BrewDog Mail Order Martian

 

Well this was an unexpected surprise; I think it's the first time I have awarded full marks to an IPA.  Yes, that's a full 50/50 and I don't hand that score out very often.

I usually try to keep the sediment in the can but this is a milkshake IPA so I just poured it all in the glass.  It looks like orange juice with a thick cream coloured head.

It smells SO fruity with a combination of tropical fruits and citrus.  I picked up notes of mango, peach, lime, grapefruit and lychee and it smells like there's a full and varied bowl of fruit crammed into this can.

The taste is DIVINE!  It's sweet and juicy with tropical fruits and citrus combining with the lactose and oats to give a smooth and perfectly balance flavour.  It's definitely one for the sweet toothed beer drinker, but it's not too sweet and it has a lovely bitter finish.  There isn't even a hint of raw alcohol taste, despite the stonking 7% ABV.

It's full bodied and well carbonated to give a nice tingly mouthfeel that reminds you it's beer not juice that you're drinking. 

I couldn't fault this beer at all and it was well deserving of a perfect score from me.  I'll be stocking up on this if BrewDog brew it again and hopefully, Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire
7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 5/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Cullercoats Shuggy Boat Blonde

Shuggy Boat Blonde is a bottle conditioned blonde ale from Tyneside and there isn't much sediment in the bottle so I filled my glass with this beautiful sunny golden yellow, slightly hazy ale with a frothy and clingy cream coloured head.

It smells deliciously fruity and hoppy.  There's nothing complex in the aroma but it's so juicy, sweet and tangy that I couldn't wait to dive in.  It tastes pretty much what I would expect for a blonde ale: fruity and sweet citrus combined with tangy and dry hops.  It's very well balanced and has a lovely dry/bitter finish.  A medium body and good carbonation give a nice tingly mouthfeel.

The bitterness in the finish seems to intensify as you drink it and it was a teeny bit too harsh for me at first, although I did get used to it and I enjoyed the beer.  I would definitely have a pint of this in a beer garden in the summer so Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Cullercoats Brewery, Wallsend, Tyne & Wear
3.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Cullercoats Brewery

Tiny Rebel Shake Down

 

This was a very lively beer and if I didn't know better, I would have thought that the can had been shaken before opening.  It took a couple of pours to get it out of the can and leave some of the more chunky bits of sediment behind.  

It has a hazy, deep yellow body with a huge, frothy off-white head that lasts and laces.  It has the most amazing smell of mango and it smells like a tropical fruit cocktail with a hint of citrus and another helping of mango for good measure.

The taste is a bit disappointing after such a strong and fruity aroma.  It's very lightly flavoured with notes of mango and a dash of citrus.  It's like a very watered down beery version of a tropical fruit punch.

With such a lively exit from the can, I expected harsh and abundant carbonation but it's surprisingly softly carbonated with a thin, but not watery, body.

It's a very refreshing IPA and a lovely sunny day kind of beer.  It's a lot lighter in flavour than I would normally expect from Tiny Rebel but it tastes like it says on the can.  Ale not Be Seeing You again but it's well worth trying if it's brewed again.

Brewed by Tiny Rebel Brewing, Newport, Wales
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Tiny Rebel 

Brass Castle x North Riding Sweet Spot

Sweet Spot is a light mild brewed with actual Fruit Salad sweets by Brass Castle Brewery in collaboration with North Riding Brewery.  

It's a very lively beer with a deep golden body and it produced a thick, tight off-white head but it took me a couple of slow, careful pours to get it all out of the can.  Thankfully, no sediment was evident.  The head lasts and laces.

With notes of sugary candy, it smells like a sweet shop and very much like Fruit Salad sweets.  It also has a nice hoppy smell that adds a bit of sourness to the sweetness.  It really tingled my taste buds when I had my first sip as it's fruity but a little tart.  It has a silky smooth mouthfeel with low carbonation and a medium to full body.

It's a very moreish beer and definitely one for the sweet toothed among us.  It's quite sweet and sour, it reminded me of a bitter mixed with a fruity sour, and I really liked it.  It left me licking me lips and if it's ever brewed again, Ale Be Seeing You.

Brewed by Brass Castle Brewery in collaboration with North Riding Brewery, Yorkshire
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brass Castle Brewery

Find out more at North Riding Brewery

Fierce Beer May Contain Brambles

I ordered a clearance pack of near dated/out of date beer from Beer52 and I was really impressed with this fruity porter from Aberdeen brewers, Fierce Beer.  It was a month out of date but it tasted AMAZING and I was delighted that I had three of them in my pack.

