As origin stories go, that of Infinite 8 is rather atypical, inspired by an octopus mural by friend of Jetty Road Josh Brown that made its way onto one of the brewery's vans and, ultimately, a discussion as to what said octopi would look like in beer form. And that turned out to be an 8.8 percent ABV IIPA featuring eight varieties of US hops. Initially, you'd be most likely to find it at the Dromana taproom, poured under the watchful eye of its inspiration but for winter 2020 it's been given a limited release in cans.
If you're after haze, you're looking in the wrong place: this is a bright and clear a copper pour as you'll come across. The hop selection covers both classic and contemporary US options so, while there are some citrus and pineapple present, it's far from a juice bomb and shares more in common with the IIPAs of old with plenty of pine there to ground things. For its size, it's pretty lean too, albeit with some sticky, slightly resinous hop texture that leads to a broad, building and lingering bitterness.
A beer eager to wrap its tentacles around you and not let go.
James Smith
Published June 19, 2020 2020-06-19 00:00:00
