Reviews are done by our Sensory Specialist Travis Houston, a Certified Cicerone and FoBAB judge.

Tamarama marks the fourth entry into our Cloud Harvest series, a rotating roster of Unfiltered Juicy IPAs. Taking its name from a stunning Australian surf hotspot, Tamarama rides a gnarly wave of juicy hop flavor. Sabro, Galaxy, Cascade and Vic Secret hops bring intense stone fruit, citrus, and coconut notes for an enticing profile with a sense of tropical adventure. 

Malts: 2-row, Wheat, Carafoam, Naked Oats, Acidulated

Hops: Sabro, Galaxy, Cascade and Vic Secret

Cloud Harvest 04 is the fourth iteration in our Unfiltered Juicy IPA Series. Talk about the rotational nature of this series.

These beers revolve around hop experimentation. I’ve spoken in previous Cloud Harvest reviews about the unique dry hopping regimen we call “primary hopping,” a recent innovation that focuses on juicy citrus and tropical flavors. The malt bill stays relatively consistent across the Cloud Harvests, but the hop combinations are all drastically different. We chose these specific hop combos after several rounds of trial and error on our pilot system, which allows us to better predict how the hops will compliment both the malt bill and each other. This allows us to target very specific flavor profiles while making each iteration uniquely delicious.

The first three releases in the Cloud Harvest series have been well received, but everyone has a favorite. What makes Tamarama (04) different from 01, 02 and 03?

Tamarama features hops that focus heavily on juicy tropical and soft citrus flavors. Sabro, Galaxy, and Vic Secret are beloved for the notes of pineapple, passionfruit, and even coconut they impart on beer. All three, along with Cascade, are also loaded with citrus aromas, adding hints of tangerine and mandarin orange. The end result is a brew that’s packed with layers of juicy tropical fruit, and rounded out by sweet citrus. Even with all this flavor, the beer finishes surprisingly clean and dry, allowing all those fruity flavors to linger, reminiscent of a mimosa or piña colada.

What makes you want to drink this beer?

With the usual onslaught of dark beer that hits the market during this time of year, Cloud Harvest 04 is the perfect beer to counter all those stouts and porters. It’s absolutely packed with flavor, giving the impression of sweet fruit while not actually finishing with any cloying heaviness.

What are some of your favorite recent IPAs that lean into a juicier, softer hop profile?

Bell’s Official Hazy IPA and Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing are both readily available. If you want a bit of a challenge, seek out anything by Monkish, Tree House, or Trillium: you may have to put in some effort, but it will be well worth it.

Appearance: Gold with high haze and thick, fluffy, white foam.

Aroma: Notes of tangerine, pineapple, mandarin orange, and hints of coconut.

Taste: Very low bitterness, low sweetness, and tons of juicy tangerine, pineapple, and orange.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and juice-like with a very quick finish.

Overall: As always with the Cloud Harvest series, 04 is packed with flavor while also managing to be incredibly drinkable. This juicy IPA is loaded with notes of tangerine, pineapple, and orange, which are enhanced by subdued bitterness and slight sweetness.

What foods would pair well with Cloud Harvest 04?

I think this would go great with a Thai stir fry, like pineapple fried rice.

Ideal glassware for Cloud Harvest 04?

A standard pint glass is fine, but an IPA glass with a slight inward curve will help capture and concentrate all those amazing aromas.