Cloudwater x Against The GrainI have more Cloudwater for you! This time, they're tackling an iconic dessert in collaboration with Against The Grain from Louisville, Kentucky. Make Apple Pie Great Again is a 6.3% ABV fruit beer. Bonkers. Here's what Cloudwater have to say about it: "Sometimes your best beers are the ones you don't make. If this beer gets any stronger or tastier, it's literally going to cease to exist. An extremely credible source called our office and told us that this beer is a fraud. We love beer, and beer loves us! We have a great relationship! Make Apple Pie Great Again! Brewed in Collaboration with our Louisville friends from Against The Grain, featuring apple puree, apple juice, cinnamon and nutmeg." Sounds awesome right? Lets find out... Now, this is one beer that does exactly what it says on the can. This is literally liquid apple pie.
Crack open the can, and boom...apple and cinnamon fill the air. Awesome start! Pouring this one into a glass releases even more of the wonderful cinnamon apple aromas as the deep, dark, pulpy amber liquid fills the glass, leaving a thin, foamy beige head. Cloudwater aren't messing around here...this tastes exactly as it sounds; sweet apple puree, combined with spicy cinnamon & nutmeg result in an almost ice cold mulled cider taste...incredible! This beer is so drinkable, the apple & cinnamon mask almost all the bitterness of the hops & alcohol. Another fantastic beer from Cloudwater here, with a little help from their friends. They can do no wrong in my eyes. If you can get your hands on this, then I highly recommend it. 4.5 out of 5 hops from me 🍻
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25/3/2017 0 Comments Beer Review - New England IPABrewdog x CloudwaterBefore they conjured up Coffee & Cigarettes with Beavertown, Brewdog had released a collaboration with one of the UK's hottest breweries - Cloudwater. Arguably the biggest name in UK craft beer teaming up with the brewery that seems to be the talk of the town right now is a hugely exciting prospect. Released in 660ml bottles, New England IPA is a 6.8% ABV IPA. Acquired through Westhill Service Station, this was one beer that I was greatly looking forward to (especially after missing it first time round). Here's what Brewdog have to say about it: "North East Scotland meets North East USA in our BrewDog Vs Cloudwater showdown. This New England IPA is low in bitterness but loaded with explosive fruit flavour. Redolent with tropical fruit notes, fresh squeezed orange juice, pineapple, fragrant cut grass, and hints of pine dust, the aroma is complex and alluring. On the palate, the bittersweet balance emphasises the sweet, juicy fruit character, while the addition of oats adds a silken mouthfeel, giving the beer a full and rounded finish. If it wasn’t for the subtle bitter edge and the slight hint of alcohol warmth, you’d swear you were drinking juice. This beer is unfiltered and intentionally hazy. Very hazy." This beer comes with a huge amount of expectations on its shoulders. To say I was looking forward to cracking this one open is an understatement... Straight from popping the bottle you know that you're onto a winner. Sweet, juicy fruity aromas fill the air; pineapple, mango and a hint of grapefruit fill your nose, followed by that familiar piney/hoppy smell.
This is a HAZY beer! It pours a thick, pulpy hazy golden yellow, leaving a foamy white head on top. The fruitiness comes back in play when you taste the beer; pineapple, mango & grapefruit all come flooding through before the piney hoppiness kicks in to finish it off wonderfully. These flavours, combined with the thick, pulpy texture off the beer all work together to pack a serious punch. This is a fantastic beer. I certainly hope there's more collaborations between these two to come. This is up there with the best beers I've ever had - probably in my top 3, and if they can recreate anything like this...I for one will be happy. I urge you to try this beer if you are lucky enough to find it anywhere, it will not disappoint. 5 out of 5 hops from me 🍻 24/3/2017 0 Comments Beer Review - Clwb TropicanaTiny Rebel Brew Co.Imagine Tom Jones on a beach wearing a Hawaiian shirt, singing Club Tropicana by WHAM...Yeah that's this beer. Hailing from Newport, Wales - Tiny Rebel Brew Co. have created this fruity little number that is jam packed with juicy tropical fruits. Clwb Tropicana is a 5.5% ABV tropical IPA that caught my attention as soon as I set eyes on it in a Westhill Service Station newsletter. Here's what Tiny Rebel have to say about it: "This grown up fruit salad is as colourful as the most hideous Hawaiian shirt you’ve ever seen. It’s super juicy and crammed full of fruity hop flavours that will have your mouth watering. Imagine sitting by the pool in the blazing sun with a cocktail in one hand, but instead of a dainty little glass it’s served by the pint! Packed full of American hops, amplified by Peach, Passionfruit, Pineapple and Mango flavours!" Sounds awesome right? Lets get into it... Cracking the wonderfully designed can open, you are met with intense, juicy fruit flavours; pineapple & mango are at the forefront which are rounded off with a slight piney aroma. So far so good.
