As makers of one my all-time favourite beers, the Hop Hog, I thought it was about time I gave this one a go. Feral Brewing Co, out of the Swan Valley in WA, are masters of producing flavour-packed beer in all manner of varieties. I’ve tried and loved their Feral White, Sly Fox, Hop Hog, Smoked Porter, Watermelon Warhead, and several others. Feral’s experienced brewers are well known for pushing the boundaries of their craft, experimenting with all types of exotic hops, spices and fruits to create unique, full flavoured beers. So, I sit here and scratch my head, wondering why the Karma Citra took so long to quench thy thirst.

The Karma Citra (getting its punsome name from the liberal use of Citra Hops) is labelled as an “India Black Ale” (or otherwise known as a Black IPA), measuring 5.8% ABV, pouring into the glass looking very much like Coca-Cola. The nose presents punchy guava, citrus and pineapple hop notes, with hints of toffee, coffee and chocolate coming through. The flavours mimic the nose, starting with citrus and passionfruit, before transitioning to a chocolate and roasty espresso malt mid palate, with the herbal hop characters poking about through to the finish, which is dry and earthy. The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied and carbonation is medium but dense.

It’s a lovely example of the style, quite sessionable, and not nearly as heavy as a lot of the others I’ve tried. It starts off like an IPA and finishes like a Porter, which is pretty-much how they claim it to be – with the bottle itself saying it is “a smooth brew with chocolate and toffee undertones and a big tropical and citrus aroma”. The printing on the bottle also claims, “Rumour has it; it may be the lovechild of Barry White and Kamahl … that’s how f-ing sexy this beer is”. I wouldn’t quite go that far – I’ll just say it’s a very flavoursome and enjoyable brew. Besides, if I were to think of this beer as sexy, I’d be more likely to call it the lovechild of Yoncé and Deepika Padukone (but that’s just how I roll).