Down under the limit

3.5% is an impressively tiddly ABV for a session IPA, but that's the number on Throwback, brewed by Pirate Life of South Australia and underground-railroaded to me by Mr Aran Brazil.

It looks pretty solid: a hazy dark orange with an aroma of oranges too. The texture, however, is that of a 3.5% ABV beer, or less. It's strikingly thin, though does take steps to mitigate this. For one thing the flavour is quite good, at least in the foretaste. That's nicely spicy with a waft of oily dank: the rich hop flavours of much denser beer. But it vanishes very quickly leaving only the faintest of residue. The low carbonation helps too, much like it does in low-gravity British beer: no interference from busy fizz.

None of these tricks are truly convincing, however. Even as a quaffing beer it's quite unsatisfying to drink: that cliff-edge that the flavour seems to jump off when it's only half way through really spoils its good side. I guess it needs shoring up with some extra malt and, dare I say, a slightly higher ABV?