Reckless simply called Hazy IPA, I thought: “Surely they’ve released a beer called that before.” But sure enough, after a bit of internet stalking of my own beer write-ups for Reckless, I found that not only is this the only beer they’ve released simply called Hazy IPA, but that I had an experience similar to this just five months ago. Whaddaya know…
Hazy IPA is cloudier than a November day in Bathurst.* Unsurprisingly, it’s chockers with tropical hops. It’s big fruits up front, soft and fluffy all through the middle, and has a slow creep of easy bitterness at the end. A gentle grain character comes along for the ride, but the smidge of lactose in the recipe keeps the focus on the sweet fruits.
In contrast to the above beer, the newest iteration of Central West IPA is stunningly clear like a November day in Bathurst.* In fact, I’m tempted to copy and paste the first half of my write-up of an earlier Central West IPA, but I wouldn’t want to give you the impression that I’m just being lazy. So instead, I’ll summarise: modern interpretation, souped up XPA, super pale, bright and yellow, etc.
Where it differs is the hop bill. This version features Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy, Strata and Idaho 7, and the result is more punchy pine to join the modern fruit salad vibe. Dry, almost savoury resinous pine led the way, and it took until my second or third sip before the sweeter notes really came into play: a bunch of white grapes and a pile of orange zest muddled up with bitter pith.
And to close out the déjà vu** trifecta, here’s a re-brew of a beer from earlier this year: Watermelon Gose. It’s stoopid clear, and is fresh and crisp as a November day in Bathurst.* Puh-lenty of watermelon oozing from this one, with a pleasant sour and salty zing. It reminds me of my first watermelon gose by Anderson Valley, but I think there’s even more watermelon here. Which makes sense, I suppose… what would Californians know about summer vibes?
Not as much as people in Bathurst, that’s for sure.*
Mick Wüst
* I actually have no idea what the weather is like in Bathurst, in November or any other time of year. Wait – I know the Reckless taproom has a fireplace, so I guess it gets pretty cold in winter.
** I feel like I’ve mentioned déjà vu in a write-up before...
Published November 28, 2024 2024-11-28 00:00:00
