Hello,
quite a few years ago now I purchased a can of Pulp by Verdant from Beer Central in Sheffield. I loved it - despite it's far away origins down in Cornwall the beer was fabulously fruity and hoppy and well balanced - I may even recall that it used London Fog yeast, a strain which I believe leads to a particular quality of cloudiness. Soon after I tried some of their Maybe One More PSI, which was fantastic, along with some "I played Bass on that tune" on keg, which was similarly excellent. I also tried their Even Sharks need water DIPA. Once again the quality was there - simultaneously fruity and citrussy but with excellently balanced hoppiness. Both Sharks and Pulp became strong favourites of mine, and remain so, but at the start of lockdown I purchased a few other of their beers and.....I became somewhat, underwhelmed......
In line with almost all my posts I must admit that I have sadly not kept a record of the names of those psrticular beers, but I can confirm that the strength, often a feature of my faves, was not the issue. Perhaps it could be a reflection of the incredibly wide selection of other beers, not least the excellent output of both North Brewing and Wylam, that made them promise more than that background could deliver. I should also point out that I very rarely keep even my favourite cans these days, which forms part of an excuse for not recalling the brews in question.
In my latest delivery I got another can each of my two favourites along with a DIPA called Pavement Licker. Am aware that purchasing a can from a range based on name alone is not acceptable, but it was a DIPA and also similarly named to Window Licker, an excellent track by Aphex Twin. On opening it the other night, I straight away recognised a high quality and notably hoppy balanced brew. It was delicious.
Now I realise that I have probably said before that I perhaps love hops too much, and also pointed out that my starting strength is usually 6% or thereabouts, which perhaps explains my love of DIPAs. And I have to admit that I was very impressed with the ingredients listed - not least the ever more enjoyable Sabro, along with Ekuanot, Amarillo, Galaxy, Simcoe and Idaho 7. I had always previously thought that Verdant beers used two or three hops maximum so this alone was surprising. And it could be that lengthy list that provided some truly excellent hoppy taste, sat at the back of the flavour, atop their renowned balance.
For info, Pavement Licker is, incidentally, an underground art magazine - to be fair the can and their website states "zine" but as the oldest man on earth I have to insist on using the older descriptor. There's a link here
to their website featuring information on the artist of the image on the can front and the folks who set up the undertaking. Well worth a look I have to say.
So although I am a bit short on further details of the beer (which I possibly imagined used London Fog yeast now I have looked into it) I am however happy to confirm that in my opinion this latest Verdant brew suggests an increase in the quality of their previously excellent output, which promises much for the future. Lets hope I can get hold of another can soon to enjoy.
Meanwhile, your very good health!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Balanced hoppy ale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Balanced hoppy ale. Show all posts
Monday, 13 July 2020
Monday, 15 June 2020
Fuerst Wiacek and Frau Gruber
Ay oop,
I am hoping that the combination of these two frankly excellent brewery names together does not somehow cause offence to German speakers - not because it will, simply because all of you whom have cringed at my appalling attempts to "translate " the phrase make yourself all honey and the flies will devour you into German using a book in the 1990s will know, German is not a language I can write or speak. I can't even remember the word meaning a face that needs to be slapped, even though Tash and Vicky P are well aware.....
So, these are two absolutely stunning German breweries whom I have discovered at Shakespeares and Bar Stewards in the last six months - AKA my second and third homes. Its important to note that in June I got a large number of excellent bottled German beers including the erstwhile brilliance of Augustiner Edelstoft, but I have to admit that prior to 2020, apart maybe from some Bavarian style hoppy beers brewed in London, the name of which at present escapes me, I haven't been blown away by the output of Germany. A recent taste of Paulaner Salvator reminded me how good that was, but this week I have been blown away by the beers of Frau Gruber. And since I heard of them after Fuerst Wiacek I figured they both warrant a mention.
