7/1/2017 0 Comments Beer Reivew - Big DipperMagic Rock x CloudwaterHappy New Year beer drinkers! For my first post of 2017, I’m going to be reviewing the collaboration between Magic Rock & Cloudwater – Big Dipper. Big Dipper is a 8.3% ABV Double IPA, that is a new recipe that is loosely based on the ‘Three’s Company’ collaboration they brewed together for Manchester Beer Week last Summer. This is the third Magic Rock beer to be packed in labelled 500ml cans that feature Rich Norgate’s awesome artwork and one of the first beers to be put through their new centrifuge. Described by Magic Rock as: “A collaborative Double IPA brew with our friends from over t’hills Cloudwater Brew Co. Golden Promise, Wheat, Oat and Crystal Malt were used for a smooth, golden, malty body. A combination of Magnum, Citra, Simcoe, Eureka and Mosaic T90 hops were used in the whirlpool and dry hopping, with additional Citra – ‘Cryo Hops™ Lupulin Powder’ added in the dry hop. Fermented with US ‘Double IPA’ yeast the result is a massively fruit-filled DIPA with loads of Mango and Peach aroma & flavour and gravity-defying drinkability. Strap yourself in!” Again picked up from Westhill Service Station, I was certainly looking forward to trying this beer... Cracking the awesomely designed can, you are greeted with a big whiff of mixed citrus fruit...good start. The beer pours a light hazy orange with a small foamy white head. On taste you get dry, citrus orange flavours backed up by huge bitter hops. I think that DIPA's excel with a good amount of bitterness from hops (Looking at you Bloody Notorious!) so this beer was definitely too my taste. One thing for sure, this beer is FAR too drinkable for a DIPA at 8.3% ABV. Dangerous stuff!
You can buy Big Dipper online at: https://www.magicrockbrewing.com/product/big-dipper-500ml-can/ Overall, I loved this beer, and it carries on the excellent experience I've had with any Magic Rock beer I've tried - I will definitely be doing a blog post about them as a brewery in the future. Big Dipper gets a solid 4.5 out of 5 hops from me 🍻
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23/12/2016 0 Comments Beer Review - AppleationBeavertownNEW BEAVERTOWN ALERT... I get a little excited whenever the brewing heroes that are Beavertown release a new beer, and yet again Westhill Service Station have come through with the goods. Appleation is a 8.7% ABV Bramley Apple Saison, that is described by Beavertown as; A brew to finish a day in the fields! This sparkling wine / beer hybrid perfectly balances the familiar spicy characteristics of the saison yeast and apple tartness with rich honey notes. It sounds like the right kind of beer for this time of year then... Cracking open the (again) beautifully designed can you are met with citrusy, spiced apple aromas which are excellent and the beer pours light amber with a finger thick white head. On taste, you get a nice and refreshing citrus flavour with a spiced acidic apple backbone. There’s not much bitterness at all present in this beer, and the alcohol is well hidden by the sweet, fruity aftertaste. You could almost be convinced that this beer is in fact, a cider!
Overall, a good, but not outstanding beer and not one of Beavertown’s more impressive efforts. 3.5 out of 5 hops from me 🍻 www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/ www.instagram.com/beavertownbeer/ www.facebook.com/beavertownbrewery/ Northern MonkA collaboration between Northern Monk & street muralists Nomad Clan & also brewed with Against the Grain brewery from Louisville, Kentucky; Peanut Butter & Jelly is a 7% ABV brown ale. Another purchase from Westhill Service Station; this is a brown ale that has been brewed with what Northern Monk describe as a gargantuan mass of peanut butter and balanced by fruity accents of strawberry and raspberry jellies. Cracking open the can & pouring into a glass, you are immediately hit with the smell of peanut butter - which is by no means a bad thing! Pouring a murky brown colour, the beer produces a large off white foamy head. On taste, it is exactly as you imagine - peanut butter & jelly! There is also hints of chocolate & caramel in there that you quite often find in brown ales. Northern Monk have really nailed the flavour they were trying to achieve here...this is some excellent work! Hailing from Leeds, Yorkshire - Northern Monk are a brewery that I have yet to try much from. However, the few beers that I have tried have all been extremely enjoyable, and I look forward to trying more. Peanut Butter & Jelly Brown Ale gets the thumbs up from me, do yourself a favour & give it a go if you see it 🍻
http://www.northernmonkbrewco.com/ 26/11/2016 0 Comments Beer Review - Fruit BatBrewdog x OmnipolloWell this is an exciting combination... Fruit Bat, a 6% ABV raspberry smoothie IPA - the first of two collaborations between brewing giants Brewdog & Omnipollo. Described as being packed with fresh juicy raspberry flavour, wheat, oats & milk sugars have been added to give this beer the creaminess & depth of a fruit smoothie, which in turn balances out the tartness of the raspberry. The beer has then been single hopped with Mosaic to give it a touch of that familiar bitterness you associate with an IPA. Cracking the can & pouring into a tulip glass, I was hit with the scent of raspberries straight away. On taste, there is an incredible mouthfull of fruity flavour with a slight hoppy backbone. You get the flavour from the wheat & oats that also give it a thick smoothie like texture. All in all, fruit bat is an extremely tasty beer which is very refreshing. However, in a week of reviewing two fruit beers - Tropigamma is the winner for me.
If you can't find Fruit Bat at your local bottle shop then you can buy it online here: www.brewdog.com/item/1759/BrewDog/Flat-Pack-Fruit-Bat-Cans-w-Omnipollo.html You should without doubt try and get your hands on Fruit Bat whilst it's available, I'm definitely looking forward to trying out the second collaboration between Brewdog & Omnipollo 🍻 22/11/2016 0 Comments Beer Review - TropigammaBeavertownAs soon as I heard about this beer, I knew I was going to love it. Tropigamma by Beavertown is a 7% ABV Tropical IPA. Produced as an ode to their classic American Pale, Gamma Ray - Tropigamma is brewed with what Beavertown describe as bucket loads of fruit; lactose, pineapple, mandarin, papaya, passion fruit, guava, mango and lime juice. This may sound a bit of a strange combination to some people - but if you have never tried a beer by Beavertown before, then you are going to be in for a surprise. I was lucky enough to pick up a few cans from Westhill Service Station Upon cracking open the can and pouring into a glass, aside from the fruity aromas, the first thing that you notice is the colour - You are greeted with a thick, dark, pulp like substance that oozes fruit. The juicy tropical fruit flavours in this beer are explosive, and unlike any beer I've ever tasted before. The such bold fruitiness of the beer could almost leave you thinking that it is an alcoholic fruit juice. But that's where the bitter hops come in, combined with the addition of oats to remind you that this is infact one helluva beer first, and fruit juice second! The result is a masterpiece by Beavertown - these guys don't do half measures. Again, the folks at Beavertown have produced another freaking awesome looking can to go with the rest. I really wish they would start printing their designs on tees. Although, it's maybe better they don't...as I'd want to buy them all! Tropigamma continues Beavertown's stellar reputation for making incredible beers. They are the masters.
I love Tropigamma so much, it may just rival Bloody Notorious for the crown of my favourite beer. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on some, be sure to check it out while you can 🍻 www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/ www.instagram.com/beavertownbeer/ www.facebook.com/beavertownbrewery/ |
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