They release multiple beers a week and are constantly seeing what different ingredients or techniques do to beer but, sometimes, certain Range releases feel slightly more like a research project than others. The Keep 'Em Cold series is a fantastic example of that, with the trio using a single base IPA recipe then opting for three different hops from three different hop growing regions.
Those on show are varieties from America, New Zealand and Australia, with the name referring to the distinct names people from each country use for the boxes that keep beer cold, rather than these being the brewery's take on the cold IPA style. Instead, each is a hazy IPA based upon what the brewery describes as a simple malt bill of pale malt, oats and wheat, and fermented using their house IPA strain.
Starting Stateside, Cooler utilises Citra, Mosaic and Simco for a citrusy outcome that tastes like biting into a fresh navel orange and an orange-inspired lolly at once, with those citrus flavours joined by tropical notes of melon and papaya. There’s a hint of berry in there too and a more bubblegum like flavour that sits atop a soft, lush beer with a gentle bitterness.
Esky, meanwhile, is hopped with Australian Galaxy, Vic Secret and Topaz for plenty of passionfruit, overripe pineapple and a more resinous note of pine; the Aussie entry seems to be the driest and most crisp of the three IPAs too.
That brings us to Chilly Bin, a showcase of Motueka, Pacifica and Nectaron, which is a personal pick of the three. It could be the smoothest of the IPAs too, filled with lychee, green grape and stonefruit, and with a touch of lime zest at play too.
Will Ziebell
Also just released by Range at the time of writing are the oat cream double IPA Sonic Bloom and the IPA Wrong Answers Only.
Published March 21, 2022 2022-03-21 00:00:00
