Posted on 28/04/22
Dark beers took a back seat this week as the seasons changed, the sours sparkled and Verdant teamed up with Floc to create a Double IPA people are going mad for. Outstanding stuff.
Here are 9 great beers to enjoy this week.
Just when we thought Verdant’s hop game couldn’t get any better, this week, they came out with this.
For Literally Wondering DIPA Verdant teamed up with Floc, which apparently led to lots of experimentation: Verdant ditched the dextrose, upped the malt bill, went as soft as possible on the water profile then triple dry hopped the hell out of things, which all in all led to a mahussive hoppy MONSTER that’s maybe the best hoppy beer of 2022 so far!
There’s a reason people are climbing over each other to try this: it’s thicker, creamier, and softer than pretty much anything ever before.
Seriously, with Literally Wondering DIPA, Verdant have upped the hop bar once again – if you only try one beer this week, let this be it!
Thinking about it, Floc could be the secret to Literally Wondering DIPA.
I say as much because the Floc / Pressure Drop collab released this week was also mouth-watering magnificence.
Lasting Light NEIPA is maybe a bit lighter and more summery than heavy NEIPAs, but that just suits the season, plus it’s still full of those gorgeous ripe mango and peach notes that always have us drooling – fair play to Floc – a brewery to watch!
Elsewhere Baron continued their march towards the top of the hop podium this week with two wicked new releases, and Glug IPA in particular is very special.
Again, expert brewing on display here: an out-there hop combo of HBC 586 and Azacca Cryo dry-hopped in 4 stages melds this into layers funky fruit with a welcome bitterness.
We had Glug IPA on in The Arch on Saturday. It’s already sold out – which says everything you need to know.
Next up, new-in brewery Zapato this week sent us two delicious drops well worth checking out.
I haven’t tried them yet, but Zapato have a mad rep, so Voof IPA – with it’s promise of fresh citrus, marmalade, white grape and tropical goodness – is high on my hit list.
Get one in and report back. Let me know what you think!
After a recent beer scouting trip to Bristol, Craft Met’s Charlie finally convinced me to get some New Bristol Brewery stuff in, and as usual his rhapsodising was warranted.
New Bristol’s Summacrush Session IPA, as an example, is exactly what you want as the seasons change: juicy, fruity, moreish and light.
It’s one where from the very first sip you know summer is coming – a lovely little drop to kick a session off!
Over in Sourville, New Bristol Brewery’s Lemon Drizzle Donut Sour lives up to its name: zippy, zingy, lemony and tart with a moreish powdered sugar sweetness.
Basically, New Bristol Brewery have nailed the brief!
This is so good when the sun’s out. Price is keen too!
Now Stillwater Artisinal had a reputation for using out-there herbs and whatnot in their brewing long before it became a thing, which maybe explains why their new 5% Rosé Gold Sour Ale is such a delight.
Rose hip, hibiscus and berries combine to make for something floral, fruity, elegant and light. Naturally, there’s a lovely lingering tartness that sucks you back in – this is lovely stuff.
And although you might not think it, Kleinbrouwerij De Glazen Toren’s Saison d’Erpe-Mere is actually in the same ballpark as Rosé Gold Sour Ale.
Kleinbrouwerij know how to brew Belgian beers, and their new saison is light and lemony with zippy, full on carbonation.
Are Belgian beers the next big thing?
My final hat-tip this week has to go to Floc.
Slip Down is Floc’s first ever Pilsner and begins as you’d expect: crisp and bready and lovely and sweet. The twist is a more hoppiness than you’d expect, which makes for fresh cut grass and waaay more flavour than some pilsners hold.
Keep an eye on Floc – these guys are brewing some seriously good stuff!
Sticking with the sours Dugges released some fun stuff this week – there’s Elderflower & Pear, there’s Twister, there’s Black Currant, and there’s even a Cola sour to try for the daring amongst us.
Funky Fluid are back with a Northern Monk collab in Roseus Blackcurrant, Plum, Cherry & Vanilla Fruited IPA. How good does that sound?!
New Bristol Brewery teamed up with Unbarred for something outrageous in Knickerbocker Strawberry, Raspberry & Cherry Ice Cream Pale, and Overtone did something similar in Banana Bondana Banana Split Sundae Sour… before also releasing P.B.J Pastry Sour. Dessert Sours are in!
Elsewhere Zapato reigned things in with a lovely Raspberry Blackberry Berliner Weisse and Burnt Mill released an ode to New Zealand in Tapawera New Zealand IPA.
Pressure Drop added to Lasting Light NEIPA with two outstanding collabs in Last Minute Switch NEIPA (with Gravity Well) and Waterline NEPA (with Gan Yam). There’s actually a ton of Pressure Drop brilliance just in to explore too, including Dreamlife NEPA, King Queen Knave and, yep, a restock of Cheese NEIPA.
Sureshot sated baying crowds this week with 164 Miles Per Hour DIPA, Zapato added to Voof with Yes Please NEIPA and Baron’s latest DIPA was revealed as Hen’s Teeth, all while we upped our intake of new Northern Monk, new Beak, new Floc, new Overtone and, of course, new New Bristol Brewery.
Speaking of which, stout lovers, treat yourself to New Bristol brewery’s Coffee & Biscotti Stout.
While you’re at it, get yourself a can of Rivington’s suave Soon Come Habanero Imperial Stout too.
As always, I hope you manage to get stuck into some epic, epic stuff this week.
Cheers and happy drinking!
Oli, Olly & Charlie
(The three people behind Craft Metropolis)
Step 1
We trawl the globe tasting great beer
