Goose Willis

Good evening, readers.....

      this is a bit of a different post for me- because this is about neither an IPA, DIPA, TIPA or even a standard pale ale. No, this is a post about a sour beer. And in case some of you think it's 1983 again ( I did drink some Banks' Amber the other day as am low on boohar....) I am happy to point out that it is meant to be sour. And the beer is in date. Beer fear is therefore not appropriate in this respect.......

First brewed in 2017 as a collab with the local Brewdog, this was first brewed and released by Brew York in what I think was possibly 2018 (their website list of beers does not confirm alas, and I only know for certain that they first brewed it in 2017 as  a collab). I did try and recall the last time I tried a beer with gooseberry in it - and struggled, although I did think that gooseberries are also called goosegogs oop north so am guessing that was perhaps it? That would have been a while a go, but the beer in question would have been Grozet - and if memory serves it was frankly very nice indeed.

The first thing I did upon opening the can was to smell it - and that wasn't difficult. Because there are a decent amount of hops (and it is dry hopped as well) in the nose as well as some fruit which as a person who does not often consume the same am certain may well have been the Gooseberry. The first taste was amazing - a big hit of fruitiness and finishing with a good amount of the hops which are Nelson Sauvin.  One surprise - although perhaps a benefit of the excellent skills in its brewing, was the lack of...sourness? I admit that there was sourness in the aftertaste but being one of the first canned beers I have had proclaiming it's use of Lactobacillus I was perhaps expecting a bit more. This also may be one reason that it was in fact a perfect beer to enjoy in the now warm sunshine in my back garden - because the entire 440ml was gone in ten joyous minutes.

It was 5.3% so not babbeh milk but the strength was not a theme as I supped it down. Because as well as perfectly showcasing both the gooseberry used as well as the dry hopped Nelson Sauvin, the overall taste and mouth feel was wonderfully refreshing. It was a maximum of  22 degrees today and sitting in the bright and strong sunshine I was very happy to quaff this down - an act which would have been completed far quicker if it wasn't for the fact that I only have one more can of beer left (a favourite of mine as well....) and I won't get paid for three days - a situation managed by a pop up to the shops on Friday....

I have always liked Brew York's output, indeed it was one of their beers that I first tried in the Oxbow micropub in Woodhouse back at the beginning of March.

On the basis of this and other products of theirs (and their popularity when a selection arrived at Sean's beer central last month) am absolutely certain that I will be trying their products again in the near future, and, with the greatest of hope, heading up to York to sample their wares at their fabulous Taproom.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy