Cornella Brewery ‘Electro Nectar’ DDH Nectaron Pale
Electro Nectar is a hazy pale ale brewed with a new NZ hop called Nectaron. It's on tap this weekend at a special Bendigo Beer event. Read on to learn more
“Did anyone see the movie, Tron?”
Whether the design on this can was intended to evoke memories of the Disney movie from 1982, I don’t know. But for me, it definitely does.
The movie was an exploration of what could be achieved with new technologies. Cornella Brewery is doing some exploration of its own with Electro Nectar. Experimenting with relatively new styles and ingredients.
The latest in the brewery’s Outlier Series, Electro Nectar is a single hop hazy pale ale brewed with a hop from New Zealand named Nectaron.
NZ Nectaron
New Zealand is no slouch when it comes to hops. Riwaka, Motueka, and my personal favourite, Nelson Sauvin, are used all over the world. They are just as capable of producing flavoursome, aromatic beers, as their US contemporaries.
Nectaron began life in 2004 as HORT4377. Bred for flavour and aromatics, it was nicknamed ‘WOW’ by selectors. In mid-2020 it was released commercially and broke from the tradition of NZ hops being named geographically.
As the name suggests, Nectaron is known for punchy tropical fruit flavours. It works well on its own, as it does in Electro Nectar, but also collaborates well with other hops.
NEPA?
Hazy pale ales are inspired by the New England IPA, or as it's more commonly known, NEIPA. Exactly what constitutes a NEIPA or a Hazy IPA is a hotly contested topic, but most would agree that they are both aromatic, hop-forward beers with a distinguishing hazy appearance. They also have a distinctive mouthfeel, which lead them to be referred to as ‘juicy’ IPAs.
Early NEIPAs were also very low in bitterness, a characteristic that was a significant step away from the popular West Coast IPAs of the time. Over time this feature seems to have become optional.
Hazy pales take on the same basic characteristics, but have an ABV similar to a regular pale ale, making them more sessionable than an IPA. The tropical aromatics and flavour are still very much at the fore and they tend to be low in bitterness. And, of course, they keep the distinctive haze and a similar mouthfeel.
“It’s not Hip-Hop. It’s Electro…”
I confess that on a couple of occasions I’ve mistakenly referred to this beer as an IPA. Perhaps it’s the larger format can or the DDH on the label, I’m not sure.
I think it’s an important distinction to make though. If you’re expecting a juice bomb IPA, this isn’t it. Electro Nectar is designed to make you want more, rather than be grateful you’re finished so you can move on to something else.
That being said, it does cram in an amazing amount of aroma and flavour, without being a viscous slog. This is clearly the influence of the Nectaron hops, which lives up to its reputation for strong tropical and citrus characters. The desired 'juicy' mouthfeel is there in spades.
If you’re a stickler for your hazies being exactly that, you should be satisfied. This beer isn’t as opaque as some I’ve seen. The brewers told me the beer didn’t quite turn out the way they wanted in this regard. But it’s still suitably translucent and satisfies the ‘hazy’ moniker.
Is it sessionable? My word, yes!
Finishing dry, with a slight bitterness, it’s a beer that makes you want more. As the weather warms up, I can see more of these in my fridge. For me, this beer pretty much nails the brief for what I expect in a hazy pale ale.
Join us for one from the tap
Electro Nectar is currently available around Bendigo in cans and on tap at Cornella Brewery.
But, this weekend, something special is happening.
On Saturday, Bendigo Beer is teaming up with local band Four Lions, to celebrate the launch of their new album, Wide Awake. The band has a long relationship with Cornella Brewery.
As a special treat, we’ll be serving Electro Nectar on tap, alongside other beers from Cornella Brewery and Shedshaker Brewing.
Tickets are available from OzTix and at the door if available.
Come and join us. I’ll be partaking in a few ‘Electros’ myself.