We present our next New England IPA: Aussieland (pronounced OZZIE-land, an informal name for Australia). This was our first experience with Australian hops, and it took a few attempts to arrive at a recipe that satisfied us! Hopped with Galaxy, Ella and Vic Secret, this beer showcases their unique fruity aromas and flavours. Available in limited quantities for now. Cheers!
The first time I tasted Aussieland, I found it very different from its little sister, the original NEIPA from Castor. To be sure, I kept a can aside and waited for the original to reappear! I didn’t have to wait very long so both products are optimally fresh!
As part of this tasting, I will not linger very long on the original version but you can consult my tasting by clicking here.
From the first sip, I notice that the bitterness is more present and immediately reminds me of grapefruit. A very green side also emerges, both herbaceous and resinous. Definitely, the hops used (Galaxy, Ella and Vic Secret), which come from Australia, have a big impact on the beer.
We taste exotic fruits like mango, peach and passion fruit. On the other hand, the original version is milder in bitterness and its aromatic profile leaves plenty of room for very ripe exotic fruits. Indeed, the original version is brewed with El Dorado, Mosaic and Citra hops.
A great exercise to compare these two products. It’s really in the bitterness and the herbaceous side that we see the difference. In terms of texture and color, it is essentially identical.
When we talk about NEIPA, I really like it to be fruity and juicy so I really have a penchant for the original version of Castor. However, the Australian version is not bad and leaves a nice resinous bitterness on the tongue after each sip.
It all depends on what you prefer!
