https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog daily 1.0 2025-11-26 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2025/8/18/brighton-locals-beer-festival-25 monthly 0.5 2025-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/0aa33b2d-f825-45a3-97de-111f785c38ad/bierhaus.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/4d801a34-1261-48f9-b76a-df6f31fbea7e/watchm.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/fa4668aa-13bc-4cd9-b1ef-58600e40b699/loud.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/8f67b0d7-54ae-4303-ad6e-dfcf00caec55/westtap.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/17d82e0c-27b3-4ec3-9d62-48f56b84b82b/front.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 The Brighton Locals Beer Festival follows a similar premise to the Brighton Independents Beer Crawls - collect your map, buy a beer from any of the participating venues and receive a stamp. Collect 5 stamps and you can enter a prize draw for some beer goodies. More stamps = more entries. Simple! The difference between the Independents Beer Crawl and the Locals Beer Festival however is with the beer: instead of Verdant taking over the taps of Brighton’s best independent venues (27 this time!), 15 local beer slingers take their place. Breweries Unbarred, Loud Shirt, Long Man, Beak, Gun, Firebird, Only with Love, Fauna, Lost Pier, As Intended, Abyss, Hand, Ascension Cider, Silver Rocket and Larrikin Venues The Independent, The Geese, The Brunswick, Watchmaker’s Arms, Mad Dog Brew Tap, Bison Hove, The Wine Barrel, Loud Shirt Taproom, The Drop, Lost Pier Taproom, Unbarred Tap, The Brick, The Prince Albert, The Hole in the Wall, The Rook, The Pond, Seven Cellars, The Greys, Hand in Hand, Vine Street Tap, Brighton Bier Haus, Haus on the Hill, The West Tap, Pink Moon, The Urchin, The Evening Star, Easy Tiger. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/f63c6476-8a00-4339-b630-fa86d2699063/rook.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/b6ec0e50-7835-4a05-af82-62a2ba5de9f4/easyt.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/2a66d072-a15f-4364-98a0-62c0c8bd1946/back.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1227e85e-0e00-40f2-9b6b-ee1f448fd440/hand.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/60887665-f04f-4923-bc30-e3db0202612c/drop.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/dff5b7e1-dd82-4e88-99cf-1624a919540d/geese.JPG Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/3d764679-339c-4f44-baa5-ea74881c4c22/halfway.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1aa7383d-83eb-44c6-849a-dd84ca910f24/end.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/a51c4674-d68f-4181-a1a3-ced33f0108d9/beer.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/b23db5c8-6bb8-45fd-8c91-8674a451d808/pinkmoon.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Locals Beer Festival '25 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2025/4/28/worthing-tap-takeover-2025 monthly 0.5 2025-10-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/39908f12-d39f-4da1-b7e5-6ddeca617e07/b%26j.jpg Beer Voyage - Worthing Tap Takeover 2025 - Stop #1 - Bottle & Jug Dept. x Three Hills The sun was shining as we pulled into Worthing train station, which immediately put me in a good mood and ready for a fun wander around. Our first stop was just the other side of the train track, so after a short wait at a level crossing, we were at Bottle & Jug Dept. less than five minutes after stepping off the train. Bottle & Jug Dept. is Worthing’s first bottle shop and is small but perfectly formed. One side of the shop holds the beer fridges, and the other displays all the wines they offer on some shelves. The bar and draft options are at the rear, with a few tables in the middle for drinking in. I think the shop can probably only seat 12 or so people at most,t and it was already full when we arrived around midday. We had visited during the tap takeover two years ago, but as the last stop of the day rather than the first. Since then the shop has welcomed new owners so I had a great natter with them about Worthing (they also own The Fox & Finch in West Worthing), our plans for the day and beer in general before we took a pew outside on the bench in front of the shop window. As it was the first stop of the day and the sun was shining, I opted for Happy Pils, a New Zealand-hopped pilsner from Three Hills. It went down alarmingly quickly, and my mood grew from good to great. I returned our glasses to the counter, said our thanks and farewells and we were on our way to our second stop in next to no time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/040506ce-c9f1-4559-893f-488826f9df4c/lvl1.jpg Beer Voyage - Worthing Tap Takeover 2025 - Stop #3 - Level 1 x Track We made our way onto Marine Parade and walked along the seafront and it wasn’t long until we made it to our third venue of the day - Level 1. I thought this place was brand new but it turns out it has been open since 2021 which probably just means I’ve never been this far along the seafront at Worthing before. Level 1 is a bar and food space on an open-air terrace at the Grafton multi-storey car park. The astroturf and colourful bunting bring a vibrancy to what is essentially a building adjoining a car park. The place was doing a steady trade with most tables full as people looked to take advantage of the sunshine. Track were in charge of the taps here which is why we came. Because such a good brewery were here, I thought Level 1 would be more beer orientated but it seemed more of a multi-functional venue than a dedicated beer spot. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy going somewhere different than a traditional pub as it definitely added a bit of variety to the day. There were only 3 Track beers on offer which was a little disappointing but I think that was mainly because they needed to keep the other taps free for their more regular wares as to not alienate the majority of their clientele. The Track choices were a DIPA, a lager or an IPA. I’d had the IPA before and it was a bit too warm for a DIPA so I settled on a pretty decent pint of Arosa, a classic Helles. It sated my thirst perfectly as we soaked up some sun and planned our next stop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/d0861935-a558-4f54-a4e0-35ebe3ff97d4/goose.jpg Beer Voyage - Worthing Tap Takeover 2025 - Stop #4 - The Goose x Sureshot We had a few choices for our next stop but ended up at The Goose mainly because we wanted food and we couldn’t spot a free table at The Beach House. I should also mention we discounted Anchored Worthing as an option as we had been before but I didn’t realise it had moved to a larger premises with outside seating. Definitely one to return to. The Goose (formerly The Wandering Goose) is a decent pub on the seafront, very close to the Dome cinema. We had been before but with Sureshot ruling the taps this time around, we didn’t need much persuading to return. The bar has a large outside seating area out front with a pretty small bar area as you enter the pub. Steps lead you down from the bar to a larger seating area and also the kitchen counter where you can collect your food (more on that in a moment). Everyone was outside because of the weather and we managed to nab the last empty table, so we felt pretty smug. I ordered 2/3s of ‘Everything Is Legal In A Dressing Gown’ which tasted resplendent with absolute bags of fruitiness that was cut through brilliantly with a decent amount of bitterness. I also had a fun interchange with someone at the bar who said his mate wanted a wetsuit and looked confused. I pointed at the ‘Small Man’s Wetsuit’ pump clip and it all made sense. I’d just ordered ‘half a small man’s wetsuit’ for my wife; something I didn’t think I’d be saying at the bar. Food options here were from local pizza slingers Yeastie Boys (who have a spot in Brighton offering pizzas by the slice). I wasn’t really paying attention when I ordered and thought I’d paid for two large slices of pizza. I’d actually bought two whole pizzas. It was a happy accident as we shared one and had the second pie for lunch the following day. Let’s pretend I did it on purpose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/231e16d4-16c4-4f71-9e4d-19003bb785f9/bno.jpg Beer Voyage - Worthing Tap Takeover 2025 - Stop #5 - Beer No Evil x Indie Rabble We were feeling pretty full after our pizza, so we decided to walk it off with a slow amble along the seafront to our next spot, Beer No Evil. We had visited a few years ago in the middle of the week when it was quite quiet and had a lovely time and a chat with the owners. The people behind Beer No Evil and The Old Bike Store are also the people behind Worthing Tap Takeover so it only felt right to visit. It was fun to return and see the place abuzz with patrons this time around. It was mid-afternoon, and the sun was out, so every bar we passed was beginning to get busy. Indie Rabble had control of the taps here and I was pretty excited about it as I had heard lots of positive things about them. I had been to A Hoppy Place in Windsor (where half the Indie Rabble team come from) a few years ago and had a great time so I was keen to try some of their beers. I opted for The Mob: Reloaded, a West Coast IPA, and it was a real treat. A lot of WCIPAs seem to lack proper bitterness these days but this was like going back in time. The piney bitterness I had been pining for (geddit?) was here in spades. And look at that colour. A thing of beauty. There was ample seating both inside and outside, but we opted to sit at the bar along the window so we could people watch and enjoy our beers. Everyone was having a lovely, old time and I could’ve happily stayed here for several more. Alas, we had places to be! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/2d9ad6cd-a002-4bdb-b6b4-0239771bc7ca/sa.jpg Beer Voyage - Worthing Tap Takeover 2025 - Stop #7 - The Selden Arms x Black Iris Our penultimate stop saw us visit what I think is probably the best pub in Worthing - The Selden Arms. The sister pub to The Hole in the Wall in Brighton, it was sort of inevitable this pub was going to be great. We’d visited before (obviously) but when I saw Black Iris on the taps I made sure we called in before heading home. Black Iris are another brewery that are rarely found down here and I really like their beers so it felt like the perfect marriage. Here we noticed a guy we had seen in several other pubs due to his very vibrant Hawaiian shirt (he took our table at The Signal Post as we left and appeared at a few of the others too). We were stood near the bar as he was heading outside for a smoke so I had a fun chat asking him if he’d been following us which he seemed to enjoy. He did advise we skip The Railway Hotel and go elsewhere but as it was right by the station and we hadn’t been before, we had to tick it off. We also spotted two old boys sat at a table each with their own files where they were taking extensive notes on the beers they were drinking. It was a beautiful sight and I told my wife I can only dream of reaching their levels of beer geekery. The pub has an ever-rotating list of both cask and keg options so you are always spoiled for choice. I plumped for a ‘Nail In The Coffin’ a lovely mahogany brown Extra Special Bitter. Flavours of deep caramel, spice and orange made this very moreish. I was close to staying for another but as we didn’t have a seat and I was interested in visiting one more new pub, we sadly had to hit the road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/9df721d9-84df-4804-9dbc-6deecea05bb9/obs.jpg Beer Voyage - Worthing Tap Takeover 2025 - Stop #6 - The Old Bike Store x Overtone We didn’t originally plan to come here as we’d been before but as it was (sort of) on the way home, we figured we might as well. Plus, Overtone had the taps, so it felt rude not to pop in. Similarly to Beer No Evil, as co-founder of Worthing Tap Takeover, it felt fair that we drop in. As with Beer No Evil, we had only visited earlier in the day before, so it was great to experience the bar with more people supping beer and having a good time. Formerly a bike shop (no way!), this bar has been slinging beers and championing local independent breweries since 2018. It’s a much larger place than it looks from the front with the building stretching back much further than you’d expect. There’s only a few seats out front in the sunshine so we had to make do with a table inside and a reprieve from the sun. I have a long-standing thing with a friend where we lament the lack of brown ales these days so whenever we see one, we have to have it. That was no different here as I chose Baseline as my beer of choice. A fantastic brown ale with all the classic notes you’d expect - toffee, malt, caramel and a sweet edge amongst the bitterness. As the only natural light is at the front of the bar, it did feel a little dark, and so we were raring to get back outside before the sun went in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/fb7aee79-d7ec-4861-ac79-e60bd16f8780/sp.jpg Beer Voyage - Worthing Tap Takeover 2025 - Stop #2 - The Signal Post x Wylam We decided to go to the venue the furthest west (that wasn’t in West Worthing) and work our way across the seafront. That meant a ten minute walk from Bottle & Jug Dept. We walked along Rowlands Road which seemed to have lots of interesting looking bars/cafes/restaurants/shops before we arrived at The Signal Post. I’m really glad we ventured out this far because this was probably my favourite new pub this time around. The team behind Worthing’s New Amsterdam (a pub I haven’t been to yet) opened The Signal Post in 2023, converting former Ladbrokes into an excellent, welcoming space. A bar lines the back wall with a huge deli counter taking up almost half of it (more on this in a second) before you get to the bar proper with beer lists and taps. Several high tables are found on the other side of the room before fridges containing wine and beer line the back wall. There’s an additional room in the back although I did not venture in as we managed to nab a table as another group were leaving. The food counter looked cracking - you can choose from a selection of breads, meats, cheeses, olives and pickles and make up your own board. The first item costs £6 with each subsequent item coming in at £3.50 each. I’d not seen a menu like this before and thought it was a great (and reasonable) way of offering a wide range of delicious goods. I definitely want to come back and while away an afternoon here sipping beers and eating my own weight in meat and cheese. Here I could not decide what to have as Wylam are very rarely on tap in Sussex, so I ordered a flight of: El Topo (a Mexican oatmeal stout), Y2K (a NEIPA) and Imperial Jakehead (a TIPA version of Wylam’s flagship IPA, Jakehead). They were all great but Imperial Jakehead blew me away. So smooth for a 10% beer! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/77e60e81-a57f-4f13-bea7-57f4c1d317ac/rh.jpg Beer Voyage - Worthing Tap Takeover 2025 - Stop #8 - The Railway Hotel x Gipsy Hill Our final stop of the day saw us visit The Railway Hotel. Mostly because it was right by the station, so we could time getting a train home from there quite easily. The building looks fantastic - I think it’s Victorian. This pub itself is massive with a huge range of seating options both inside and out. As we wanted to catch the last of the sun, we made a beeline for the beer garden, but I’d love to return and explore the inside as it looked beautiful. Gipsy Hill were on the taps here with the barman pretty much telling me not to get the sour as it wasn’t very nice. I nearly ordered it out of spite but went for Swell, a lager, which was pretty standard. What I did enjoy, though, was sitting in the beer garden as the sun began to set, discussing our day and how much fun we had. I was also feeling very smug because it was around 8pm, and as I knew this was my last beer of the day, I was almost definitely going to avoid a hangover. Start early, end early is my new mantra. We finished our drinks, got on the train and headed home via a drunken Tesco shop involving random yellow stickered items because… well, drunk. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2025/3/2/every-pub-in-brighton-12 monthly 0.5 2025-05-07 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2025/2/20/every-pub-in-brighton-11 monthly 0.5 2025-03-03 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2024/11/28/brighton-independents-beer-crawl-24 monthly 0.5 2024-12-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/102072d8-77e9-499b-a522-eb6f37a085f8/bibc24-list.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1733048234552-ZRSNS51ZRIBBWAX7PM5N/day3-plan.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1733048234077-9AXEEZ4N99HH44QA422M/day3-actual.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1733047980622-2BAUN10RAOMNBQ4QSKVQ/day2-plan.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1733047980623-E3AJ4M8VX5LBK3VTH09O/day2-actual.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/e69eab55-dab1-43a4-b5c7-66fb7aec9611/Screenshot+2024-12-02+at+17.32.19.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/b5367715-1fe5-42a7-a302-61b6ede3241c/bibc24-poa.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1732970279181-6J96MYOLTTO8M85C4UVU/day1-plan.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1732970278786-17JGLYC5JOGW6XEU4TVR/day1-actual.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1733048315654-UM3O3SFZTJQA8ZDU6IUV/day4-plan.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1733048356965-BQCXDRA700PRPYZKEWF6/Screenshot+2024-12-01+at+10.19.04.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '24 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2024/11/27/hastings-tap-takeover-2024 monthly 0.5 2024-12-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/2d0d7c23-1b95-41aa-ac09-2dff5e95d5b2/HTT+24+Website+copy.png Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 - Make it stand out Image taken from Hastings Tap Takeover website https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/85bf124a-ffb1-41c6-a587-79b98b85561c/HTT+24+Flyer+Map+copy.png Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 - Make it stand out Image taken from Hastings Tap Takeover website https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1729781941728-N9PC1UODDU95A8R1V7W3/collectedfic2.jpg Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1729781940153-6V0Z2PFX7LTTJJ7B7ZTQ/collectedfic.jpg Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/a2f5a433-f193-412b-93f1-c0e83931b3a7/HTT+24+Lineup+copy.png Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 - Make it stand out Image taken from Hastings Tap Takeover website https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/be1a0f9e-c853-4c79-8d8b-c7750ff7d277/IMG_3795.JPG Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1729862731701-HCOKDW9FRS3PKEXH5I6J/goat2.jpg Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1729862719325-OK8B6QOT95W19NDGIK5G/sea1.jpg Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/19f9a43e-9ce7-408f-a386-113f2cb0faf6/IMG_3806.jpg Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1732750705198-KNAXYO0EEEO973DG1BIG/IMG_3801.jpg Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1732750711326-OCTC8W4DPQ03MMNUX84Z/IMG_3803.jpg Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/45cf87b6-38cc-48eb-a59d-02869f1600ff/IMG_3807.jpg Beer Voyage - Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2024/11/20/beak-diners-club monthly 0.5 2024-11-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/3c01c98b-afa4-4ca4-b4b6-28060f58be8d/course2-olia.jpg Beer Voyage - Beak Diner's Club - Palmito x Beak Brewery - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/862bbaee-87f3-4c67-925d-7a0a05be8ff8/course3-parade.jpg Beer Voyage - Beak Diner's Club - Palmito x Beak Brewery - Humitas, Tamarillo Pumpkin, Lupin Aji & Oyster Mushrooms // Parade IPA 6% Dish three saw the arrival of humitas - steamed and fried corn cakes accompanied by guacamole and a vibrant sauce made with rocoto chilli, Andean tomatoes and pumpkin. The plate was finished with some chargrilled oyster mushrooms dressed with spices. I’ve never really enjoyed mushrooms as I just can’t abide the texture but these were probably some of the best I’ve had - the charring from the grill gave them a crunchy texture and smokey flavour that I actually enjoyed. The humitas would make perfect hangover food - a beautiful carby sponge capable of soaking up the delicious sauce garnishing the plate. Loading your fork up with a bit of every ingredient for the perfect mouthful was the way to eat this dish as all of the flavours bounced off each other beautifully. Another Parade was the beer with this dish and whilst I was a tad disappointed to have a repeat beer, when the beer is as good as Parade, you can’t really complain, can you? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/f298af49-f5c1-4873-b75b-f6d9dfe4f66e/course1-parade.jpg Beer Voyage - Beak Diner's Club - Palmito x Beak Brewery - Llapingachos, Chorizo, Peanut Aji // Beer Canelazo & Parade IPA 6% Before the food began, we were treated to a welcome drink in the shape of a Canelazo - a hot alcoholic drink made up of mezcal, rum, cinnamon, sugar, naranjilla (a citrus fruit found in South America and, in this case, beer! Beak’s Parade was used in this take on a canelazo and it was a perfect introduction to the evening and as delicious as you’d imagine combining all of those ingredients is. We’d not long arrived from the bracing cold outside so a warming beverage hit the spot. You can see the empty cup in the top left of the image to see how much I enjoyed it. We were also given a glass of Parade to accompany the first course, it’s arguably my favourite core beer of all time so we were off to a flyer. The first dish was llapingachos - potato cakes filled with cheese, chorizo, and beetroot, and drizzled with a spicy peanut chilli sauce. Extra chorizo was sprinkled on top before a tiny fried egg finished off the plate. It was a lovely, hearty plate of food that I could imagine eating for brunch every day for the rest of my life. The pineapple and citrus flavours from Parade worked really well against the richness of the food resulting in me clearing my plate in next to no time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/9549fd18-c60f-43db-84bc-15853551cdc2/course4-hum.jpg Beer Voyage - Beak Diner's Club - Palmito x Beak Brewery - Middle White Pork Andean Fritada // Hum Pale Ale 4.8% The penultimate dish saw an Ecuadorian street food staple given a glow-up with some amazing local produce. Fritada is The pork is cooked in a mix of boiling water, and orange juice with onion, garlic and cumin until the liquid is gone so it confits and browns. This version used delicious rare-breed pork and was served with boiled hominy corn, crunchy tostada and an agrio (a bittersweet salsa made from panela, chilli, onion, herbs and beer). It was finished off with some local pumpkin and a green sauce made with spinach. The idea here was to add everything to your plate and mix it all together before tucking in. The pork was cooked wonderfully and all of the other components were delicious but combined made the dish much more than the sum of its parts. The slight bite of the pork and pumpkin with the softness of the hominy corn, the heat of the salsa, the earthiness of the sauce and the crunch of the tostada gave this dish so much texture that I ate mine very, very quickly. I gladly hoovered up the remains from my wife’s plate (she loved it also but she is very small and was very full and not a pig like me). We were given a glass of Beak’s Hum with this course - a pale ale with a savoury bite that went well with the rich pork. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/54142c86-f585-49c0-bdbb-18899b5050a0/bdc.jpg Beer Voyage - Beak Diner's Club - Palmito x Beak Brewery - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/93c5f4ab-8907-46bd-9572-8d1b8f8c275a/course5-coco.jpg Beer Voyage - Beak Diner's Club - Palmito x Beak Brewery - Panela & Pineapple // Coco Imperial Stout 11% The final dish of the evening was a rather generously sized dessert. A cross between a sponge cake and a cheesecake served with grilled pineapple and topped with cream and an absolutely incredible vanilla custard. I was somehow given two large pieces that I dutifully gobbled down with gusto. Despite it looking huge, it was so light that I polished it off in no time. Dessert was served with the beer of the evening in Coco - an imperial stout made with heaps of coconut, coffee, cocoa powder and vanilla. I’d drank a can of this at home a few weeks ago as I’d received it in my Beak Social Club delivery so was delighted to get to drink it again. It’s just an absolutely daft beer with so many adjuncts it masks the 11% deceptively well. The second seating began arriving as we received dessert and as we had the window seat, we guzzled down our beers to free up our table and headed back out into the cold of the night, bellies full and smiles on our faces. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/972b50e4-7f47-448c-ba22-7ffd8dabff90/course2-olia2.jpg Beer Voyage - Beak Diner's Club - Palmito x Beak Brewery - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2024/2/22/every-pub-in-brighton-10 monthly 0.5 2024-07-09 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2024/4/20/every-pub-in-brighton-9 monthly 0.5 2024-04-20 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2024/2/22/every-pub-in-brighton-8 monthly 0.5 2024-02-23 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/9/5/every-pub-in-brighton-7 monthly 0.5 2023-11-03 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/9/5/every-pub-in-brighton-6 monthly 0.5 2025-02-20 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/8/28/brighton-independents-beer-crawl-23 monthly 0.5 2024-11-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693263321277-RH69U62X1EX2DY7XCCUJ/bibc-sunday-plan.