A month ago, Hargreaves Hill released a trio of beers showcasing some of their favourite hops from the US, Australia and New Zealand. Aside from the choice of hops, the three hazy IPAs were in all other ways identical and came with the promise of a sequel: a double IPA featuring all six varieties: Team World.
So, what do you get when you combine Citra, Amarillo, Vic Secret, Galaxy, Motueka and Nectaron – none of which are shy and retiring types – in an 8.5 percent ABV hazy? A dense hop soup, taking a wall of sound like approach to things; having toured a hop farm at harvest earlier in the year, I imagine the cacophony of aromas is a little like that encountered when scraping out the machinery post processing. Perhaps most noticeable from the OG trio – other than the warming, spicy booze – is the depth of hop flavour as the bitterness taking on a rind like quality and burrowing into your palate.
It's not the biggest beer Hargreaves Hill have released this week either; that mantle goes to the 2022 vintage of their much-loved R.I.S.. This year's release doesn’t appear as voluptuous as the ABV suggests but don’t be fooled: it opens with an intense, deeply dark fruit / figgy aroma shot through with roasty Italian espresso. The flavours are reminiscent of dark chocolate-coated black liquorice while bitterness comes across more as roasted barley than hop-derived.
If you're in need of warming from the inside out as winter approaches, both will get you there, even if the paths they take couldn't be more different.
James Smith
Published May 8, 2023 2023-05-08 00:00:00
