Beer Cupitt's Estate Hibiscus Wit & Coconut IPA

Cupitt’s Estate is an idyllic picture of agriculture, with sweeping views of vineyards and green fields, and just a glimpse of water in the form of Stony Creek. But the folk there also have imaginations that stretch further than the fields before them, and they’ve brought out a couple of releases that dream of life on a Pacific island.

The Hibiscus Wit is one of their seasonals that keeps coming back, and it’s easy to see why – it shines like a rosé, smells of delicate nectar, and tastes of mellow spice. The floral notes smooth out the drinking experience to velvety levels, but don’t dominate the traditional wheat beer flavours. This is a beer that beats tropical humidity without asking for anything in return.

When it comes time to crack open the Coconut IPA, expect a journey. When I first stuck my nose in the glass, I got a face full of hops and could barely detect any coconut. As I kept smelling, a sweet hint of coconut started to poke through. After about thirty seconds, I was getting coconut, coconut and nothing but coconut, like I’d just applied a layer of suntan lotion. Then, when I gave the glass a swirl, the volatiles from the hops all woke up and brought their aroma back into the picture.

I’d love to use the imagery of a cocktail here, but the flavours remain quite distinct from each other rather than blending – a sweet, creamy slab of coconut ice on the one hand; gentle but still bitter hops on the other.

Two soft beers that float you to an island getaway, with a hibiscus flower behind your ear and a coconut in your hand. Perhaps not what you expected in beers from Ulladulla, NSW.

Mick Wust