It was probably 2019 when I first came across Fuerst. I remember trying and really enjoying one of their IPAs at Shakespeares and being impressed by the excellent build up, boldness and overall output of this beer. That said am unable to recall which particular brew this was, but I do distinctly remember the suggestion of it's excellence by Lucienne and others. It did not disappoint.
This month I have got hold of four beers in can (its the future) from Frau Gruber. Since I have drunk those recently, and am on one now, my details are more succinct. On Friday, both the Stewards as well as Archer Road Beer Stop dropped off two large orders, and since the first came at noon I started the day's drinking at 13.00 with Frau Gruber Helles.
At just 4.8% and actually clear (see many previous posts about my love of soup) despite my early start I drank this cracking lager beer in about ten minutes. Smooth, obviously, refreshing, perhaps more so, and also perfectly balanced. I have a can left which am going to use to start my birthday drinks soon - as well as a Schoffenhoffer pineapple lager beer.
Next up was their 24/7 a 5.2% Hopfengestopftes unfiltriertes Helles. Not as soup like as I had naturally expected this was still another firm favourite - weirdly it was perhaps a little less easy to sup than their standard Helles.
I had heard much praise for their 6.8% Purple Haze, a double dry hopped IPA - and this was much deserved. Once again it was perfectly balanced, as well, of course, as perfectly cloudy. Its interesting to note that they don't name the hops that they use but they do use oat malt, which may help to explain their absolute ease of consumption. The thing is however the stronger beers are just as easy to drink - and in receipt of widespread acclaim.
Once again this includes tonight's tipple - the 8.0% Eden Project double dry hopped Imperial India Pale Ale. Cloudy once more, not listing the hops used, again using oat malt, but the main delight is how reassuringly balanced it is. Am drinking this slowly since am typing but I could have finished it long ago - the balance is wonderful since some of the malt and the yeast used create a sweetness, but it blends so well into the flavour and the aftertaste that the blend of all these features is seemless.
I now just need t find out if I have another can of this.....
Meanwhile I send my thanks and appreciation to both breweries for producing such a wonderful range of easy supping oaty, hoppy, delights.
Cheers!
We Beefy
I am hoping that the combination of these two frankly excellent brewery names together does not somehow cause offence to German speakers - not because it will, simply because all of you whom have cringed at my appalling attempts to "translate " the phrase make yourself all honey and the flies will devour you into German using a book in the 1990s will know, German is not a language I can write or speak. I can't even remember the word meaning a face that needs to be slapped, even though Tash and Vicky P are well aware.....
So, these are two absolutely stunning German breweries whom I have discovered at Shakespeares and Bar Stewards in the last six months - AKA my second and third homes. Its important to note that in June I got a large number of excellent bottled German beers including the erstwhile brilliance of Augustiner Edelstoft, but I have to admit that prior to 2020, apart maybe from some Bavarian style hoppy beers brewed in London, the name of which at present escapes me, I haven't been blown away by the output of Germany. A recent taste of Paulaner Salvator reminded me how good that was, but this week I have been blown away by the beers of Frau Gruber. And since I heard of them after Fuerst Wiacek I figured they both warrant a mention.
It was probably 2019 when I first came across Fuerst. I remember trying and really enjoying one of their IPAs at Shakespeares and being impressed by the excellent build up, boldness and overall output of this beer. That said am unable to recall which particular brew this was, but I do distinctly remember the suggestion of it's excellence by Lucienne and others. It did not disappoint.
This month I have got hold of four beers in can (its the future) from Frau Gruber. Since I have drunk those recently, and am on one now, my details are more succinct. On Friday, both the Stewards as well as Archer Road Beer Stop dropped off two large orders, and since the first came at noon I started the day's drinking at 13.00 with Frau Gruber Helles.
At just 4.8% and actually clear (see many previous posts about my love of soup) despite my early start I drank this cracking lager beer in about ten minutes. Smooth, obviously, refreshing, perhaps more so, and also perfectly balanced. I have a can left which am going to use to start my birthday drinks soon - as well as a Schoffenhoffer pineapple lager beer.
