Wayward Passion Of The Puss

Passion of the Puss is a spin off of Wayward Sourpuss, a Sydney favourite.

Passion of the Puss has been released in pilot batches before but it was packaged for summer 2017/2018. Wayward’s special release beers are sent into the wild in bombers and this is a beer that suits the format. At a sessionable 3.8% ABV and with a prominent fruit juice quality it’s a summer quaffer.

As with its big sister Sourpuss, there’s a light lactic tartness to the beer. This takes the Sourpuss base and mixes it up with different fruit. It’s suited to summer because of the familiarity of the passion fruit flavour, and its refreshing acidity.

The liquid holds a golden colour with reasonable clarity. There’s spritzy carbonation which looks effervescent in the glass and tingles on the tongue.

Tropical Juice

On lifting the glass and on taking a first sip, you’re hit by waves of tropical fruit juice. The lightness of the body and the bracing acidity mean this is a beer that could convert someone who claims they don’t like beer.

In the first bottled release of Passion of the Puss, there was very little of the wheat character you get in some batches of Sourpuss. It feels like the fruit character has been turned up a notch to make it the dominant character.

Yuzu juice adds another layer to the beer, contributing to the acidity and offsetting the passionfruit flavour. It adds a touch more complexity. The effect of the yuzu juice is comparable to a technique used in many wines, where a different grape variety is added to balance or enhance the character of the primary grape. The yuzu juice brings this beer to life, lifting the tropical character of the passionfruit and preventing it from becoming too one dimensional.

Perfect For Summer

Passionfruit is so strongly associated with Australian summers and Passion of the Puss is a beer that would pair perfectly with a delicious, messy homemade pavlova. Alternatively, the brightness and acidity of the beer will cut through cheeses that have fruit running through them, the like of which are very popular over Christmas and New Year holidays.

Have you tried Wayward Passion of the Puss? Do you like it more or less than Sourpuss? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.