Former Tenant Red IPA

"I think I love you."

At the risk of sounding like a giddy school girl – oh my god this beer is amazing! This has everything I look for in a beer, from the intense passionfruity hop aromas to the bold, bittersweet caramel malt finish. It has a fantastic ruby-amber colour and feels rich and creamy to drink. It’s 7.8% so I may be a little drunk as I write this but who cares?

This feel so right it can’t be wrong.

Would I buy it again?
Every day until the stars fall from the sky.

"Big barrel of goodness."

Cracking open the monster 950ml can you would hope you like it because it is a big commitment once the seal is cracked open.

The strong aromas bursting out of the can made me expect strong flavour hit but I found the flavour to actually be quite subtle and nice.

As someone who isn’t big on bitter beer I must say I didn’t love the bitterness that lingers on the back of my tongue but all in all I loved the brew.

Would I buy it again?
Yup, the flavour is a big positive but the real selling point for me is the convenience of being able to carry around one can and still get a heap of beer.

"That smell though..."

A crack of the can released a potent aroma of hoppy goodness that immediately appealed to my senses. Passionfruit, citrus, mango, yep, I could smell them all. The beer poured exceptionally well with a creamy head filling the top of my glass, screaming ‘drink me, drink me’. And I did. At first, before swallowing, I thought it was love... but then the bitterness kicked in and lingered, a little too long for my liking.

I’m a big fan of IPAs, so long as they don’t tip my tastebuds over the bitter edge so this one for me went a little too far. But, it was oh so close.

Would I buy it again?
To share among mates, yes, but not to drink on my own.

‘No.’

Upon opening the oversized can this red IPA arrived in, my senses were assaulted by the intense scent of passionfruit and mango. Strangely, that aroma didn’t translate into the flavour, which could only be described as bitter as Pauline Hanson’s feelings towards her political career.

Perhaps if you had spent your life smoking – or had otherwise lost your taste buds – the severe sharpness may be appealing. But it’s certainly not to my taste.

I like to judge beers on whether they are pleasant to drink. I’m not going to get bogged down on colouration or explain the ‘artisanal fermentation’ process. If, like me, you don’t like beer that overpowers the taste buds then this is not for you.

Would I buy it again?
No.