It pours a dark brown with a decent beige coloured head that disperses to leave a thin layer.  I poured carefully in case there was any sediment in the can from the fruit, but there was none.

As soon as you open the can, there is an amazing aroma of juicy blackberries on a malt and chocolate base and I couldn't wait to dive in for my first sip.  I was not disappointed at all.  

It's incredibly fruity and perfectly balanced between sweet and tart.  The rich fruit flavour is followed by a hint of roasted malt and the bramble flavour returns to leave a delicious fruity finish.  It has a thin to medium body and the perfect level of carbonation that's neither too fizzy nor too flat.

This is a really unusual porter and I would never have thought that the tartness of blackberries would work in a beer but it really does.  It's a full flavoured porter that gets extra credit for being exactly what it says on the can.  I loved it and Ale Be Seeing You again.

  
Brewed by Fierce Beer, Aberdeen, Scotland 
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Fierce Beer

Grounding Angels Good Vibrations

This is a hazy golden yellow beer with a loose, rapidly disappearing off-white head.  There is a lot of sediment in this one, despite a careful pour.

It smells like a fruit cocktail with notes of mango, guava, pineapple and grapefruit.  Grapefruit is the predominant taste but it's not overly bitter at first, however, it does leave quite a pithy aftertaste.  Underneath the grapefruit there's a slightly floral note with hints of mango.  It's well carbonated with a thin body and it has a spicy and dry finish. 

This beer has a bit of everything: it's fruity, spicy, floral, dry and bitter.  I just found the amount of sediment to be very off-putting and I really don't like seeing bits in my glass so unfortunately, Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Grounding Angels Brew Co, Hexham, Northumberland
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Grounding Angels Brew Co

Brew York Goose Willis

 

I love seeing what imaginitive concoctions Brew York come up with and even the names of their beers make me smile.  Goose Willis is a gooseberry fool sour brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops and lactose and it completely exceeded my expectations.

It's a hazy golden yellow beer with a loose, rapidly vanishing off-white head.  It actually poured clear at first and became hazy as there must have been some sediment, but I wanted to get as much of this one out of the can as possible.

It smells delicious; it's so fruity with a sweet undertone, and made me think of a warm gooseberry pie just coming out of the oven.  Brew York rate this sour 3/5 for puckerability and I think that's spot on.  It definitely tastes of gooseberry but it's slightly sweet rather than being too tarty so I found it really pleasant to drink and barely had any lip puckering at all.  It's well carbonated but not overly fizzy and it has a thin body.

I really liked this one, it's very refreshing and easy to drink for a sour.  It's not too tarty and not too sweet, just perfectly balanced to fully experience the fruitiness of the juicy gooseberries.  I don't often say this about a sour, but Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Brew York Brewery, York
5.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brew York Brewery

Loch Lomond Bravehop

 

This is a hazy, golden orange-hued IPA with a tight, frothy, cream coloured head that lasts and laces.  There's an amazing smell of marmalade and pine as soon as you open the can as well as citrus notes of lemon, orange and grapefruit.

The flavour is really unusual (in a good way); it tastes of citrus and honey at first but then apricot and caramel flavours develop.  The floral, fruitiness of the apricot is lovely and it adds a nice sweetness to the bitter citrus flavour.  It has a medium body and is well carbonated with fizzy, tingly bubbles.

It's a different take on an IPA with pine and apricot taking the edge off the bitterness of the citrus flavour.  It's fruity, sweet and bitter and I really liked it.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Loch Lomond Brewery, Dumbarton, Scotland
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Loch Lomond Brewery

Siren Lumina

Lumina is a vegan, gluten free session IPA from Siren Craft Brew and for once I have the actual branded glass to match the beer.

It pours a slightly hazy golden yellow colour with a small, loose cream coloured head that disperses to leave a thin layer and even laces a little.  It is very lightly fragranced so I had to have a good sniff to pick up notes of citrus and tropical fruit.

The flavour is also quite weak, although it is stronger than the aroma.  The citrus and tropical fruit flavour is nice and easy to drink, although it reminded me of diluted fruit squash.  The body is thin but it is well carbonated.

It's a very refreshing and delicate session IPA, it's not overly bitter and it almost tastes like a watered down IPA so it would be a good one to try for someone new to craft beer.  It's all a little too weak for me so Ale not Be Seeing You again.  