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693263329156-U27G2LSW5FMN6D6HZ793/bibc-sunday-actual.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693260911773-D3C6E477SLAJPXW3EMIH/bibc-friday-plan.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693260910596-ELYZ458W9TH7WVHIVZI4/bibc-friday-actual.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/67b2aaa9-75e0-4a52-9520-77528d6db0a6/bibc-map.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693263135915-JSTR37QJ3808OT4WZNQE/bibc-saturday-plan.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693263139828-3GX5LE3W7JSQTZ819AYN/bibc-saturday-actual.png Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693596871994-WOB4KBV4OI1ZYA6QOXWQ/IMG_0988.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693596871435-D29EM2DYMFFGNJUR2PI3/IMG_0987.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693425608683-8PIPJH3DH2F36GXJL999/IMG_0925.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1693425607385-30TZ4WPJT4GQPCRYOHIC/IMG_0926.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/f2d317b8-2493-4c34-a135-78c738a5fe3e/IMG_0930.jpg Beer Voyage - Brighton Independents Beer Crawl '23 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/7/25/cloudwater-brew-co-the-mashup-2023 monthly 0.5 2023-09-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/dd159bd2-02d2-4328-b51d-d128c83a93a2/2799e08eb32ccaa348f6a3a61fc5405b_raw.jpg Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Brew Co // The Mashup 2023 - Siren Craft Brew x Newbarns Brewery // Super Gold Finger Discount - 4.8% Pale Ale with Mosaic Hops & Cedar Wood What they say: Using the Siren spinbot, the 100% Mosaic dry hop and bright, spicy Cedar Wood of Middle Finger Discount is layered into the drinkability and premium crispness of Super Gold. Expectations: I’ve had both original beers before both a few years ago now (Siren’s in 2021, Newbarns’ in 2020) but remember enjoying them a fair bit. It sounds like a decent combination so I’m hoping it’s as good as it sounds on paper. Reality: Yeah, this was great. The only beer in the pack that isn’t a DIPA so it’s at least a little different from the rest. The woodiness is a little more subdued than I remember from the Siren beer but that’s no bad thing - this beer is very smooth and easy drinking. It was a bit of a relief to crack into something sub 5% for the first time in a while so this was a welcome sight. Off to a great start. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/24cc35ac-d3d5-4bf9-beca-09031e4552e2/5e97d00543075c0f97e9c9e65342139b_raw.jpg Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Brew Co // The Mashup 2023 - Overtone Brew Co x Polly’s Brew Co // SPLUR - 8.5% New England DIPA What they say: SPLUR has taken the recipe of Polly's core favourite SPUR, a 7% DDH IPA and enhanced it with more body and hop flavour and a higher ABV taken from Overtone's PLUR recipe, a 8% DDH DIPA. Hops: Galaxy, Simcoe, Simcoe Cryo, Chinook, Citra, Azacca Expectations: I haven’t had either base beer this time around so I’m going into this one blind - both beers sound right up my street though so I’m sure I’m going to have a lovely time. Both breweries are two that I don’t drink enough of so I was delighted to see them involved in The Mash Up this year. Reality: Yeah, this bangs. For 8.5% it goes down almost too easily. It’s super soft and smooth and just incredibly drinkable. I cracked open the can to have with dinner and finished it before I was done cooking. Dangerous. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/4c63ea2b-1c44-4bfe-b9f9-251257e87697/Artboard%2B33%2Bcopy%4020x.jpg Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Brew Co // The Mashup 2023 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/c805faa7-5b20-4579-88c4-a9fba9c56d64/Screenshot+2023-08-21+at+20.05.11.png Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Brew Co // The Mashup 2023 - Cloudwater Brew Co x Beak Brewery // Purrr Well, Friends - 8.5% New England DIPA What they say: Be Well Friends is a Southern Hemisphere dominated triple IPA, which was released as part of a series of beers which highlighted hand-selected big New Zealand hops to see how they can be utilised for modern, high ABV. Purrr is a chewy, feathery-soft IPA showcasing Mosaic and Strata hops for flavours of melon, passionfruit and strawberry bubble gum. Expectations: I’ve had Beak’s Purrr on several occasions (and even have one in my fridge at time of writing) but I have not tried Be Well Friends. A TIPA mixing with an IPA to create a DIPA - whodathunkit?! Hope this is as good as I think it’ll be. Who am I kidding - this is obviously going to be great. Reality: This was probably my favourite of the 4-pack. It edges out the Verdant x Rivington beer just because it has a little bit more bitterness which I’m very much a fan of. It’s thick and juicy and is definitely one to savour. Each mouthful is a delight that just makes you want to go back for more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/e7adeeb0-0ee3-4fca-91c0-3e3e4de6ada7/Screenshot+2023-08-21+at+20.06.27.png Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Brew Co // The Mashup 2023 - Verdant Brewing Co. x Rivington Brewing Co. // Never Known Sharks Like It - 8.5% New England DIPA What they say: We've walloped together Whale Sharks and Rivington's Never Known Fog Like It, then beefed it up to 8.5% and dry-hopped it to hell and back. By adding Mosaic and Simcoe in this Mashup version, we've basically created a true monster from the deep! Expect some additional pithy grapefruit, pine and dank tropics to the Sharks citric focussed bite. Expectations: Both of the base beers here are absolutely fantastic. I’ve only had Rivington’s Never Known Fog Like It a handful of times but it’s up there with Steady Rolling Man and Parade as one of the best New England Pales this country has produced. Verdant’s Even Sharks Need Water is also incredible, and not just because of the It’s Always Sunny reference. The Galaxy really sings in it and gives it a spiky edge. Excited for this one! Reality: Yeah, this slaps. Taking two iconic pale ales and dialling them up to DIPA was always going to be a winner, wasn’t it? It’s super, super smooth and fruity and soft and just about all you want from a DIPA. Wonderful. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/7/25/northern-monk-ultimate-bar-snack-beers monthly 0.5 2023-07-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/6cfffaef-0027-4082-b909-c80fa2b274c5/nut.jpeg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk - Ultimate Bar Snack Beers - Dry Roasted Peanut Stout - inspired by KP Dry Roasted Peanuts Beer: I’ve had plenty of peanut butter stouts over the years but I think this is almost certainly the first dry roasted peanut stout I’ve ever had. It had a really good roasted nutty aroma that lived up to expectations. It instantly reminded me of being in the pub so they’ve nailed it here. The taste, like the previous beers, is a little more subtle. It’s a very good stout with the hallmark roasty, chocolatey, malty flavours but the finish had a slightly salty, nutty taste that rounded out the beer very nicely. I’m a sucker for a stout so this was very enjoyable. Snack pairing: Much like the pairings before this one, the snack helped amplify the underlying hint of savoury bite within the beer. Maybe the weakest pairing but still a worthwhile endeavour (at least that’s how I’m justifying it). Overall: Probably my least favourite snack of the three so didn’t expect much. The beer was probably the second best but the pairing the worst. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/70e7a101-d4e2-41d8-adf3-70dc1aa4e695/IMG_0610.jpeg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk - Ultimate Bar Snack Beers - Pork Scratchings Best Bitter - inspired by Mr Porky’s Original Scratchings Beer: I was less wary of the second beer of the pack - a bitter is hard to mess up, even with scratchings. It smelt like you’d expect a bitter to smell except it had a faint smokiness in the background somewhere which was quite welcoming. It looked like a bitter with its distinctive copper colour and creamy head so I dived in with abandon. I’m noticing a theme here - this is good. Very good in fact but it’s very subtle as per the first beer. There is a distinct savouriness there that actually works well and makes the beer incredibly drinkable. I polished off the beer and scratchings (see below) in double quick time. Snack pairing: The subtle savoury smoke from the beer really helped amp up the salty, meaty, crunchy pig skin. It worked unsurprisingly well because scratchings make you thirsty so you are basically alternating between beer and snack before they are all gone. Also, no hairs were discovered. Bonus! Overall: Much like the first beer then except the beer was slightly better and the pairing not quite the same level but still good. Can beer three nail it completely? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1c04972f-d193-4225-a95e-9c404bb7ba8c/IMG_0492.jpeg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk - Ultimate Bar Snack Beers - Scampi & Lemon Pale Ale - inspired by Smith’s Scampi Flavour Fries Beer: This was the one I expected to be the worst despite being my favourite snack of the three. Does anyone really want a fishy beer? I approached with trepidation, took a sniff to get the aroma, and remained trepidatious. This beer smelt a bit like how I’d imagine it’d smell if someone put a lemon inside a pair of sweaty socks and twirled them around the room, it wasn’t particularly pleasant. However, I dove in, took a sip and was actually quite surprised. The beer didn’t really have any trace of fish flavour that I could detect - which was probably a good thing but I’d built it up in my head so much that it was a little underwhelming to not get any fishiness at first. It was essentially a very lemon-heavy, light pale ale which was pleasant enough but I expected more weirdness. Snack pairing: After a few tentative sips to try and fish out (weyyy) the scampi flavourings, I cracked open the bag of Smith’s Scampi Flavour Fries to see how they paired together. The lemon flavour in the beer really amplified the savoury and fishiness of the fries here and it was bloody brilliant. Northern Monk should’ve sold these beers with the snacks just so everyone could experience this and not just a sad little man with nothing better to do. By the time I’ve published this post, this beer will probably be long gone but on the off-chance it’s still around - definitely grab a bag of fries to have with it and thank me later. Overall: The beer itself was a bit of a damp squib but when combined with their snack namesake made for an absolutely lovely time in my mouth. I’m hoping the other beers stand up on their own but if they are as good when paired with their snack companion then I’ll be pretty happy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/61858df5-165a-45a1-876e-fb82e386b5a6/IMG_0153.jpg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk - Ultimate Bar Snack Beers - Ultimate Bar Snack Beers Scampi & Lemon Pale Ale - inspired by Smith’s Scampi Flavour Fries Dry Roasted Peanut Stout - inspired by KP Dry Roasted Peanuts Pork Scratchings Best Bitter - inspired by Mr Porky’s Original Scratchings https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/6/14/every-pub-in-brighton-5 monthly 0.5 2025-02-20 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/5/31/every-pub-in-brighton-4 monthly 0.5 2025-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/a3a48e37-c843-48dd-abc2-a84ee5c3122e/The+Shakespeare%27s+Head.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #16-20 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1187f6e8-3918-4031-81a4-299b59da4391/The+World%27s+End.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #16-20 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/c100776a-5694-4532-82e4-bde6fc16ad8c/Brighton+Beer+Dispensary.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #16-20 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/869fbc03-1d38-4618-949d-245f3f545dc8/The+Craft+Beer+Co.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #16-20 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/04c89d35-8ddb-435b-a55f-fb5e563cf26e/BRZN+Arms.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #16-20 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/4/14/hop-city-2023-box monthly 0.5 2023-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/227013c1-832d-408e-a0eb-073e52a4a93a/87c28289a949cf4cbedf5e26062c4dcb_raw.jpeg Beer Voyage - Hop City 2023 Box - Mash Gang x Tripping Animals // Stank Drank - Alcohol Free IPA 0.5% What they say: Well, Hop City, should be called DIPA City, and despite our target of 0.5% abv I wanted to make an outrageous thick hazy fluffy pale ale that should fit right in. Tripping Animals have a huge reputation here for big rippin’ DIPAs and I don’t wanna let them down. So it’s been every trick in the book to get here. For the dry hop, we utilised Frozen Fresh YCH 301 Cryo Hops. A part of the Yakima Chief Hops Elite Product Trial program. Citra, but not as you know it. Paired up with one of my favourite hops HBC630 as well as, yet more trial runs HBC368 & HBC1019 – these highly experimental new test strains are very high in tropical notes, unusually caramelised banana. Expectations: Mash Gang are absolute wizards when it comes to alcohol free beer. I’ve had several of their beers ranging from lager to West Coast IPA to pastry stout and have been surprised each time by how I’d be hard pushed to tell the difference between them and a ‘full fat’ beer. I am looking forward to what they can do with these fancy hops. I can’t say anything about Tripping Animals as I’ve never had any of their beers! Reality: It smells bloody beautiful - lots of fruit. I mean, you can tell it’s an AF beer but this style is probably one of the hardest to emulate because of how thick and punchy it can get. The thinness gives it away here and it is lacking a bit of bite on the finish. However, you have to remember it’s 0.5% and when you realise that, it’s actually great - it’s just hard not to compare it to the other beers here. I think I’m trying to say… it’s good! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/27a7a090-d4f8-4c30-a0b0-0ddf80ab0401/98932c4e4fc95c85a13ab0260cde8d3c_raw.jpeg Beer Voyage - Hop City 2023 Box - DEYA x Vitamin Sea // High Water Everywhere - NEIPA 6.1% What they say: We pushed the boat out for this juicy IPA melding our IPA brewing techniques with our esteemed collaborators, Vitamin Sea. Utilising YCH 301 Simcoe, Citra and Mosaic and CRYO versions of the aforementioned, Many many layers of choice hop goodness. Crystallised pineapple and mango lolly morphs into frosted pine needles dusted with sugar. Sweet ripe raspberry and lemon come in at the finish, offset with a puff of deep green dank. This heady, tropical, citrus delight may well take you into the future!! Expectations: “Crystallised pineapple and mango lolly morphs into frosted pine needles dusted with sugar” made me do proper Vic Reeves trouser leg rubbing it sounded so sexy. With the sun beginning to show its face as Spring arrives, it’s the perfect time to crack this and I cannot wait. Weirdly, the only Vitamin Sea beer I’ve had was at a CAMRA beer festival. Reality: CAMRA this ain’t. This is lovely and pillowy soft. Despite it being the biggest can, it’s probably the one I drank the quickest as it’s just so moreish I chugged it with abandon. I’m not sure I’m getting the pine notes but who cares when it’s a full on assault of pineapple and mango. Delightful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/68ea2c87-8b5a-463f-8ced-7466a93404df/2ef6757454a16f5ffb453dc24cc8acf6_raw.jpeg Beer Voyage - Hop City 2023 Box - Northern Monk x Dogfish Head // One Up, One Down - West Coast DIPA 8.9% What they say: To mark Hop City 2023, we’ve collaborated with US brewing legends Dogfish Head on One up One Down, an 8.9% West Coast DIPA. We used some of Dogfish’s favourite hops to really pack a juicy hop hit. One Up One Down is made with YCH301 frozen fresh hop Simcoe and Citra, Simcoe and Chinook T90 and Californian White Sage. This is truly Hop City. Expectations: Phwoooaarrr, this sounds filthy. Dogfish Head are proper oldheads in the beer world and I’ve only had a couple of their beers so I’m hoping this is a proper old school West Coaster full of piney goodness. Also, I’m not sure I’ve had Californian White Sage hops before - it sounds more like a cannabis strain. Here’s hoping it’s just as dank! Reality: This is lovely. Lots of orange and bitterness, it’s almost like someone has melted down some marmalade. I expected a bit more pine but I think the orange detracts from that a little - not that I really mind as it’s delicious anyway. I didn’t expect it to be as dark as it is because I was expecting all of the beers being proper hazy (see all the ones below) so was a bit surprised at first. Not that it matters. Great beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1681498709545-DD42TSNOO1A8RCHBGFY0/IMG_0130.jpeg Beer Voyage - Hop City 2023 Box https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1681498717367-DG7L1190HEJO7T22YPF0/IMG_0131.jpeg Beer Voyage - Hop City 2023 Box https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1681498709796-4MYD0TXAP161M1ANWP0N/IMG_0132.jpeg Beer Voyage - Hop City 2023 Box https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/c3948204-c105-448a-aab3-e5c1c75cdc3b/2348c184d2d2621d009cbe3085073031_raw.jpeg Beer Voyage - Hop City 2023 Box - Overtone x Other Half // Lost in the Thick of It - DIPA 8% What they say: We teamed up with the masters from across the ocean, Other Half, to brew an extremely special DIPA for Northern Monk to celebrate Hop City 2023, also brewed in collaboration with Yakima Chief showcasing YCH 301 Trial Citra Cryo hops. This experimental product takes Frozen fresh Hops then uses Cryo Hops technology to preserve maximum flavour and aroma. With a few extra hop additions, this beer truly is Hop City. Expectations: Fresh hops. Maximum flavour. Maximum aroma. Experimentation. All things I love… when it comes to beer. Other Half are one of my favourite US breweries and I’ve liked everything I’ve tried from Overtone so I’m going to love this, I think. Reality: The aroma smelt so strongly of fruit salad chew bars that it made me feel like a little boy again, for a moment. Thankfully it has some proper grown-up bitterness on the finish to remind you this is definitely not confectionary. It’s just brilliant and everything that a DIPA should be - thick, juicy and daaaank. I should really drink more Overtone beers. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/1/28/every-pub-in-brighton-3 monthly 0.5 2025-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/038796f7-85a8-4832-9538-05f805b68936/The+Cricketers.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #11-15 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/0eae1af2-ee91-4e56-8c35-a2faf9936b1c/Le+Pub.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #11-15 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/6e113b17-192b-4b3d-9cf0-fd6f07a3491a/275866353_916176122369792_3666500384886147828_n.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #11-15 - Make it stand out Image courtesy of The Westbourne’s Instagram https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/778533a3-e530-42ec-bf05-a3ae743fbe5e/The+Hole+in+the+Wall.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #11-15 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/f9f8ebca-d708-4a8d-8cde-09c863363e49/The+Westbourne.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #11-15 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/d18cc58a-6c48-4384-bf11-0004fc0d6c5a/Poets.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #11-15 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/3/21/siren-craft-brew-10th-anniversary-mixed-case monthly 0.5 2023-04-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/5934acc2-7fd0-4e82-ae33-88764af3986b/WhatsApp+Image+2023-03-21+at+11.06.14+AM.jpeg Beer Voyage - Siren Craft Brew - 10th Anniversary Mixed Case - Siren Craft Brew - 10th Anniversary Mixed Case 1 x Maiden 2022 - 10% Anniversary Barley Wine 2 x Exquisite Corpse - 6.5% Consequential IPA 2 x Times Ten - 5% 100-Day Lager 2 x Crescendo - 11% Imperial Stout 1 x 10th Anniversary Glass Tumbler 1 x Joe & Seph's x Siren Cheese Popcorn Snack 1 x Siren 10 year anniversary booklet https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/35d2d4fb-6cf0-4810-b623-08ce14134d04/cf68ae320dd24f311297592b8ceb860a_raw.jpeg Beer Voyage - Siren Craft Brew - 10th Anniversary Mixed Case - Times Ten // 5% 100-Day Lager What Siren say: A beautifully conditioned lager allowed 100 days to come to fruition. Mittelfrüh, Saphir and Czech Saaz hops offer fresh floral, herbal and subtle citrus flavours, complementing the base of cracker-like malts, which offer just a hint of sweetness. Crisp, refreshing and perfectly balanced. Expectation: Whilst I’m not quite at the end of this evolution of a beer snob meme, I am very partial to a lager lately. Not something I’d expect to have written a few years ago. I’m looking forward to this - especially with talk of a longer conditioning time as I’m interested to see if that adds anything. Reality: This is great! A proper Helles as crisp as a German autumn morning. It’s relatively herbal and although quite dry, it has a lovely underlying citrus tang that rounds it out. I’m glad I’ve got two of these because I drank this first can so quickly it barely touched the sides. Looking forward to cracking open the second on a sunny Spring day sometime soon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1679603610999-FEIQE203UT6XCZEWEANG/A2DEA649-659E-4A8C-9E5F-5F05AD2C4F92.jpeg Beer Voyage - Siren Craft Brew - 10th Anniversary Mixed Case - Exquisite Corpse // 6.5% Consequential IPA What Siren say: A celebratory beer inspired by the Surrealist game. Ten elements of this IPA have been contributed by people who have been influential to Siren over the years, the majority from amazing breweries. The only catch is that no-one knows what each other has proposed... what could possibly go wrong? Expectation: I am very intrigued by this beer. Ten different people helped craft this beer with no knowledge of what the others were suggesting. It’s a fun take on an ubiquitous style and the booklet boasts a whole truckload of hops used at various points so I hope this delivers. Reality: On opening this beer I was struck by a huge fruity aroma that sort of took me by surprise. I thought this was going to be more West Coast than it is whereas it feels like an amalgamation of all of the coasts. It’s everything you come to love from an IPA - fruity, piney, delicious, and fresh with a lovely bitter backbone. It’s very marmaladey which I loved. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately had to have the second can. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1679603305967-LKPF75WICPDVRHG1LOZX/010FFF20-7436-43A6-8403-B7CE4B7B4927.jpeg Beer Voyage - Siren Craft Brew - 10th Anniversary Mixed Case - Crescendo // 11% Imperial Stout What Siren say: A spectacular mashup of our most recent CCC project. We've captured the rich chocolate of Candour, the punchy vanilla of Curiosity and the luxurious intensity of Charm to create a Crescendo to the series. In ten years of brewing stouts, they haven't come much better than this. Expectation: I loved all three beers this beer is a blend of so this is guaranteed to be good. What’s better is having two of them so I can squirrel one away to mature for a while. Vanilla, chocolate and coffee - the holy trinity for an imperial stout. Reality: I actually shouted “Christ” after my first sip of this. What a beer. It smells just like melted chocolate and I want to bathe in it. I’d had the 3 beers from the CCC project so knew I’d be in for a treat but this is pure decadence. It’s liquid chocolate but also so much more than that. Layers of rich chocolate, a hint of coffee roastiness and a sweet vanilla finish just makes this an incredible, incredible beer. Best stout I’ve had this year so far. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1679687251411-VN6Y6Z4X2FNJ93P59ZPS/67709D7D-28B6-451A-A8EA-717B5E0AE2C6.jpeg Beer Voyage - Siren Craft Brew - 10th Anniversary Mixed Case - Maiden 2022 // 10% Anniversary Barley Wine What Siren say: Maiden is our Anniversary celebration, a blend of barley wine aged in a multitude of barrels sourced from the finest wine and spirit producers worldwide. Each year's vintage is unique, and the Maiden 2022 blend consists of the following: 25% Bourbon / 17% Red Wine / 10% Banyuls / 5% Cognac / 5% Rum / 5% Scottish Whisky / 5% Tequila // 19% Maiden 10-hour boil / 9% Maiden 2023 Expectation: It’s amazing that this was the first beer Siren ever brewed and I love that they pay homage to it each year by iterating on the base beer to create a different blend. It is an absolute no brainer that this will be good - I mean, look at the barrels they used! Just a shame I only have one bottle. Reality: Obviously this is fantastic. I can really taste the bourbon and red wine flavours in this which is great as I’m a big fan of both. It’s sweet and sticky and boozy and something to savour. It’s every bit of its 10% ABV but that’s no bad thing. Is there a better pairing in life than barley wine and cheese? This goes great with a cheddar but would probably go even better with a blue cheese if I had any in the fridge. Barley wine is life. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2023/1/31/every-pub-in-brighton-2 monthly 0.5 2025-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/97a35d14-46c8-4abe-a00a-1c80564c2df5/The+Hop+Poles.