While Rhys is away, Otherside shift brewers Skipp and Lesky play. And haven’t they just?
Ordinarily, this part of my writeup would be a something, something about the beer, with context quips, but instead the aggregated tasting notes below, garnered from repeated, rigorous testing, should cover more than enough for this beer – we treat these things seriously at Crafty, after all. Well, somewhat...
Pouring clear with a faint gilded mist, aromatic NZ hop greenness teases, ahead of a rush of lime and curry leaf, in the most exotically heady way. Candied mandarin hits the lips with dried tropical fruit and a weedy thing rising through the sip. As NZ Double’s supporting sweet malt base moves increasing dry, a tightly-spun bitter rhythm locks into the backend, equally cleansing and luring the drinker for more. Nothing dominates: balance runs the entire entertaining arc. Oh, and it’s absurdly drinkable at near 9 percent ABV.
Looking back post-sip, this is the kind of beer that’s quietly devoured, with little hype, that everyone will forget by the time comes for year end reflection. Consider this a public note to self.
Guy Southern
Published March 1, 2022 2022-03-01 00:00:00
