Brewed By: Akasha Brewing (Five Dock, Sydney)
Beer: Grand Tour IPA
ABV: 7.2%
Malts: Unknown
Hops: Unknown
IBU: Unknown
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| Akasha Grand Tour IPA in the Craftd Freddy glass |
The Magellan of beers, this West Coast-style IPA circumnavigates the world of hops in a global tour-de-force of stonefruit, citrus and grape punch, balanced by a delicate bitterness and backed with a dry, moreish finish for a united nation of harmonious flavour. Excelsior!
Review
Grand Tour is a limited edition IPA by Akasha Brewing that was created for IPA Day. Surprisingly, we weren't aware such a day existed so will definitely be marking this in the calendar for next year (it's the first Thursday in August).
The name itself is curious and is in no way related to the Amazon Prime television series featuring former Top Gear presenters. Instead, it's a nod to the plethora of hops that have been used in this beer from all over the world - including Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Europe. And what a combination of hops it is - this beer is seriously impressive.
After cracking open the can - the instant waft of new world hop aromas is unescapable and deliciously inviting. Pouring into our Crafd Freddy glass - there was plenty of fizz and froth happening which lead to a nice, creamy white foamy head on top of the golden beer beneath.
There was a noticeable haze present in the glass - which to us is a good thing in a beer like this - and likely caused by a large amount of hops being used - aka 'hop haze'.
As you'd expect in a heavily hopped IPA such as this - there is a real fruitiness in the flavour profile. We picked up notes of citrus, melon, orange and mandarin. This was well balanced and matched with a bitterness that whilst making it's presence felt - doesn't linger and stick around in the mouth for too long as you get with a lot of other IPA's. There's a subtle dryness that follows each ship which keeps you coming back for more - and more - and more. All this flavour also does an excellent job in masking the fact it has over 7% alcohol content by volume.
It's almost a perfect example of pairing hop bitterness with hop flavour and aroma and is seriously impressive. A true showcase of what can be achieved with new world hop combinations.
There's a decent level of fizz/carbonation and also leaves a nice fluffy mouthfeel making it really enjoyable to drink in every way.
One of the best IPA's we've ever had - if you see it anywhere, do yourself a favour and buy it.
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| Akasha Grand Tour IPA Can |
Rating
Have you tried the Akasha Brewing Grand Tour IPA? Did you enjoy it as much as we did? Let us know in the comments below.
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