9.2% ABV
As stated before I don’t really go for overly hoppy beers but this was at a price that was reasonable for a try. I do wonder though if this is Hardcore IPA under another name, as the style of IPA and the alcohol percentage is exactly the same. However Hardcore is £2.39 and not available around here, so I can’t do a comparison. Not that I wouldn’t pay £2.39 for a beer before anyone says anything, I just prefer one more balanced than a hopped for hell one.
It pours into quite an attractive drink, deep golden liquid with a fluffy light golden head which stays until the last sip. It smells of syrupy hops to me with a citrus edge, I didn’t get candied orange peel as was suggested on the bottle but a fresh citrus scent. First gulp wise I got a big whack of hops and alcohol tempered by the syrupiness that I could smell, however as I drank the sweetness disappears totally and it gradually just gets more and more bitter. This is quite a challenge to drink and if I’m honest its one that I couldn’t say was necessarily a worthy one.
The alcohol taste is harsh, which I do wonder if after a year’s or so aging would improve and soften out. It is to this end the other two bottles I brought are safely tucked away, hidden from cat paws and thirsty beer drinkers alike.
If this is Hardcore IPA under a different branding then I can’t see the reasoning behind doing this, it isn’t an easy drink and I doubt it would win many fans without the ‘Brewdog’ brand to temper its taste. Guess we will find out if the Finest labelled version ends up on special!
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What a con. It's not American, it's from Scotland.
ReplyDeleteHow dare people have a go at Stella for knocking Belgian lager up in Wales when these con artists are knocking up "american" beer in Scotland.
i think your assessment pretty much matches my own, its interesting but too one sided. I also, as its 3 for £4 currently, am going to put them away hopefully it'll calm down abit.
ReplyDelete@Arn:
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm hoping, good news is they were quite cheap so if they don't calm down then it's not alot of money wasted.
@Cookie:
:D
My local Tesco only had two of these left, but I thought "OK, I'll get something else to make up the 3 for £4 offer." Unfortunately, they have two confusingly similar 3 for £4 offers, so I ended up with something from the other one and paid full price :-(
ReplyDeleteMore a beer to respect than like, I think - but I did get an initial nose of candied orange peel.
It's a bugger when that happens, usually it happens to me when I do a big shop so I don't realise until I've got home.
ReplyDeleteI'm not convinced about the respect part, if a beer ends up as something to drink because it's 'respected' rather than because it's a good beer then I think it doesn't deserve to be respected. Just because you can stuff a beer more fuller with hops than anyone else doesn't mean it's going to be a good beer.
But I have admitted I'm not a hoppy hop beer fan, however like olives I will try them every so often to see if I can get the taste for them. Getting there with the olives, beer I'm working on.
CL: more shocking news for you - Wychwood beers aren't made by witches.
ReplyDeleteI've just cracked one, and as a beer judge, I can tell you this isn't a great example of the style
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I wouldn't know to be honest. I'm not a fan of overly hoppy beers and as such I have tended to avoid them. I am now starting to drink them so until I get more experience (hard life drinking beer I know) then I can't judge if it is a good example of not.
ReplyDeleteWhat would you recommend as a good example of this style for me to try?