The odd downpour and storm aside, much of Victoria seems to be enjoying something of an Indian summer while swathes of the rest of the country suffer floods or fires. And perhaps it's the enduring warm days that inspired Hargreaves Hill to put out two very summer-friendly beers in autumn.
One is a debutant: Guava and Strawberry Sour featuring (no prizes for guessing) natural guava and strawberry purée. The adjuncts lend the beer a colour I believe is best described as blush, from which a sweet and fruity cloud envelopes your olfactory system like a fancy soft drink you’d buy at a fruit farm’s cellar door. The guava does the heavy lifting on the nose with the strawberry adding a tartness to the lightly cleansing and really rather yummy base beer.
You may well have met its companion before, with Margarita Gose a staple of the Yarra Valley brewer's limited release schedule, albeit appearing in smaller-than-in-the-past 375ml cans this time around. The 2022 version seems a little restrained compared to past releases as the salt appears to soften the citrus and round out the mouthfeel; don’t get wrong, they’re very present, just not as in your face as in previous incarnations. It's arguably more sessionable as a result, just less margarita like.
James Smith
Published March 7, 2022 2022-03-07 00:00:00
