It’s a good thing Wayward straight up reminds the drinker of the Responsible Service of Alcohol with the name of this beer* because otherwise, they could be in a lot of trouble for hiding the alcohol. This may be the easiest drinking IIPA I’ve had.
The haze level is fairly low. So is the bitterness, with the tiny 15 IBUs only being there to take the edge off the sweetness. But the combination of Rakau, Simcoe and Amarillo hops bring all the fruit juice aroma and flavour you could want. Heaps of citrus, dominated by orange zest; a box of mixed stonefruit, soft and sweet and ready to eat; and, even though this descriptor has been almost monopolised by Galaxy hops, a passionfruit tang. It tastes like those bottles of tropical fruit drink that are a bit sweeter and smoother than 100 percent juice and I’m almost tempted to call it ‘sweet and simple’ but that would sell it short, since making a double IPA this balanced and approachable is anything but a simple task.
There aren’t many IIPAs one might consider buying by the case, but this… this is one designed for repeat drinking. Responsibly.
*It took me an embarrassingly long time to realise RSA is also the initials of the hop varieties used… even though they’re written on the label right below the name of the beer.
Mick Wust
Published March 19, 2021 2021-03-19 00:00:00
