Posted on 02/02/22
Oli Meade
Hops. Sours. Darks. Lagers!
Craft brewers have really come out of January swinging, releasing beers of such quality you wonder where they might go from here.
As always, here’s my round up of the very best.
It’s no secret that US beers from the likes of Other Half and The Veil are world-leading… so Polly’s Brew’s decision to try to replicate their beers was always going to be of interest, and I’m absolutely delighted to report their new Oaty DDH Oat IPA is about as close to the belters as you’ll get, and without the import price tag too!
A full THIRD of the mash here was oats, which is how Polly’s have made this so unbelievably fluffy, then they called on their hop expertise for mountains of juicy mango, tangerine and fresh-cut pineapple.
Believe the hype – this is it!
Now the new Track / Bagby Collab Managing Expectations WC IPA might be labelled West Coast, but do not be fooled! It’s hopped to the high heavens with Centennial, which means dank chewy fruits all the way through.
Think marmalade, think lemon peel, think jelly babies, think dank cherries.
A biscuit base and a little bitterness round things off; this is a monster, how on earth they’ve labelled it an IPA I’m not sure – definite DIPA territory, it’s magnificent!
There’s a new brewery just in that I have to mention too… mostly because their hoppy numbers are going down a treat in our taproom in Penge!
If you haven’t yet heard of Fermenterarna you soon will. Both Urban DDH IPA and See You By The Cranes Hazy IPA are tropical delights.
Get in on Some Fermenterarna early – you won’t regret the ‘gamble’!
And my final hoppy hat-tip this week goes to Pressure Drop’s Alligator Tugboat Simcoe IPA, which is back and is tasting as outstanding as ever.
Tropical juice meets piney dankness for a brew that just makes absolute sense – I love it, and so does everyone who ever gets a can. Get involved!
The sour releases were so strong this week pretty much any of them could make my list of top hitters, but I have to start with Pastore & Vault City’s Cieli Notturni Dark Pastry Sour.
Two of the UK’s greatest sour breweries have teamed up here, and the result is nothing short of magnificent.
This is almost a chocolate milkshake on the nose, then BANG – tart blackcurrants and raspberries one the palate, before the sweet honeycomb and luxurious vanilla drift in. Heaven!
You don’t actually see too many orange sours knocking about, which just makes Pomona Island’s Start Again Imperial Orange Sour an exceptional exception.
How this is 10% I’ll never know. Orange after orange, thick and zippy goodness.
It’s a beery bucks fizz with welcome acidity. Great work!
What the hell is up with To Øl’s CHAAARGE! Nitro Dry Stout rating?! It cannot just be me that absolutely loves this – a liquid blend of roasted chocolate biscuits all covered in thick cream.
It is just 4% – which might explain things. But for me, that just means you can drink two. Which – fair warning – is something you will very likely want to do.
Brew York are in on the nitro game too this week, with the brilliantly named Big Toucan Nitro Stout.
This is as smooth, silky and creamy, as they come, with welcome waves of bitter dark chocolate.
The deliberate lack of sweetness will please purists – even if it is entirely unlike the Brew York MO.
Flip this 180 and pour fast and hard. Enjoy maximum cream. (Flake optional.)
If, like me, you are into the crazy boozy sweet and sticky stouts, don’t panic! Pomona Island’s Ti Esrever Dna Ti Pilf Imperial Jamaican Ginger Cake Stout is off the charts, and Kees’ Catch Me By The Coconuts Imperial Pastry Stout is a luscious chocolate bounty bar masquerading as a beer (11.9% – take care!).
If you’re easing your way out of Dry January we’ve got you: a whole host of new-in table beers prove low ABV doesn’t have to mean low flavour profiles. Drop Project’s Scoff Table Beer is particularly profound, and Wildflower’s complex Table Beer is on another level.
Over on the lager front… who doesn’t love a bit of Beak? They just do not brew anything bad, and Mousse Rustic Lager doesn’t let the side down. Oh, and we’ve also just taken in Verdant’s German Pilsner too. Spicy, herbal and dry, it’s how the style should be.
On the hoppy side, there’s new stuff from Beak to explore, a Mosaic IPA from S43 and Pressure Drop’s Morning Person NE DIPA. There’s some lovely stuff just in from Pomona Island too, and Polly’s, obviously. There’s also a double hop drop from Verdant, including 10 Watt Moon… which fans won’t want to miss.
In darksville Pressure Drop’s popular Black Treacle Stout is back, there’s an interesting new BBNo CBD Coffee Porter and Howling Hops’ Jack In The Basket 9.5% Impy Stout awaits. Northern Monk add to the foray with Culinary Adventures Yorkshire Parkin Porter, and To Ol have offered up something different in their Nitro Red.
As I say the new sours have been superb this week… I’ve been as impressed as ever by the new Pastore sours, and likewise for Pomona Island too. Kees were even in on things with Berry Fruity, Brew York’s Cherry Kola is great fun, as is To Øl’s Piña Gose.
There’s always far too much to name so just dive in and have a rummage, see what you come up with, try new things, enjoy!
(Oh, and check out the description for Odyssey’s Fiendish Breakfast Imperial Smoked, Salted Breakfast Stout With Treacle. How ace does that sound?!)
As always, I really hope you get to try some of these new beers this week.
Happy drinking!
Oli, Olly & Charlie
(The three people behind Craft Metropolis)
Step 1
We trawl the globe tasting great beer