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #6-10 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/6ea8b0b0-e902-4085-8c46-5975ef51ce06/The+Foghorn.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #6-10 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/aa7cf86a-ada3-40e4-96fe-662ee7bec184/The+Urchin.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #6-10 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/6c3a1b27-26fd-40c3-b94a-82571f9c8b1a/Bison.png Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #6-10 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/e7e17bb6-743b-4200-be00-fa6309d8b100/Hove+Place.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #6-10 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2022/9/28/every-pub-in-brighton-1-5 monthly 0.5 2025-01-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/3bdfa7b5-0a7f-4fd4-9179-c40ec7d5d829/East+St+Tap.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #1-5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/be5630b1-932f-4f72-a9f0-acb1b097f508/The+Market+Inn.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #1-5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/83f1bf71-c822-48f0-aabe-65f123821454/The+Railway+Inn.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #1-5 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/6ca16f26-f13c-4b86-a183-2016153ed555/The+Connaught.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #1-5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/f075360a-26f2-414a-9383-b4246458295b/The+Better+Half.jpg Beer Voyage - Every Pub in Brighton #1-5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2022/9/23/every-pub-in-brighton-project monthly 0.5 2023-05-10 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2022/6/28/these-hills-beer-festival-2022 monthly 0.5 2025-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1657122290570-NPVGYVOTZAVBA8ZDDQFU/beer.jpg Beer Voyage - These Hills Beer Festival 2022 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1657122311637-0IPOJBQC93NT0KPBUY94/darkboy2.jpg Beer Voyage - These Hills Beer Festival 2022 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1657122400528-ZWZ5B8F7GPRJJTH6AX1H/fruity.jpg Beer Voyage - These Hills Beer Festival 2022 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/692c62a3-2036-4be6-9e25-35ee1e4cca47/fest4.jpg Beer Voyage - These Hills Beer Festival 2022 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1657125756375-U9L4S4C2V16783QJTB1O/food1.jpg Beer Voyage - These Hills Beer Festival 2022 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1657125756644-0SS4L7I6D2IG434TFRCZ/food2.jpg Beer Voyage - These Hills Beer Festival 2022 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1657125767723-Y2EULP4I4YATMP9WXUCZ/food3.jpg Beer Voyage - These Hills Beer Festival 2022 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/e4d37f81-d3ca-45a6-82f6-a23acf0a0dd7/kai-bossom-KEf_0SqNbW4-unsplash.jpeg Beer Voyage - These Hills Beer Festival 2022 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/e96686f1-2267-4ec3-9c7c-50cbaf89db98/fest5.jpg Beer Voyage - These Hills Beer Festival 2022 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2020/12/1/ghost-whale-other-worldly-advent-calendar-2020 monthly 0.5 2021-04-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618562903151-EE7725C1UZ3IHS3VQ93G/day5.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 5: Dunk Contest - DIPA 8% // Magnify Brewing Company We’re heading back to America but the other side of it for this excellent DIPA from Noo Joysey’s Magnify. Boomshakalaka! This beer is named after NBA Jam, a basketball video game released in the 1990’s. The beer packs in five different hops (Citra, Nelson, Mosaic, Citra Cryo and Mosaic Cryo) and is a real slam dunk of flavour. I’m sorry but I bet every review of this beer makes that joke and I couldn’t not. It’s peachy, lemony, mango-y but still has that bite of bitterness you’d expect from a beer and is just a really well rounded DIPA. I could easily drink three points (pints) of this. Hmm. This is my first Magnify beer and was the sort of beer I was hoping to get in the advent calendar - a new beer from a new brewery so it has ticked all the boxes for me. Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618928179963-4MASAB4HNLJVSOQN4GG8/day16.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 16: Double Dippy Doo - NEIPA 7.5% // Dry & Bitter Brewing Company Our third trip to Denmark with this delightfully vibrant can from Dry & Bitter. Despite the brewery name, this beer is anything but dry and bitter. It’s dank and juicy and ridiculously drinkable. Just look at that head! I’m loathe to call it a DIPA (8% is the threshold for a DIPA in my own defined rules) but it’s not far off and ticks nearly all the DIPA boxes. Having so many Danish brews in this calendar has really made me pine for a return to Copenhagen which is up there as one of the best beer cities in the world. One day I’ll be back. Skål! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1619449786587-RM88SNFC2OU1F3LP7AQC/day20.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 20: Higher Revelation - Kellerbier 5.4% // Wise Man Brewing A brewery I’ve never heard of as we hit the home straight of the calendar. Wise Man Brewing hail from North Carolina in the US and are a relative baby compared to some of the breweries in this calendar - their brewery and taproom only opened in 2017! I’m not a huge fan of a Kellerbier, and tend to only really enjoy them on draught. It’s one of my least favourite lager styles so after the initial excitement of a new brewery, I was a little deflated to see it was this style. I need not worry though because this is a lovely beer. Maybe my initial prejudice to the style made me appreciate it more but I was really impressed with this. There was a light spiciness from the rye and quite a bready undertone which made drinking this on a cold winter’s day in front of a roaring fire a very pleasant experience. Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1619451199244-V0H6NXN7GP5EIWXGI9EF/day24.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 24: Framboise Northwest (2019) - Barrel Aged Blonde Ale 7.9% // Cascade Brewing Staying in the US for our final stop but heading to the west coast to sample a mouth-puckering beer from Portland’s finest sour merchants, Cascade Brewing. “Framboise Northwest is blend of sour blond ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to two years with locally grown raspberries.” I didn’t expect it to be so sharp and tart and was taken aback at first. I drank a lot of sours this year that have been closer to a fruit smoothie than a sour so was very pleased to try something that, to paraphrase Rage Against The Machine, brought the sour back. The biting flavour almost hides the woodiness imparted from the wine barrels but it develops once the tang has subsided. A lip-smacking end to the calendar. Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618485057180-EB0ZWASEDWJC59CEHBK7/day1.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 1: Millennial Burnout - Pale Ale 5% // Temescal Brewing First stop of the world tour is the west coast of the U S of A with a beer from Oakland, California’s Temescal Brewing. This is my first ever beer from Temescal so I was interested to see if their fairly big reputation was justified (at least from a beer prick like me that lusts over US breweries far more than I probably should). This is billed as a ‘ripe, fruity, hazy pale ale’ and probably has more in common with beers you’d see from the East Coast - it’s soft and fluffy and eminently drinkable. I think the UK has more or less caught up with the USA in terms of big juicy high ABV beers but beers of that ilk on the lower strength spectrum are still a bit off (5% and under), I think. It packs in the flavour of a much stronger beer and is one you’d happily drink all day. Drinking this at the end of 2020, a year restricted almost entirely to my flat has me pining for American adventures. Good start. Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618563840214-Z7Q7AG9LY60YQHKUWWAQ/day6.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 6: Santa's Secret: Mochaccino Messiah Triple Shot - Brown Ale 8.2% // To Øl When I pulled this beer out I thought I’d had it before but turns out I was wrong. I’d had the double shot version in the To Ølekalender 2018 a few years ago. This version of the Dane’s brown ale was made with buckets of triple shot Mochacchinos for three times the amount of coffee as the double version. I’ve never been a huge coffee head but have always loved it in beer so was interested to see how this compared to my foggy memory (and review) of the double shot iteration. It’s… pretty, pretty good! Obviously the coffee is more dominant here but the underlying flavours from the cardamom and cinnamon are still there, just a little muted. I do love a brown ale but it’s a style that is very much not popular so I rarely get to drink them - nice to add another good one to the list. Skål! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618485845441-6HU79DDI15I96V23KARE/day2.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 2: NEW KICKS - West Coast IPA 6.5% // Garage Beer Co. Next stop, España with Barcelona haze merchants, Garage Beer Co. Highly regarded for their excellent array of hazy pales, I was happy to get to try their take on a West Coast IPA as I don’t think I’ve tried one from Garage before. 2020 was definitely a year I returned to more bitter beers - not sure if fatigue from NEIPA (still one of my favourite styles) or just my palate changing but I pined (geddit?) for sticky bitterness of a West Coast IPA more than any other beer this year. This one was up there as one of the best of the year. Piney bitterness in waves but with the addition of citra hops it gave quite a orangey finish making the beer all the more drinkable and moreish. I actually visited Garage’s taproom in Barcelona in 2018 (I should probably write about that trip) and although it was a bit of a flying visit, this beer has me hankering for a return for pints and pintxos. Salud! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618927266073-NHQ1TYGG8R8RJ8VFT036/day15.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 15: Hell - Helles 5.2% // Privatbrauerei Einsiedler Brauhaus A German Helles imaginatively titled Hell for Day 15 from Privatbrauerei Einsiedler Brauhaus based out of Chemnitz, Germany. Lager is one of those styles that a lot of beer fans tend to overlook in search of the big DIPAs and crazy flavoured imperial stouts but it’s definitely a beer style that has its place alongside them. This beer was clearly meant for drinking in a beer garden in the blazing sunshine so I don’t think I appreciated quite so much sat in my flat on a cold day in December. Nevertheless, it’s a fine example of a Helles - a beer that is mildly sweet, light-coloured with low bitterness designed to be quaffed in spades. That’s exactly what this is and I’d love to be sat in a German beer garden drinking copious amounts of this with my pals. Prost! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618584400218-G05IUIXY7UBX7DBUJGG3/day8.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 8: Beyond The Spectrum - NEIPA 7.2% // Amundsen Brewery Staying in Europe and heading north to Norway with a NEIPA from hop slingers and adjunct aficionados, Amundsen. Amundsen have built up a reputation for tasty beers with both their hazy pales and imperial stouts, particularly the Dessert In A Can series of imperial stouts made with all sorts of dessert based ingredients. This, however, is one of their juicy NEIPAs which is absolutely brilliant. The aroma of the beer is as striking as the colourful can label - it’s almost like someone has liquidised a Fruit Salad chew bar. I drank this remarkably quickly so don’t really remember specifics other than I would happily chin several more. Skål! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618585138066-C5PT77NUDIFMW3L4P3YJ/day9.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 9: Copenhagen Creamsicle - Blonde Ale 5.5% // Alefarm Brewing Staying in Scandinavia with our second trip to Denmark in the advent calendar with this Københavnerblonde ale from Alefarm. A Københavnerblonde ale is a Copenhagen blonde ale, apparently. I was excited to try this as blonde ales are few and far between these days. It didn’t really taste like a blonde ale to me but maybe this is an accurate representation of one from Copenhagen? This beer is Alefarm’s love letter to a popular Danish ice cream called Københavner Stang (or Copenhagen Stick to this Englishman) - a vanilla ice cream center with a thin layer of pineapple sorbet on the outside. There’s pineapple, mango, lemon, vanilla and lactose all packed into this can and I’d probably liken it more closely to a milkshake or ice cream pale than anything else. I really want to go back to Copenhagen for a Copenhagen Stick. And to blow all my savings at the various Mikkeller bars throughout the city. Also, the can art is beautiful. Skål! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1619175268575-TEJUE519849PXM5LU4WD/day18.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 18: Zumo - NEIPA 6% // Basqueland Brewing A trip to Basque country for day 18 with this fruity boi from Basqueland Brewery. If it wasn’t obvious from the can label full of oranges and the name (‘zumo’ means ‘juice’), this is pretty much alcoholic orange juice. If the label wasn’t subtle enough, the aroma as soon as you crack the can will tell you all about this beer. Just orange. Orange everywhere. It’s the same as you sip. So much orange. It’s a wonderful, wonderful beer with a pithy bitterness there to remind you that you probably shouldn’t be drinking this with your breakfast. I’ve only had a handful of beers from Basqueland but have been impressed with every single one so they are definitely a brewery I need to explore further. Their brewery and taproom is only a 10-15 minute drive from San Sebastian in nearby Hernani, so definitely has potentially for a trip out there to drink at the source. Salud! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618583818540-QBGYVXP5BLKPQ8145GU8/day7.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 7: Sunrise To Sunset (2020) - IPA 4.5% // FrauGruber Brewing Guten Tag! We’re off to Germany for day 7 with this very summery can from FrauGruber. A FrauGruber beer was in last year’s advent and was very enjoyable - could this beer make it 2/2? Yeah, I guess. It’s hard to get particularly enthused about a session IPA due to their ubiquity. It’s not a bad beer but it was never going to blow my socks off either. Still, it’s nice to drink a beer from Germany that isn’t a lager. Prost! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618925639388-48X8ZRC571AVRXCMRESO/day13.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 13: Evening Vespers - Belgian Dubbel 7.1% // Laughing Monk Brewing Our third trip to the US with San Francisco’s Laughing Monk and their interpretation of a Belgian Dubbel. Evening Vespers are the evening prayers taken in church - in this case, presumably by laughing monks. I was really looking forward to trying this as I don’t think I’ve ever tried a US brewery’s attempt at making a Dubbel (although I may be mistaken). It’s bloody brilliant - pours a lovely amber colour and has all the classic aromas from a Dubbel - there’s fig, plum and raisins all swirling around your nostrils and the same flavours on first sip which takes me back to drinking similar beers in Bruges many years ago. I always say I should drink more Belgian style beers and never really follow through so it's a welcome entry to the calendar. Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1619448821280-014GETVGR8YVU5M44PVS/day21.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 22: Père Noël - Belgian Pale Ale 7% // Brouwerij De Ranke From one very much Not Christmas beer to one that very much is. We’re back in Belgium for an ‘Xceptional Xmas Beer’ from Brouwerij De Ranke. It’s not your traditional Christmas beer - there are no festive spices or dark roasted malts here, instead, it’s an amber coloured Belgian ale that’s surprisingly bitter. It’s quite an astringent bitterness that I’m not massively keen on and the beer itself is quite peppery and dry. Overall I’m a bit disappointed because I thought I was getting a Christmas style beer and was thrown this twist. I like twists now and then but I’m not sure why they are labelling it as a Christmas beer when it’s pretty much a regular Belgian pale with bitterness dialled up to 11. Probably the first beer I’ve not really enjoyed but we’re on day 22 so that’s a decent hit rate. Proost! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618587147520-RO3U5A97P4OAKQ292DLJ/day12.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 12: The 44th Line Of Code - DIPA 8% // Wylam The hypothetical airplane makes it’s first return to England at the half-way stage of the box (maybe to refuel?) with a landing in Newcastle and a stop at Wylam. I’ve been desperate to get myself back to Newcastle for a proper beer visit and Wylam is top of my list. The brewery is located in Exhibition Park and looks absolutely stunning. I’ll get back there one day, I’m sure. The beer itself is canny (as the Geordie’s would say) - a heavy DIPA that coats your mouth with a ridiculous amount of tropical fruit. It bucks the trend of a lot of beers in tasting every bit of its ABV which really makes you savour and appreciate every sip. Definitely one to buy on sight. Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1619175865856-C3PQMNRBJM2SFAQ07IM4/day19.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 19: Oude Geuze Cuvée Armand & Gaston (season 18|19) Blend No. 13 - Lambic Gueuze 7.1% // Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen Another trip back to Belgium and another classic style, the Gueuze - a blend of lambics that is then bottled and allowed to mature and secondary ferment. As 3 Fonteinen explain: “This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 6 different barrels and originating from 12 different brews. This blends consists of 45% two- and three-year old lambics, originating from 6 brews.” Complexity and layers of flavour in this behemoth. It’s funky and fruity with a lot of apple punctuating the woodiness. The acidity is obviously there too but it is really well balanced. It finishes dry with tart apple and lemon puckering your mouth. A wonderful beer. Proost! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1619448006242-UQ3N045UHBUHPPB4VQEL/day20.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 21: Billionaires Should Not Exist - NEIPA 7.2% // Pressure Drop Brewing London’s finest for day 20 with a cracker of a New England IPA from Pressure Drop. Drinking this a few days before Christmas felt very strange as it’s clearly a beer meant for sunshine. It’s soft, juicy and pillowy soft - all the hallmarks of a great NEIPA. I’m a big fan of pineapple and this is full of it - both Azacca and Galaxy are hops that impart pineapple flavour and it’s here in spades. Pressure Drop are one of my favourite London breweries - they just consistently churn out really tasty beers from a variety of styles. Their core beer, Pale Fire, is a craft classic. It’s one of those beers you drink quicker than you realise just because it’s so refreshing and thirst-quenching and very quickly, it’s all gone and you are sad. It was just a bit weird to drink it sat next to a Christmas tree. Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618486410599-AE0Z233PANGZMZOHUC10/day3.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 3: Apocalypse Dreams - DIPA 8% // Whiplash Fiddle-dee-dee, we’re off to Ireland and a tangerine dream with this DIPA from Whiplash. As well as the excellent, striking white colour and gorgeous artwork of their cans - I really love that the cans list the malt and hops used in the beer in nice clear lettering just below the beer name (it’s on the back of the can in the pic, I wanted to show the design!). This beer was made using one hop - Amarillo (I will not make a Tony Christie joke. I will not). Amarillo gives a beautiful citrus note - predominantly orange but hints of peach are also creeping through with this beer. Not many single hop beers are made with Amarillo but a DIPA feels like the perfect showcase for it. Pillowy soft and ridiculously quaffable, this beer did not last very long despite its 8% ABV. Whiplash’s brewery and taproom wasn’t a thing when I visited Dublin but I am now desperate to return to give them a visit. Sláinte! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618586736842-MWYNW71CZV0GCUHJK2MG/day11.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 11: Christmas Cream - Porter 4.7% // LERVIG I was beginning to think there weren’t going to be any dark beers in this advent calendar. And then this Christmas themed delight from Norway’s Lervig arrived at just the right time. This light porter came in a nitro can (nitrogen added to the beer during canning) which results in a super creamy and super smooth drinking experience. I’ve not been the biggest fan of nitro beers as I feel the nitro addition seems to mute the flavours in the beer itself and I’m not sure the smooth and creamy mouthfeel is worth the trade-off in flavour. However, after letting this beer warm up a little, the flavours began to creep through - hints of chocolate and cinnamon combine for a lovely festive tipple for December. Skål! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1619450689107-MGGW98XG7GAYX638LBIB/day23.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 23: Even More Jesus - Imperial Stout 12% // Evil Twin Brewing The penultimate day and an absolute belter from Brooklyn’s Evil Twin. Surprisingly, the first beer I’ve actually had before. But when the beer is this good, who cares? I’d have this several times over and then I’d have it some more. The last time I drank this beer was during a particularly heavy night on the stouts that resulted in a £400 carpet cleaning bill due to me painting the floor of my Airbnb a lovely shade of black vomit. Turns out that doesn’t mix well with cream carpet. Idiot. Anyway, happy to report this time around there was no spewing involved. Only me spewing superlatives to describe this beer, amirite?! It’s a amazing combination of those famous stout smells and tastes - chocolate, coffee, dark fruits and brown sugar. The strongest beer in the box and just pure decadence and indulgence. Lovely old job. Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618926615037-DFQSA0CKET0M5OWW2O66/day14.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 14: Caramel Fudge Stout Cognac Edition - Imperial Stout 11.5% // Brouwerij Kees Dutch brewery Kees have built a strong reputation for their excellent Caramel Fudge Stout. They’ve taken taken this further by sticking it into various different barrels to further develop the flavour. Day 14 sees us tackle the cognac version. Kees have popped up in two previous boxes (Sticky Toffee Pudding Porter from the Ghost Whale box last year and an American Barleywine in the 2017 Honestbrew Ultimate calendar) so it felt reassuring to see one appear here. This beer is probably the pick of the bunch though - it has the base sweetness from the caramel fudge stout but it’s amplified in the cognac barrels making this a lovely, complex sipper of a beer. Proost! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1619174645248-DGQ4KQFKK5B3UI3Z7QXL/day17.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 17: Jõuluöö - Porter 8% // Põhjala In terms of our next Beer Voyage, Tallinn in Estonia is probably top of my list and it’s almost entirely because of Põhjala. Is there a better brewery in the world than them at making porters? They have absolutely nailed every dark beer I’ve tried from them but seem to have really perfected the porter and anything porter-adjacent. This just adds itself to the list. Jõuluöö translates to ‘Christmas night’ so is a very apt for addition to an advent calendar. This beer is aged on cacao nibs, fresh vanilla pods, and French oak which gives the beer a feeling of pure indulgence. It’s jet black in colour, smooth as butter and just smells divine. The taste is all chocolate and vanilla and I drank this alongside a little chocolate mousse which just amplified the flavours tenfold. The woodiness from the oak is there but it’s more of a subtle hint than being hit in the face with a tree. Definitely the best dark beer from the box so far. Terviseks! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618487147309-H6FIBRGL941FRZC4C0R6/day4.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 4: Phi - Blond Sour 8% // Brouwerij Alvinne We had a sour from Alvinne in last year’s calendar and whilst I made a pledge to try more, I failed. So I’m delighted we have a return with this blond sour from the Flanders’ based microbrewery. Compared to the complexity of the oak barrel-aged sour last year, this has a very clean, refreshing acidity to it that would be absolutely brilliant in the summer. It’s still brilliant in winter, to be fair. A lot of sour beers these days tend to be heavily fruited sours which are more akin to fruit juice than having much sourness to them so I’m very glad to have a sour beer that is actually sour for once. Always trust the Belgians when it comes to sours. I feel like I’ve tried the beers backwards as this feels like a very good stepping stone into Flemish style sours. This is by no means a criticism as I still enjoyed it immensely. Proost! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1618585954264-RDMDW6L1R6NSOYEBVJE2/day10.