What did I unwrap today?

Brewcult HopZone

Session IPA, 5.0%

Now, I don’t know about you, but if I am going to have a session on 5% beers, I am tipping that I will be preparing my double-action Pint O’ Berocca & Hydralite the next morning to help me with my hangover. I get it that IPA’s by their style definition are usually 6%+, and so this one at 5% is a “lighter” version, but I still think it will hurt the next day.

I love the new look that BrewCult has gone with on their labels. Jimmy, the dude with the spiral eyes, adds some character, but they also keep it business like with a good clear description of the beer styles and use some easily recognisable colours to set these beers apart in the fridge. A great job of building a brand over just going for weird and wonderful names and labels that work in isolation, but perhaps didn’t showcase the strength of the entire suite of beers.

My thoughts on the  beer

I reviewed the Reset Robot on this site recently, and was very happy with it…I feel the same about this beer. Pouring a nice deep copper colour with a white head that really ‘popped’ in the glass, but this beer had me at “schhhickkkk” (the sound of the bottle being opened, in case you weren’t following!).

Stuffed with Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy hops, this beer was always going to be a treat for the old Honker…fruity, citrusy, piney, spicey…it had a bit of everything. The taste didn’t disappoint either, with a tropical fruit hit up front, followed by a bit of a citrussy(?) bitterness that I really enjoyed.

In a word…sessionable!

What food would go with this beer

So if you are drinking a Session IPA and actually having a session on it, my logic tells me that it should be paired up with a sessionable food item. Therefore, Barbecue Ribs are the perfect accompaniment on this occasion!

IPA’s are just awesome with char-grilled meat, it’s all about the caramelisation! The crust that forms on the meat combines brilliantly with the caramel malt in the beer, an the hop flavour/bitterness contrast well and clear the palate for another chunk o’ meat!

See you tomorrow for the next beer in my Advent Calendar. To see my other Advent Calendar beer reviews, click here. Feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment, or you can share my posts and photos on facebook, twitter, or instagram!

Oh, and if you didn’t catch my Video Beer Review Debut, check it out here!

Cheers to Xmas Beers!