Beer Blackman's Barrel Farm Double Yuzu Wit

You might not know it if your only association with the stuff is through beer but yuzu is one ugly fruit. With thick skin, a squashed shape and lots of seeds, yuzu looks like a lime gone wrong. But fortunately, like with people, it’s what’s on the inside that counts and yuzu’s unique brand of citrus makes it a fitting adjunct for many beer styles.

That’s certainly true for Blackman’s Brewery’s Double Yuzu Wit, which combines Belgian wit yeast, coriander, lemon peel and camomile. But the yuzu is the most distinct of all those, with the beer having been aged on two kilos of locally-sourced yuzu peels which have left their fragrant mark behind. As soon as I tried it, two thoughts popped into my head with the first being “bright citrus” before it was immediately followed by “lemon lollies with none of the sweetness”. But it’s not just bright citrus you’ll find with touches of cloves, peppery spice and more floral elements left behind by the chamomile.

Will Ziebell