When I was but a wee snapper (just a few years ago), I was introduced to the world of ‘good beer’ (here’s what it looked like as a Carlton Draught-only drinker at the time). Craft beers were becoming a thing, and every night out became an adventure for the tastebuds.
I looked back at my lowly friends still sipping on the yeasty, foreign-owned-but-dinky-die-labelled concoctions and offered them a hand into my newfound world. Unfortunately, it’s like giving a caveman candy, it’d assault their tastebuds so much they could stab you with the closest pointy rock.
I longed for that gateway beer to come on the market, a bridge into the world I knew so well.
Well, wonder no more, two of Australia’s most decorated breweries, BentSpoke Brewing Co. and Mountain Culture Beer Co. have released their first-ever collaboration: On The Terps. It’s a terpene-infused black IPA that’s bursting with big flavour.
Now, the name alone doesn’t sound like something that your boring uncle would enjoy, but it surprised a lot of my crusted-on Carlton Draft-ers.
The collaboration takes the roasty, hop-forward foundations of a traditional black IPA and pushes the boundaries further with a proprietary terpene blend. Derived from botanicals including citrus and pine, terpenes bring an intense aromatic complexity that evokes resin, citrus peel, earth and herb.
Also helping its case is the range on offer from the two breweries, so it really becomes a gateway beer into some of the best labels on the market.
“We wanted to push the style to a new place, without losing what makes a black IPA so compelling,” BentSpoke co-founder Richard Watkins says.
“The terpene infusion adds a whole new layer of aroma and flavour, but the structure of the beer remains balanced, dangerously drinkable and true to the craft.”
Pouring deep black with a creamy tan head, On The Terps (6% ABV) leads with unmistakable dank aromas layered with pine needles, citrus rind and earthy resin. The flavour is rich and bold, combining roasted malt with assertive hop bitterness and punchy notes of grapefruit, passionfruit and pine. The medium-bodied mouthfeel finishes crisp and dry, creating a beer that’s as drinkable as it is daring.
Though their hometowns, Canberra and the Blue Mountains, are separated by distance, BentSpoke and Mountain Culture have long shared similar values: an uncompromising focus on quality, an obsession with flavour, and a passion for creating experiences that bring communities together.
“We’ve been mates well before Mountain Culture was around so to finally brew a beer together has been lots of fun. We have always admired Mountain Culture’s energy, creativity and the way they connect with people through their beer,” Richard explains.
On The Terps is out now at all good stockists. Don’t miss out before the rest of the beer-drinking world hears about it!
