Posted on 15/06/22
On the new beer front this week, there’s a handful of lovely darks to discuss and some mad Amundsen sours awaiting too.
But it’s summer, innit? So let’s begin where we should at this time of year – with some crazy new juicy New England IPAs!
There’s probably no better place to start this week than with Frontaal’s Juice Punch NEIPA, which pretty much exemplifies what so many of us are all after right now.
It’s a core, 330ml can of hoppy goodness, with Citra, Mosaic and a little bit of Sabro making for lemony mango juiciness with a lovely slice of coconut.
Gorgeous stuff!
And while it’s ‘only’ a pale ale, Whiplash’s Got To Keep On Pale Ale is very much in the same ballpark!
Here you have a sexy hop bill of Vic Secret, Azacca and El Dorado for sticky lemon-apricot and orange, and a generous serving of oats keep things smooth and creamy.
Dialling up the ante we’re all excited to have the MONSTER of a Double IPA that is Neon Raptor’s Minotaur Shock DIPA back with us this week, which just keeps getting better and better and better and better.
As well as Citra, Simcoe, Chinook and Mosaic hops, Neon Raptor have roped in the increasingly popular Lotus hops here – and the result is an 8.2% hazebomb that reeks of juicy oranges and red berries and has a mango-grapefruit medley going on to back those gorgeous fruity aromas up!
And finally on the hop front this week, the big dog, for those who like their beers with a punch in the face, has got to be the juice-king’s Polly’s Brew Co’s DDH Rosa TRIPLE IPA.
This is a 10% dank juice-fest full of passionfruit and peach, featuring a magnificent 25g/l hop ratio, and priced at only £7.65 a can?!
TIPAs aren’t for everyone. But if you do dare to dabble, then this is a gem you do not want to miss!
To compliment your juice this week, how about a side of tangy sexiness from the mighty Amundsen?
We know how good their dark game is. But just check out the flavour combos on offer here.
You’ve got a Mango, Pineapple & Passionfruit Sour. There’s their Raspberry, Cherry, Blueberry, Mango Sour. How about their Triple Berry & Maple Smoothie Sour?
My favourite though has got to be Blood Orange & Mandarin Creamsicle Sour – so orangy, so tangy, so creamy sooo 🤤🤤🤤🤤
And then you have Vault City, whose new sours are already close to selling out… without me even having to mention them!
There are still a handful of each left that could be yours if you’re quick. 8% Banana Split has probably been the most popular.
The most indulgent, though, is Tonka Black Forest Gateau Session Sour, a collab with the brilliant Low Key of Barrel Project fame!
If you want in, you will need to be quick!
You know how I said Amundsen are known for their darks?
Well, if you want to find out first hand just how good their darks are then tuck into Amundsen’s Choczilla Pastry Stout.
A Coffee Marshmallow ‘Lava Cake’ Stout, they call it. I have no idea what that is, but from this I can only imagine it’s melted dark chocolate smothered on chocolate that’s sandwiched between chocolate!
This is as indulgent as craft beer gets.
There’s something more serious from Brew York, in the 14% barrel aged The Dream Child Wild Turkey BA Rocky Road Ice Cream Pastry Stout.
I actually ordered this without realising it was brewed in collaboration with Tiny Rebel, but I’m still so glad I did – this is Brew York’s Dream Child from 2021, which has now been aged in Wild Turkey barrels for 12 months, and is full of luxuriously smooth and decadent honeycomb, marshmallow, chocolate and bourbon.
It’s immense!
Elsewhere we ordered in more of Left Hand’s crazy-smooth nitro milk stouts Milk Stout and Peanut Butter Milk Stout this week, mainly because Charlie loves them, but also because these always prove so popular with you lot too.
So tuck in: these are nitro stouts from OGs; Left Hand were the first brewery EVER to release a bottled nitrogenated beer.
Respect!
Back over in hop-land, do yourself a favour and check out the new hoppy stuff from Overtone. Hops, sours darks; there is no style this brewery cannot smash!
There’s more to the Whiplash drop than their sexy pale ale too! IPAs, a DIPA, and a DDH number brewed with Stigbergets. Stigbergets + Whiplash = next-level hoppy brewing.
There’s a huge new Pomona Island drop to check out this week too, which spans the styles this brewery are best at: hops and sours. All proceeds from the sublime The Heaviest Object DIPA go to Doctors Without Borders Ukraine. So be sure to add a can or two when picking up the same brewery’s Reflections After Jane Strawberry & Yuzu Sour DIPA. Or, if you’re more up for venturing into the experimental, The Rectification Of The Vuldronaii Sour Farmhouse IPA.
As always, I really hope you get to enjoy some of these epic new beers in the sunshiiiiine this week. And don’t forget, Father’s Day is on Sunday, and Father’s Day gifts are here.
Cheers & happy drinking!
Oli, Olly & Charlie
(The three people behind Craft Metropolis)
Step 1
We trawl the globe tasting great beer
