Mikey continued his experiment with different hops with the Australian Pale Ale #4, and this one was pretty tasty.
The beer was a single hop using the Victoria’s Secret hop variety, a really good, relatively new variety. The hop was used for aroma, taste, and bittering.
In the smell, there were some great subtle aromas: mild citrus and a bit of cut grass. There was a bit of stone fruit in there too. On the malt side, there was a bit of sweetness to the smell which tends to be a theme in the Mikey’s Australian Pale Ale series. The whole point of the series is to keep the same malt and simply show off the hop after all.
In the taste, while it’s called the Australia Pale Ale, it’s closer to the American style, albeit with a very Aussie hop. Vic Secret is a pretty bitter hop. There’s a quick build and the bitterness kind of goes “whoosh” into your mouth and sits in the back. Behind this, at the end, is a little bit of lemon zest as well which is a nice twist.
Other than that, it’s all pretty standard. It’s a great beer made with a great, versatile hop.
Due to the bitterness, this may be a difficult beer to enjoy with a lots of foods. It would go well with saltier snacks rather than a meal. Pop corn or cheddar cheese (not too sharp) would work.
-Chas
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