Next up was their 24/7 a 5.2% Hopfengestopftes unfiltriertes Helles. Not as soup like as I had naturally expected this was still another firm favourite - weirdly it was perhaps a little less easy to sup than their standard Helles.
I had heard much praise for their 6.8% Purple Haze, a double dry hopped IPA - and this was much deserved. Once again it was perfectly balanced, as well, of course, as perfectly cloudy. Its interesting to note that they don't name the hops that they use but they do use oat malt, which may help to explain their absolute ease of consumption. The thing is however the stronger beers are just as easy to drink - and in receipt of widespread acclaim.
Once again this includes tonight's tipple - the 8.0% Eden Project double dry hopped Imperial India Pale Ale. Cloudy once more, not listing the hops used, again using oat malt, but the main delight is how reassuringly balanced it is. Am drinking this slowly since am typing but I could have finished it long ago - the balance is wonderful since some of the malt and the yeast used create a sweetness, but it blends so well into the flavour and the aftertaste that the blend of all these features is seemless.
I now just need t find out if I have another can of this.....
Meanwhile I send my thanks and appreciation to both breweries for producing such a wonderful range of easy supping oaty, hoppy, delights.
Cheers!
We Beefy
Sunday, 28 May 2017
Cloudwater DDH Simcoe Vic Secret pale
Hello,
I have tonight had a second can from my haul from Beer Central. I tried to resist but its been a tiring day of work in the garden (luckily all standing on soft grass and slowly moving as am not well enough to stand on step ladders yet) and although the sun and temperature lessened as the day went on I fancied some liquid reward for my efforts.
What I have discovered is more about Cloudwater, specifically their ingredients, and I have reached some possible conclusions about their distinctive Manchester sweetness aroma. Of course, I am not a brewer. So apologies to the Cloudwater's if I muddy them with guesswork.
The first thing to say about this 440 ml can is that the distinct (to me) Cloudwater nose was missing when I opened it. They have used WLP001 yeast which means nothing to me, other than its not the one which they use from J W Lees, which a quick scan of some cans from Cloudwater shows is either known simply as that, or is used with WLP4000. Am starting to cluelessly grab hold of the idea that the JW Lees and or WLP4000 yeast is the singular characteristic in the nose of other Cloudwater beers....
The can also states that they have increased the carapils and dextrin (malts?) and brewed with WLP001 for a "neutral yeast profile". This may be more egg to my omelette.
So, what of the bose itself?
The beer looks London opaque, and is a pale yellow hued colour. Crucially, the primary characteristic of this beer is its bitterness. Chuff me. Even before reading it was double dry hopped with Simcoe, Vic secret and Chinook I was agog at how wonderfully bitter the initial and aftertaste was. I know I like Simcoe and Chinook but that combination with Vic secret and dry hopping with each takes this beer to another level. Its 5.5% but is considerably more bitter than their DIPA's. That, is a triumph of dry hopping.
I discovered some small clumps of yeast in the bottom of the glass so mixed them in just now - this makes the beer smoother, but also increases the bitterness. The key feature is the balance of those two competing flavours. Its difficult to pull off with very bitter dry hopped ales, and Cloudwater have managed to do so without that niggling sweetness. I really hope they use the neutral strain again as it sets this beer apart from its predecessors.
Its taken me thirty minutes, slowed down only by writing this and searching for an empty can of DIPA13, to drink this beer and I enjoyed every mouthful. The hoppiness is lingering and in some ways a little too much perhaps, but that is the only minor fault I can find in this exemplary modern pale ale.
I look forward to drinking many more ales of this caliber in the future. A very enjoyable and accomplished, and very bitter, pale ale.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
I have tonight had a second can from my haul from Beer Central. I tried to resist but its been a tiring day of work in the garden (luckily all standing on soft grass and slowly moving as am not well enough to stand on step ladders yet) and although the sun and temperature lessened as the day went on I fancied some liquid reward for my efforts.
