Super Hornet Double IPA
Black Hops Brewing

Pretty excited about this one too [do I just get excited easily when it comes to beer? I don’t think so, but I could be wrong]: Black Hops Super Hornet Double IPA. I’ve tried original Hornet, it’s good, not great but a solid enough IPA. I’m excited about this though – you see there’s a hype train for this brew and it’s left the station and is now heading for its destination: my taste-buds [population: approx. 2,000-8,000]. Pretty solid hop bill as well: Dr Rudi, Motueka, Mosaic, Cascade, Kohatu, Vic Secret – that’s a great ANZUS profile containing the best of the best, Mosaic in particular is my favourable hop (used it in many semi-failed homebrew experiments)… Motueka [watch out orange flavours!], OoOo Vic Secret and Dr Rudi *salivating begins now*

Poured from a 375ml can into a Duvel tulip.

A: Classic West-Coast IPA appearance: slight-hazed orange/amber body with a cream-coloured cappuccino foam head that leaves splotchy lace blobs on the side of the glass as it goes down, hard not to feel a warm familiarity right now. 8/10.

S: Holy f**ken hops this brew is a beast! Freshness confirmed with a: 24/05/18 canning date. Aroma is hop-forward to say the least: heady tropical lychee/paw paw/mango notes, hints of rubbery character (I’ve found this often in really fresh DIPAs), piney notes, touch of orange rind. Malt? In there somewhere/who cares? This is a real top-notch aroma, one of the best. 10/10.

T: Subtle like a tiger waiting to ambush its prey – this is one of those DIPAs that I categorise in the “really-really sneaky given their ABV” DIPAs with its 8.7% ABV flying right under my radar. Flavours are exactly as expected from the aroma (lychee/paw paw/mango, piney notes, orange rind, grassy hops and OJ too) with a thin dry cracker malt letting the hops be a total showboat. Profile is a bit less intense than the aroma would suggest, depending on how you like your DIPAs this can be a good or bad thing, for me I like them BIG [Bearing Immense Gusto] so in this case I was a bit “huh” about it… still it’s a top drop, with the flavour belying the ABV. 8/10.

M: Medium bodied, as good as any decent US DIPA, with a dense/creamy carbonation and some hop oil stickiness. On point. 9/10.

D: I can confirm: Super Hornet is super. This brew deserves a spot in the echelon of “rather grand Australian DIPAs” along with KAIJU! Aftermath, Green Beacon’s Uppercut, Pirate Life IIPA, and Bacchus Top Knot – it really is a great time for Aussie IPA/DIPAs. 9/10.

Food match: This is a great brew to pair with a Thai Pad mee Korat.