Hops feature heavily in this septet of limited releases from Jindong’s favourite (only?) brewery, six of which can comfortably call themselves hop forward in nature. A Margarita sour makes up the gang, providing a fitting change of pace.
Starting pale is Lone Palm (5.5%), a collab with Bungalow Social: a pale ale with a generous dose of grapefruit that ensures grapefruit zest, orange, lemon, and grassiness feature on the nose before tasting reveals, surprise, a stack more grapefruit. A medium body carries a soft acidity and fresh grapefruit zest, lemon and kaffir leaf, while bitterness is subdued, allowing the fruit to shine.
Old Piggy (5.8%), while we’re still on pale ales, is a DDH variant that pours a hazy, yellow hue, with aromas of peach, pineapple and a touch of sweetness which leads into a clean profile where stone fruits dominate on the palate. Finishing clean and tight, Old Piggy has offers up drinkability as well as big hop flavours.
Simple and elegant, Dipped Paws (7.5%) is an imperial pilsner with a sizeable DIP hop thrown in to keep things interesting. Originally brewed by brewery founders Mel and Hamish over at Ronin Fermentation Project in the States, this batch was brewed at Rocky’s Jindong home, with Ronin’s Charlie Johnson in attendance. Weyermann Barke Pilsner and Chit malts make up the base, keeping things lean, clean and tight, while Saaz hops feature heavily, offering bountiful herb and spice notes.
Nelson Sauvin, Ella, Eukanot, Aus Cascade and Mandarina Bavaria added across ten hot side hop additions combine to yield So Pitted, a straight-up WCIPA with a firm bitterness, generous pine, citrus and herbal notes. The 7 percent ABV is sizeable but well-placed in this instance.
Are You A Robot? (6.5%), digs deep into classically-styled IPA territory, this time with all Aussie hops. Sweet mango, pineapple, apricot and perhaps a touch of mulberry are on show while a firm bitterness is met with an inkling of malt sweetness. Most importantly, hefty hop character is the overriding theme for this hop bomb.
Tip of the Fedora (6.2% is the brewery's take on a new world NEIPA, one in which lactose and vanilla are present atop Galaxy, El Dorado, Ella and Wakatu hops. The adjuncts obviously add sweetness and body, but combined with pineapple, sarsaparilla and passionfruit plus a low bitterness, conjure a moreish and intriguing drop.
Last but not least is another fruited sour inspired by the world of cocktails, this one created in conjunction with Perth streetwear lords Lo-fi. A 4.5 percent ABV base beer sees lime, orange, agave and a touch of salt come together in a beer akin to the classic cocktail, although somehow more refreshing and, conveniently, much lower in alcohol. Margarita Heater makes a strong finish for this huge haul from the Rocky Ridge team.
James Smith
Published March 8, 2023 2023-03-08 00:00:00