What I have discovered is more about Cloudwater, specifically their ingredients, and I have reached some possible conclusions about their distinctive Manchester sweetness aroma. Of course, I am not a brewer. So apologies to the Cloudwater's if I muddy them with guesswork.
The first thing to say about this 440 ml can is that the distinct (to me) Cloudwater nose was missing when I opened it. They have used WLP001 yeast which means nothing to me, other than its not the one which they use from J W Lees, which a quick scan of some cans from Cloudwater shows is either known simply as that, or is used with WLP4000. Am starting to cluelessly grab hold of the idea that the JW Lees and or WLP4000 yeast is the singular characteristic in the nose of other Cloudwater beers....
The can also states that they have increased the carapils and dextrin (malts?) and brewed with WLP001 for a "neutral yeast profile". This may be more egg to my omelette.
So, what of the bose itself?
The beer looks London opaque, and is a pale yellow hued colour. Crucially, the primary characteristic of this beer is its bitterness. Chuff me. Even before reading it was double dry hopped with Simcoe, Vic secret and Chinook I was agog at how wonderfully bitter the initial and aftertaste was. I know I like Simcoe and Chinook but that combination with Vic secret and dry hopping with each takes this beer to another level. Its 5.5% but is considerably more bitter than their DIPA's. That, is a triumph of dry hopping.
I discovered some small clumps of yeast in the bottom of the glass so mixed them in just now - this makes the beer smoother, but also increases the bitterness. The key feature is the balance of those two competing flavours. Its difficult to pull off with very bitter dry hopped ales, and Cloudwater have managed to do so without that niggling sweetness. I really hope they use the neutral strain again as it sets this beer apart from its predecessors.
Its taken me thirty minutes, slowed down only by writing this and searching for an empty can of DIPA13, to drink this beer and I enjoyed every mouthful. The hoppiness is lingering and in some ways a little too much perhaps, but that is the only minor fault I can find in this exemplary modern pale ale.
I look forward to drinking many more ales of this caliber in the future. A very enjoyable and accomplished, and very bitter, pale ale.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Friday, 26 May 2017
BBNo 0520 and Hop City collaboration IPA.
Good evening,
its the Friday night before the Bank holiday. Today the temperature has nudged 30 degrees and its still warm now, looking like 16 or 17 overnight. The room has a lovely orange glow from the last embers of the hot sunshine. I am crying out for a cold beverage.
I have had a bottle of beer in my fridge since late March or early April, and recently spent a sum of money on some other rather excellent ales from Sean at Beer Central. The bottle in question is the BBNos and came from Shakesepares and is the first I will use to try and cool me down. I wouldn't normally drink it straight from the fridge but am warm and alas a little sweaty and the instructions on the bottle of the unfiltered and unpasteurised ale say to do that. It also says drink fresh - it was bottled 30 January so should be drunk by 30 May. I have therefore also followed that instruction. The Hop City is chilling in the fridge whilst I write about this one...
The BBNo 05/20 is an Azacca and Amarillo IPA at 6.5%, so a perfect starting strength. The label mentions that the resinous tropical fruit flavours of the Azacca are enveloped in the soft citrus of the Amarillo - this is probably why the veer has such a piney, fruity hoppiness, although it packs a very bitter after taste.
Its colour is darker than I had imagined and I wonder if I had drunk it in February instead of May it might have been paler? Not that it matters, its still a wonderfully easy drinking punchily hopped IPA. The aroma is also beautiful , its possibly pine or hop resin that I can detect. Its definitely a characteristic of the hops used that gives it that distinctive moreish luponic tang. And now its warmed a little, there are subtle flavours of blood orange coming through. And the bitterness does not dissipate. Brilliant.
The Hop City IPA is a beer Sean raved about. I understand there was a festival in Leeds, maybe at the Northern Monk brewery, of the same name, and this collaboration was born out of or for, that. The IPA is a collaboration between Northern Monk, Cloudwater and YCH Hops. I had never heard of the latter, but a quick Google search leads you to their website which is here and information about Cyro Hops. I have heard of them, if nothing else because Cloudwater and Magic Rock I think used them, or maybe the Lupulin Powder, in some recent canned ales. Alas at present I can't recall which beers, but one of the DIPA's had Lupulin powder in it so am guessing its the same product.