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Other Worldly Advent Calendar 2020 - Day 10: Hoppy Crew: Are You Sure? - DIPA 8.1% // Browar PINTA Day 10 takes us to Poland and a beer from the Hoppy Crew series from Browar PINTA. From what I can ascertain, this series of beers are designed to showcase the staff of PINTA on the cans, snapping them in action as they make the specific beer you are drinking. It helps give the beer a personalised feel. It also helps that the beer is blummin’ delicious. An excellent DIPA with the usual tropical fruit flavours backed up with a sticky sweet resinous that helps round out the beer. The Polish beer scene seems to be ever growing with several Polish breweries emerging in recent years. I had my stag do in Krakow so got to sample the delights first-hand. I just hope they continue making their way over to the UK despite the Brexit distribution mess. Na Zdrowie! https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2020/9/2/beer-in-the-time-of-covid-19 monthly 0.5 2020-09-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598351728986-H1414XR3XIA4Q0VKR28M/IMG_4805.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - BrewDog The BrewDog AGM was a digital affair this year and with it came the release of an AGM box to drink as you attended virtually. We snapped this up for around £40 (and added a Paradox Grain because BrewDog make the best Imperial stouts). It was a great mixture of new releases including the annual anniversary stout in Dog I, Triple Hazy (a TIPA version of Hazy Jane) and a 2020 version of Born to Die as well as some pales and some sours from OverWorks. Jack Hammer reignited our love of West Coast IPAs after shunning them for their hazier East Coast brethren for far too long. The Evil Twin collaboration, Roaster Coaster was also amazing. So smooth! It’s weird that it’s available in supermarkets now - a 10% nitro can of stout. What a world we live in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598359355214-OFLX3Q2E6UQNBSE9RAP4/gw.gif Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Ghost Whale Two orders from London bottleshops (Brixton/Putney) Ghost Whale; the first a mixture of the UK’s finest, including a first try of Cambridgeshire’s mixed fermentation and wild wares, Pastore Brewing - Waterbach Weisse, a mango weisse and Wild Saison, a.. erm, wild saison. Both were exquisite. The rest a mix of hazy/pale beers that disappeared very quickly. We had to go back for seconds when Ghost Whale got their hands on some Finback freshly imported from New York so bundled in some DEYA newbies for good measure. Finback’s Blueberry Drip (blueberry, vanilla, peanut butter, and coffee stout) and Cats Are Forever (a 9% DIPA) being the standouts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598352146661-0RFPE3R3KSNKRYU9REF8/staggeringly.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Staggeringly Good Portsmouth’s Staggeringly Good were up next due to them releasing a range of sours and a porter as well as having some of their newer beers still in stock. Souropod is the brewery’s first foray into sour beers with three versions - (1) Dry Hopped Kettle Sour With Idaho And Citra (2) Blueberry, Raspberry, Lime, Coriander Salted Gose (3) Pink Guava, Pineapple, Strawberry Kettle Sour. The pink guava one being the pick of the bunch with the perfect balance of fruity tartness. Divine/Divide sees the brewery take the same base beer and create a beer from each coast of the US. One a piney, bitter West Coast IPA and the other a soft, pillowy New England IPA. Both fantastic examples of each style. Lastly, Post Imperial Porter - a souped up version of Post Impact Porter, aged on white oak with maple syrup and vanilla. This was the overall winner. Fantastically thick and sticky and warming. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598432911065-8IJNECXHMGIDMOUDFET7/emsworth.gif Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - The Emsworth Brewhouse One of the revelations and saviours of lockdown came in the form of The Emsworth Brewhouse. At the start of lockdown when deliveries and companies were overstretched and delaying their orders, this local brewpub stepped up and delivered us our order the same day. Often within an hour or two. Mind-blowing. Their delivery schedule has changed slightly now things are opening up a bit more but they are definitely worth checking out if you live in the surrounding areas. Not only do they sell their own beers (Wodehouse was a classic English ale delivering hints of spice and a full-bodied flavour) but they had a massive range of guest beers that are very reasonably priced. We dipped our toes into the waters of some unknown breweries with Davenports Trump-inspired IPL 2nd Term delivering some summer refreshment and S43 Brewery’s GoGo Juice bringing the juice. However, Wiper & True’s Hop Garden Series No. 1: Sabro blew us away. Designed to showcase everyone’s new favourite hop, Sabro, this was fruity with a slight hint of coconut which made us wish we’d ordered ten of them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598368660046-UJUF6BTEGKOUOUCMBEFG/hopgif.gif Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Hop Burns & Black Another double order from beer, cider, wine, hot sauce, vinyl aficionados, Hop Burns & Black. The first order was an excuse to try some beers from some smaller breweries, namely, Newbarns (new Scottish brewery feat. folk who worked at Siren, The Kernel & Beavertown), Saint Mars of the Desert (Sheffield based artisanal brewery), Beak Brewery (found in Lewes), Baybrooke and Donzoko (top lager producers from Northamptonshire and Hartlepool, respectively). Also managed to squeeze in Gigglejuice, a dry cider from London’s tiny small batch cider makers, Duckchicken! Beak’s Parade IPA was a standout and I’m looking forward to trying more of their stuff now they have their own brewery space after gypsy brewing for a while. We’re yet to drink Wylam’s Summon Up The Blood but are very excited to. It has all the hallmarks that we love in a souped up Imperial stout. The second order saw us finally take the plunge and buy some top quality cider from some of the UK’s best low intervention, artisanal cider producers in Oliver’s, Little Pomona and Pilton. A delicious range of dry and sweet ciders that seem to share a lot of traits with natural wine, which is fine with us as we’re big fans. Plus, more beer because you can never have enough. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598018856952-FMRAAL2AX8EZX75ZFGQ1/IMG_4622.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Weird Beard Brew Co. Weird Beard Brew Co. are local favourites of ours. Being within a 3 mile radius of the brewery, we took advantage of their free delivery offer and purchased several interesting sounding beers. We placed our order at 1:30pm. The delivery came at 5pm. We were drinking by 5:01pm. Exceptional stuff. The highlights of this order was a 10.3% stonker of a barleywine in Bearded Nurse which blew us away and a 7.7% double dry hopped DIPA in Anti-Social Social Club which was a fantastic old school interpretation of hazy beer from a brewery that prides itself in not following the pack in churning this style out dime a dozen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598431781278-SKPI5UMIW482AHLPGRB8/beermusk.jpeg Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - The Beer Musketeer Staying in Portsmouth with this next order from The Beer Musketeer, Portsmouth’s only independent craft beer bottleshop. A trio of dessert delights from UnBarred and a duo of retro radiance from Play Brew Co. The ‘no milk’ Strawberry Maltshake managed to deliver the taste of its counterpart despite the lack of milk being there and whilst the Bueno Shake didn’t really deliver the flavours of the chocolate bar it was named after, it was still a delicious and tasty stout. We bought the Play Brew Co cans purely for the 80’s/90’s nostalgia on the cans with Lady Luck being the beer of the order. Tropical milkshake goodness with mango, passionfruit, and pineapple delivered in spades. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598361385449-7VW72RWTGZKAE2H8JI52/dig.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Dig Brew Co. They say don’t judge a beer by its cover (they don’t but humour us) but you absolutely should when the cover is as brilliantly designed as Dig’s bottles are. We’d tried some of their beers a few years ago but the rebrand caught our eye. Each beer is dipped in glow in the dark wax which, whilst a bit of a novelty, was enough for me to place an order with them so make of that what you will. That mixed with the punk-esque font and the stubby bottles make for a unique, stand-out design. Thankfully the contents was just as good. As usual, we did our tried and tested ‘one of everything’ approach so got to try a mixture of lager, pale, wheat, sour, porter and stout. Oh No, It’s Moon Unit and Eddie Fights Judge Doom win for both having great names and being an excellent DIPA and imperial stout, respectively. Our first All Together beer too which was a cracker. Definitely a brewery to pay a visit to when we’re allowed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598354686707-24KGTE9QEXUEBX4X7VH6/spiritofbath.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Independent Spirit of Bath Surprisingly, this is the only order we made whilst drunk. We were perusing the internet late one evening when we spied that, self-dubbed purveyors of fine booze and bad influences, Independent Spirit of Bath had the latest imported US beers from Equilibrium and at a very reasonable price. A few days later this order turned up and we mentally high fived ourselves for having such great taste. It appears we ordered the two pastry stouts from Greece’s Seven Island simply because we liked the cans. PBJ Concoction (peanut butter, wild strawberry, Tahitian vanilla & chocolate) and Dulce de Banana (banana, dulce de leche, Tahitian vanilla & chocolate) both filled the gap on evenings when we’d eaten all the brownies we’d made. Sweet, syrupy and delicious. Both Equilibrium beers were of course fantastic but the other hightlight was DEYA’s Tappy Pils. The perfect beer to sink on a Friday post-work in the sunshine. Glorious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598351988145-38BH68KCIPK8KMCI7CJ3/honestbrew.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - HonestBrew The biggest order of lockdown to take advantage of a 20% off code. What better time than a drop of some US fuss beers from the likes of Barrier, LIC and KCBC? We are always drawn in by the allure of a US brewery popping up online simply because of how rare it is to get to try these beers. Overall, worth the premium despite one of the cans being slightly oxidised. Topped up with some Verdant, Polly’s Brew Co., Howling Hops, Northern Monk, Naparbier and even a couple of hard seltzers (they are shite, don’t bother). Slightly disappointing that one of the beers we’d ordered was out of stock and was replaced with a cheaper beer without any acknowledgement or money refunded but we’ll let them off because of how weird everything is at the moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598435712863-JIOTKQWRGQBE91PVMRRV/brewerstap.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - The Brewer’s Tap One of our favourite pubs in Portsmouth got the order treatment next - Southsea Brewing’s The Brewer’s Tap. We were missing draught beer so made an order for Actual Beer On Tap!!! Two pints of Southsea Brewing’s very own Posers & Perchers, a mango and guava sour pale ale. This was delightfully refreshing but there’s something about drinking beer from a re-used milk carton that just doesn’t recapture the magic of being handed a freshly poured pint in a pub. The main reason for the order though was, The Right to Bear Arms, a toasted pecan and maple doughnut stout. We’re huge fans of pastry stouts and this sounded like it was on the right side of sweet without being overly cloying and sickly. And it was! It was probably too far on the bitter side and lacked a little on the maple. Still good though! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598351918974-GV9K9O7OQESZ5Z7PJ07W/gosnells.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Gosnells of London Meadery We can’t say we’re connoisseurs when it comes to mead (an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey, for the uninitiated). We’ve dabbled before, trying Superstition Meadery’s batshit concoctions at beer festivals as well as picking some up on a trip to Poland. However, Gosnells offered a pack of their four core meads for £10 so we thought we’d take a momentary break from beer to sample some mead. On offer were four flavours; hopped, hibiscus, citra sea and sour. Mead is obviously very sweet but the carbonation in these drinks added a slight effervescence which helped. We found the Hibiscus version to be a little too sweet but the Hopped and Sour iterations were better as they were less saccharine. However, the winner was Citra Sea. The little hint of salinity at the end gave it an interesting twist and helped balance out the obvious big honey flavours. Worth a punt if you fancy something different. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598354787950-JCPWS3L1U2EVQ3OK2W0X/ealingbrew.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Ealing Brewing Last but not least, we return to West London to support another local business in Ealing Brewing. The brewery originates from South Ealing micropub, The Owl & The Pussycat. After being unable to meet demands on the kit there, Ealing Brewing was born. The beers are dubbed as ‘progressive beers, rooted in tradition’ which is a pretty good slogan and fairly accurate. Saying that, we know we’ve made the book/cover statement a lot in this post but these beers definitely need a new cover - the labels and logo are a bit naff. We bought one of everything and there’s a good mix of styles here; bitter, blonde, pale, weisse, stout, porter, barleywine. There’s even a smoked lager! (Note for future reference: we do not like smoked beers. When will we learn?) The Kellerbier was a deliciously refreshing beer, as was Poca Mon: Nelson Sauvin, an IPA hopped with (duh) Nelson Sauvin. Turner’s Tank was another standout - a well balanced, easy drinking traditional bitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598351374725-L7HFCOUEW5DJJYX6HRPM/thornbridge.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Thornbridge Brewery One of the cheapest orders during lockdown came from Thornbridge Brewery. A discount code helped lower the price of this order to just £2 a beer. 15 beers for £30 is not to be sniffed at. We’ve never been bowled over by Thornbridge but they do make good, consistent beers. We’re hard placed to put our finger on a standout beer from this order but there wasn’t a bad beer here. The slightly more modern styles probably just edging it but we were a big fan of the red ales (Colorado Red and Myddle) just because they aren’t as ubiquitous as pales. The Firestone Walker collab Pon Dera was also a highlight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598354536569-XD9VA1M9J6O391355XVE/pintofhops.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - A Pint of Hops Trying to support local again with Acton’s small but perfectly formed bottleshop, A Pint of Hops. Marius from the shop contacted us to arrange delivery and whilst doing so, was able to chuck in the Sambrook’s Imperial Stout that had sold out on the website. Great personalised service! Accidentally ordered a lot of dark beers in the middle of summer along with a deliciously herbal Rosehip Saison from Yonder and some other more summer appropriate beers. Mikkeller/Burnt Mill collaborated to make The Weight of Brunch, a powerful barrel-aged stout that packed a punch. Estonian’s Põhjala gave us two porters, the classic Must Kuld and Honey Laku, a porter brewed with heather honey, liquorice root and blackcurrants, aged in Pedro Ximenez and Bourbon barrels. This one felt like drinking a spirit. In a good way. The pick of the bunch was Lervig/North Brewing’s Nitro Hot Chocolate Stout. The brewers accidentally packed too much beer into their nitro cans so it came with a warning to pour carefully. No exploding can here, instead a super silky smooth beer that genuinely tasted like grown-up chocolate milk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1599128145712-JWOTJDMZOK5792YU2NGJ/af6d8827-3401-4340-bdfb-44f4086042e2.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Wander Beyond Brewing Up to Manchester to purchase some high ABV sweet treats from Wander Beyond Brewing. Known for their adjunct heavy beers that would make CAMRA cry into their bitters, we’ve always liked Wander Beyond from our first sip of one of their milkshake IPAs a few years ago. They were also one of the first to release beers in 250ml cans making them a bit more affordable and quaffable (how quaffable is a 12% milkshake IPA?). Milkshake talk aside, it was the imperial stouts from this order that really stood out here. Marauder, a 13% white chocolate and raspberry stout was just the right side of sickly sweet. Eye of the Storm, a 12% coffee and maple breakfast stout was a bit more grown up and smoky, though I’d probably not have it for breakfast. La Adelita was our favourite though, a stout infused with cacao nibs, cinnamon, chipotle peppers and a small amount of vanilla. Inspired by Mexican chocolate cakes; this beer was everything. Warming heat and chocolate notes made us pine for a return to Mexico. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598351405789-44V5HU2LW5OQQNH6O80E/beernec.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Beer Necessities Spreading the love to a bottleshop we’ve never actually been to with this next order. A friend alerted me to Bristol’s Beer Necessities having lots of new, fresh beers in from DEYA and Verdant so we had a peak. Ten minutes later we had placed an order. It was a bonus to see To Øl’s new beers from To Øl City, the Dane’s new 150,000 square metre craft beverage complex in Svinninge, Denmark. Somewhere we hope to be able to visit one day. The Whirl Domination was the first IPA made in the new brewery and if it is a sign of things to come, we are fully on board. We drank these all just as the weather was picking up and they were all perfect sunshine beers. DEYA being one of the stars of the year with consistent, weekly releases of fresh, delicious beers. This was also a chance to try some more All Together varieties from Verdant and North. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598351581471-HBI9VHKQFC4KFF8XQ51A/pomona.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Pomona Island Brew Co Pomona Island probably have the best named beers in the UK. Various quotes and lines from cult favourite comedies such as Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, The Peter Serafinowicz Show and Brass Eye amongst others. The names combined with striking simplistic and colourful can designs really help them to stand out. The liquid inside is pretty good too. Pomona focus on pale and sour beers for the most part (although they do cater to dark beer fans too, just a bit more sporadically) with their DIPA, Thagomizer and IPA, Lefty Scissors showcasing just what they can do. However, the standout beer was Rip It Up, an orange sour. It’s hard to believe this is a beer because it tasted just like Buck’s Fizz - and looked like it too. Bright orange in the glass with sharp acidity and sparkle from the carbonation. Well worth seeking out if they rebrew it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598354567976-C5WDHI93D2Z79JF64N7K/beer52.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Beer52.com We’re no strangers to Beer52.com, having been a customer for around a year many moons ago. We even reviewed them back in 2017. Suffice to say, being Very Into Beer, we’re probably not quite their target audience anymore. However, they were offering 10 beers for the price of postage so we picked up the beers you can see here for the pricely sum of £6.95. The website and magazine boasts that they offer beers you cannot buy in the supermarket and you’ll never drink the same beer twice. Except at least four of these are now available via a combination of Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose. And we definitely had the O’Hara’s stout in a box in the past. Alas, we can’t really complain as there’s probably different rules for an introductory box such as this. Plus, we made two batches of brownies with the Millionaire and Peanut Butter Milk Stout so that probably tips this order into the positive category. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598023318087-92VPAVC3NDF4XBSJD74S/cw.gif Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Cloudwater Brew Co. With a selection as good as Cloudwater’s, we actually ordered from them twice. Bookending lockdown proper. The first order being Cloudwater’s own wares including the start of their Crop Year series for this year showcasing different hops across a range of pale beers. The second order was to take advantage of some US hype beers they had in stock from The Bruery (Oatmeal Cookie - an Oatmeal Cookie-inspired imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with oats, granola, raisins, and cinnamon) and The Veil (Never Never Mind Mind - a double plum gose). Plus I had to try more of the Crop Year beers because they were so good. We’re running out of space now - basically, is any UK brewer as consistently good as Cloudwater? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598351764782-MLJRXLSNMXE0HZQUWUTU/beermerchants.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Beer Merchants Beer Merchants got the Beer Voyage online order treatment next because they were offering a box of Barcelona’s Garage Beer Co. at a very good price. A Barcelona weisse, a porter, some pales and a heap of strong IPAs. The standouts being two collabs - Jumpsuit, an 11% TIPA brewed with Northern Monk and Shoelaces, a 6.5% NEIPA brewed with Whiplash. Best brewery in Spain? You bet your ass. We also bought a can of Lervig’s Cheap Lunch (an imperial stout with peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla and caramel) which was as ridiculous as the ingredients suggest. We’re a sucker for anything peanut butter and this lived up to expectations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1599129258816-QY30ENHY5QV4WHVY40QF/2c9c148b-9e83-4dc8-919b-2872b450f1e6.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - Omnipollo From one heavy adjunct brewer to quite possibly the kings of adjunct beers and the Reinheitsgebot’s sworn nemesis, it’s those daft Swedes, Omnipollo! One of the pricier orders of lockdown but well worth it considering the high calibre of beers here. The adjunct heavy pale beers were all wonderful but hard to separate. Finally trying Lorelei (a coconut maple toast imperial porter) was a highlight and made me not hate coconut in a beer for the first time. Silky smooth decadence. Magnapoli (apple pie strawberry cup imperial stout) was a little too sweet and felt unbalanced though. One of the strangest beers I’ve ever tried was the (*holds breath*) Bianca Blueberry Maple Chocolate Peanut Butter Pancake Lassi Gose. More akin to a smoothie, this beer had so many flavours going on it blew my mind. Sweet and syrupy, it’s definitely an acquired taste but with a sweet tooth like mine I lapped it up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598354611005-JF9KVKZC2KQSXZ0KCY8K/hoppyplace.JPG Beer Voyage - Beer in the time of COVID-19 - A Hoppy Place We took a week off work as we realised we hadn’t had a full week away from working since November last year. On one of the days, we ventured to Windsor for a little wander around. We popped into Windsor & Eton Brewery, a very old pub and A Hoppy Place - an excellent bottleshop slap bang in centre of Windsor. We only had time for a quick beer in their beer garden before our train home but did manage to pick up these three as a memento of our visit. The very helpful chap behind the counter swayed us to purchase Siren’s Affogato. A coffee and ice cream pale that he’d put in the stout section because it’s basically a white stout. He was right. And it was really good. We also opted for two beers from Boutilliers, both taking their names from video games. First, the Untitled Goose Game inspired, Press Y to Honk - a Triple IPA brewed with pineapple, mango and vanilla that was a lot darker than I expected but still delicious and sticky like a TIPA should be. Secondly, One Winged Angel (named for the final boss battle music from Final Fantasy VII) - an imperial raspberry brown stout that we’ve squirrelled away for when sunshine abates. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2020/8/26/family-and-friends-2020 monthly 0.5 2020-09-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1599078476639-DFPC4P75VDYFBMGKMXXY/entrance.jpg Beer Voyage - Friends & Family & Beer Festival 2020 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1599078646748-F92R6K9A7YV98X3G3XH3/main-hall.jpg Beer Voyage - Friends & Family & Beer Festival 2020 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1599078815586-TM4HS1O8WJPLP2WVGPJE/main-hall2.jpg Beer Voyage - Friends & Family & Beer Festival 2020 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1599078710621-N6V9V2SK35SDJEP5H57F/IMG-20200821-WA0012.jpg Beer Voyage - Friends & Family & Beer Festival 2020 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2019/12/10/astoria-org monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576838246948-B1LVC4D839D7Z20XXTB0/IMG_20191002_135844.jpg Beer Voyage - Astoria, Oregon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576838227022-TGN0308FKILREWIMQRFT/IMG_20191001_162034.jpg Beer Voyage - Astoria, Oregon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576838409643-MJ76NRE2526UIQ52S37Y/IMG_20191001_112231.jpg Beer Voyage - Astoria, Oregon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576838410415-WYCO5DCUUQ0M37FWFFCY/IMG_20191001_153100.jpg Beer Voyage - Astoria, Oregon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576838407140-0V06AA6DDL2CKIGQVLRF/IMG_20190930_195510.jpg Beer Voyage - Astoria, Oregon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576838211040-K92B1ZT98AESGIDHO27M/EFFECTS.jpg Beer Voyage - Astoria, Oregon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576838344404-GSX0826CP5CJKSBMEW0T/IMG_20191002_162319.jpg Beer Voyage - Astoria, Oregon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576838325144-GUDJQYAWXSJDA76E5AZ7/result_1570060667425.jpg Beer Voyage - Astoria, Oregon https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2019/12/5/ghost-whale-mega-luxury-big-bev-advent-calendar-2019 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1577812260468-55SEG0KT5XD54AGE7Z9D/yanga.