Sampled from the tap at the brewpub. Pours a clear gold with a white head that lasts throughout the beer. Aroma has musty pine, wet grass and an earthy grain backbone. Flavor has earthy grains, light citrus and grass supporting.

From a 345ml bottle on 1/9/2018. Pours a very deep golden (light amber really) with a biggish head. Has a distinct and quite pleasant light fruity aroma. Actually rather tasty with a big dash of biscuity malt with a dash of caramel, lots of fruitness, and some moderate hoppy bitterness at the back. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. The Hop Thief series has always been one of better beers in the Squire range (the quality of which is admittedly modest) but this, in my view, is a cut above the recent iterations I've tried (I seemed to have missed number 8). A genuinely good APA.

Pint on tap at Squires Landing, Sydney. Crystal clear golden amber beer with thin white head. Aromas of distant malt and light fruit ( lemon, guava, pineapple). Medium carbonation, good lacing. Effervescent with a good body. Taste is bitter at first then a little supporting malt. Lingering finish of bitter lemon, mint, and aspirin. A return to form of sorts. Better than Hop Thief 8 but not as good as Hop Thief 7.

Bottle. Amber wit a small off white head. Toasty aroma with citrus blossoms, slightly earthy. A little empty with caramel and very meek bready malt. But it's not too sweet and although the bitterness and hop aromatics are tentative, they have room to peek through at the end. I really didn't like Hop Thief 8 but this is back to the standard of 6 and 7.