Posted on 10/08/22
In a week in which Amundsen released their new Donut series, you’d probably expect them to top my ‘best new beers’ list. But no!
Because this week, we also got hold of some new stuff from The Veil.
Fasten your seatbelt. You’re in for a treat.
The brewery behind some of the world’s best beers…
Some might say calling The Veil ‘the world’s best’ is my inner beer zeal out of control, and they might be right, but you just cannot drink The Veil’s beer without thinking it’s absolutely world-class.
This is everything you love about big hoppy beers – just more of it. Thicker, richer, smoother, juicier. Very few – if any – UK beers have reached this level of deliciousness.
Mountain Oat DIPA is a personal highlight – so soft, so citrusy, so tropical, so immense. When you crack one of these creamy fruit beauties, you know about it.
Oh, and these are barely a month old. Fresh Veil! FRESH! I’m begging you: snap these up before the hops start to fade!
This time around there’s even a Pink Guava Gose to check out – can these guys replicate their standards across styles?
Closer to home, Gravity Well’s Slipper Rave DIPA is a homegrown sensation!
It’s lovely and juicy thanks to citra, mosaic and enigma, but Nelson hops keep proceedings suave and dry.
So damn thick. So damn great.
Track, Floc; we love them both, and they’ve teamed up to make a beer you can’t fail to love.
Waves of tropical melon crash on to a bed of pineapple puree in Each Equation IPA; there’s even sweet green apple on the go, and a pithy, bitter finish – this has has it all!
Kings of the West Coast Elusive are also back, and they’ve roped in hot brewery of the moment Pomona Island for their latest amped up Rippin’ Rick West Coast Double IPA 🤤
Resinous and juicy, with serious hoppy bite.
You want hops? Get them here!
The official UK launch of Amundsen’s ‘Donut Series’ apparently isn’t til the weekend, but they’ve already arrived in our lockup and we’re not about to hold them back!
Red Velvet Cake with Vanilla and White Chocolate Glaze has the tasting notes in the name – it’s thick, it’s rich, it’s smooth, and it’s a 12-round punch up between sour and sweet…
It’s impossible to pick a winner – even after sinking two.
And I’m not sure if it was what they were going for, but Amundsen’s banging Cherry Cola Ice Cream Float Sour tastes just like the fizzy cherry cola sweets of old.
Sour tang, smooth mouthfeel, and CHERRY COLA! Yessssss!
Petal Fruited Sour by Drop Project and Left Handed Giant doesn’t have the tasting-notes-in-the-title that the likes of Amundsen favour, and yet ‘Petal’ sums this beer up perfectly.
Tart, tangy rhubarb intermingles with sweet and fruity hibiscus for a summer sensation.
It’s about to hit 35 degrees. This is what you need!
Amundsen’s new Donut series is naturally imperial pastry stout focused, and none is better than Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup with Salted Caramel Glaze.
Except maybe the Dark Chocolate with Candied Pecans & Coffee Glaze.
Oh, or the Black Forest Gateaux Glaze with Toasted Coconut sprinkled on top.
This is Amundsen, the pioneers of sticky sweet dessert stouts, back with more. Collect the whole set, these are one of a kind!
New brewery alert! Let your inner magpie out as you sink into Knight Moves Churro Biscuit Imperial Pastry Stout from Browar Stu Mostów this week, which is a bit like Amundsen all grown up – mega thick, super dense, properly strong, but not overly sweet.
Churros dipped in chocolate.
Need I say more?!
The hoppy game is hella hot this week, with new stuff from Azvex, Beak, Sureshot and Whiplash. Yeah – they are the breweries I didn’t have space to rave about.
You can add to that list Baron, Boxcar and new Polly’s hops too. Take your pick: the hoppy line up is mad this week, you’re in for a treat whichever way you turn.
Azvex and Boxcar both made an appearance in the sour section too. Boxcar’s Massionfruit (Mango & Passionfruit) Sour and Azvex’s Sunset Breeze Sour Ale are both beers that’ll quench your thirst in the sun.
Completing the dark line up you have more Amundsen with their more conventional desserts in cans, plus a second Browar Stu Mostów in the form of Mis-Thunder-Stood Pastry Stout – wholemeal cookies and chocolate brownie in a thick, sweet, dark beer? Sign me up!
As always, I hope you get to try some of these gems this week.
Cheers & happy drinking!
Oli, Olly & Charlie
(The three people behind Craft Metropolis)
Step 1
We trawl the globe tasting great beer
