Hello again,
the second of potentially a small number of posts about breweries, whot bruz beer innit. Tomorrow I am receiving a delivery from another local brewery so they may come along next but in the meantime, and without checking my last three years of Faceache posts for details, here are the things I have known, noticed, and, absurdly, actually recalled, about the beer makers of the name in the title.
Earlier I asked folk on Faceache if they could remember the brewery's original name, quicker than it had taken me to do so - since a whole morning of memories was required to confirm they used to be called Loka Polly. Given their Welsh location am guessing that Loka, which I now worry may in fact be Loca, is a word of the welsh language. I understand that whilst distributing beers to a European country (and the name does escape me) they were told that such arrangements could not continue as there was already a massive soft drinks firm in that country with that same name, so they agreed to trim their name to just Polly's. Luckily, the losing of the first four letters in no way contributed to a decline in quality.
Tonight I am drinking a collaborative brew they did with Big Mountain - at least, am assuming Big Mountain are also a brewery - one surely remembers my mea capra with that Thornbridge beer.....
Luckliy, Big Mountain are based in Chamonix according to the gen on the can, so am happy to continue. This brew, called Oh My, is a truly wonderful, light orangey yellow and fabulously cloudy pale ale at 5.8% and featuring Citra and Sabro hops, Extra pale and Munich malts, oats, wheat and London Ale yeast. As I mentioned on Faceacge earlier, the smell alone made me instantly want to quaff this - but then the wonderful mixture of flavours and desirable smoothness and easy drinkingness has caused me to slow down, and to start writing this. Currently I have a can of their 8% DIPA in the fridge, which I am very much looking forward to supping over the next week....
The beauty of this beer for me is the way the balance unfolds in my mouth - it starts with a good wall of citrussy bitterness but straight away wells up the oat and wheat mixed with the fabulous Sabro hops. I had previously ,mentioned how I had liked all beers featuring Sabro that I had thus far tried and this was no exception - whether its just that, or the combination of that and Citra, or indeed all of the tastes included, the aroma and taste are of brilliant quality. And at 5.8%, possibly once again related to the Citra and Sabro flavours, its ludicrously easy to drink.
Am thinking now when I first came across this brewery - I am going to boldly claim that it was nearly three years ago, but to be honest I have absolutely no idea. I also can't remember the first place I saw it but I can tell you that back in the early days it took a prominent position in Bar Stewards and has always been a firm favourite of mine in there - even their some times challengingly sour beers which were released last year. That said however I have to say that these latest hoppy beers have been exceptional.
Checking their website here (for the first time ever alas) it states that they launched in early 2018 - at that point I was just getting back to drinking again after my stroke in November 2017 so that is my excuse for misremembering! I can't think of any other breweries from Mold, which we went through en route to Llanfihangel Ng Ngwynfa, obvs, (incorrectly spelled no doubt) but whether I can or not, am perfectly happy that through Alan and Charlie at the Stews I have manged to encounter this fabulous brewery.
Try them and enjoy them!
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Loka Polly Brewing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Loka Polly Brewing. Show all posts
Thursday, 2 April 2020
Saturday, 19 May 2018
V3 Vs V3.1
Hullabaloo,
finding myself with a surprise bank note in my wallet last weekend I was very pleased to also note that Cloudwater had re-brewed their V3 DIPA and released a new version, version 3.1. I had heard they were going to redo V3 and after a morning and afternoon of overtime I was more than happy to pop to Shakespeares, my second home, to have a third of each.
So which was best I hear you ask? Well, for me it was the V3.1. The reasons for that are set out below. Although am more interested in how I reached, rather than that, conclusion.
I can't remember. clearly, what Cloudwater DIPA V3 tasted like. It was released in March 2016 I think, and I have had a huge amount of beer since then, and the only appreciable difference from looking at the font clips was the strength, now 8.5%. Its not possible therefore to make a direct comparison. Apart from the minor strength adjustment, the only difference I was sure of was it seemed to taste sweeter than I remembered? This is interesting, because a chat with Sam behind the bar revealed that he hadn't tried v3 the first time, but preferred it of the two this time, despite its sweetness.
