10/6/2019 0 Comments Beer Review - MultitrackBrewDog x Bearded IrisWhen it comes to collaborations, BrewDog have a habit of making rather excellent ones. The have produced some absolute bangers in recent years, with some of my favourites being Eight-Bit, along with some stunning efforts with Fierce Beer & Cloudwater. So when I learned of their collaboration with Bearded Iris - a brewery I have yet to experience, but I knew plenty of their reputation, I just had to get my hands on it. The beer in question is Multitrack, a 8.5% ABV NEIPA - this beer is right up my street. Here's the official description from BrewDog: "More than a duet, this IPA is set to storm the charts thanks to a high fidelity of hops and a bassline of wheat and oats. Juicy stone fruit, citrus and smooth bitterness broadcast in perfect pitch. Multitrack - Collaboration in the digital age." I had a feeling this beer was gonna be great, and I'd read so much good things about it. I couldn't wait to get it open. Before I get started - just a quick word on the can art. It is such a cool looking label! The simplicity of it, mixed with the colour scheme makes this one really stand out. Multitrack pours from the can a hazy, bright, golden orange colour, leaving a thin off white head behind. Initial aromas are lovely and fruity with pineapple, grapefruit, orange and melon, with a slight grassy backbone and a big hit of hops. Great start so far. Taste is sweet and juicy at the forefront with plenty pineapple, stone fruits and melon that are all laced together with a hoppy bitterness and combine with a beautiful creamy texture from the oats. This beer is very easy to drink - the booze is there, but not too overpowering and the silky smooth creamy mouthfeel just makes it all work. This was a great beer, and I really, really enjoyed it. It was full of amazing flavours, and the oats in there gave it an awesome creamy mouthfeel, making it extremely drinkable. This is another stellar example of BrewDog pulling off amazing collaborations - it is something they do so well. You should get your hands on this beer whilst you can.
Multitrack gets 4.5 out of 5 from me 🍻
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Northern Monk / BasquelandI love Northern Monk. They make some of the best beer around. They are easily one of my favourite breweries in the UK, and they are also a brewery that has featured on this blog many times. When I saw this latest beer in one of Hop Shop Aberdeen's recent newsletters, I just had to have it - without question. Brewed as part of their ever popular Patrons Project series, which often sees amazing beers, with such unique flavours, Northern Monk teamed up with Spain's Basqueland Brewing Project to create a beer inspired by a classic cocktail. Getting Caught In The Rain is a 7.4% ABV New England style milkshake IPA inspired by the timeless Piña Colada cocktail. Here's the official description from Northern Monk: "We took a classic NE IPA malt base and added milk sugar to the boil to make this beer super creamy then we started putting together our cocktail inspired recipe starting with copious amounts of finely flaked untoasted coconut to the whirlpool, backed up by some zested lime; the key to this Sweet Liberty classic we were assured. In FV we brought the pineapple to the party, adding puree at 80g/L. Finally, some complementary dry hops in the shape of Citra, Sabro and Denali, all selected to accentuate key flavours. Designed for drinking on the beach or in the canal... (don’t forget your cocktail umbrella)." Now, tell me that doesn't sound outrageous?! I couldn't wait to get it open! Getting Caught In The Rain pours a wonderful hazy, bright, golden yellow colour, leaving behind a big bubbly, foamy white head. Initial aromas are amazing - loads of tropical pineapple, coconut and zesty lime combine with a hint of bitter pine. Again, those juicy pineapple flavours are are the forefront of the flavour, combining with subtle hints of coconut, sharp, zesty lime, before all being bound together with that thick, sweet milk sugars. There's the slightest hint of pine in there too - just enough to remind you that this is a beer you are drinking. Oh...and don't be fooled by the juice, this beer is a boozy one! Wow. I'm impressed! This beer does it exactly what it says on the can - all the flavours of the classic Piña Colada are there, and whilst they don't quite come together to give you a Piña Colada in a can, those individual elements are all there, and they all work together wonderfully. This beer was AMAZING and it is easily one of the best I've had this year. It may not be for everyone, but if you're like me and you like big hazy juice-bombs then this will definitely be for you. I'm not too sure how long it will be around for, so make sure to grab it whilst you can. Northern Monk is a brewery who seems to be able to do no wrong in my eyes.
Getting Caught In The Rain gets 4.75 out of 5 from me 🍻 1/4/2019 0 Comments Beer Review - Mayday!Brew ToonRemember back when I spent the day at Brew Toon in Peterhead, and they were brewing up a beer with the Peterhead Lifeboat Crew? Well, that beer has finally been released, and that beer is Mayday. I was extremely excited when I found out what kind of beer we were brewing up that day, as it is easily one of my favourite beer styles. Mayday is a 3.8% ABV NE IPA, and here's what Brew Toon have to say about it: "Peterhead Lifeboat Station has been safeguarding mariners along the North East coast of Scotland since 1865. With the help of the Lifeboat team we have brewed up a sessionable NEIPA with waves of citrus fruit flavour, made from the very best of new American hops." All the flavour of a banging NE IPA, whilst being sessionable enough not to knock you out after a few bottles? Great! On top of making an absolutely excellent sounding beer, 20% of all profits from this beer will be donated to the charity - which is pretty awesome if you ask me! Mayday pours from the bottle a hazy, murky golden colour, leaving around a fingers width of a frothy white head at the top. Initial aromas are refreshing, citrus, slight tropical fruits, some light floral notes and a hint of that familiar hoppy goodness that you are so used to with NE IPA's. These familiar flavours continue in the flavour, with refreshing citrus up front and combine with floral flavours - and if I am being picky, maybe slightly too much floral notes here for me. There's then an ever so slight dose of bitter hops, that rounds everything off, to remind you that you are in fact drinking an IPA. This beer is so easy drinking, and the flavours all come together great. For such a low ABV beer, Brew Toon has done a fantastic job in packing it full of flavour. Like I said, my only gripe was that it was perhaps maybe slightly over floral, but that didn't stop me enjoying it at all and I would happily sit and enjoy a few of these in one sitting. Overall, Mayday was another really enjoyable beer from Brew Toon. We're only four months into the year and these guys have been killing it with their releases so far - I'm super excited to see what they have planned next. I find it hard to imagine anyone disliking this beer, it is so easy to drink and for that reason, you should 100% give it a try - plus, it's supporting a great local cause... so what are you waiting for?
Mayday gets 3.75 out of 5 from me 🍻 12/3/2019 0 Comments Torr LagerFresh From the Mountains [GIFTED]There's a new lager in town! Brewed in Insch, Aberdeenshire, under the shadow of the mighty Bennachie comes Torr Lager. Brewed by the team at Beer Story Tor Lager is the latest entry into Scotland's bustling lager scene. The team at the brewery were kind enough to drop off some samples and glasses so I could try this beer out for myself. Named after a torr rock foundation, it is hoped that this lager will help put Aberdeenshire on the map as a premium lager producer. Here's the official description from the brewery: "Torr Lager is a Scottish lager made with pure ingredients and a traditional brewing method to create a golden lager with a crisp and refreshing taste. Our yeast is propagated in water from the mountains, taken from a river that begins in the Cairngorms and flows for over 80 miles through Aberdeenshire before entering the North Sea at Aberdeen. Only 4 ingredients are used in our lager. No rice or corn. No chemicals. No fish bladders. No GMO corn syrup. 100% natural, giving Torr a uniquely malty taste." I've spoken before on this blog about how lager isn't my go to style of beer - but I do appreciate a well made one, and the work that goes into it, so I was intrigued to see what this one was all about. Torr lager pours from the bottle a crystal clear straw colour, leaving a thin white head at the top. Initial aromas are extremely fresh, and refreshing with notes of malts, bread and some fresh citrus. On the first sip, there is an overriding sweetness there, that I can't quite put my finger on where it's coming from - it's not at all a bad thing though. This is then followed up by some crisp, zesty citrus flavours, ending on a slight grassy taste. All in all this beer is light, crisp and refreshing, and the sweetness really sets it apart from a lot of other lagers. Overall, in a week where I've drank a few different lagers; including this, Lost Lager from BrewDog, and the lager that was in the Tiny Rebel box, Torr has definitely been my favourite. I don't think that a lager is ever going to blow me away, but Torr lager is different enough to stand out amongst the crowd in Scotland's lager scene. If you are a lager drinker, then I would 100% recommend giving Torr a try, and even if you're not - I'm sure you will appreciate the work that has gone into it.
Torr Lager gets 3.75 out of 5 from me 🍺 8/3/2019 0 Comments Beer Review - Dark NiteBrewtoonBack when I was busy brewing up a storm with Brew Toon, I hinted that hey had a beer in the pipeline that I was incredibly excited about. Well, that particular beer has now been released, and it is Dark Nite, a 4.3% ABV Nitro Vanilla Milk Stout. This beer is quite special for a few reasons; firstly it is Brew Toon's first stout, secondly, it is a nitro stout, and thirdly it is the first bottled nitro stout available anywhere in Scotland. Now, that is quite a feat for a little old brewery in Peterhead don't you think?! As I said earlier Dark Nite is a 4.3% ABV Vanilla Milk Stout, that has been infused with nitrogen. Here's the official description from Brew Toon: "The 70/30 split of Nitrogen and CO2 in this one has a dramatic effect on mouth feel and when poured properly, creates an amazing cascading effect inside your glass. Roasted malt and vanilla flavours create the foundation of this velvety smooth milk stout." I've already tasted this beer - I know how good it tastes, and I couldn't wait to find out how it had developed since I had my first sip. Head over to Brew Toon's website and read all about it. Before we get in to the beer itself, a quick word on the label - Brew Toon have supplied instructions on how to get the optimal pour from this beer, they've even cleverly included a QR code that you can scan to watch a video of "the perfect pour", which is pretty handy if you ask me! So, now that you've popped the bottle open, and followed the pouring instructions, you are now ready to drink this beer! Dark Nite pours from the bottle a deep black colour with a beige head that cascades all the way from the bottom of the glass to the top, as it settles (think Guinness). It is a really cool effect, and one you need to check out for yourself. There's LOADS of of vanilla in the initial aromas, followed by those roasted malts and a hint of sweet chocolate - mouth watering stuff! One sip and you know you are in good hands with this beer; silky smooth, sweet vanilla and chocolate combine with the roasted malts and touch of coffee to make this one incredible tasting beer. It's not too sweet, too rich, or too boozy either...making it almost sessionable - I would happily sit and have a few of these in one go. This is one of the tastiest milk stouts I have had in some time, it's certainly one of the best locally produced beers I have had recently. I would also go as far as to say that it is a better example of this style of beer than Jet Black Heart by Brew Dog. Brew Toon has done a fantastic job here with Dark Nite, and I really urge you to go out there and try it. This is the first of three new beers in three weeks, and if the quality of this is anything to go by - I can't wait to try the others.
Dark Nite gets 4.5 out of 5 from me 🍻 |
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