It's fair to say there's not a huge amount in common between Bad Shepherd's twin March releases. One is a double digit imperial IPA, the other a lower ABV beer featuring native flowers. One comes in a big can (the bigger beer, naturally), the other a normal sized one. One is a returning past special, the other a new collab with a WA brewer. Actually, maybe they do share one thing in common: both pack a punch, just in very different ways.
Poseidon is the IIIPA that slots in above their Almighty IIPA, a 10 percenter that opens with sweet, stewed, boozy apricot and ripe pineapple aromas – the results of the viscous malts go to work in support of an Aussie-US hop quartet. Such is the malt base, there's not too much perceptible bitterness, rather an intensely dense and chewy triple IPA.
Flower Power is the latest beer to come our way featuring Geraldton Wax in recent weeks – and, boy, don’t you know it. There's a potent sweet, herbal tablet character – my drinking buddy is reminded of Yeastie Boys' past GABS entry, the Gunnamatta IPA, too. There's a mineral quality on the palate and a dryness that feels like you’ve bitten into a handful of rose petals. It's tagged a hazy session ale; quite whether anyone would session such a beer is debatable, but it's outlandish enough you could certainly debate it over a session.
James Smith
- Style
- IIIPA & Spiced Session Ale
- ABV
- 10.0% & 3.3%
- Bitterness
- 74 & 23 IBU
