Beer Riverside / Yeastie Boys Inner City White

When Stu McKinlay, one half of New Zealand's famed Yeastie Boys, was in Australia for Sydney Craft Beer Week he headed out to Riverside Brewing Company for a nap on the pile of malt bags and to help out on this collaborative brew. With Riverside's penchant for a generous hop regime combined with the Yeastie Boys' tendency to operate on the right side of left of centre, this was always going to be an interesting blend. And so we have Inner City White, billed as 'not your typical wheat beer' and a modern take on the white ale style. Built for refreshment, Motueka and Simcoe hops were used to throw up a zesty citrus hit and just a bit of a bitter bite. Apparently a lot of wheat (both malted and unmalted) and Pilsner malt were used along with oats which add their characteristic loveliness on the mouthfeel. At 4.4 per cent abv, this is the lowest strength beer that's ever come from the Parramatta brewery and a far cry from the bold beers Riverside has built much of its reputation on. Not that there's anything at all wrong with that. After all, who doesn't like a sessionable beer? NO