Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Wayward Brewing
With bottle shops and liquor shops on terra australis looking like candy stores these days with the array of colourful cans of craft beers on display, the sheer sensory overload sometimes makes one walk past the true gems that have refined their approach to creating quality brews that are in alignment with traditional methods yet do not lack an adventurous, innovative edge.
With a core line-up of lagers and ales, Wayward lives truly up to its name when they venture off the beaten track to follow their instinct in channelling their alchemy to brew potions that excite their ever growing base of loyal beer aficionados, including imaginative detours into the never boring world of sours the psychedelically coloured Berliner Weisses.
With this first instalment on Wayward, I would like to set the focus on their India Pale Ales.
Wayward’s staple IPA clocked in at 6% and is in nature a very drinkable, vibrant American West Coast style variant IPA. What makes their core IPA a trusted go-to for me that is that it makes a borderline ideal component for boilermakers with smoky whiskies as the volumes is turned to 11 when it comes to the display of crispy tropical fruit and citrus notes that are resting on a foundation of hops, counterpointed by a delicate bitterness, which results in a dry finish.
Taking things up a notch is Wayward’s Red IPA – both in terms of flavour as well as ABV. Now we are talking. By marrying a triumvirate of hops, i.e. Simcoe, Amarillo and Galaxy hops, the crispy and fresh grapefruit notes are backed by a rustic maltiness that culminates in a well-balanced finish.
Wayward Cashmere Cat Hazy IPA not only has a slick but also a telling name as apart from Cashmere, NZ Riwaka, Gallaxy and Citra hops, rolled oats and wheat add an interesting component to the equation, the sum of which adds to what results in a beautiful melange of tangy and citrussy passionfruitiness with exquisite highlights of mango that is counterpointed by a delicate bitterness. Delicious!
Apparently Wayward Brewing has recently released a new limited edition, i.e. Wayward Son Lupulin IPA, which is fabled to be a hoppy homage to the head brewer’s offspring and given the quality and enjoyment factor of the aforementioned IPAs, I will make a concerted effort to track a few down.
Wayward Brewing not only entertains a taproom, which is on my to-visit list, but also has a merchandise and accessories range that is firmly placed at the more stylish end of the spectrum. I specifically like their subtle vintage looking designs, which are printed on quality garments that look and feel like proper gear compared to the merchandise a lot of other breweries offer.
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image from company website
