Peninsula Puro Tropikal

It's time to visit the continent with a session IPA from Spanish brewers, Peninsula.  

Puro Tropikal is a very lively beer that pours a hazy orange with a huge frothy, cream coloured head.  It has a strong aroma of grapefruit and tropical fruit with a slight floral hint.  I prepared myself to be hit with a pithy bitter bomb as I nervously took my first sip but I was very pleasantly surprised.

The taste is perfectly balanced with bitter grapefruit blending with sweet tropical notes of pineapple and mango, finishing with a dash of pithy bitterness.  It's well carbonated and has a medium body, making it a very refreshing beer.

After smelling it I thought this would taste so pithy but it's surprisingly pleasant.  It's not overly bitter and even though it's quite fizzy, it's incredibly easy to drink.  I'd definitely put this on my IPAs to drink again list - Puro Tropikal, Ale Be Seeing You again!

 

Brewed by Cervecera Peninsula, Madrid, Spain 

5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Cervecera Peninsula

New Bristol Crème Brûlée Stout

I have a sweet tooth so I've been very excited to see a lot of beers based on desserts being brewed.  I have never had an actual Crème Brûlée but if it tastes anything like this stout from New Bristol Brewery then it's a dessert I will be sure to love.

The stout pours a lovely dark brown colour with a small semi-tight tan head that disperses to a thin layer.  I was expecting some sediment in the can but there was none at all so I got every delicious drop out.

The smell is to die for!  It's buttery, sweet and sugary with notes of creamy vanilla custard and caramelised sugar - just what it says on the tin.  The flavour isn't as strong as the aroma, but it's lovely.  It's not as sweet as I expected but it's deliciously malty with hints of caramel and a burnt toffee, almost liquorice, aftertaste that lingers on the tongue.  Even though it has quite a high ABV at 7% there's no harsh alcohol taste at all. It's full bodied with decent carbonation, although I prefer my stouts a little smoother.

It really is a lovely milk stout and well worth trying if you can get your hands on one.  I'll certainly grab one again if I see it so Ale Be Seeing You!

Brewed by New Bristol Brewery, Bristol
7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at New Bristol Brewery

Pilot Cocoa Morello

WOW!!  This Cocoa Morello stout from Edinburgh brewers Pilot is simply awesome.  It's such a shame it was only in a 330ml can as I could've drank this all day, although with a mighty 7.1% ABV I might've been a bit sozzled.

It's a deliciously dark stout with a loose, frothy beige head that dissipates to a patchy layer.  The aroma is amazing: chocolate, vanilla and tarty cherries create a sweet and sour smell that had my mouth watering.  My first sip did not disappoint as I drifted off to beer heaven with the flavour of tart cherries dipped in sweet chocolate on my tongue.  It's well carbonated with bubbles that are robust but not too harsh and it has a full, almost syrupy body that clings to the glass.

I really can't fault this stout and it scored full marks across the board.  It's something a little bit different that works surprisingly well.  The overall flavour is perfect: it's not too sweet and not too sour.  The chocolate flavour is more sweet than bitter and it blends beautifully with the slight sourness of the cherries.  Absolutely AWESOME and without a doubt Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Pilot Beer, Edinburgh
7.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 5/5

Find out more at Pilot Beer

Darwin Tall Ship

 

Wow!  This is lager, Jim, but not as we know it!  I thought Tall Ship would be my least favourite out of the mixed pack I bought from local Sunderland brewers, Darwin, but I really enjoyed this amazing craft lager.

There is some sediment in the bottle so even with a careful pour, this pours a slightly hazy golden yellow coloured ale with a surprisingly robust, tight off-white head that lasts and laces.  It has a delicious hoppy aroma with additional notes of biscuit and caramel which gives it a sweet edge.  The smell reminded me of malted milk biscuits that I used to love dipping in my tea.

Brewed with Czech Saaz hops, the flavour is creamy caramel and biscuit with a dry, slightly bitter finish.  With a medium body and good carbonation that's not too fizzy, it could easily be mistaken for a blonde ale in a blind taste test.

Refreshing, tasty and so easy to drink, this is a stunning craft lager from Darwin.  I actually can't believe how good it is and if you haven't discovered Darwin Brewery yet, then I urge you to visit their webshop here to try it for yourself.  Plus, if you have an SR, NE or DH postcode you can get your order delivered cheaper or even free!

Brewed by Darwin Brewery, Sunderland
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Darwin Brewery

Anspach & Hobday The Ordinary Bitter

 

Bitter is one of my favourite styles of beer so I was really looking forward to trying The Ordinary Beer from London brewers Anspach & Hobday and I was not disappointed.  It is awesome and it definitely gets a big thumbs up from me.

It's a very lively beer and it couldn't wait to burst out of the can complete with a huge frothy and tight cream coloured head.  The beer itself is a deep golden, amber colour (as you would expect from a traditional bitter) and it has a slight haze to it.  The head lasts very well and laces thickly on the glass.

Notes of caramel, biscuit and malt combine to create a mouthwatering aroma, along with a slight hoppy sourness and hint of sweet dark fruit and fresh pine.  The flavour is equally mouthwatering with a combination of caramel, malt, toffee and biscuit exploding on the tongue and finishing with a subtle bitterness.  Low, soft carbonation and a medium body give a super-smooth mouthfeel and with an ABV of 3.7% it's a very easy drinking bitter.

This should be called The Extraordinary Bitter as it is absolutely lovely.  I love the added sweetness and the light bitter finish with no hint of pithy citrus at all.  Perfectly balanced, it leaves a lovely sweetness on the lips and a bitterness on the tongue.  I highly recommend The Ordinary Bitter and it's no surprise that  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Anspach & Hobday, London
3.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Anspach & Hobday