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Fourteen: Yanga Wake AM - Pastry Stout 12% // Stigbergets Bryggeri Look at that can. A thing of beauty. I think it’s the first gold can I’ve ever seen and I’m a sucker for it. More of this please. The beer itself isn’t bad either. A chocolate cinnamon vanilla Imperial Stout? I’m a total pastry stout fan boy so this is pretty much perfect for me. I’d argue it rivals any adjunct imperial stout from Swedish counterparts and adjunct maestros, Omnipollo. I’d describe the flavours but I’d just be repeating ‘chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla’ repeatedly until my hands hurt from typing. Those three flavours obviously work brilliantly together. The warmth from the booziness really rounds it out. I keep drinking it and saying ‘oh yes’ like a pathetic wanker. A beautiful, big, boozy dessert stout worth its weight in gold (can). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1577810345857-6KPG9FHXYI35PBX6NPTS/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Twenty Two: Oud Kriek (Vielle) - Kriek Lambic 6% // Brouwerij Oud Beersel Strawberries to cherries for day twenty two. A cherry lambic matured in old barrels. 400 grams of cherries per litre that is. Combine that with the no added sugar, no artificial flavourings or preservatives and you have yourself a face contorting sour delight. This isn’t a beer everyone will enjoy and I think had I had this a few years ago I would’ve probably wrote it off as too sour. Sipping it now though on a cold December night and I am fully on board. The sour cherries and oak from the barrels are a delightful blend of tart and wood. Much like day thirteen, this is a very layered and complex beer that is worth savouring. I am definitely, definitely, definitely going back to Belgium as soon as possible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1578161919686-I9IMLX8PF3JLGBDW7ZAZ/fhf.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Eighteen: Farmhouse Fleur - Saison 4.8% // pFriem Family Brewers pFriem (‘Freem’ if you’re saying it out loud) hail from the Pacific Northwest, specifically Hood River in Oregon. Despite that, they are a small brewery that specialise in Belgian style beers. Farmhouse Fleur is their ode to the saison - “Brewed with rose hips, calendula, and white peppercorns, lively aromas of lemon and banana and complex notes of key lime and spice abound.” I have to say this was ever so slightly underwhelming. After reading the above I was expecting a saison akin to the Jackie O’s from day sixteen but it fell a bit short. I’m not sure if I had an old or a dodgy bottle () but the flavours that were promised were very muted. It was a decent saison and very light and refreshing but nothing more than that. Still very drinkable but in comparison to the rest of this advent calendar, it was a little disappointing. Onto the next! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1578161995428-OZIYCCFO2HQP1A7HHLWU/alvinne.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Twenty: Sour'ire De Mortagne - Sour Quadrupel 11% // Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne are purveyors of everything sour and everything innovative so I was very keen to crack this open having not come across any of their beers for several years. This beer is mental. An oak aged 11% sour quad that is both a face-melting, mouth-puckering sour but also an astonishing interpretation of a quadrupel. Once the tartness calms down there’s a fantastic woodiness that lingers around seemingly forever. It’s definitely a beer to savour and enjoy the flavours over time and not one to chug. I am definitely going to go back to Belgium as soon as realistically possible after all these great beers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1579087935063-JV8YMINRVWG7FKOOL085/von.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Twenty Three: Never Leave Amsterdam - Sour 5.9% // VonSeitz TheoreticAles Oh yes, this is another perfect example of the type of beer I was expecting in this box. A blended, fruited sour ale with blackberries and cherries added. Von Seitz TheoreticAles are a tiny Tennessee based brewery specialised in wild, sour and mixed fermentation beers. They only have a four barrel system and their barrel aged and blended beers are only released in small batches of less than 25 cases. It’s no surprised then, that I’d never even heard of these until I did some research. The beer itself is pretty bloody good. A fruited sour ale with blackberries and cherries was always going to be. A smattering of acidity and quite a dry, spicy finish. It’s unlikely I’ll see a beer by them for a long time but it’s great to be able to experience something so lovingly made. (Also, the name is from Jude Johnstone’s song, ‘Never Leave Amsterdam’.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576449085638-TYUQMBEPAW8CZYL8FTQW/plumcots.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Seven: The Orchard Project: Plumcots - Sour Wit Ale 8.7% // The Bruery Terreux I remember back in the early days of perusing bottleshops and online beer stores I sometimes saw beers from The Bruery listed for around £20 and regularly thought, ‘what sort of idiot would pay that much for a beer?’ - a few years later I was lucky enough to try some of their wares and understood - these beers are worth every penny and demand your attention. Despite their price, the bottles never stick around long and I finally saw why. The Bruery make fantastic barrel aged beers and beers with modern twists on classic styles. The bourbon barrel aged barley wine Mash & Vanilla I tried in 2017 still sticks in my memory. The Bruery Terreux is a subsidiary of The Bruery itself and specialises in farmhouse-style ales fermented with wild yeasts as well as oak-aged sour ales. This beer is part of their Orchard Project, an exclusive series of sour wit ales brewed with spices and aged in oak barrels with the freshest fruit available. This version is packed full of plumcots - a fruit I was not aware of until now. It appears to be a type of plum and not quite the apricot/plum hybrid I assumed it was. The beer itself is inevitably wonderful - it’s super fresh and fruity and there’s a big raspberry flavour along with the plummy sharpness from (I assume) the plumcots. It’s almost cider-like and a beer I would absolutely love to drink in the sunshine. Preferably at The Bruery taproom in California. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576707215576-06MT85K7C0X77KIAHKP4/pockets.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Sixteen: Pockets of Sunlight - Saison 6.5% // Jackie O’s Brewery From one Belgian beer to another comes this incredible beer from Ohio’s Jackie O’s Brewery. A bit of a gusher, I lost a tiny bit of this after opening it as the wild fermentation caused this beer to come rushing out of the bottle. Luckily I had my glass to hand so only saw a little bit go down the drain. Thankfully. A saison brewed with honey, coriander & lemon verbena and fermented with a mixed culture of classic saison strains, wild yeast, & bacteria. This is exactly the type of beer I expected in this calendar. Amazingly light and crisp, I was quite taken aback at how refreshing it was at first. Then the honey and lemon hit and in a sweet/sour combo to balance it out. Deeeelicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576706974883-3PPEHZF4Z3G7XOD5FOAA/dls.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Twelve: Dream Like Sequence - DIPA 8% // Polly’s Brew Co. It’s crazy how much of a reputation Polly’s Brew Co. (formerly Loka Polly) have managed to gain for big, bold, juicy beers in just under two years but it’s well deserved. I was delighted to see a beer from them in the calendar and even more delighted when I saw it was a DIPA. Brewed with four of the best hops (Enigma, Galaxy, Citra and Mosaic) and with a smidge of lactose chucked in, this is up there with the beers the established hop slingers in the UK are producing. It’s got a lovely sweetness followed by all of the juice. I couldn’t believe how quickly I wolfed this down - they should sell litre cans of this stuff. We’re halfway through now and it’s been hit after hit. Not one dud so far. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1577810230275-DEPVET59FAO64Z7Z94O2/ss.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Twenty One: Strawberry Skies - Fruited Sour 8.5% // Vault City Brewing Mixed fermentation sour ale brewed with local Scottish barley and wheat. Conditioned on strawberry puree, hibiscus flowers and Madagascan vanilla beans. Another brewery building up a big reputation in a short space of time is Edinburgh’s Vault City. A lot of people have been championing their sours and I managed to try their blood orange sour in the summer which definitely lived up to the hype. This beer, however, is another level. Strawberry sours are quite few and far between but after drinking this I’ve decided there should be more. It’s decadent and sweet with just a little mouth puckering sourness at the end. Not one for the ‘beer should taste like beer’ bores but for anyone else, definitely give this beer a go. It’s bloody marvellous. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1577810517887-R09QY6T7CHKVW4UWN7UJ/bcbs.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Twenty Four: Bourbon County Brand Stout (2018) - Imperial Stout 15.2% // Goose Island Beer Co. What a beer to finish on! I was lucky enough to stumble into a Goose Island tap takeover in Top Hops in New York City last Thanksgiving when this beer was released so got to try this on tap a year ago and it was ridiculous. (They had about 8 different variations of this beer so I had a very good time and a very sour head the next day.) A friend also bought me a bottle last year from Ghost Whale no less (thanks Chris!) but I never got round to drinking it, so seeing this pop up on the final day was amazing. I’ll let Goose Island explain the origins of this beer: “Originally brewed in honor of the 1000th batch at our original Clybourn brewpub. A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer.” Hyperbole aside, this is a ridiculous, ridiculous beer. It’s everything you want in a big impy stout. It’s boozy, it’s chocolately, it’s decadent. I’m very glad I have another bottle to squirrel away and crack open in the future to see how much this develops in the bottle. (I hope you enjoy the picture I took on Boxing Day at my in-laws.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1579087918737-TWLJT7OMOIPBCNNU0NFQ/stp.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Nineteen: Sticky Toffee Pudding Porter - Pastry Stout 14% // Brouwerij Kees I keep writing about how every strong beer doesn’t taste its strength. Well, step aside lads, because this behemoth from Kees absolutely does. It’s an adult sticky toffee pudding. It’s luxurious and unctuous and is a beer to be savoured. There’s caramel, there’s toffee, there’s chocolate, there’s burnt sugar, there’s liquorice, and there’s a big slap of booze to remind you this is a big ol’ beer. Even though it’s very much a dessert beer, it’s not overly sweet as the bitter flavours really dominate here. After finishing this, I immediately got very sleepy so I’d highly recommend this as a nightcap beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576440348566-UGKQPA7CLNBT48KMWF4I/cleo.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Ten: Cleo - New England IPA 7% // Omnipollo x Dugges Bryggeri This is billed on the bottle as a ‘lobster roll IPA’ which is definitely a first for me. However, it doesn’t have any lobster roll in it thankfully, it’s just a bloody good NEIPA. Named as such to celebrate the opening of Omnipollos Gothenburg, the latest bar from the Swedish beer Willy Wonka, it was designed to pair perfectly with the lobster roll on the menu there - the bar has a decidedly nautical theme and predominantly serves seafood. I can’t vouch if this pairs well with lobster rolls but it does pair perfectly with my palate and I sank this beer like there’s no tomorrow. A very well executed beer that just works beautifully. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576707929331-EMID6WG9YRMTY7F18I82/yb.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Nine: Yellow Belly - Pastry Stout 11% // Buxton Brewery x Omnipollo This beer needs no introduction to beer geeks but for the uninitiated, this is one of the best imperial adjunct stouts in the world. Yellow Belly - made as part of the Rainbow Project in 2014 is this peanut butter and biscuit stout made with no peanuts or biscuits and dressed in the most hateful, cowardly-anonymous costume the brewers could think of (a KKK hood/paper sleeve I removed for the photo). “This beer, whilst attempting to make a commentary on the current political winds blowing through Europe, is above all, meant to be enjoyed as a celebration of all things new, open minded and progressive.” It’s just wonderful and if you haven’t had it yet, I urge you to seek a bottle out. Billed as the final batch due to a copyright issue, this beer will definitely return under a new name because of how popular and how good it is. Despite the lack of actual peanuts and biscuits, this beer is ALL peanut and biscuits. A taste sensation worthy of anyone’s time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1577653797494-21Z5B1OY7X5LX6P3CJ7O/rendition.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Fifteen: Rendition - Belgian Blonde 7.5% // 8 Wired Brewing Co. A modern take on a Belgian Blonde for day fifteen from New Zealand’s 8 Wired - brewed with NZ hops, fermented with Belgian yeast and then refermented with Brettanomyces. 8 Wired are a brewery I’ve not had many beers from (the last being in my 2017 calendar no less) but this is a real beauty. It’s very close to saison but much more full flavoured. It’s got a lovely peachy flavour rounded out by a bit of a spicy kick. I’m always a bit wary when breweries try and make a modern version of a traditional beer but 8 Wired have absolutely nailed this. This ‘rendition’ (get it?) gets two thumbs up from me, I’d love to try it in a few years to see how the brett has developed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1577652241849-9U2A31LWLAW79NBSAGI5/tilquin.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Thirteen: Oude Gueuze Tilquin à L'Ancienne - Gueuze Lambic 7% // Gueuzerie Tilquin I rarely buy proper classic Belgian beers so to get a Tilquin lambic in this calendar is very welcome. If nothing else, it’s a reminder I should probably buy more of them. After overdoing it on a trip to Bruges a few years ago, it’s only recently I’ve gotten back into Belgian beer properly so the timing of this couldn’t have been better. It’s a beer that’s a blend of 1, 2 and 3 year old lambics and refermented for 6 months in oak. It’s very complex and there’s so many layers of flavour to this beer, it’s difficult to describe. It’s sharp and sour but also has a big woody kick to it that really rounds off the taste. A beautiful beer. I should probably go back to Belgium again after this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1575833932051-9PJW0R6WGNZ5K0GP56A7/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Three: 18-Watt IPA - Session IPA 5% // SingleCut Beersmiths Another US brewery and another new brewery for me with New York’s SingleCut Beersmiths. SingleCut claim this beer is the redefinition of the session IPA. A pretty bold statement, but, after drinking the beer, it’s a statement I could get on board with. I could happily drink dozens of these cans. It’s a lovely beer full of orange zest and pine but it’s the soft body combined with the tropical hops that they’ve nailed here. When a beer of this ilk is just right it’s difficult to explain why. It’s so well balanced that I’m definitely going to keep my eye out for more beers from these guys in the future. Very well done you clever American bastards. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576436343289-JKIR5S7NLKL8I9VH82YL/frau.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Five: FrauGruberlicious - Fruited Sour 4.5% // FrauGruber Brewing Heading to Europe now and to Augsburg in Germany for a change of style with a delicious raspberry sour from FrauGruber. I haven’t heard of these guys either so another plus point for a new discovery. It’s very close to a berlinerweisse but has a bit of a cleaner finish. A few days earlier I had a can of Mikkeller’s Hallo Ich Bin Ein Berliner Raspberry and this beer is very similar to that. However, I actually think this might be better than the Danish supremos offering - it’s got a bit more of a punchier flavour and the fruit is a lot bolder here. That’s not to say the Mikkeller beer is bad, it’s still very good. It’s just this is better. Maybe we should get ourselves back to Germany for a long overdue return? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576705695714-RSKQ4NO3BWZUIYV6WD0K/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Eleven: Farmhouse Lager - Amber Lager 5.8% // The Lost Abbey A second lager from a US brewery that does not specialise in lager. More known for their Belgian, barrel-aged and sour beers, I was hoping for one of those styles but when it’s a highly regarded brewery like The Lost Abbey, my interest was piqued. Their first foray into the smaller form bottles (they are mostly known for big bois - 750ml bottles) sees them tweak their Avant Garde (a Bière de Garde - ‘beer for keeping’) into something more accessible and refreshing. I didn’t know any of the above going into it as I like to try a beer without any influence. I could tell it was Belgian influenced but very subtly. It’s crisp and malty and a little bready. Being completely honest, I thought it was good but not great. I think knowing the above would’ve made me want to like it more because of the background. I’m not sure what I’m trying to say here, I’ve had three beers from the calendar today to try and catch up. Something about unconscious bias. You work it out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576007992418-WKMVXFH3KBU19ER8ULNZ/day1.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day One: Good Things for Everyone - Triple IPA 10% // Cloudwater Brew Co. A triple IPA to start proceedings is definitely an opening I am one hundred percent on board with. The design is obviously aimed at the imminent election (never trust a Tory, pals) to encourage people to register to vote. If they gave out these beers as encouragement, I’m sure everyone would sign up. Oh lawd, she thiqq! This came out syrupy and bright orange, almost reminiscent of the scrumpy cider I drank as a teen. And despite having the strength of rough cider, it definitely didn’t taste like it. This is one of the best beers I’ve had in a long time. It’s full of mango and apricot and is sticky and syrupy and just a delightful boozey slap around the chops. Absolutely delicious and if you can get your hands on one, do it and thank me later. Off to an absolute flyer and I’m very excited for the next few weeks of opening this box. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1575822650207-ZHWYU6Z1XA3NOZC8R873/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Four: Barren Lands - New England Pale Ale 3.8% // Neon Raptor Brewing Co. Back to Blighty for day four with this low ABV New England pale ale from Nottingham’s finest, Neon Raptor. More and more breweries are releasing low ABV beers that can stand alongside their stronger brethren and this is no exception. Gone are the days of low strength beers being flavourless and watery, huzzah! It’s a very soft and hazy beer that is packed with flavour for its strength. It’s a very light yellow colour that looks wonderful. Neon Raptor are one of my favourite UK breweries and I don’t think I’ve had a bad beer by them yet - this just furthers their cause. Top work. Maybe we should pencil in a trip to Nottingham to visit? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1575921460076-YROUKC32JFQ18TA8U2CN/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Eight: Geeked Up - New England IPA 7% // Gamma Brewing Company Yet another new brewery for me and one I’ve been looking out for for a while is behind the door for day 8. It’s a New England IPA from relatively new Danish upstarts, Gamma Brewing Company. Established in 2015 in a town just north of Copenhagen (the brilliantly named, Gørløse), these guys say they are lavish with the hops and brew American style beers. Despite existing for a few years, it’s only recently I’ve spied their beers being more widely distributed in the UK so I’m very pleased to get to try one finally. Denmark have a whole host of incredible breweries - can Gamma match them? From the buzz they’ve been getting in the UK over the last year or so, it seems so… This beer is exactly what I hoped for from a NEIPA. It’s a beautifully soft and juicy beer that finishes with a very well balanced lingering bitterness to remind you this is actually alcoholic. Saying that, it does not taste like it’s a 7% beer. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for these guys in the future, they look set to join the pantheon of exceptional Danish breweries if they release more beers of this quality. Also, the can art is excellent and reminds me of some of the older Cloudwater cans which is no bad comparison. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1577809543613-UIIKII1GIA2NLALQLKHK/17.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Seventeen: Days of Creation - Fruited Sour 7% // Thornbridge Brewery Silver medal winner of 'Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beers' at the World Beer Cup 2016 comes this sour lil fella from Derbyshire’s Thornbridge. Days of Creation is a Sour red ale aged in red Burgundy barrels with raspberries. I expected it to pour a deep red colour because of the wine barrels and fruit but it was a lot lighter in colour. It smells slightly fruity but has that tannic aroma you get from wine so I was braced for something very sour. However, it isn’t. It’s still sour, don’t get me wrong, but it’s very well balanced (there’s that word again) against the raspberries. It was aged in the barrels for a year before bottling and that time has developed the beer into something wonderful. There’s a slight funk to it but it’s got a clean sourness and quite a dry aftertaste. Definitely toes the line between beer and wine expertly and a beer I’m very happy I got to try. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1575573000736-DBGQJN6HCOZOVI0RK1HV/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Two: Gasper Goo - American Lager 5% // American Solera First brewery I’ve not really heard of but according to the internet, American Solera are a small brewery in Tulsa, Oklahoma specialising in oak barrel aging. This man does his research. A solera is defined as: “a system for aging sherry and other fortified wines, in which younger wines in upper rows of casks are used to top up casks of older wines stored below in order to produce a consistently aged blend.” Except American Solera do this with beer. Despite just discovering all this, we have a lager! So, no barrel action which is a shame. Still, a chance to try a beer from an American microbrewery is not one to be sniffed at… It’s pretty good. Very crisp, hints of citrus with a little bit of spice and plenty of herbal earthiness from the Saaz hops. It’s a shame it’s so cold as this would go down an absolute dream in the sunshine. I’m just a little gutted to not get to try one of their barrel aged boys. Also, a gasper goo is apparently a fish, hence the very cool can design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1576707343234-ROKCJPA09JGQMRUKOFCF/king.jpg Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 - Day Six: King - Grapefruit Soda IPA 7.4% // Northern Monk This beer is inspired by the Caribbean grapefruit soft drink, Ting. I love Ting. Gin & Ting is a great drink. Ting & Hefeweizen makes a surprisingly great beer cocktail to sip in the summer. Ting on its own is wonderful. This beer was always going to be great. It’s definitely achieved its aim in being essentially Ting beer. 600kg of grapefruit juice went into this beer so it’s clearly the dominant flavour. It has quite a different mouthfeel to the soft drink as the addition of wheat and flaked oats has made it a little thicker. It’s still quite sticky and reminiscent of a soft drink though. It reminded me of BrewDog’s Elvis Juice at first so I was happy but whereas Elvis Juice can taste a bit synthetic at times, this definitely tasted fresher. That’s definitely a good Ting. (I’m here all week.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1575572343416-WTDAPN9C8L0IW6Y9IO5C/IMG_3965.JPG Beer Voyage - Ghost Whale Mega Luxury Big Bev Advent Calendar 2019 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2019/10/31/rainbow-project-2019 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1570308570239-HS4L2VTX151D0MJ05COH/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2019 - Emerald Visions - Witbier 5.5% // DEYA x Holy Mountain What they say: A Wit with the addition of heaps of lime. Expectations: Thanks for the really in-depth description, DEYA/Holy Mountain! In saying that, I’m really intrigued by this and not just because of the vague description. I like a witbier from time to time and the addition of a boatload of limes means I’m extra eager to try this to see if the fruity twist gives it an added dimension. Reality: This was certainly different. It almost didn’t taste like beer. It was super refreshing and I sort of wish it was boiling hot so I’d appreciate it more. I’d probably drink it again but I’m in no great rush. