Ocean Reach Love Rollercoaster Oat Cream IPA

I still recall the first time I popped into Ocean Reach's taproom in Cowes for a chat with co-owner and head brewer Simon Bismire as he juggled all the roles you'd expect of someone in the early months of establishing a tiny business. There was variety in the beers on offer, but all within a reasonably traditional range. Roll forward a few years and Simon and wife Alex are hiring reps interstate, working with artists on their labels, and making a name for their hazy IPAs. It's almost like the past few years for the local beer industry in microcosm.

Their fondness for both hazies and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers shines through in Love Rollercoaster, an oat cream IPA featuring the increasingly popular (including at Crafty Towers) Idaho 7 and the enduringly popular Citra hops. The lactose addition appears to have been pulled back a little from the last oat cream IPA of Simon's I tried, reining in the creaminess so it has more of an impact on texture than flavour, leaving the hops to create a dank mélange of ripe tropical and stone fruit with a wee bit of boozy perfume and a prickle to its bitterness on offer for those that wanna ride.

James Smith

Published November 5, 2021 2021-11-05 00:00:00