Posted on 14/07/21
Oli Meade
This week saw the return of some much loved annual brews from both Pressure Drop and Verdant.
The big talking point, however, was the two new IPAs brewed by both Verdant and Beak in collaboration.
So let’s start with them…
I know I’m cheating a bit here by including two beers, but, in fairness, these two really come as a package.
And, to be honest, do you really care?! It’s Beak! It’s Verdant! Two of pretty much EVERYONE’S favourite breweries!
And they’ve joined forces for not one but TWO special new IPAs, both of which they brewed for this year’s Hop City Festival.
These two beers are exactly the same except for one thing: More Oats IPA is 40% oats. More Wheat IPA is 40% wheat. FOUR ZERO. Huuuuge!
Both of these are insanely soft and smooth, but which is the best?! Compare, contrast and pick your winner. It’s the perfect excuse to try them both – because both of these are bleeding great
Next up, you’ve got to get in on the new Triple IPA from Pentrich.
TIPAs can obviously get pricey fast, but Hello Mr Thompson Imperial IPA is an absolute steal at £6.15.
And you’re really not sacrificing anything flavour wise as this is absolutely choc-full of Citra and El Dorado for massive citrus and tropical fruitiness.
You cannot go wrong. This is Pentrich at their best!
Meanwhile a brewery that doesn’t get nearly enough attention is Almasty, who have properly smashed it out the park with their hoppy stuff this week.
Blissfull Wizard Pale, Moby Dick IPA and Donkey Butter DDH Pale are all dripping in hops, with the best of the bunch being maybe Blissful Wizard.
Simcoe, Amarillo, Mosaic and Citra combine for a tropical, dank, resinous and sticky wonderbeer.
I’d recommend them all – get involved!
Look, it’s too hot, too sweaty and too sticky for dark beers, and there’s basically no-one brewing them right now. So what do Brew York decide to do? Only amp up their outstanding Tonkoko to imperial levels!
With Imperial Tonkoko Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Chocolate Milk Stout you get even more coconut, even more tonka, even more cacao and even more vanilla – it’s creamier, it’s sweeter and it’s more boozy than the ever before.
I mean, I’m not going to be begging for a dark beer right now, but if you’ve got this on offer…
Far more in keeping with the seasons is 360’s Berry Berry Sour, which is literally brewed for summer with all the summery flavours you’d expect – so fresh Raspberries, Blackberries and Strawberries too.
It’s not too sour and it’s not too sweet, it’s just a beautifully refreshing goldilocks gem you should def try to try before summer ends.
For those of you who can stomach the label, Almasty’s Italian Pils is actually epic. But if you just can’t bring yourself to do it yet then Drop Project / Duration’s Bloom Dry Hopped Saison is on hand as something crisp to sink.
Both are light, both are refreshing, both are the kind of clean and crisp thirst quenchers you’ll be glad you’ve got this weekend.
Before I get into the Pressure Drop & Verdant restocks, the new Neon Raptor TIPA Fenrir Breaks Free has literally just landed. I’ve not yet tried it but from the hop profile it’s clearly gonna be mega.
Talking of Neon Raptor, they’ve teamed up with Drop Project for a thing of beauty in Stay Out DIPA. Outrageous levels of Simcoe, Simcoe Cryo, Idaho 7, Azzacca and Azzaca Cryo impart tropical, pineappley, mango goodness, and oats and wheat make this super smooth.
Drop Project’s new collab with Alpha Delta, Vortex TIPA, is even bigger. Where are they hiding the 10% booze?!
Howling Hops make the fabled hop-snap above this week with Radar Station WCIPA and Wolves At The Door Pale. Wolves is the fruitier of the two, and maybe just edges things. 360’s Boomerang NEIPA is fruitier still, made using only Australian hops.
Pressure Drop. Always brilliant. Often controversial. Makers & Takers NEDIPA and Outside Over There WCIPA are new brews well worth an eyeball. The restocks? That’ll be bestselling Pale Fire, ‘armpit’ beer Escape the City NEIPA, hazy and juicy King Queen Knave New England Pale Ale and crafted-to-perfection Behind Door Number 3 NEDIPA.
This week’s Verdant restocks include There Will Be No Intervals Pale Ale, the beautiful Even Sharks Need Water IPA, sessionable People Money Space Time Pale Ale, the beer that started it all in Headband Pale, and community-serving Extra Pale Ale Lightlbulb.
Verdant’s The Future Is Uncertain DIPA, on the other hand, is new.
But with a back catalogue like that, the name seems pretty damn ironic.
I really hope you get to try some of these new beers this week.
Cheers & happy drinking!
Oli
(The founder)
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