Brewed by Siren Craft Brew, Wokingham
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Siren Craft Brew

Seven Bro7hers Watermelon Wheat Beer

As you would expect from a wheat beer, this Watermelon wheat beer from Seven Bro7hers is very lively on opening so it took a few pours to get it all out of the can.  It's a lovely hazy golden yellow beer with a frothy off-white head that is quite loose but it lasts and laces.

Seven Bro7hers claim that this beer is summer in a can and it does indeed smell very summery with an aroma of juicy watermelon and a hint of sun-ripened strawberries.  It's quite a light aroma but you can definitely identify watermelon.

The flavour is disappointingly weak.  It tastes like weak, watery beer with a slice of watermelon thrown in to dilute it even further.  It doesn't have a lot of taste, but neither does watermelon really so I guess it is what it says on the can.  It's surprisingly softly carbonated for a wheat beer and the body is thin as expected.

It's a very refreshing beer but it definitely needs more flavour.  Watermelon doesn't have much taste but I expected some sweetness from strawberries and pineapple like it says on the can, but I didn't get any hint of that at all.  Not one I'd have again so unfortunately Ale not Be Seeing You!

Brewed by Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co, Manchester
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Find out more at Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co

Fourpure Juicebox

I was drawn to Juicebox, Fourpure's citrus IPA, by the striking can - it's certainly very eye-catching and I wanted to see just how orangey it is.

It's a lovely clear golden beer with a small, loose, off-white head that leaves behind a small layer on dispersal.  It smells SO fruity - oranges (of course) as well as mango.  It's more of a sweet fruit aroma rather than bitter citrus.

The flavour is predominantly citrus but it has a slight floral note from the papaya and a sweetness from the mango.  The orange citrus is not pithy at all and more sweet than bitter.  It's quite a thin bodied beer with low, tingly carbonation.

Juicebox is a very refreshing citrus IPA and it feels like a very summery beer.  It's not as fruity as I expected as it has more of a balanced flavour from the mixture of orange, mango and papaya.  I'm glad I tried it, but Ale not Be Seeing You again. 

Brewed by Fourpure Brewing Co., London
5.9% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Fourpure Brewing Co.

BrewDog Puppy Love

 

A milkshake IPA containing lactose, Puppy Love is a limited edition Valentine's Day beer from BrewDog.

It's a hazy deep yellow colour with a small, loose, rapidly vanishing off-white head.  Once the head has gone, it looks like a glass of orange squash.  It has the most amazing aroma of fresh, juicy raspberries with a hint of zesty citrus.  

The flavour is quite light and it's very refreshing.  It's citrussy but there's no bitter pithiness at all, there's a definite hit of sweet not tarty raspberries and there's also a slight hint of tropical fruit that's almost perfumy like lychee.  Lactose gives an overall creaminess to the taste.  The body is thin and ever so slightly watery with low, firm carbonation.

With a lower than usual ABV for an IPA of 4.7%, it's very easy to drink and I really enjoyed it.  It's limited edition for 2022 but I hope it's brewed again next year.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by BrewDog Brewery, Ellon, Aberdeenshire

4.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Innis & Gun Mangoes on the Run

Mangoes on the Run is a beautiful deep golden, orange hued ale with a large, frothy, and surprisingly robust off-white head.  There is no sediment at all so I got every last drop out of the can.

I was expecting a strong smell of fruit when I opened it but it's mainly just hops with a slight hint of fruit that's more citrus than mango.  Although I was a little disappointed with the aroma, it redeemed itself in the taste.  It's definitely mango!  The flavour is very hoppy with notes of caramel, biscuit and citrus and it has a very bitter, pithy citrus aftertaste that lingers.

It's thin bodied with low, reasonably soft carbonation that feels quite smooth in the mouth with a little bit of a tingle on the tongue.

It's what it says on the tin and Innis & Gunn deserve a round of applause for getting the unmistakeable taste of mango just right.  The pithy aftertaste was a little too harsh for me which is where it lost marks so although Ale not Be Seeing You again, it's worth trying if you like pithy bitterness.

Brewed by The Innis & Gunn Brewing Company, Edinburgh, Scotland 
5.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Find out more at The Innis & Gunn Brewing Company

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

71 Brewing Raspberry Mash

I don't drink a lot of sours so I really have to be in the mood for one and this limited edition raspberry and coffee mash from 71 Brewing caught my eye in one of Lidl's beer festivals.  Conditioned on Scottish raspberries and freshly ground Burundian 'Red Bourbon' coffee beans, it sounded so weird that I just had to try it.

