Cheeky Monkey kick off their 2023 limited release program with a quintet of classically Cheeky beers, each with their own edge and unique persona.
Kicking things off is Better Be Home Soon, a New Zealand-hopped IPA sharing a name with the trans-Tasman Crowded House’s encore closer. The beer opens with a massive nose of mango, pineapple and grapefruit along with a familiar dankness. Bitterness is firm but the citrus character creates a profile reminiscent of blood orange and grapefruit, particularly thanks to a persistent, pithy note. The finish is lengthy with hop-derived citrus and tropical fruits persisting.
Keeping things hoppy is Stairway To Heaven, a West Coast IPA featuring Cryo Simcoe hops that yield rich, earthy notes, pine and ripe fruit characters of passionfruit and mango. This second music-referencing IPA in the foursome features plenty of malt to back its intense hop character, while caramel sweetness and bitter toffee subtleties also feature. The finish is long-lasting with a tacky bitterness and a green tea-like note lingering after each sip.
The latest effort in their pastry sour series, Toasted Marshmallow & Raspberry is spiked with toasted marshmallows and what some may consider an unreasonable amount of raspberry. The result? A densely-fruited, viscous sour in which raspberry dominates with ease. Acid is supportive of the sweet berry characters and adds some cleansing qualities to this otherwise intensely fruity beer.
To finish is Super Bank, a cloudy number with big citrus notes and a creamy, silky mouthfeel. Full-bodied and full-flavoured, Super Bank is rich with vibrant citrus and tropical fruit character along with moderate bitterness and some lasting residual citrus. Cheeky Monkey finished 2022 with some big-hitters, and it looks like they intend to continue into 2023 in the same vein.
Jono Outred
Published January 15, 2023 2023-01-15 00:00:00
