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Quaffers: Why the IPA keg keeps on rolling

Chris Shanahan

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In last week's column, I revealed how the United States' fixation on IPAs saw the style grow tenfold in volume between 2008 and 2015. In the same period, craft beers as a whole tripled in volume.

These powerful beers focus on the hop flower's wide aromatic and flavour range and intense bitterness – generally offset, by necessity, against luxurious malt and high alcohol.

Because the wonderful hop aromatics fade fairly quickly, IPA needs to be drunk really fresh before the hops descend into a hard bitterness – as they have in the Adelaide Hills IPA reviewed below.

Spotting an opportunity to brew and sell a fresh west coast style locally, Byron Bay's Stone and Wood Brewery established the IPA-only Fixation Brewing Company in December.

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The first kegs of its potent style rolled out in December and a packaged version will be available in March 2016.

2 Brothers Kung Foo Rice Lager 330ml
★★★★
$4.90

Moorabbin-based 2 Brothers Brewery uses rice in the brew to produce a clean, light-bodied lager. However, the brewers build delicious citrus and tropical-fruit flavour into the beer with hops. The hops season the beer without taking over the delicate palate and dry, moderately bitter finish.

Prancing Pony Hopwork Orange IPA 330ml
★★
$5.50

IPAs often match powerful malt and turbo hops with high alcohol, but Prancing Pony, from the Adelaide Hills, restrains the alcohol to 4.8 per cent. The bottle, bought in Canberra, might have been old, as the fruity, aromatic hop notes had given way to a resiny, dry bitterness.

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