Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the chiller, the fresh hop season has one last (or is it?) salvo to fire. Eddyline Midnight Harvest Black IPA goes in a near unprecedented direction with a fresh hopped dark beer, albeit still an IPA, but a pretty fresh flex nonetheless from the Nelson brewery. Superdelic hops are joined by the still unclassified NZH-109 trial variety, delivering a delightfully fresh lime and grapefruit citrus that catapults out of the aroma and lands in a soft berry crush. Only once you get to the palate does the black malt make itself known, lending a slight gristy crunch to the otherwise ripe and extremely hop driven flavours, as well as a mild roasty richness alongside the bitter finish. A daring deviation from the norms of fresh hopped beers.