Chris meanwhile suggested V3.1 was a reflection of changes in brewing styles and processes in the last two years. This was a convincing explanation. V3.1 was hoppier, and far soupier. It also had a more mellow balanced mouthfeel and flavours. It was on par with the juicy DIPAs I love and consume. I was sat in the beer garden in bright hot sunshine supping two finely crafted yellow-orange hued strong pale ales and I was chuffed to bits.
The other thing that stuck in my mind was the fact that along with many others, I had ended up becoming slightly bored with the Cloudwater DIPA series. It had been ahead of its time in terms of pricing and the minute variances in each number had made me think my cash wasn't being well spent. Since then, their DDH pale series, small IPAs, TIPAs and wonderful missing piece IPA with the Pilcrow pub have proved that actually, a widening of their output has let Cloudwater brew some excellent beers, with flaked oats and Lallemand New England yeast taking centre stage in making their brews so much more easy drinking, and the double dry hopping hsowcasing the hops brilliantly.
On that basis, despite leaping for joy on hearing them announce the rebrew of version 3, there was actually little point in brewing it, unless it was to showcase the class and excellence f version 3.1.
That said, a comparator or not, it was still a very enjoyable drop, and the version 3.1 was a better drop again. I went over to Bar Stewards afterwards and enjoyed a can of Loka Polly Citra DIPA and a can of their IPA as well - how things have changed even since Cloudwater started brewing, that I now look at the casks, the kegs and the cans and bottles when I go drinking after work!
Long may the development and exploration of the DIPA style continue, and longer still may Cloudwater be matched and followed by excellent brewers striving to create the best and the better in terms of beer, in all its formats.
Wee Beefy
finding myself with a surprise bank note in my wallet last weekend I was very pleased to also note that Cloudwater had re-brewed their V3 DIPA and released a new version, version 3.1. I had heard they were going to redo V3 and after a morning and afternoon of overtime I was more than happy to pop to Shakespeares, my second home, to have a third of each.
So which was best I hear you ask? Well, for me it was the V3.1. The reasons for that are set out below. Although am more interested in how I reached, rather than that, conclusion.
I can't remember. clearly, what Cloudwater DIPA V3 tasted like. It was released in March 2016 I think, and I have had a huge amount of beer since then, and the only appreciable difference from looking at the font clips was the strength, now 8.5%. Its not possible therefore to make a direct comparison. Apart from the minor strength adjustment, the only difference I was sure of was it seemed to taste sweeter than I remembered? This is interesting, because a chat with Sam behind the bar revealed that he hadn't tried v3 the first time, but preferred it of the two this time, despite its sweetness.
Chris meanwhile suggested V3.1 was a reflection of changes in brewing styles and processes in the last two years. This was a convincing explanation. V3.1 was hoppier, and far soupier. It also had a more mellow balanced mouthfeel and flavours. It was on par with the juicy DIPAs I love and consume. I was sat in the beer garden in bright hot sunshine supping two finely crafted yellow-orange hued strong pale ales and I was chuffed to bits.
The other thing that stuck in my mind was the fact that along with many others, I had ended up becoming slightly bored with the Cloudwater DIPA series. It had been ahead of its time in terms of pricing and the minute variances in each number had made me think my cash wasn't being well spent. Since then, their DDH pale series, small IPAs, TIPAs and wonderful missing piece IPA with the Pilcrow pub have proved that actually, a widening of their output has let Cloudwater brew some excellent beers, with flaked oats and Lallemand New England yeast taking centre stage in making their brews so much more easy drinking, and the double dry hopping hsowcasing the hops brilliantly.
On that basis, despite leaping for joy on hearing them announce the rebrew of version 3, there was actually little point in brewing it, unless it was to showcase the class and excellence f version 3.1.
That said, a comparator or not, it was still a very enjoyable drop, and the version 3.1 was a better drop again. I went over to Bar Stewards afterwards and enjoyed a can of Loka Polly Citra DIPA and a can of their IPA as well - how things have changed even since Cloudwater started brewing, that I now look at the casks, the kegs and the cans and bottles when I go drinking after work!
Long may the development and exploration of the DIPA style continue, and longer still may Cloudwater be matched and followed by excellent brewers striving to create the best and the better in terms of beer, in all its formats.
Wee Beefy
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