The Hop City is lighter than the BBNo and has a distinctive Cloudwater nose - maybe its that J W Lees yeast they use? For a hoppy 6.2% pale its incredibly easy drinking and the hoppy bitterness is subtle but ever present. The can proclaims they used HBC 344, which is a new or maybe experimental hop, along with Simcoe, Amarillo and Mosaic. The result is a lovely blend of tropical fruit, spice and bitterness.
These are two fantastic beers that showcase the hops used perfectly, and both have tropical fruit notes with lingering bitterness, so are right up my street.
Lets hope that now I know about it, I will be able to try similar and other hoppy ales at Hop City 2018.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
its the Friday night before the Bank holiday. Today the temperature has nudged 30 degrees and its still warm now, looking like 16 or 17 overnight. The room has a lovely orange glow from the last embers of the hot sunshine. I am crying out for a cold beverage.
I have had a bottle of beer in my fridge since late March or early April, and recently spent a sum of money on some other rather excellent ales from Sean at Beer Central. The bottle in question is the BBNos and came from Shakesepares and is the first I will use to try and cool me down. I wouldn't normally drink it straight from the fridge but am warm and alas a little sweaty and the instructions on the bottle of the unfiltered and unpasteurised ale say to do that. It also says drink fresh - it was bottled 30 January so should be drunk by 30 May. I have therefore also followed that instruction. The Hop City is chilling in the fridge whilst I write about this one...
The BBNo 05/20 is an Azacca and Amarillo IPA at 6.5%, so a perfect starting strength. The label mentions that the resinous tropical fruit flavours of the Azacca are enveloped in the soft citrus of the Amarillo - this is probably why the veer has such a piney, fruity hoppiness, although it packs a very bitter after taste.
Its colour is darker than I had imagined and I wonder if I had drunk it in February instead of May it might have been paler? Not that it matters, its still a wonderfully easy drinking punchily hopped IPA. The aroma is also beautiful , its possibly pine or hop resin that I can detect. Its definitely a characteristic of the hops used that gives it that distinctive moreish luponic tang. And now its warmed a little, there are subtle flavours of blood orange coming through. And the bitterness does not dissipate. Brilliant.
The Hop City IPA is a beer Sean raved about. I understand there was a festival in Leeds, maybe at the Northern Monk brewery, of the same name, and this collaboration was born out of or for, that. The IPA is a collaboration between Northern Monk, Cloudwater and YCH Hops. I had never heard of the latter, but a quick Google search leads you to their website which is here and information about Cyro Hops. I have heard of them, if nothing else because Cloudwater and Magic Rock I think used them, or maybe the Lupulin Powder, in some recent canned ales. Alas at present I can't recall which beers, but one of the DIPA's had Lupulin powder in it so am guessing its the same product.
The Hop City is lighter than the BBNo and has a distinctive Cloudwater nose - maybe its that J W Lees yeast they use? For a hoppy 6.2% pale its incredibly easy drinking and the hoppy bitterness is subtle but ever present. The can proclaims they used HBC 344, which is a new or maybe experimental hop, along with Simcoe, Amarillo and Mosaic. The result is a lovely blend of tropical fruit, spice and bitterness.
These are two fantastic beers that showcase the hops used perfectly, and both have tropical fruit notes with lingering bitterness, so are right up my street.
Lets hope that now I know about it, I will be able to try similar and other hoppy ales at Hop City 2018.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 28 January 2017
Neepsend Brewing Century IPA
Hulloo,
a while ago, although probably this year, I was in a public house with Rich, erstwhile member of the Neepsend Brewery brewing team. He was enthusiastically telling myself and Tash about a new beer they had brewed which was going to be monstrously hoppy. Dry hopped, pre hopped, wet hopped, with kilo upon kilo of hops in the mash and at every stage.
