Last time we popped in to see the team at Hargreaves Hill, there was a distinct buzz in the air. Hops ' and a lot of them ' were about to be added to a new brew that was in progress at the brewery. That brew is now here, and is an Imperial IPA inspired by brewery founder Simon Walkenhorst's first encounter with the iconic Pliny the Elder from Russian River. Based around the simplest of malt backbones to allow the hops to shine, it has been dosed up then dosed up then dosed up some more with US hop varieties Simcoe, Amarillo and Chinook. When we say dosed up, we mean heavy late kettle hopping, dry hopping post-fermentation and even more dry hopping after that for good measure. Although we've yet to sample it, we are told by a brewer Kai Damberg that the resultant beer exhibits "a deep rich amber hue" and that "pine needles, fresh mango and mandarin hop characters overlay the light toffee malt aroma. Strong and clean malt flavour underlies vibrant tropical fruit, candied orange and resinous piney hops." He says it's silky on the palate and has a smooth, lengthy bitterness, that sticks around "long after the glass is empty". Look out for it at a few venues around Victoria during Good Beer Week, with it taking its bow at the close of the Puffing Billy Beer Train event.
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