Road Trip - Holgate Brewhouse / Keatings Hotel

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.89/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle purchased from Stanmore Cellars.

Pours a pleasant, mildly hazed orange hue, with a firm and smooth head of just off-white. Lace is speckled and patchy. After a while, the head dissipates, leaving just a suggestion of foam. Carbonation is fine, and there's some heft to the body. Looks pretty good.

Nose is rounded and fruity, with a bright bouquet of tropical aromas. Some mango, passionfruit, a little citrus and a sweetness rounding it out like pineapple juice. Malt provides a juicy basis: again giving a little sweetness, but staying away from getting too sickly. It's definitely fragrant and pleasant, without the sharpness you often find in an IPA, while maintaining a strong hop presence.

Taste is milder than I expected, but still pleasant. That juicy sweet malt again forms a firm basis, here with a little bit more oomph due to a slight lack of really strong bitterness on the back. The hops that do come through are leafy, slightly herbal and a touch peppery: giving a more organic and brusquer bitterness than the fruitiness suggested. Everything is still quite rounded, however. There's very little sharpness to it, which helps the beer integrate nicely, and makes it more drinkable as a result.

Feel is smooth and clear, with a pleasant smoothness behind it.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed. This is a very firm, well-crafted American IPA. It has loads of flavour, but balances the characters nicely, leading to a beer that is as drinkable as it is flavoursome. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 03:28:55 | More by lacqueredmouse

dgilks

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at The Pumphouse in Sydney

Clear amber colour with a small, foamy white head. Poor head retention.

Moderately-hoppy aroma with plenty of grapefruit and orange. Balanced.

A balanced IPA with a crisp dose of citrussy hops and some nice mild pine notes. A touch of caramel malt helps temper the moderate bitterness. Definitely a sessionable Australian IPA.

Medium body with moderately-high carbonation. Good and refreshing.

A delightful little IPA. The flavour is good, it is clearly an IPA and despite being a little milder than I normally like it is well crafted.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2012 09:08:18 | More by dgilks

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours amber with a large, lasting head.
Nose shows lots of juicy fruit, with pineapple, nectarine and peach confectionery notes.
The flavours instead focus on grapefruit along with a little clean malt.
Finishes quite dry with a piny, hoppy bitterness.
Carbonation is perhaps a little excessive.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2012 01:04:16 | More by CrazyDavros

heygeebee

Australia

3.33/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Revewing as a comparison to the on-tap version had some months ago. From iPhone notes.

Pours a 100% clear light clear amber, sadly no head.

Aromas and taste are driven by the usual pine, citrus, grapefruit, but the taste is light and a little watery. Having said that, it's very drinkable, almost sessionable, unusual for the ABV...

Not as good as bottle IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 10:52:34 | More by heygeebee

dansmcd

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Sail and Anchor, Fremantle

A - A dense finger of white head crowns a golden amber body. Decent lacing.

S - American hops up front, pine and citrus, fresh and wet.

T - Follows the nose up front with a good dose of grapefruit, orange and pine. Balanced with caramel malt.

M - Solid bitterness, medium to full body, nice and creamy, moderate carbonation.

O - A ripper. Plenty of punch and character at 5.5% abv. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2012 03:26:33 | More by dansmcd