Clwb Tropicana pours a hazy golden orange, with a small foamy white head. With the first sip...BOOM you're back on the beach, sipping on a cocktail. This beer is seriously fruity! Pineapple, mango & peach gives this beer the taste of those old school fruit salad sweets. Then the hops kick in and round this beer off with some nice piney, bitter flavours. This is one beer I would like to be drinking on a hot day. It's not quite Tropigamma...but hey, what is? Clwb Tropicana is a fantastic beer that leaves me wanting to try more from this exciting Welsh outfit. 4 out of 5 hops from me 🍻 https://www.facebook.com/tinyrebelbrewingco/ www.tinyrebel.co.uk/ 19/3/2017 0 Comments Beer Review - Coffee & CigarettesBrewdog x BeavertownIs it possible to have too much of a good thing? Appearing out of nowhere in Westhill Service Station's latest newsletter, was a collaboration between Brewdog & Beavertown. Step forward Coffee & Cigarettes; a 12.1% ABV Imperial Stout, brewed by two of the biggest & best breweries in the UK today. Here's the official lowdown from Brewdog: "We invited Beavertown, who are at the very pinnacle of UK craft breweries, to a collaborative brewday. On a pre-dawn voyage of discovery with London's finest we stumbled into daybreak and uncovered renewed purpose with this imperial stout. Riffing on the theme of how to kick-start those early mornings brewers find themselves battling against, this beer is a smoke and caffeine-themed heavyweight aged in three different whisky casks. Each of those casks brings its own element into play – the peaty Islay, oaky vanilla Bourbon and spicy Rye all having an input. With molasses, caramel, raisin and mocha notes this beer is dry, peaty and roasty and will charge your glassware and soul both." I know, right? Well this beer is a whisky lovers dream.
Cracking open the bottle and you get a HUGE whiff of boozy coffee. Big smokey, peaty whisky aromas blend with coffee, vanilla & chocolate. The beer pours jet black with a foamy beige head. On tasting, you are instantly met with the taste of smokey whisky. Let it roll around a little, and the coffee and vanilla flavours start to show themselves. The whisky is almost too overpowering to begin with, but it is nicely balanced out with the sweetness of the vanilla, and a little chocolate. Overall I enjoyed Coffee and Cigarettes. The time spent in three different whisky casks definitely gives this beer an edge over other imperial stouts. I wish the big dogs would come together more often - especially these two. That reminds me, I have a bottle of New England IPA by Brewdog & Cloudwater chilling in the fridge...but more on that later. 4 out of 5 hops from me 🍻 BeavertownHappy (belated) birthday Beavertown! It's been a few weeks now since Double Chin was re-released to celebrate Beavertown's 5th birthday, and I have finally got my hands on it thanks to Westhill Service Station and their newsletter. Orginally brewed to celebrate their 4th birthday, Double Chin was brewed again to mark their 5th. Double Chin is a DIPA, coming in at 8.5% ABV. Here's the official blurb by Beavertown: "A double version of our first ever beer, "Neck Oil," brewed to celebrate our Fourth Birthday, everybody who has helped us over the years and all those around us who make great beer! Resinous and hoppy, but oh so dangerously drinkable. You will have cake coming out of your eyes." Beavertown rarely disappoint. Time to find out... Well...where do we start with this one? The can I guess. Look at it! How cool is it? Some seriously awesome can art going on there!
Cracking the can and having a whiff, you are met with big piney smells, followed up with sweet citrus fruit. It pours a golden yellow, leaving a foamy white head. Right off the bat sweet tropical fruits and orange lead the way to give a great initial flavour. Your are then met with the familiar piney, hoppy bitterness that you are used to in a classic DIPA. Again, this is another case of a DIPA that is way too easy to drinks (which is not a bad thing). Overall, another top quality beer from Beavertown that is up there with the best of the best DIPA's that I've had. 4.5 out of 5 hops from me 🍻 www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/ www.instagram.com/beavertownbeer/ www.facebook.com/beavertownbrewery/ |
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