It's a beautiful ruby red jewel colour but it's completely headless so it looks like a glass of raspberry pop.  It did produce a bit of foam at first but it disappeared mid-pour and, as it is unfiltered and unpasteurised, there is the possibility of a bit of sediment so it needs a careful pour.

There is no mistaking the aroma of fresh and juicy raspberries but it has a slight sour whiff that made me think of raspberry wine.  The hit of raspberries in the first sip is lovely; it's a fruity, tarty and sour flavour which is followed by a hint of coffee.  It's a very small hint though and I'm not sure I would have noticed it if I wasn't looking for it.  Although it looks quite flat, it's surprisingly well carbonated with a thin and watery body.

It's definitely a sour, so I have to give 71 Brewing credit for producing what it says on the can.  I just would have liked a bit more flavour as the raspberries take over but, because it's quite watery in body, it tastes quite weak after a few sips.  I'm glad I tried it but Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by 71 Brewing, Dundee
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Find out more at 71 Brewing

Leffe Ruby

 

I love the packaging of the 750ml bottles from Leffe: this wine bottle sized beer looks perfect for a special occasion with a champagne-like cork and wire trapper hidden under the foil.  I opened my bottle at Christmas to discover the most beautiful jewelled ruby red ale inside.  It has a cute baby pink frothy head that's reasonably loose.

It has an incredibly fruity aroma of strawberries, raspberries, cherries and blueberries that transfers to the taste along with a hint of Parma violets.  With a slightly sour hint and a very fizzy mouthfeel, it reminds me of cherryade and it does feel like more of an alcopop than a beer.  I also picked up a floral aftertaste that seemed a bit out of place.

A light and refreshing ale that was very easy to drink, perhaps a little too easy as it is very much like a bottle of pop.  It's definitely not a traditional ruby ale (which is my favourite style of beer), so I was left feeling a little disappointed.  It's not a Leffe beer Ale Be Seeing again but I'm sure it will hit the spot for those who love fruity ales and sours.

Brewed by Leffe, Belgium
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Leffe

Tiny Rebel Clwb Tropica

 

Oh wow!  This is sunshine in a glass, it's just missing a little cocktail umbrella and a slice of orange on the rim.

Clwb Tropica is a hazy sunshine yellow IPA with a small tight off-white head that disperses slowly to leave a thin, patchy layer.  

The aroma is AMAZING.  Juicy pineapple, mango and peach leap out of the glass in a very alluring concoction.  It's a lovely, strong, distinct aroma of a tropical fruit punch.  All of this transfers to the flavour with an added citrus note.  I got a mouth-watering taste of pineapple cube sweets at first, followed by a tropical/citrus mix that gives it a zingy bitter finish.

It's not harshly carbonated so it's more of a tongue tickler but it's relatively fizzy which maintains the head and leaves a little bit of lacing on the glass.  It has a thin to medium body, but it's not watery at all.

So if the sun is shining, or you want to be reminded of sunny days, Clwb Tropica is the perfect year-round drink.  I love the tropical taste that really sets it out from the crowd in the oversaturated IPA market.

I loved it and Ale Be Seeing You again, Clwb Tropica!

Brewed by Tiny Rebel Brewing, Newport, Wales
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Tiny Rebel 

Rudgate Valkyrie

What a beautiful looking pint this is!  Valkyrie, an American pale ale, is a deep golden ale that has a slight pink tinge as it pours, as I've found with all of my Rudgate ales so far.  It has a small, loose cream coloured head that disperses to leave a thin foam layer.

The aroma is delicious; it has quite a sweet smell of hops, mouthwatering gooey caramel and soft ripe tropical fruits.  All of these smells transfer to the taste which is predominantly sweet caramel drizzled over ripe, juicy tropical fruits.  I could definitely taste passion fruit but not so much of the citrus that is mentioned on the label; as I'm not a fan of too much citrus, I certainly wasn't disappointed about that.

Valkyrie has a very soft mouthfeel, which resulted in a couple of lost points on my scorecard; it is so softly carbonated that you can hardly feel any bubbles at all.  It has a medium body but is slightly on the watery side, which isn't unexpected in an APA.

I often find American pale ales too harsh but I really liked this one; it isn't bitter at all and the sweetness level is just right.  I was surprised how much I liked the passion fruit flavour; it's very unusual and gives the ale a distinct flavour.  Well done Rudgate, Ale Be Seeing Valkyrie again when I fancy a pale ale.

Brewed by Rudgate Brewery, York
5.0% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Rudgate Brewery