Beer Moo Brew Harvest Ale 2014: Rye IPA

Traditionally, for the most part at least, when breweries have turned their attention to creating fresh hop harvest ales they have tended to favour pretty straightforward base beers that allow the hops to shine. Last year, Moo Brew took a rather different approach and released a fresh hop Robust Porter. It was one of the best beers we sampled in the whole of 2013. And now, for its 2014 harvest release, they are trying something a little different again. It is the first harvest release with new head brewer Dave Macgill at the helm and he tells us that for this beer they have used raw ingredients never before used in the brewery, including rye malt from Tasmania's Belgrove Distillery. "The use of rye will give the malt structure a complex, dry and spicy finish showcasing the real hero of the beer: the hops," he says. The wet hops used in this beer are Galaxy and Ella; Galaxy brings big fruit flavours and aromas, Ella contributes floral and slightly spicy elements. The result, says Dave, is "a dry fruit driven, well-balanced 7 percent Rye IPA."