It seems strange these days that it took so long for Aussie brewers to start nailing NEIPAs / hazy IPAs after they'd started finding favour over here as the last decade progressed. From variability in appearance to all sorts of issues with bitterness or hop creep / burn, it was perhaps easy to understand why so many doubted their longevity. Yet here we are now, where not only are such beers part of the furniture but they're generally delivered with aplomb too.
Which brings us to Moonbeam from Urban Alley. It's not the haziest hazy IPA you’ll come across but otherwise it’s in that sweet spot for the style. Fruitily aromatic – pineapple, citrus and stone fruit to the fore courtesy of Citra and Hallertau Blanc hops – soft and rounded of texture, and with a merely gentle bitterness. All in all, so easy-drinking it could pass as a pale ale.
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