ANZUS IPA
Croucher Brewing Co.

My wife & I were on vacation in New Zealand yesterday, and we tend to make our vacations into wine and beer tours of the particular country or city we are in. This was one of our many stops.

This beer pours a clear, glowing amber hue that features high carbonation and a white, foamy head that dissipates slowly to a rocky layer with a neck. 4/5 The aroma is very hop centric and notes of pine resin, citrus peel, and citrus fruit really dominate the nose. Caramel and white bread both come in as undertones to round things out a bit, but they are easily secondhand notes compared to the hops. 4.25/5 The flavor profile begins with a heavy does of pine resin and citrus fruit hops up front along with a bit of caramel. The hops continue throughout the profile while the malt seems to die away. Once the malt succumbs to the overpowering nature of the hops, a bit of citrus peel, papaya, and pineapple come out, providing a different type of sweetness as a counterbalance to the bitterness. The bitterness is quite high and lingers for a good amount of time after swallowing. As the beer warms, a slight buttery note comes through as well. 4/5 A heavy carbonation burn hits the tongue right up front and then transitions into a medium body with a heavy dose of drying and a long lingering dryness. 3.75/5 This beer definitely leans toward the hoppy side of the sweet-hoppy spectrum with a very large dose of the little buds. The sweetness does offset the bitterness a bit but this is definitely a beer for hop lovers. 4/5

 

 

Day 5 of my Craft Advent calendar. This is a light, clean IPA. I'm not a fan of huge hop bombs, so I particularly enjoyed the combination of flavours in this brew. The pine, circus and floral tones combined nicely. I would actively pursue this beer again.

 

Clear golden colour with a tiny white head. Grassy, passionfruit and mango focussed aroma. Hints of pine and quite sweet. The flavour is sweeter with malt and then the passionfruit and some lychee. Very bitter. Light body with moderate carbonation. A very nice light beer. Plenty of hops but a little over the top on the bitterness.

Pours a gold colour, very slight haze in the glass. Sparse bubbling of the cream-coloured head, sticks around fairly nicely but seems a bit listless.

Loads of NZ hops on the nose. Fruity and lovely, but really that's all. Beautiful tangy fruity aromas giving lots of different characters; this is the best use of NZ hops I had at the GABS festival.

More NZ hops on the palate but again there's not much else there. A bit more of a letdown on the palate as it feels a bit empty and a bit weak and watery. Hint of kiwi, passion and citrus, but it doesn't rise above its 2.7%. Decent, but my overall feeling is a meh.

Watery and thin body. Bit flat, too, I mean what do you expect though? I can't rate it up from my experience just because it starts at a handicap.

I could absolutely drink this beer all night, though. IT's not exciting, but there are some great flavours and it's just so light. Too light, yes, but it makes for amazing quaffability.

On-tap at Taphouse

Pours a hazy dark straw. Nice clingy lace. One finger head stays nicely.

Aromas of sour grapefruit, grassy hops.

Taste is quite harsh, and citrus driven. Add in a smack of hops on the back palate. However, flavour is a little hollow on mid-palate, and drops away quickly overall.

Mouthfeel also a bit harsh, Zesty carbonation but also a tad watery overall.

Overall a bit harsh and on dimensional but... Wow! great taste for a light beer.

Yes indeed, a low-ABV IPA from Croucher for GABS. Tried this on-tap at the festival.

Pours a light golden colour with very minimal haze. Body is very light, which is not unexpected. Head is a solid white crown that leaves some decent lacing. Overall, it looks pretty good.

Big passionfruit characters on the nose, with a hint of piney sweetness that reminds me of Simcoe. Overall, it feels green and bright. Underneath is a smooth malt character that feels a little stretched and unappetizing.

Crisp green Kiwi hops on the front palate, before the palate just drops away to almost nothing, leaving a hint of butterscotch and an empty, nutty, grainy character on the back. To be fair, this is always where a 2.7% ABV beer is going to fall, and they've done a good job to keep it up as much as they have.

Feel is very flat and empty, again unremarkable for the weight of the brew.

Overall: good try, Croucher. It's not bad on its own, and it's exceptionally good for 2.7% ABV, but even for what it is it needs more. But if you're after low ABV with punch, this may be your best bet.