The Sip #55 - Garage Project Hop Trial #1
Long-time beer drinker and The Sip editor Ross Lewis puts some of Australia's top drops to the test.
Catch up with other beers on The Sip Archive
Most craft beer drinkers like to experiment. After all, that’s the way to find a new favourite tipple.
In a twist the lads at the Garage Project are using some of their aficionados as guinea pigs to gauge the impact of some new ingredients.
The Wellington-based crew have worked with New Zealand Hops and Plant and Food to road test some new and as yet unnamed cones.
So it was appropriate the Garage Project team keep the label on the brew simple. Thus Hop Trial No.1 was delivered. And there is a Hop Trial No.2 on some shelves, too.
Garage Project are renowned for their big bottles but the team has adopted the 440ml can for the tests.
Hop Trial No.1 is listed as an India Pale Ale. Yet there is a funky edge to the brew that might make the hop more suitable to a farmhouse drink, such as Saison.
There is a strong lemon, grass and sour impact before the citrus comes through early on the sip.
Typically, the beer has a bitter finish. The Garage Project crew have thrown in Pale, Sour and Rye malt and the tastes sneak through without overcrowding the hop. Strong spices, particularly pepper, can be detected late in the drink.
The unusual nature of the beer prompts some strong reflection, which is actually what the brewer and hop factory hope will be the result.
Drinkers are encouraged to then provide their input to a website – www.hoptrial.co.nz – to determine whether the unnamed hop has a future - and where it may lay.
It is a great opportunity for the Garage Project to get almost instant feedback.
But the Kiwis know they make good beer. Their silver medal at the World Beer Cup for their Double Barrelled-Aged Porter proved their standing. And more top drops are to come.
The Sip Snip
Hop Trial No.1
Brewer: Garage Project, Wellington
Style: India Pale Ale
Alcohol content: 7%
Standard drinks: 2.43
Bitterness: 55IBU
Bottles: 440ml can
Estimated calories: 210
The Sip Tip (rating): For impressing your mates.
Average prices: $11 a can.
