Two out of three

It's a pair of IPAs from Third Barrel today, both released under the brewery's eponymous brand.

A new Pilot Series begins (obviously) with 01, a Thai Inspired IPA. The hell does that mean? Well, it's a dense dark orange colour, hopped with Sabro, and Thai'd up using lemongrass and chillis. Sabro's pithy, plasticky brand of bitterness dominates the aroma: like Sorachi Ace, it's a loud hop, and not for everyone. The texture is soft and thick, reflecting the substantial 7.3% ABV. The flavour? Sabro again, though balanced -- the acidity offset by the big malt, resulting in a more gentle mix of grapefruit and jaffa flesh. I suspect the lemongrass gets lost in this: another citrus-analogue will always struggle to make itself heard. I thought the chilli was a bust until the very end where there's a little pinch in the back of the throat accompanied by a green-tasting chilli seed spice. It's an understated experiment. I think they could have ramped the chilli up more, but I have form in that area. Novelty aside, this is a great example of what Sabro does in a heavy, satisfying IPA.

The other beer is a more mainstream IPA: 7% ABV and hopped with Idaho 7, BRU-1 and El Dorado. Eye Candy is moderately hazy but not full-on opaque. Although it smells a little of fruity chews, I don't think it's aiming to be New England style. The flavour goes to bitterness first: classically west-coast grapefruit and lime with a sprinkling of fried onions and some resinous dank. The tropical candy pops up at the end, as does some unwelcome fuzz from the haze. The hefty body means it just misses out on being refreshing. This is OK, but not Third Barrel's best work. I think I'd prefer if this IPA picked a side, going all-out bitter or cranking up the vanilla. I just want to feel something!

It's enjoyable to watch a brewery playing in the IPA space, and I hope we'll see more from the Pilot Series in that line. Looks like they're taking us to the west coast properly next.