Stone & Wood has released The Prequel, an ultra-dry-hopped beer that CEO Ben Summons describes as “Pacific Ale dialled up to eleven”.

The Prequel is 6.8 per cent ABV and presents in a hazy gold, containing 25 times the amount of Galaxy hops in Stone & Wood’s flagship Pacific Ale. But Summons said it is definitely not a New England IPA.

“It all comes back to Brad [Rogers – Stone & Wood co-founder] tinkering in his shed with the original recipe, which was quite big and hazy,” he told Brews News.

The Prequel is out now from Stone & Wood

“He wanted a sessionable beer, so Pacific Ale has a hop profile and an ABV where it’s arrived today.

“This is going back to, ‘what if we actually turned it back up again?’”

Stone & Wood head brewer Caolan Vaughn said many of the ‘session’ beers released by craft brewers are dialled down expressions of a higher ABV product.

“If there was a beer that was the inspiration for Pacific Ale then The Prequel probably would have been it,” he said.

The Prequel offers powerful aromas of passionfruit, pineapple, mango and citrus but finishes dry and crisp, according to Stone & Wood.

It’s available on draught only in around 50 venues in the eastern states, but Summons said it may be back if drinkers vote with their wallets.

“There’s no big objective behind it, but if it’s really well-received then for sure we’ll take a look at that,” he said.