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1570731701569-01D2BCS3PM43IN4CEIKS/indigo.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2019 - Indigo Tie-Dye Wolf T-Shirt - Stout 8.8% // Verdant x Temescal What they say: A strong stout inspired by Baklava the wonderful sweet of the east. Sticky and nutty from Pistachios along side flavours of Cinnamon and Rose. Expectations: Happy to see a stout in the box. Less happy it’s Baklava inspired. I don’t mind Baklava but cinnamon and rose in a beer doesn’t sound very appealing to me. I’ll take the pistachios all day so hopefully they’ve chucked more of those in than the cinnamon and rose. Reality: There’s a really good beer in here but it just misses the mark for me. It lacks in body a little but and, as I’d feared, the cinnamon and rose are at the forefront. The pistachio does come through a little but not enough to save it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a decent beer but I was hoping for a little more. I haven’t had any Temescal beers that I know of but I’ve had a few Verdant stouts that I absolutely loved so maybe my expectations were too high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571951607860-TXAXET0IVGHJWQO5CDAH/cv.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2019 - Colour Vision - IPA 7% // LHG x Track x DEYA x Verdant x Unity x Burnt Mill x North What they say: 7 colours of the Rainbow, 7 great international collaborations, but the boxes we ordered to ship the beers in had 8 slots.....We therefore all got together to brew a one off 7 way collaboration to celebrate the project. This beer was brewed to celebrate the spirit of the Rainbow Project. Brewed with a heavy dry hop of Galaxy, Loral, Mosaic and Voss Kveik yeast. Expectations: A fairly straight up pale ale to round of proceedings. Pretty much all seven of the breweries are top drawer hop magicians so this is undoubtedly going to be a banger. Reality: Yeah, what a perfect end to the box this year. This is light and fluffy and soft and juicy and fruity and delicious. Very enjoyable. Would drink ten of these. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1570309309530-W6YV95K56SWIKZ7J2MIR/blue.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2019 - Why I Love the Moon - Gose 6.2% // Left Handed Giant x Alesong What they say: Blueberry Gose with the addition of hand picked, local, Borage flowers and Oregon sea salt. Expectations: Bloody love me a gose. A borage flower is apparently a starflower. That doesn’t really make it any clearer. It is meant to taste like a cucumber so it being in a gose makes sense. Add a sprinkling of salt and this sounds like a classic sour that I’ll enjoy. Reality: Excuse the bubbles at the bottom of the glass. I rinsed the glass in between the green and blue beers in a hurry. What a beautiful colour. And what a beautiful beer. This isn’t very sour, it’s super fruity and has a great salty finish that lingers around for a bit. No idea how this is over six percent because it drinks like 4%. Very good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1570307113531-EJ3VOSJZXCU1HA2RT5Y4/orange.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2019 - Golden Milk - Fruited Sour 6% // North x Fieldwork What they say: A 6% sour beer brewed with a 20% grist of naked + rolled oats, 15kg of fresh peeled Turmeric in the whirlpool, Cinnamon in the boil, Coconut in the mash, whirlpool and fermentor and then triple fruited with 1.2 tons of apricot. Expectations: North are well known for their triple fruited goses (gosei?) so I’m looking forward to this. Coconut rears its head again but hopefully the other big ingredients kill it dead. Please. Reality: Yes! This is great. It’s very thick due to the oat addition and the colossal lashings of apricots make this beer a real beaut. It has a lovely subtle spice kick to it from the turmeric and cinnamon but it is really well balanced. Also, it’s very orange! Ticks all the boxes for what a rainbow beer should be. Well played. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1572536804335-IPM38V7LCT4HZQ6AJW3G/IMG_3127.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1570306532916-P4ET1G6ZYBSXN33FEMUQ/red.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2019 - Frontier Psychiatrist - Fruited IPA 7% // Northern Monk x Track What they say: A deep, rich IPA hopped with Citra, Galaxy & Sabro giving huge notes of Mango & Coconut elevated by additions of Flaked Coconut, Passionfruit, Grapefruit Zest & Vanilla, all tied together with Dragonfruit giving this beer its red hue. Expectations: The dreaded C word rears its head. I mean, at least it’s not coriander but coconut does not belong in a beer unless it’s a stout. I’m hoping it’s a subtle hit of it but sabro hops are quite coconutty and the addition of flaked coconut means I’m not expecting to like this unless the other ingredients somehow overpower them. Here’s hoping. Reality: Almost! Firstly, the beer pours with a lovely little red tint to it which I liked as a nod to their colour designation. Unfortunately, the beer is very heavy on the coconut. Fortunately, the other flavours means that it’s not a total disappointment. It’s a really decent beer and very well made. The initial taste is lovely a fruity but then it clears and you’re left with the gross coconut. If you like coconut then you’ll love this but it’s just a decent beer rather than exceptional. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1570308062285-DBKAFWYQ0ZTOIZSIH2NH/yellow.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2019 - Panacea - American IPA 7% // Burnt Mill x Cascade What they say: An IPA dry hopped with Lemondrop & Citra, rounded out with ginger, chamomile & local honey. Expectations: No coconut! Praise be. I’m expecting a fairly decent IPA here with the two breweries being involved. I could do without the extra spices though. Just give me hops! Reality: Thankfully the adjuncts are quite subtle. This is just a really good IPA. Quite a sweet finish but just GOOD. I saw this away in very little time. Delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571262354672-8Z367L41FFHZO6VBB5N7/violey.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2019 - Tech-Noir - Porter 5% // Unity x Alvarado Street What they say: While trying to figure out what violet tastes like, we brewed a sour oatmeal porter with blueberry and vanilla. Inspired by the juxtaposition of dark nostalgic sci-fi and warm, fluffy, familiar flavours. Expectations: I’m not sure I’ve had a sour porter before. If I have I can’t remember. Blueberry and vanilla are great flavours for a dark beer though and the addition of a sourness might make for an interesting beer. Reality: This is pretty good. It’s only slightly sour which allows the blueberries to shine through with a hint of sharpness. Once that dissipates, you’re left with a roasted, vanilla, fruity tang which is delicious. As the nights get darker and the weather turns colder, this is a lovely warming beer. It feels stronger than 5% because of the big flavours. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2019/10/14/southampton-hampshire monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571079087608-HBE3ZRLD5F58G7XEDP5K/butchers.jpg Beer Voyage - Southampton, Hampshire - The Butcher’s Hook Alehouse First up was The Butcher’s Hook Alehouse, a short taxi ride to Bitterne. Converted from an old Victorian butcher’s shop, this is a beautiful place to drink beer. The Butcher’s Hook still retains some of the old features - the Victorian tiles have been restored and they have also retained the original butcher's rail system around the ceiling along with a couple of weighing apparatus. The beer list also appeared to have been fashioned from an old door which I thought looked really cool. They also have a machine that’s distinctly not Victorian where you can have your pic taken and digitally sent to yourself. There’s not really a bar area to be served from, instead the staff serve you direct from the casks and kegs in their stillages at the rear of the shop. Offering 4 cask beers, 6 keg beers and a wide range of bottles and cans there was plenty to choose from (they also serve a range of cider, wine and soft drinks as well as gin & tonics for the less beery of you out there). This was definitely a bar that put the community at the forefront of its operations with many of the beers on offer being local and a number of events to bring together people over a few beers. They even have their own homebrewing club, The Butcher’s Brew Club. We were made to feel very welcome by the chap manning the shop and he made some recommendations for places to go and check out. A couple of beers to get us back in the swing of things and we were ready to head off for our second stop of the day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571079679867-I8GCXTGYEGDJO0AEPB7B/bookshop.jpg Beer Voyage - Southampton, Hampshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571079679044-8OOV0XR59GQTFCEGABSQ/bookshop2.jpg Beer Voyage - Southampton, Hampshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571079306477-KX9UJMF4CZ6GOLWZ99HM/unity2.jpg Beer Voyage - Southampton, Hampshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571079307090-P3SAOVBNNPTMQHHJABE0/unity.jpg Beer Voyage - Southampton, Hampshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571079451408-J7OGDJZSERTNE31WGY1F/bitterv3.jpg Beer Voyage - Southampton, Hampshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571079447744-B67JV6CK0ODWCR1PYEFX/bitterv2.jpg Beer Voyage - Southampton, Hampshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1571079458848-TZTNZ92JVLPHG8FSDJZN/bitterv.jpg Beer Voyage - Southampton, Hampshire https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2019/7/18/northern-monk-northern-powerhouse-brew-series-2019 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1563446249087-8GPPX0HKBOOYG9ZYTS18/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 - 005 West Coast IPA 7.4% // Northern Monk x Buxton What they say: It's no secret that Buxton quietly continue to make some of the best IPA's in the UK so it was an obvious choice to team up with them to revisit the west coast IPA. Packed with classic US hops, this beer is resinous, piney and packs a long citrus finish over a sticky malt back bone. Expectations: A lot of people that love New England IPAs are often put off by the bitterness of a west coast IPA but I enjoy both styles. More and more NEIPAs are lacking that hop bitterness that they almost don’t taste like beer so I’m hoping for a classic old school piney bastard here. Reality: Just the ticket here. This is exactly what I wanted it to be. It’s not too bitter and has just the right amount that it slots into this collection nicely. Too bitter would’ve probably been a bit jarring. The description Northern Monk gave above is pretty much bang on so I won’t waste your time waffling anymore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1563444336168-WY5VN4EGIKN6Z3IKUGMY/Northern-Monk_Northern-Powerhouse_001_Track-front-f7b618.jpg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 - 001 Small IPA 3.3% // Northern Monk x Track What they say: We were delighted to get Track who are truly exemplary sessions brewers involved to put together the lightest of the Powerhouse beers. This small IPA is loaded with Citra, Ahtanum and Blanc hops for resinous tropical and stone fruit notes backed up by a floral, gooseberry finish over a robust malt bill designed to boost the beer beyond its restrained ABV. Expectations: Low or no ABV beers are very much in vogue in 2019 so I’m not surprised to see one here. Track make some great session beers so I expect this to be on par. Tis the season for light, refreshing beers. It’s almost like they planned it. Reality: Yeah, this was good. I’ve said before that session IPAs are pretty uninspiring due to their ubiquity but I’ll happily guzzle one down. Despite the low ABV, this was very flavourful and refreshing. Perfect Summer lunchtime beer! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1563446228610-3YANJYWKLTJHMT0LOKSX/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 - 003 Bavarian Pilsner 4.7% // Northern Monk x Donzoko What they say: A crisp, modern take on the Bavarian Pilsner with one of the up-and-coming brewers of the UK, Donzoko. A simple grist of German pilsner and vienna malt is supported by the floral, citrus notes of American Loral hops and stone fruit undertones from Hallertau Blanc. Expectations: Another brewery building a reputation for a specific style of beer. Donzoko are a fairly new brewery but their lager/helles/pilsners are being raved about across the craft beer community. Again, I’m yet to try any of their wares so happy to again put that right here. Colour me excited. Again. Reality: Bosh, this was excellent. Really, really crisp and really, really clean and really, really fresh. I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed this. Arguably more refreshing than water. I am definitely buying a Donzoko beer the next time I am in a bottleshop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1563446240273-8DZGF3WP7S5762VTR1UI/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 - 004 Tropical Sour IPA 6% // Northern Monk x Wylam What they say: We teamed up with our Newcastle friends Wylam for this tropical sour IPA. Kettle-soured overnight and whirlpooled with Mosaic, we then added 200g/l of pureed tropical fruits and dry hopped with El Dorado and Citra. Expectations: Two hop-slingers making a very hoppy beer with a sour twist? Bring it on. Whilst I’d probably have preferred the sourness to be left out, I’m happy to give it a go. Reality: The sourness tempered my expectation but it needn’t have as this is real good. It’s more fruity than it is sour which is good and once the sharp fruit dissipates, the hop bitterness comes through and rounds out the taste. Also, it looks like a smoothie and poured like one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1563645944325-6K1UEHCIRGWFFN2ZUW9S/Northern-Powerhouse-Northern-Monk.jpg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 Image courtesy of HonestBrew https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1563446261449-3PXN7R931OVFRSSOR5C0/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 - 006 Double IPA 8.2% // Northern Monk x Cloudwater What they say: For the double IPA in this series we brought in our friends at Cloudwater to help us brew this Nelson Sauvin-led offering. Backed up with the classic tropical notes of Citra, NZ Nelson brings tons of gooseberry and sauvignon grape character to this smooth, oat-rounded beer. Expectations: Do I really need to write anything? Two breweries with a proven track record in DIPAs combining to make another means this is surely going to smash it out of the park? I’m setting my expectations high and will be very surprised if they mess this up. Reality: There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and Cloudwater/Northern Monk making fantastic DIPAs. I’m probably swayed by cracking this open on the hottest day of the year but it’s wonderful. Pillowy, soft, delicious. Lawd, she thicc though. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1563446284174-2FDRW3FWIPRWFLZK7BBD/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 - 007 Imperial Maple Brown 10% // Northern Monk x By The River What they say: Newcastle brewers and brown ales are made for each other. This imperial take on the style features heritage malts, a range of crystals and of course, brown roast malt. We then loaded the FV with rich maple syrup for a decadent treat. Expectations: The only double digit percentage beer and whilst that’s a shame, I’m pleased it’s a brown ale. It’s an oft forgotten style but when done right can be delicious. This modern re-imagining of the Newcy Broon sounds brilliant and I’m looking forward to giving it a sup. Reality: So this is everything I wanted it to be. As I’ve already said but I’ll say again, I love a brown ale. It’s not one of the more popular styles so I’m try to drink one as often as I can. This is a great interpretation - it’s got the hallmarks of a brown (roasted malts, slight nuttiness, some toffee) but with the addition of maple syrup and an amped up ABV it really elevates it to a classy beer. An evening sipper for sure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1563446213181-Q1OJM347SLLYKFR2M4WE/Northern-Monk_Northern-Powerhouse_002_North.jpg Beer Voyage - Northern Monk Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 - 002 Triple Fruited Gose 4% // Northern Monk x North Brewing What they say: Working with our Leeds neighbours North Brew Co, we put together this 'pinkest' of the fruit sours. Showcasing the fleshy cactus fruit prickly pear, we then backed it up with the zingy tropical notes of guava, a touch of tangy raspberry and rounded everything out with milk sugar and salt. Expectations: North have built up a bit of reputation for making very good fruity gose but I’ve somehow not had one yet so happy to put that right with this. A good mixture of fruits should go well against the sour, saltiness of a gose. Colour me excited. Reality: Worth the wait to try a triple fruited gose. This is delicious. The fruits compliment each other wonderfully and mask the sourness quite a lot. It almost tastes like squash and I feel like I could drink gallons of it. A very well put together beer. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2019/6/7/fullers-amp-friends-2019 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1561661930368-T2VZGE1KMSG1WOISK36N/elders.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends 2019 - Respect Your Elders - Mosaic ESB 6% // Tiny Rebel x Fuller’s Brewery What the box says: Old brewery meets new brewery and bonds over their mutual appreciation of ESB – that’s the story behind this beer, which gives the classic style a contemporary tropical twist. With a trio of new world hops, this malty, marmaladey beer beautifully bridges the generation gap. Expectations: Other than Fuller’s own Extra Special Bitter, I can’t remember the last time I had an ESB. I’m definitely up for a contemporary take on the style though. Mosaic hops are one of my favourites so I hope the tropical, fruity, herbal characteristics come through in this beer. Good label too! Reality: This is really good. It is very citrussy and the mention of marmalade is bang on. It fits the brief perfectly and has the right balance of new vs. old; it’s very much still an ESB but the different hop addition make it feel a little lighter than the traditional version. When I first took it out of the fridge and tried it, I couldn’t taste a thing but as it’s warmed in the sunshine, the flavours have really developed. For 6% it is deceptive and is going down like a session beer. Lovely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1562180113348-3JZOAY1ES5WSKZBHVTYS/dug.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends 2019 - Huvvy Dug - Wee Heavy 7.4% // Pilot x Fuller’s Brewery What the box says: A Caledonian classic, this Wee Heavy is made using six malts – with not a new world hop in sight. Smooth caramel and biscuit notes come to the fore in this rich, full-bodied ale. Huvvy Dug? Well because it’s ‘huvvy like a huvvy dug’ of course (don’t ask, we didn’t). Expectations: Edinburgh’s Pilot are infamous for their very funny Twitter account. Sadly, their beers rarely make it south of the border so I’m yet to try any of their solo efforts. I am, however, excited for this Wee Heavy - a style that’s often ignored. A Wee Heavy (or Scotch Ale) is a strong malt-forward beer that’s both rich and sweet and I’m very excited to try this collaboration’s take on it. Reality: This is hands down the best beer of the box. When I poured it the foam was very yellow and gave off a super boozy aroma. The beer itself is wonderfully rich and packed with treacle and toffee flavours. It’s like drinking a liquid sticky toffee pudding. Molasses for days son. A belter of a beer and only makes me more sad Pilot’s beers are a rare thing to see in London. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1562084751356-8VKEK4W8Q79W8VI5D1YF/mild.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends 2019 - Misprized - Oaked Mild 4.5% // Magic Rock x Fuller’s Brewery What the box says: Mild – an undervalued beer style? Not anymore. In a celebration of this classic English style, we’ve tweaked a traditional recipe from 1920 by adding rum barrel oak chips to give a sweet, nutty depth of flavour. Overall, it’s a rich, malty masterpiece (and that’s putting it mildly). Expectations: The mild has seen a mild resurgence (ahem) amongst craft brewers as of late, it’s still quite an unpopular choice amongst modern beer drinkers. However, there’s still a time and a place for a well kept pint of mild on cask. I don’t often drink more traditional styles in bottles but am willing to give this one a go, especially with the oak chip tweak to it which will hopefully provide an interesting take on a mild. Reality: There’s a reason I don’t drink traditional beers at home often and it’s simply because I think they are best enjoyed from a cask and in a proper pub. This is a perfect argument for that - it just feels a bit run of the mill here. The beer itself is fine, although the rum barrel oak chips are so subtle you’d not know they were there unless you’d read beforehand. It’d definitely be better on cask. A shame as I was hoping the twist would help elevate it. Nevermind. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1561496477858-JYUR1RLUMVHPH1B8R6WU/waydown.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends 2019 - Way Down Ale - Australian Ale 5.8% // Stone & Wood Brewing Co. x Fuller’s Brewery What the box says: The hops that make this fruity ale aren’t just from down under, they’re from way down under. Our Aussie mates have selected a trio of Tasmanian hops – including an unnamed experimental hop – that combine to create a beautifully balanced beer, full of tropical fruit flavours. A fitting homage to Tasmania’s hop growers. Expectations: This is back to the type of beer I think this box should be about. Like the ESB and Mild above, a fusion of ingredients to make something, hopefully, a little different. Always a sucker for a new hop so looking forward to see what flavours it may bring to this beer. Reality: This is more like it. It’s has a lot of caramel flavour amongst the tropical fruit from the hops which makes this an eminently drinkable beer. I’ve had a few Stone & Wood beers that have made their way to this side of the world and have been pleasantly surprised each time. This beer goes into that list. Good stuff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1561206611954-3TZR9JCGZ1SY54PZIVYF/love.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends 2019 - Love on the Run - Session IPA 5% // Woodstock x Fuller’s Brewery What the box says: This hop-forward IPA is the perfect marriage of London town and Cape Town. The African Queen hop and native African cereal Sorgham are combined with British Olicana and Bramling Cross hops. Fresh blackcurrant and lemongrass aromas offset a dry, earthy malt base in what is a very sessionable IPA. Expectations: Probably the one I’m least excited for (yeah, less than the lager above) just because it’s another session IPA. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a style I know I’ll like but it’s also a style that’s pretty much ubiquitous. The African hops might bring something new to this? Colour me underwhelmed. Reality: Yep, this was the epitome of bland. Very middle of the road. It’s not a bad beer but it’s not a good one either. Just nothing to it to make it stand out. You could argue that’s exactly what a session IPA is but it should still taste of something. I was hoping for something a bit more in a special release such as this. Boo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1559903837955-2Y38EK9O4GT9ZNTZM1S5/fullers.PNG Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1559935962403-DE9VX7BO65GJPX1TIIHE/kroke.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends 2019 - Krøke - Herbal Lager 5% // Mack x Fuller’s Brewery What the box says: Named after the Norse word for ‘Crowberries’, these sloes come fresh from the Arctic Circle and give this lager a slight tartness to offset its sweet, honeyed notes. Learning from Viking tradition, dried meadowsweet is used to add a slight bitterness to this crisp, pale gold lager. Expectations: I’ve always found any sort of spiced or herbed lager to not really be my thing. Give me a straight up crisp, refreshing lager on a hot day anytime but any attempt I’ve come across in the past to spice things up has just taken away from the overall taste. Happy to be proven wrong here. Reality: This is one of those rare occasions I can say I was right. The initial smell and taste is very light and fresh but the aftertaste is straight up bad. I can’t quite place what it reminds me of but it just tastes sort of… off? Once the strange taste subsides, there’s some floral notes coming through but I almost need another beer to get the taste of this one out of my mouth. Thankfully, this was the first one I opened so I have five more to help with that. Hmm. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2019/3/28/to-l-mr-series-2019 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1555795118773-KFQFOXQN3DOWETR4DI0F/brown.