OK, some of the above is guesswork. My memory is not geared up any longer to...um...remembering stuff and thus all I can remember is Rich looking elated, laughing, and drowning us in brewing terminology. He may have told us what it was going to be called, but if he did that fact has also since escaped me. Until, that is, this week. In Shakespeares, pre and sadly post antibiotics (I know, I know) I had a pint of the 6.5% Century IPA from Neepsend Brewery on cask. It was £3.60 a pint (or similar) and tasted amazing.
I don't know if that same beer Rich was enthusing about so was, in fact, the Century. I also don't know which century is being celebrated in this lupuloid loop the loop. I also don't care. Because Century IPA is a humongously good beer.
Am guessing it may now have run out, as have I of days to drink now am taking 8 antibiotics a day for an infection. It will of course be on somewhere else soon. It may well have been, or will be, at the Wellington, and the Sheaf View. Wherever you try it, and am assuming you will, I trust you will love it.
By way of description it has a dry and then citrus hoppy finish after an explosion of hops. Don't let that put you off - the hops are fantastic but well balanced, and the beer is incredibly tasty. Whatever dark hoppy practices went into making such a beer they should be repeated. To make a beer of that strength so overwhelmingly hoppy whilst retaining a balance of bittersweet and dry hops in the aftertaste is a trick worth pulling off again.
I remember trying the Neepsend Sharpshooter when that came out last year (or earlier) and thinking that for a beer of its strength it carried quite a hop punch, whilst retaining, and this is key, a balance of flavours. I have no idea what hops were used in either brew but I would suggest that the Sharpshooter was a precursor to, or practice for, the Century.
Well done to Gav and Rich and other persons who have names at Neepsend for making a wonderful ale for me to chew and delight in.
Your very good health.
Wee Beefy
a while ago, although probably this year, I was in a public house with Rich, erstwhile member of the Neepsend Brewery brewing team. He was enthusiastically telling myself and Tash about a new beer they had brewed which was going to be monstrously hoppy. Dry hopped, pre hopped, wet hopped, with kilo upon kilo of hops in the mash and at every stage.
OK, some of the above is guesswork. My memory is not geared up any longer to...um...remembering stuff and thus all I can remember is Rich looking elated, laughing, and drowning us in brewing terminology. He may have told us what it was going to be called, but if he did that fact has also since escaped me. Until, that is, this week. In Shakespeares, pre and sadly post antibiotics (I know, I know) I had a pint of the 6.5% Century IPA from Neepsend Brewery on cask. It was £3.60 a pint (or similar) and tasted amazing.
I don't know if that same beer Rich was enthusing about so was, in fact, the Century. I also don't know which century is being celebrated in this lupuloid loop the loop. I also don't care. Because Century IPA is a humongously good beer.
Am guessing it may now have run out, as have I of days to drink now am taking 8 antibiotics a day for an infection. It will of course be on somewhere else soon. It may well have been, or will be, at the Wellington, and the Sheaf View. Wherever you try it, and am assuming you will, I trust you will love it.
By way of description it has a dry and then citrus hoppy finish after an explosion of hops. Don't let that put you off - the hops are fantastic but well balanced, and the beer is incredibly tasty. Whatever dark hoppy practices went into making such a beer they should be repeated. To make a beer of that strength so overwhelmingly hoppy whilst retaining a balance of bittersweet and dry hops in the aftertaste is a trick worth pulling off again.
I remember trying the Neepsend Sharpshooter when that came out last year (or earlier) and thinking that for a beer of its strength it carried quite a hop punch, whilst retaining, and this is key, a balance of flavours. I have no idea what hops were used in either brew but I would suggest that the Sharpshooter was a precursor to, or practice for, the Century.
Well done to Gav and Rich and other persons who have names at Neepsend for making a wonderful ale for me to chew and delight in.
Your very good health.
Wee Beefy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)