Goose Island Midway

 

This session IPA is a beautiful deep golden colour with a frothy off-white head that retains a thin layer on dispersal.  It smells incredibly fruity with notes of citrus and tropical fruits bursting out of the can along with a tang of hops and a metallic bitter hint.

The citrus and tropical fruits combine beautifully to create a very refreshing beer with a big dollop of hops.  It's well carbonated and has a thin body, as you would expect for an IPA.

This is what I would call an everyday beer; it's light, easy to drink and refreshing .  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed for Goose Island Brewery, Chicago, USA
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Goose Island Brewery

Prime Time Session IPA

Prime Time brew low calorie beer that's only 95 calories per can but you really can't tell that this is a low calorie beer at all.  It's also gluten free and vegan

It pours a beautiful golden colour with a frothy, robust off-white head that disperses slowly to leave a patchy foam layer.  The aroma is quite light but I could smell citrus fruit and hops. 

The flavour is stronger than the smell and the hops/citrus balance definitely swings more towards hops.  I'm not a huge fan of too much citrus as it can be a bit too pithy so this more hoppy version of an IPA is right up my street.  It's well carbonated and has a thin body, as you would expect for an IPA.

It's a very crisp, dry and refreshing beer that's very easy to drink and you don't have to worry about the calories.  As it's heavy on the hops, it tastes more like a premium lager than an IPA to me (which is where it lost marks on my score sheet) but I liked it so Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by The Innovative Brewing Co, London
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Prime Time

To ØI Solar Flare

 

Solar Flare pours a hazy orange colour with a small, loose cream coloured head.  The head disappears quite quickly, leaving the beer resembling a glass of fruit juice.  It smells like fruit juice too - it's very fruity with fresh and juicy notes of tropical mango and citrus fruits. 

It doesn't taste as fruity as I expected from the smell and it's a lovely smooth, sweet and creamy blend of fruit, hops and malt.  There's no bitterness at all from the citrus fruit and the mango adds a lovely fragrant fruitiness.  It's very fizzy and has a thin body but it's very refreshing and easy to drink.

It's a very interesting flavour combination and I loved the sweet tropical fruits that smooth out the citrus bitterness you expect from an IPA.  It seems stronger than its 4.2% ABV and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by To ØI Brewery, Denmark
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brewery

Tiny Rebel Dutty

Dutty is a Vermont session IPA from Welsh brewers, Tiny Rebel.  It's a hazy golden yellow beer with a frothy, tight, off-white head that actually expands in the glass.  I couldn't believe my eyes!

From the moment you pull the ring-pull, you're hit with the mouthwatering aroma of fresh, juicy pineapple.  There's also a hint of grapefruit to add some zestiness to the sweet tropical fruit.

I was quite disappointed in the taste, it's rather weak and tastes like very diluted fruit squash.  There's not enough of any flavour to taste any bitterness or sweetness, but it is refreshing and very easy to drink.  The body is thin but not watery and it's well carbonated to maintain and expand the head.

The flavour if far too light and it's not a memorable beer so Ale not Be Seeing You again, unfortunately.

Brewed by Tiny Rebel Brewery, Newport, Wales
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Tiny Rebel 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

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