Sunkatcher 2.0
Southern Prohibition Brewing

 

Sunkatcher 2.0 (Amarillo, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin & Mosaic), a one-off release, was released market-wide in late October 2019. Had soon after at the SoPro Taproom on draft into a tulip, and subsequently poured from the pint can. (Version 2.0 is in a black can with a pink sun, as compared to the original’s black can with an orange sun.) The base of 2.0 is the same as the original Sunkatcher—malted and flaked oats, barley, and a heavy dose of spelt malt—but the Azacca, Cashmere, Citra & Lotus Hops have been replaced with Amarillo, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin & Mosaic.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Sunkatcher 2.0; I just really liked the original version and was hoping it would enter regular rotation. But on to 2.0.

In appearance it is much like the first Sunkatcher, very hazy light-gold with 1-finger to huge near-white head. The aroma and flavor start very similar to the original’s tropical fruit and distinct and unusual malt, but big dank aroma and flavor come out as 2.0 warms, although that moderates over time.

 

CAN: 16 fl oz pull-tab. Canned on 10/08/19. Pink and purple label art. The label doesn't actually say "Sunkatcher 2.0" on it, but it differs from the original Sunkatcher in its hop profile (the July release was hopped with Azacca, Cashmere, Lotus, and Citra hops).

7.5% ABV. "India Pale Ale." "Amarillo, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, & Mosaic."

APPEARANCE: Healthy but not dazzling. Hazy orange body with an off-white head that sticks around a good 6-8 minutes.

AROMA: Fresh orange, passionfruit, white grape (from the Nelson), guava, Mosaic-derived subtle blueberry, lychee, citrus juice. Pale malts and what I parse as wheat but I guess is actually spelt fill out the malt aromatics, keeping it light and mellow.

Aromatic intensity is moderate. Suggests a tasty IPA that brings hop flavour to the fore but not hop bitterness.

TASTE & TEXTURE: Soft and coating, emphasizing its mellow fruity hop flavours to good effect. Creamy, smooth, wet, refreshing, medium-bodied, perfectly carbonated, very approachable. The pale malt and spelt give it an approachable light malt backbone that never feels heavy or overbearing...this isn't your crystal and caramalt burdened IPA.

Hop profile is pleasant if lacking in terms of depth and hop pungency. Orange, subtle blueberry, passionfruit, citrus juice, pulp, hints of lychee....it's very well balanced but I do have to say Nelson Sauvin specifically fails to emerge which is disappointing, and the Mosaic could be better expressed. I get mostly Motueka and some of Mosaic' less interesting notes, but no Amarillo resin or Nelson grape flavour.

Very well brewed, in any case, hiding its 7.5% ABV well and emphasizing pleasant hop flavours without coming off too bitter.

OVERALL: Probably Southern Prohibition's best beer (at least that I've tried), and one of the less gimmicky turbid IPAs I've had of late. Stupidly drinkable owing to its juicy mellow taste and soft mouthfeel. Not a brew I'd pay $15 for a 4 pack of on a regular basis, nor even probably again, but I do look forward to seeing what Southern Prohibition does with the Sunkatcher series next.

Low B / GOOD