Akasha Hopsmith

Dave Padden, head brewer at Akasha Brewing, loves his hops. So obviously the IPA in Akasha’s line-up is high quality.

Hopsmith is in the American West Coast style, showcasing an impressive clarity along with forceful pine and citrus aromas. There’s biting grapefruit and a sticky, sappy greenness to the beer.

Hop Forward But Balanced

Under the prominent hop character, there’s a solid gristy foundation to the beer. This not only provides the considerable level of alcohol but balances any chance of overwhelming bitterness.

While said bitterness is certainly aggressive, it’s tempered by the malt bill which adds more of a grainy bite than any perceived sweetness.

Nor does the alcohol add any slickness to the mouthfeel. Rather the liquid holds just enough of a body to deliver satisfaction on gulping it down.

There’s a crispness to it. Particularly when enjoyed fresh, this beer has a wonderful finish that allows all the components to integrate nicely without falling into flabbiness as can happen with lesser interpretations of the West Coast IPA style.

Triple Dry-Hopped

One of the defining features of Hopsmith is the liberal dry-hopping it undergoes. “Triple dry-hopped”, as Akasha refer to it, involves adding a range of US hops to the beer after yeast has been pitched.

It adds a truck load of aroma which takes the beer to another level, delivering aromatic citrus juice and smells of freshly chopped pine trees and fruit salad.

Bold, Brash, Assertive

While IPAs have led the evolution of flavourful beer in America and, since then, around the world, Akasha Hopsmith brings the West Coast style to Australia in a way that will certainly resonate with drinkers looking for bold and assertive flavour profiles.

It’s in no way subtle but it’s not meant to be. It’s brash and it pulls no punches, which is exactly what you want from this style of beer.

Hopsmith is considerably bigger than Freshwater Pale Ale but also the little brother of Korben D. If you’re on the lookout for other locally produced IPAs in this style you can’t look much further than Batch Brewing’s West Coast IPA.

Some people will tell you that bitter hoppy beers aren’t meant for pairing with food but if you use Hopsmith to wash down a BBQ meat feast pizza with a thick, doughy crust, it’s going to take you to a very happy place.

Have you tried Akasha Hopsmith? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the beer.