Sailors Grave have released so many beers in their relatively short existence, and have a tendency to bring limited releases back as and when they feel like it, that it can be hard to recall with ease whether some are debutants or old faces making a return visit. Their Dry-Hopped Raspberry & Elderflower Grisette sits in the latter category, although when cans turned up in the latest delivery of their Deck Hands member's packs, I did have to double check it was the beer I thought it was.
Indeed it is, so while it's not new per se, it was one I remember loving when it first came our way five years ago, so we figured we should revisit it. The 2022 release brings back memories of its debut, with soft berries and a light hay like spiciness upfront, which segue into floral, crushed petal like, elderflower-tinged flavours, a cleansing dryness with a hint of white pepper, before those soft berries come full circle.
Also in the packs were cans of their De Ranke XXX-inspired Really, Really, Really Bitter Belgian IPA, now given a release outside the NZ Hops packs and worth hunting down too.
James Smith
Published February 9, 2022 2022-02-09 00:00:00
