Bruny Island Fresh Hop Harvest IIPA

Country: Australia

Brewery: Bruny Island

Style: Imperial/Double IPA

Format: 500ml Bottle

ABV: 9.1%

During March this year, the otherwise sleepy village of Bushy Park in Tasmania's Derwent Valley became a hive of activity. It was the 152nd harvest at Bushy Park Estates, home to Australia's largest and oldest hop farm and hop breeding laboratory. Our 2017 Fresh Hop Harvest Ale uses two hop varieties - Enigma & Ella. Our hops were picked from the bines and bypassed the acres of kilning floors, to instead be packed fresh, green and moist and brought immediately to Bruny Island. We brewed with them the following day.

March was also harvest time for another crop we love at Bruny Island Beer Co. - raw, red wheat, grown on North Bruny overlooking the waters of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel to the west and Storm Bay to the east. The beer we made brings together the two harvests in the form of a double strength, Tasmanian IPA. Deep hop character redolent of ripe peach, passionfruit and melon is balanced against caramelised malt sugars, a touch of wheat acidity and a tangy, restrained bitterness.