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Mr. Series 2019 - Mr. Brown // Imperial Salty Caramel Cookie Dough Double Coffee Fudge Chocolate Milk Hazelnut Butter Vanilla Cocoa Crumble Brown Ale 9% Expectations: With a name like this I think it’s going to struggle to live up to its billing. I’ve been burned before (looking at you Omnipollo and your ‘black butter vanilla volcano salt mocha maple white chocolate ganache’ which, whilst really good definitely didn’t match the name) so am cautious how much this matches the description this will be. Happy to be proven wrong and it’ll likely be great either way. I don’t really know what point I’m trying to make. Reality: This smells delightful. Delightfully artificial but delightful all the same. And it tastes just the same. Beer snobs will forever frown on ‘pastry stouts’ (basically, any dark beer with a fancy adjunct in it) but I’m a sucker for them and so this beer is definitely for me. Whilst the name is over the top, there are elements of its name prominent. There’s a whole host of nuttiness in this beer backed up by fudge, chocolate and vanilla. Despite this, it’s not overly sickly or sweet with the malts and hops bringing in the bitterness. I can’t say I can really taste salted caramel, cookie dough or coffee but who cares? The beer is great and that’s all that matters. Probably the best of the bunch. Reservoir Dogs Rating: Tarantino’s character in the film. Gets zero screen time and SPOILER ALERT dies off-screen. Another beer that doesn’t match its film namesake but for good reason this time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1555705461069-37JNS0ZFZ83PC4FSK165/orange.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Mr. Series 2019 - Mr. Orange // Double Dry Hopped Session IPA with Khaki Fruit, Orange Peel and re-fermented with Brett 5% Expectations: A khaki fruit is a persimmon, apparently. I’m still none the wiser. I’m intrigued by the re-fermentation angle and hope it gives this beer a funky twist. Reality: Well, if I’d drank this without knowing the additions, I’d have guessed it was just a DDH pale. It has a hint of orange but I can’t taste anything else really so I still don’t really know what a khaki fruit is. Similarly, the brett funk doesn’t really appear here at all. It’s still a very decent pale but it promised a lot and delivered very little. Reservoir Dogs Rating: Nothing like Mr. Orange (SPOILER ALERT), in that he is revealed to be an undercover cop. Sadly, the twist for the beer was pretty much nowhere to be found so it falls short by some margin. 0/5. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1555014056779-PAODBESOGI51TCLD8W5B/blonde.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Mr. Series 2019 - Mr. Blonde // Cucumber, Lime and Black Pepper Gose 5% Expectations: This sounds pretty good. Cucumber in beer is usually a bit shit but with the other ingredients it might balance well. Hopefully the black pepper brings a bit of spice against the sour of the beer and lime. Wonder what colour it will be. Probably quite pale/light but in my head I’m picturing some green monstrosity because I’m an idiot. Reality: Obviously not green. This beer is pretty good - the black pepper is quite subtle with the lime and cucumber being the stars here. Upfront lime tang followed by a clean and crisp cucumber aftertaste. You could put gin in this for a turbo-charged cocktail. It’s a fairly light sour but a pleasant one all the same. Reservoir Dogs Rating: SPOILER ALERT, Mr. Blonde tortures a police officer and cuts off his ear so the beer equivalent would be something really in your face and a bit mad. It definitely isn’t this beer. It’s light and refreshing and Michael Madsen’s character was anything but. 0/5. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1554564990759-9LAVK7R1ZCL0CALS0KI5/IMG_2533.JPG Beer Voyage - To Øl Mr. Series 2019 - Mr. White // Double Dry Hopped Jasmin TeaPA 5.5% Expectations: I’ve had variations of tea based pales before and they’ve all been a little lacking. Too subtle in flavour and a bit bland so this is probably the beer I’m least looking forward to. Jasmine tea is pretty boring anyway. Reality: Sadly, I was right. A pretty standard pale ale. Perhaps a little bit perfumed but otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to tell this was meant to be a beer with a twist of sorts. I drank this one first so it can only get better from here. Reservoir Dogs Rating: No similarities to Harvey Keitel’s performance as Mr. White - this beer has no depth or sense of humour. Hardy fuckin’ har. 1/5. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1554565999152-6U5A1IZ3UYEMNNED08KR/pink.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Mr. Series 2019 - Mr. Pink // Pomegranate, Watermelon and Blood Orange in a Triple Dry Hopped Double IPA 8% Expectations: Fruity DIPAs are dime a dozen these days but it’s rare to see watermelon in a beer, usually because it’s quite hard to detect the flavour. This beer does sound right up my street so I’m very much looking forward to cracking this open, especially now the sun is starting to make its first appearance of the year. Reality: This is very good. It’s bold and quite tart due to the pomegranate. I can’t say I can taste any watermelon but it’s a very fruity beer. After the initial fruit punch, it gives way to quite a bitter finish from the blood orange and the abundance of hops. Great stuff. Reservoir Dogs Rating: This beer matches up to the film version of Mr. Pink quite well. It has a bit of bite and sharpness to it and would probably steal your diamonds and leave you for dead. 4/5. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1555791930982-8NYTVA64CLHWLIMI2VRK/blue.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Mr. Series 2019 - Mr. Blue // Imperial Blackcurrant Stout 10% Expectations: Another style I love. Imperial stout made with blackcurrants sounds amazing. I’m expecting quite subtle fruit undertones with this but am pretty excited to try it all the same. This is the least out-there sounding beer of the bunch surprisingly. Reality: Reality is almost the polar opposite of my expectations - the fruit dominates this beer and it works brilliantly. The initial aroma is roasted malts and a hint of fruit but the first mouthful flips that and smacks your chops with blackcurrant tartness. It surprisingly sour for a stout and I was quite sceptical at first but once the fruit settles, the dark beer classics come rearing their head - there’s roasted malts, there’s coffee, there’s chocolate. It all makes for a well rounded beer. Reservoir Dogs Rating: SPOILER ALERT, Mr. Blue dies off screen after being gunned down by the police so I can’t really make a comparison. It’s definitely not a beer that you’d want to drink off-screen? 0/5. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1554564874317-N6P2RE3G2ZVICEEN8WGM/IMG_2518.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Mr. Series 2019 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2019/2/27/stockholm-sweden monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285725094-TSZ6G3YCQM0IKGN3KHJF/museumisland.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551286626204-TJHKBZWE7L2JYG175RMI/museet.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285701705-B3DR85JRZFNVOHHV91YK/vasa.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285096558-SGLJ7Q43G1NU9YJCIFBP/ba.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285056101-SXQ0C54MEK4G0Z5Q965B/bishops.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551284815487-19KCTMSZJ8HKL9RSR0K1/oliver-twist3.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551284816783-08ULCLL6KEPJD6FQFESV/oliver-twist.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551284859416-BT539T08UXN9NJ0UFRUV/oliver-twist2.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551284653343-5O7TR6PUHYEH80VAOJHS/fb.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden Flippin’ Burgers - Delicious burgers and a pretty decent beer list to boot. No nonsense menu - couple of burgers to choose from, fries, soft drinks, shakes, beer or wine. No messin’ abaht! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285256515-4TS9ZKFTPJHFH8Y37Z5A/mikkeller.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285252473-O65NIODLCBZJOW90ZHCW/mikkeller4.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285396810-VI068BMMH21AVJHJ0774/mikk.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285253399-Y5QFXHYW05HUAFE0CRSS/mikkeller3.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285841174-JHETTNTL3490QN2UL2GO/buildings.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285868942-5WNUSZ3WC47W4RYRQFZK/buildings2.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285146863-YIL95ISS38WW2DZ1O3N5/sb.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285145689-MJ5P7SAP6E1LBLTPEYU2/sb2.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285144282-F3KKUNDY0F3LPGD3QW48/sb3.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285568950-WQMP0WMGNL27POPJMDX3/statue.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285589943-SW3JWR5JIQJYYRPQPTXC/building2.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551285606798-25QCRA0SJ49DW346G5A9/fox.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551284754038-6PM2OQ803HZIXO0RAVNU/bd.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551286089455-LAHU3EFDZ82NCMZ2TAF5/gamla.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1551286121274-IKO6ZJZFLZMG09OA9HFU/building.jpg Beer Voyage - Stockholm, Sweden https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/12/1/to-lekalender-2018 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1544652732982-FI2FYK7KYZ5J3SBI53RN/day9.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Nine: 3xMAS // American IPA 4.7% It’s been a good few days since we’ve had a pale ale so this is a welcome return. Cleverly named, this is a triple dry hopped IPA made with Mosaic, Amarillo and Simcoe. And boy is it a bitter bastard. It smells pretty fruity and I expected it to have some citrus notes but they are lacking here which is a shame because it would’ve made this a better beer overall. Instead, it’s straight up bitterness with very little fruitiness and is actually quite dry overall. Despite the strong hoppy bitterness, it’s very light and easy to drink and I’ve seen it away in double quick time. Decent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1544466917414-QBNAQYKMJBZ2Y9RMGBEP/day6.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Six: Sur NEIPA - Citra & Mosaic // Sour Ale 5% Continuing to impress with the variety in this box comes a style I think I’m yet to ever try - a sour New England IPA. In theory it should work; a juicy pale mixed in with a sharp tang of sour should make for an excellent combination. In reality, it doesn’t live up to the sum of its parts. It smells super fruity and is the right amount of hazy but it just doesn’t hit the expectations I had. There’s little to no bitterness with this beer. Instead it has an initial fruitiness to it rounded out with a tart, slightly grapefruity taste. It’s still a good beer that I’d happily have again but I want to like it more and probably should but after the knockout beer from yesterday, this fails to reach those heights. Maybe if it came on a different day I’d feel differently. Cracking label though. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1545249440990-GPYYR5QNMJLIKHLMWZBV/day15.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Fifteen: Nettles in the Kettles // Saison 6% This is one of the cleanest and clearest beers I’ve ever had. Pouring it out it was so light it almost looked like super diluted orange cordial. This beer was actually brewed with stinging nettles which I’m pretty sure is a first for me. I am not sure what nettles are meant to taste like but it’s a very subtle flavour if there is one there at all. It’s slightly herby but then saisons sort of are anyway. It’s just a very crisp, clean, yeasty saison. I’m not sure how this is 6%. It’s very cleverly made as it’s going down so smoothly. I hope the To Øl brewers didn’t get too stung making this but then art is pain and all that. I don’t really know what I’m saying anymore. I’m playing catch-up with this box so am a few beers deep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1544653292249-CB5KRGLMHVQ4UR27PK3V/day10.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Ten: Shock Series - B!PA Citra & Simcoe // Black IPA 7.3% We’ve hit double digit days with yet another beer style. This time a punchy black IPA. I never used to understand this style - if I wanted a dark beer I’d have a stout or a porter surely? Why would I want a dark IPA? Past Hedges, you’re a bloody idiot. Shut your mouth and drink this. It’s a beer that packs in a whole host of flavours and aromas. The roasted malts and added coffee give it a deep, warming, bitter taste but that’s contrasted with the fruity hops which makes this surprisingly light and eminently drinkable. It does not feel like drinking a beer that’s anywhere near 7.3%. It’s weird how dismissive I was of this style of beer considering how varied and interesting it tastes. Maybe my first ever one was guff and I just assumed they’d all be bad. At least I’m not an idiot anymore. Or not as much as one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1545250800420-DQ8AFK9QV8B6X64CRV02/day16.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Sixteen: Blizzard (In a Beer Mug) // White IPA 6% This smells absolutely wonderful. I read the description as a white IPA and lowered my expectations because wheat style beers are not my thang. However, I missed the blurb where it describes this beer as like a blizzard in New England in 1978. It smells like all the best New England IPA hype joose so took me by surprise. It’s billed as hazy but check out the photo - you can see the print on the other side of the glass through the beer! Hazy it is not. I’ve not had a NEWIPA (New England White India Pale Ale) but immediately want more. It’s full-bodied and fruity but the wheat kills the follow through dead and leaves a more hefeweisse-esque aftertaste. An interesting beer for sure. Beer pricks like me should seek this out if you fancy trying something different instead of hazy IPAs and imperial stouts (GUILTY!). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1546277587178-XDD1JIN5VJS9VE65GJXC/day23.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Twenty Three: Tropical Rumble // IPA 4.3% It appears I first had this in Budapest earlier this year but don’t really remember it. It must’ve been on draft because look at that can design - it’s a beaut! I didn’t rate it that highly earlier in the year but I’m not sure why because it’s actually very good. It’s a session IPA so is low on the ABV but not low on flavour. It’s got bags of fruit from the mango, passionfruit and peach but also from the fruity mosaic hops as well. Despite it being more suited to summer days, this is going down very well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1544473837109-4GDQOCDKVSCPVL6CYG32/day7.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Seven: Black Bauble // Spiced Porter 8% This beer smells like Christmas. It’s orangey and spicy and slightly smoky and would pair amazingly with Christmas pudding. There’s very little hops here. Actually there’s just Tettnanger hops but the range of malts is absurd. There’s *holds breath* Pale, Carafa Special, Smoked, Cara Pils, Munich Malt, Special B, English Brown and Cara Munich packed into this beer. Combined with the orange peel and cardamom it makes for a smoky, cakey, warming dark beer. I’m not usually a big fan of spiced or herby beers but this is excellently balanced and up there as one of my favourite ‘Christmas’ beers now. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1546280513091-VAQGFB5SHX7XANILU41U/day22.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Twenty Two: Gose to the Fyrreskov // Gose 3.8% A gose with pine needles. I’m not really getting any piney notes at all here. It’s just a sour. But a very good one. Up there with the other sours in this advent calendar. I don’t really have anything else to add - if you like sour beers, you’ll probably like this. It’s not going to rock your world but you’d enjoy it for sure. And another cracking label! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1546283698847-5YE71PDGCVMT2SD2LX28/day21.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Twenty One: Let Mælk // Milk Stout 4.1% I said earlier I wanted to try another variant of the ‘Mælk’ series so happy to see a yellow label pop out of the box. This is quite strange - it’s very smooth and rich but lacks any body and is very thin so is a bit of a head fuck. It’s quite a traditional stout and lacks any weird adjuncts which is quite refreshing. It’s very enjoyable and tastes stronger than it should. It’s billed as a ‘session milk stout’ but I’m not sure I’d want to chin a lot of these. Good though. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1543962908043-Y2TFN9Y6YNVPHL32RAYW/day2.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Two: Gose To Hollywood // Gose 3.8% I think this might be one of the first sour beers I ever had, It’s at least the first sour beer I remember actually liking so I’ve logged it away in my head as one of my gateway sour beers. Revisiting this beers with a more refined beer palette (man, I am such a dickhead for writing that), I’m surprised that I can taste a lot of orange fruit here. My underlying memory is one a salty sourness but this time around it’s got that but quite a lot of fruitiness too. It’s a shame it’s in an advent calendar because this would be perfect to drink in the sunshine. I’m pleased to get a beer like this because as much as you want dark beers as it’s that time of year for them, it’s always a welcome departure to have a beer like this to cut through them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1545157585247-SMR1FVOEUUGY23I8CK0L/day12.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Twelve: Frost Bite // American Pale Ale 6% This is better. A classic american pale ale with a wintery twist. Brewed with oranges and pine needles it’s a return to form after yesterday. It’s got five different hops (Aurora, Citra, Tettnanger, Simcoe, Amarillo) but it’s the malts (Pale, Cara Red, Munich, Pilsner, Flaked Oats) that are the dominant flavour in this. The hops are still there but the big malty flavours play well against the pine and orange notes. It does not taste like a 6% beer in a good way. Definitely a beer I’d like to drink a couple of. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1545246177812-WFGKZA08O6PEW4WFW5IT/day14.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Fourteen: Santa Gose F&#% It All // Gose 5% This may be Christmas themed by name but it flips your expectations on taste by making it all about the tropical fruits. There’s guava and mango here but the big player is the passion fruit. It’s refreshing and light and the fruits play well against the sour base of the beer. I lamented a beer earlier for being out of season and better suited to summer and the same could be argued here but this just works. A beer suited for any occasion. I said at the start of this advent that Gose to Hollywood was one of my first forays into sour beers and still one of my favourites but I think this beer has toppled it as my favourite from these Danish wizards. Superb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1543872670753-I1ZKDCR3JGD3M5WOG11U/day1.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day One: Fuck Art, Winter is Coming // Belgian Tripel 8% A good start here. I actually have a 750ml bottle of this in the cupboard but I’m never really in the mood to drink that much of the same beer so it’s sat dormant for a year or two. I’d usually be annoyed to get a beer I’ve already got but not so here. It’s definitely a Christmas beer in both name and ingredients. It promised coriander, cardamom and orange peel. Thankfully the coriander is not the dominant flavour (it is sick and wrong) with the cardamom and orange peel combining with it to deliver a lovely Belgian Tripel. It’s pretty easy drinking for a Tripel and I’ve polished it off pretty quickly so we’re off to a good start. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1546382123641-S7HAFXP3GG4MG9ESH9FI/day24.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Twenty Four: Santa’s Secret - Mochaccino Messiah Double Shot // Brown Ale 8% And the final beer isn’t the imperial stout I’d hoped for but a brown ale. Although, one I’m happy to have. This is a variant of Mochaccino Messiah - To Øl’s brown ale brewed with coffee, chocolate and milk to resemble something you could quite easily mistake for a cold brew coffee. This is the big brother of that beer with more coffee, a high ABV and some cinnamon and cardamom chucked in to give it a Christmas slant. It’s delicious and equally as good as the original. It doesn’t really feel like drinking a beer because of the coffee and milk in it and I’d happily drink this in the morning with breakfast if it was socially acceptable. A fantastic end to the advent calendar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1544568475980-FA391WTI7U65S16KLDWT/day8.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Eight: Velvets Are Blue // Sour Saison 5.5% Billed as a sour saison comes this beer brewed with blueberries. The sourness actually masks the saison qualities here and if I’d tried this blind I would’ve just assumed it was a sour. There’s an underlying bitterness and the slight saison twang lingering but not enough to make it obvious it’s a saison. That’s by no means a complaint as it’s a delicious beer with a slight pear flavour coming through after the sourness dissipates. It’s surprisingly refreshing and very drinkable. Another beer that would go down a storm on a hot summer’s day. It’s a beer I didn’t realise I’d had before (as part of a flight during a To Øl tap takeover at BrewDog Shepherd’s Bush) but a welcome reappearance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1543667330006-ONKNZIA0Y2STSVNL4MZS/toolcalendar.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1545253037065-NCF4SRYLSRA8QAHEAGVK/day17.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Seventeen: Mr. Blue 2018 // Saison 9% This is a beer of two halves. The smell is allll about the blueberries so I had high hopes this was going to be a punchy sour fruit bomb. However, it’s a bit muddled. The label bills it as a ‘rustique saison’ and Untappd calls it an ‘imperial berliner weisse’. I’m inclined to go with the bottle description because it’s in no way sour. Which is a shame because if it was an imperial berliner weisse, it’d probably be amazing. Instead, it’s weirdly bitter on the finish which battles against the blueberries and so just doesn’t really work. A shame really because on paper this should work brilliantly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1544437251353-K3KNWW2ZXO83UARIRRQK/day6.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Five: Jule Mælk // Imperial Sweet Stout 15% Far more fitting for an advent calendar. A beer I’ve long coveted makes an appearance for day five. At 15% I was expecting a real bitter and boozey number in keeping with previous imperial stouts I’ve had but this is sweet with a capital S. I had to double check the percentage because this drinks very easily for it’s ABV. It’s full-bodied due to the high amount of lactose in it which makes this feel like drinking a milkshake. The sweetness stays for the remainder and there’s only a tiny bitterness kicking in at the backend to remind you this is actually alcohol so probably don’t chug it. It takes a while to adjust to the sweetness here unless you expect it but it’s a very welcome and different interpretation to the style. To Øl make a lot of variants of this beer (a whiskey version, a tequila version and a milkshake version) and I’m very keen to hunt them all down on the back of this beer. An absolute belter of a beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1546863288899-JIGF2UZV2U2KPP3SF00I/day20.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Twenty: Black Malts & Body Salts // Imperial Black IPA 9.9% A beer I’d had once before at the arse end of a particularly boozey day in East London but vaguely remember enjoying so was happy to see again. It’s a bitter and amped up black IPA with bags of coffee. There’s an underlying fruitiness from the hops but it’s predominantly a bitter beer with lots of roastiness from the coffee and malts. It is apparently made with body salts (and black malts obviously) but I can’t really taste them. Good name though. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1545163949644-DR8PW40FD3I785VID2Q4/day13.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Thirteen: Raid Beer // Pilsner 5.2% According to my beer logs (well, Untappd), I had this beer two years ago and apparently loved it. I think my tastebuds may have changed or it may just be that it’s not the season of the pilsner because it’s not living up to past me’s rave review. It’s still a cracking pilsner and definitely up there as one of the best I’ve had but I think because it’s winter, I’m less enthused. It’s super hoppy and crisp which makes for a super drinkable beer. If it was Summer, I’d probably be rekindling my love affair but I’m more lukewarm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1546195464243-YK5YO99IMNC3O6FEG5D9/day18.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Eighteen: Stress Test // Baltic Porter 8% “How far can you push a lager strain? Clean fermented baltic Porter leaving room for lovely malty characters.” reads the label on the bottle for this dark beauty. I wouldn’t have guessed this started life as a lager because it tastes like a pretty traditional porter to me. It goes down smoothly for an 8% beer and definitely has a huge malty backbone. There’s a subtle chocolate hint in there before the bitter malt kicks in. It’s a delicious beer and fit for winter. In a sea of dark beers made with various weird adjuncts, it’s nice to have something a bit more traditional. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1546200256753-08O8UBNXJOQBCL7N4128/day19.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Nineteen: Santastique! // Belgian Wit 5.5% The bottle itself says this beer is made with To Øl’s own brettanomyces yeast taken from a pear tree. For the uninitiated, brettanomyces (or ‘brett’ for short) is a ‘wild’ yeast used for spontaneous fermentation in Belgian style beers - namely lambics and gueuzes but also saisons and wits. It’s often unwanted in many beer styles because not all beers lend themselves to having a funky, tart flavour. That’s obviously not the case with Belgian style beer and therefor this wit. Brett beer is interesting in that over time many different flavours can develop - you only have to look at people buying Belgian beers and ageing them to see how the flavour develops (Orval seems to be a popular choice for this). However, as this calendar needed to be imbibed for review purposes, I couldn’t do that here. The beer itself is fine. I’m not hugely into wheat or wit beers in general so it was never going to win me over. There’s the hint of funk there but it definitely needs some more time to develop. Good job I have another! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1545155227232-PB3UFR9Q5V7K9ZAA8XRT/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Eleven: Totem Pale // Gluten-Free Pale Ale 2.2% To Øl make one of my favourite gluten-free beers in Reparationsbajer and this is billed as its younger sibling so I was optimistic before trying this. However, it’s pretty nondescript. It just doesn’t taste of much and is quite boring. BrewDog’s Vagabond and Magic Rock’s Fantasma are two fantastic gluten-free beers but have a higher ABV so I imagine that is why this is lacking in flavour. Not really much else to say. The can looks nice? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1544033819594-HLTLR4TU185DSW8QYZS7/day3.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Three: Snowball Saison // Saison 8% Feeling festive today so added PROPZ to the customary photo. Another light beer with a saison this time. I enjoyed To Øl’s own explanation of this beer so thought I’d share here: “Enough heavy dark obnoxious sweet super malty x-mas and winter beers. When you eat heavy duck with fat gravy, the last thing you want is another heavy sweet malt liquor! NO! you want something that can help you digest the dinner, ease your stomach and cleanse your throat. And that is exactly what Snowball Saison will do. It is a SUPER sparkling crisp and dry Saison that has been re-fermented with milk acid bacteria and dry hopped over and over to give the beer a crisp and smooth tart finish (not to mention.... there is a lot of hops of course...)” Whilst I didn’t save it to have when I’m eating heavy duck with fat gravy, I can see their point. This is a super dry and crisp saison that would cut through any rich food - it definitely lingers in the mouth for a while afterwards. It packs a punch at 8% and definitely is up there as one of the stronger saisons I’ve had. We’re only into the 3rd day of this box but it’s been a great reminder of how much I like To Øl’s label designs in general. Hats off to Mr. Ledet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1544047161154-81DTZNV513EN0WUEVEUB/day4.jpg Beer Voyage - To Ølekalender 2018 (Advent Calendar) - Day Four: A Peeling Pale // Pale Ale 5% Hmm, not really much to say about this one. The can says it’s a pale ale made with orange peel and you can definitely taste the citrus notes in it from the fruit and the citra hops but I don’t have much else to say. It’s a very well made American pale ale but it feels a bit at odds with what came before (interesting styles or interpretations of Christmas beers) and I’ve drank many beers similar to this. I’d probably lap this up on tap somewhere in the summertime but on a cold, wet December evening, it’s a bit lacking. Hopefully tomorrow brings a more fitting beer. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/10/21/omnipollos-hatt-stockholm monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1542134072761-UA1EE6W04MSG76LHVFI3/beer.jpg Beer Voyage - Omnipollo's Hatt, Stockholm The photo to the left will be all familiar to anyone that’s ever visited the Omnipollo’s Hatt website before. It’s pretty much the only thing on there anyway and we became very accustomed to it during our stay. Checking it when in different parts of the city to see if anything new had been put on as a pathetic excuse to go back again. During our visit, the bar had a Stigbergets tap takeover which meant we’d travelled all that way and couldn’t drink any Omnipollo beer in the Omnipollo bar. Typical! This didn’t really matter though as (1) Stigbergets are brilliant and (2) we visited so often that the tap list updated soon enough to some of Omnipollo’s latest offerings. The photo I snapped to the left was about two days into our visit so some of the Omnipollo beers were turning up. Including Brush which was newly released that week (which I’ll cover below in greater detail). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1542135407580-54SS5QVBY21Q6960QNIO/blush.jpg Beer Voyage - Omnipollo's Hatt, Stockholm https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1542135406108-HB1J2GX4L4DVE3ZI710H/stig.jpg Beer Voyage - Omnipollo's Hatt, Stockholm https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1542135405964-9L2479DSVALAV5N38BVJ/imperial-backwards.jpg Beer Voyage - Omnipollo's Hatt, Stockholm https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1542136011674-QTM6G9APX2LPOJPSH06G/IMG_9848+copy.png Beer Voyage - Omnipollo's Hatt, Stockholm I have to bring up the pizza again because it was wonderful. Pizza Hatt provide the grub courtesy of their pizza oven in the rear. The pizza is perfect accompaniment to the beer - the base is light and fluffy, the tomato sauce is tangy and herby, the cheese is creamy and stringy and the toppings are all fresh and delicious. During our many visits the pizza oven was churning out pizzas at a steady state no matter the time of day which made for a lovely smell in the bar. They were reasonably priced for Sweden at around £10ish which for the quality was very good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1542133265402-O0TPKK10G24H0R22B2MQ/IMG_9856.JPG Beer Voyage - Omnipollo's Hatt, Stockholm https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1542133266727-2OXE9IQ3QRLYDXD8XSR1/IMG_9857.JPG Beer Voyage - Omnipollo's Hatt, Stockholm https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1542133265648-K25EPNNJ7ZHQKGCSVSCG/IMG_9858.JPG Beer Voyage - Omnipollo's Hatt, Stockholm https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/8/29/to-ol-ms-series-2018 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1539886841016-VLTBMKBPT7M95D1S1L2C/magenta.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Ms. Series 2018 - Ms. Magenta // Dragonfruit & Strawberry Berliner Weisse 4.5% Expectations: I once went on a kid's rollercoaster ride as a teenager that was shaped like a dragon. It was alarmingly quick for a child's ride. So much so, it made me break out into an uncontrollable laughing fit at the sheer ridiculousness of the juxtaposition of a kid's rollercoaster being THAT fast. Anyway, I'm hoping this beer made with dragonfruit stirs up similar emotions. Giggling like a teenage boy at this delightful sounding beer. I'm all about a fruity, tart berliner weisse so am well up for this. Failing that, I'll have to go back to Alton Towers. Reality: Most berliner weisse beers tend to have a pretty unpleasant smell. Not as bad as some sours but it has that slight sulphur smell to it. This beer, however, has zero aroma. Maybe it being straight out of the fridge has resulted in the aroma being dulled but it’s just vanished. I was a little perturbed and worried but I needn’t have been because this is very, very good. I’m not really sure what a dragonfruit tastes like but I am getting alllll the strawberry here. It’s initially a bit tart but then the finish is lovely and sweet and I’ve just noticed I’ve chinned half the can in double quick time. This hasn’t stirred up the same reaction as the aforementioned rollercoaster but it’s certainly put a smile on my face. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1540929640812-2TJEMMW0Y6C2N3RU60RP/violet.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Ms. Series 2018 - Ms. Violet // Blackcurrant & Plum Tripel 9% Expectations: I may have mentioned this before but a few years ago I went to Bruges for a long weekend. During that time, I consumed an inhuman amount of Belgian beer. So much so, I think I'm only just about ready to drink it again. Tripels are probably my favourite Belgian style so with the colour addition of purple fruits, I am silently praying this reignites my Belgian drinking ways all over again. No pressure, Ms. Violet. Reality: By ‘eck, this is absolutely delightful. It’s a wonderful plummy colour and has that wonderful Belgian aroma but the taste is allllll about dem purple fruits. Tart plums and blackcurrants up front which are super strong and almost overpowering but then the Belgian yeast hits and really rounds out the taste. It’s almost like drinking a fruit crumble and is exactly what I needed on one of the first cold winter days in October. One of the highlights of the box for sure and an interesting twist on a Belgian Tripel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1542670284486-9S6QGEAZ4CYTWHXE6EY4/black.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Ms. Series 2018 - Ms. Black // Date & Liquorice Imperial Stout 10% Expectations: I'm in pretty good hands with To Øl when it comes to dark beers. They've brewed some brilliant ones in the past with the different Goliat and Maelk variants so I'm expecting big things from this. I wouldn't say I'm a fan of either of the key ingredients outside of beer but they are obviously great choices for a stout and will hopefully give it a sweet edge alongside the expected bitter backbone. Reality: This poured out as smooth as silk. Black silk. It has almost zero carbonation and the head was that brown foam that lets you know you’ve got a big impy stout in your hands. As you can imagine, those two flavours are the dominant ones here. It’s very date heavy at first and then the big hit of liquorice comes through. As I said, I’m not really a fan of liquorice outside of beer but it really works well here and leaves a great aftertaste along with the boozy hit. I’ve drank half of it and it’s tasting better as it comes up to room temperature from the fridge. A great beer to sip late at night as winter draws in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1539719499325-2QR6C624DPPGRDXRXWKY/scarlet.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Ms. Series 2018 - Ms. Scarlet - Bloody Mary IPA 6% Expectations: My only experience of a proper Bloody Mary involved the vodka being substituted with gin which as you can imagine was all kinds of wrong. I begrudgingly sipped it down which has probably ruined Bloody Mary's in my head forever. Hopefully this IPA version can win me round. I'm intrigued that an IPA was chosen for the base beer as tomato, celery, chilli and black pepper are not flavours you'd associate with it. However, in the name of science, I am willing to give it a go. Hopefully it's not reminiscent of the gin debacle. Reality: Well, what a rollercoaster of a beer. Pouring it out I was amazed at just how deeply red this was. Expecting a colour closer to a regular IPA, I was taken aback. But then, I gave it a whiff. A nose full of coriander and celery. Panic set it. Coriander is the devil. I apprehensively took a gulp. The first hit was all tomato and all IPA. Yes! But then, the coriander came back with abandon. No! But THEN. The spice hit. The wonderful spice that cancelled out the coriander came through at the back of my throat and all was well. This is a clever, well made beer that I’d happily drink as part of a hangover cure. I’ve completely forgotten about the gin monstrosity thanks to this beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1539288358702-3EXA6YG7QVD61BAITG2Y/msgrey.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Ms. Series 2018 - Ms. Grey // Earl Grey Biére de Garde 7% Expectations: Biére de Garde (or 'beer for keeping') is a style that isn't very popular outside of Belgium and France. Basically a saison but stronger it's a beer style that doesn't really do anything to me. Maybe the addition of earl grey tea leaves will make it stand out but it's a subtle flavour so I'm not expecting to be blown away. Reality: Yeah, kind of what I expected really. It’s a beautiful dark brown colour and smells quite light as you’d expect but there’s nothing to wow on appearance or smell. The taste is a bit disappointing. It’s still a very well made beer and very drinkable but the earl grey is so subtle that I’d never have guessed it was an ingredient had I not known. It hides the 7% well and has gone down well but I was hoping it would be more than the sum of its parts. This was the first of the series I cracked open so hopefully this is the least good one in the box! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1535981774471-U3KS3DDLJPX80NMG04V8/All-cans-cropped+%281%29.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Ms. Series 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1539422305582-6DXN97R9YLJXTAIJFRFA/msteal.jpg Beer Voyage - To Øl Ms. Series 2018 - Ms. Teal // Seaweed Gose 4.5% Expectations: Can I shock you? I've actually had a sea-based gose before. The green beer in 2016's Rainbow Project. 2016 me was not a fan at all but I've embraced sour beer like a long lost relative and feel slightly more optimistic for Ms. Teal. Saltiness is to be expected in a gose so I'm hoping the seaweed doesn't make it super brackish. To Øl made one of the first gose beers I ever tasted (Gose to Hollywood) which really opened my eyes to sours so I hope this is equally as good as that. Reality: Bang on with this tart little bastard. It’s light and salty and sour and everything a gose should be. I thought it might be overwhelmingly salty but it’s really well balanced. I’ve had a lot of sours over the last few years and this is right up there as one of the best. It just does everything it should very well and doesn’t try to be anything more than the sum of its parts. I had always pegged To Øl as a brewery that made really good pale ales and imperial stouts but I’m going to have to add sours to that list now. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/6/28/boston-ma monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531088959389-AR521GA2RCT751JUGWR9/IMG_20171030_184307.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531084744983-YKL6F089NNMKV26T0KKT/20171023-IMG_7369.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531084748842-83CG3WRNELKOZYY2OP1F/20171023-IMG_7411.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531085388378-VI3BEK3TC4JJ7NI1DXN8/390e9b61-a54f-4a72-a0db-45b0be7891ba.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531085406793-KLL95F51H3X5V36FZSWP/20171023-IMG_7390.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531088780621-K3GF37L004F6YA8TG345/20171021-IMG_7209.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531088779965-8DTFG2073UKGDN5F3B9V/20171021-IMG_7217.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531088781161-M4PFLL9TSG7XOQRGI27Q/20171022-IMG_7266.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531086312527-ONEOKTJBHIVH23JDPOXK/20171031-IMG_8024.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531086312534-QHHTOOP1PGSHQCSCL8U3/20171031-IMG_8028.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531086315685-GLSHDQBDP704YKHGPVZN/20171031-IMG_8035.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530360459708-401ZAQOOWQ8VVIHKBJFG/WhatsApp+Image+2018-06-29+at+5.08.34+AM+%281%29.jpeg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530360461773-KW3UUPPSFL8ADELO97MI/WhatsApp+Image+2018-06-29+at+5.08.34+AM+%282%29.jpeg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530360461735-ZMXSWB4ZL0WC37DYDP72/WhatsApp+Image+2018-06-29+at+5.08.34+AM.jpeg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531085582184-KRXCQ030YYDQ18TKXB7R/20171031-IMG_7994.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531085671473-34ETCJ3UWIMP9CSREMAJ/20171030-IMG_7973.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531085581577-YO53JNQMC874OAN6PT9J/bd2f9833-5a4b-47a8-a70b-adff1c7555ec.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531168982836-AE2QOHMXQHQHJ63HH3AJ/bcf51127-cf33-43e3-85bd-fd947236ffc0.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531169077743-4XL89AH66KCTI9EJU7VL/ad41a9aa-b967-4be5-8148-e3bdd656e4bf.jpg Beer Voyage - Boston, Massachusetts https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/6/28/wylam-brewery-northern-powerhouse-brew-series-2018 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530211063941-YLTH1LSVPAXD5T5ZQ15G/NP006.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 - 006 DDH Pale Ale 5% // Wylam x Hawkshead Brewery Expectations: A brewery I don't see a lot of down South. The only occasion I seem to drink any of their wares is part of the Rainbow Project. In both cases, they've been sours so I'm intrigued to try a double dry hopped pale from Hawkshead. The description ticks all the right boxes in terms of hops with US hops in Citra BBC, Chinook BBC and Amarillo which will hopefully result in a light, refreshing, fruity pale which is pretty much the perfect beer at this time of the year. Reality: Yep, this is a banger. It pours a very light colour and smells incredible. Copious amounts of tropical fruits on the nose and it tastes like mango and cream. The finish is quite weak but at 5% it's a cracking pale. Summer in a glass. Great work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530207610035-7QUEMG2EU0VKX49HMTVB/NP001.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 - 001 Chocolate Chip Vanilla Imperial Stout 10.5% // Wylam x Buxton Brewery Expectations: Probably the one I'm most excited to try, although it being the middle of summer and this being an imperial stout it will likely be the last of the pack I open. Buxton are no strangers to brewing cracking super strength stouts - be it on their own or in collaboration with other breweries. In fact, in December, an imperial stout from both Wylam and Buxton were two of my favourite beers so it stands to reason this beer is going to smash it out of the park. Reality: ALL OF THE CHOCOLATE. This is very thin for an imperial stout but the flavours are not lacking. It's pretty much like being in a chocolate factory. I'm not really getting the vanilla until the very end which is a welcome respite from the onslaught of cocoa. I imagine this beer would've only got better with age but needs must. Superb beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530209934295-9EGK41OS1WQ9HCG45OIB/NP004.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 - 004 American Wheat with Jasmine & Orange Peel 5.5% // Wylam x Thornbridge Brewery Expectations: Another style that doesn't really excite me. I find wheat beers in general much of a muchness and they often take me a while to get through. I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt here as the extra jasmine flower flavours may add an interesting layer. Orange peel is quite common in this style so hopefully the two flavours marry up together well. Reality: The jasmine is dominating proceedings here. The initial flavour is quite pleasant and orangey but the aftertaste is a bit like when you accidentally spray perfume in your gob. It's surprisingly light for a wheat beer and is more of a wheat/pale hybrid I suppose. Not one I'd rush to have again but it's going done easily enough despite the overpowering jasmine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530206694468-HJ0PUVIHCVTINKFNOOBD/Wylam-powerhouse-cans-only-fixd.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 Image taken from HonestBrew https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530210229577-H9YIMX15036EB5E2Y5M4/NP005.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 - 005 Forest Fruit Kettle Sour 4.5% // Wylam x Magic Rock Brewing Expectations: Two of my favourite breweries combining for probably my favourite style of sour is a sight for sore eyes. Blackcurrant, blackberries, raspberries all combining to deliver a tart and balanced sour? Yes please. I'm noticing a recurring theme of all of these beers (bar the first one) being optimal beers for the summer. Wylam are clearly sensible people. Reality: This is like grown-up sherbet. There's a beautiful sherbet fizz followed by lovely tart dark berries. It's sticky and sweet but not overly so and is surprisingly viscous for a sour. Kettle sours are the right balance for me and this is tart but not mouth puckering. Top stuff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530209614874-DX24EJB80U6E5DH5P3GE/NP003.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 - 003 Mixed Fermentation Fruited Farmhouse 7.5% // Wylam x Black Lodge Brewery Expectations: A beer packed with mango, peach and apricot sounds right in my wheelhouse. I've only had one Black Lodge beer before - a black coffee IPA made for Collabfest 2017 which I rated so here's hoping they can make it 2/2 with this light little number. I'm expecting fruit. I'm expecting tart. I'm expecting funk. A saison done right is a beautiful thing to sip in the summer so I hope this lives up to the flavours dancing around in my head. Reality: I'm surprised just how much I like this. It looks like a NEIPA but tastes like an imperial saison. There's bags of fruit here and it's everything you want in a beer. Refreshing and punchy. I am four beers into this series and so my judgment may be slightly impaired by booze but this is honestly very good. Black Lodge, I've got my eye on you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531082505004-XICXV9LSA7X5G41XX2MQ/001.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531082502782-Z5Q7Z0DO9F4F22H23AAL/002.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531082566411-4FUUAR37075JCMPDZVUA/003.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531082569233-532L7J61OUDG6B3EUTWI/004.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531082596741-T1TKVV6PEIPMM6SPYFLP/005.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531082598750-G57B4VPQDV8JGYY9ZX84/006.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531082538983-C3GCD9OXMVFH601CTQNQ/007.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1531082534908-N5TQBIS0BB7U4DKVESK0/008.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530211581910-X38HPPYIA6XAOHX24JXI/NP007.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 - 007 India Pale Ale 7.2% // Wylam x Northern Monk Expectations: From one pale to another, this time from Leeds' finest, Northern Monk. More hops than the previous beer (Citra BBC, Mosaic BBC, Vic Secret and Galaxy) and not double dry hopped this time means a different pale. The ABV has been cranked up too so the flavours should pack more of a punch to the chops. Wylam and Northern Monk are two fine purveyors of this style so I know I'm in the safest of hands with this beer. Reality: YEAH BOIIII - this is exactly what I expected but in the best possible way. Two of the UK's finest cracking out one of their best styles is a no brainer in terms of quality. It looks and smells like fruit juice but the alcohol kick lets you know it's anything but. It's got a bit of thickness to it, it's almost chewy, it's delicious. All hail the hazy IPA for it is wonderful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530208228156-740JH6M6S1DQYWKPQDCY/NP002.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 - 002 Strong Brown Ale 6.3% // Wylam x Cloudwater Brew Co. Expectations: I've said before a brown ale is a style that does very little for me but if anyone is going to deliver an interesting, contemporary version it is the Cloudwater magicians. Sprinkle in a bit of Wylam and it's all setup to be a banger. I'm hoping for a malty backbone followed up with a fruity, earthy finish. Reality: Hmm. It's quite malty and nutty but has quite a sweet aftertaste. It feels a bit confused. It's very, very sweet when I was expecting quite a bitter backbone. Even so, it's still a good beer, just not what I was expecting. I am writing this seven beers deep so the fact there's a review at all is a miracle. I did expect more from this if I'm honest but not being into brown ales, I was never going to love it. Ho hum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1530212252061-XOA93I5ZJY7E0FPXHV2W/NP008.jpg Beer Voyage - Wylam Brewery Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 - 008 DIPA 8.5% // Wylam x Box Social Brewing Expectations: Finishing on a collaboration with fellow Geordies in Box Social Brewing comes what sounds like a big DIPA to round off the box. A slew of US hops in Citra Cryo, Amarillo Cryo, BRU-1 and Galaxy (some of which I've not heard of) means this should really pack a punch in every mouthful. Box Social are pretty small (6 barrels!) so I haven't ever come across their beers before. Hopefully a trip to Newcastle soon will resolve that but until then, this will likely be my first foray into what they are capable of. Reality: I am drinking this straight after 007 and I'm hard pushed to find much of a difference. There's slightly more hop burn here, so I probably should've let this settle a bit but it's everything the beer above was really. At what ABV does an IPA become a DIPA? Is there a rule? I don't really care either way because both of these beers are fucking brilliant. All of the hops. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/6/6/weird-beard-brew-co-summer-open-day-2018 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528393028253-5BXA8WB40GBXKA185B94/IMG_1105.jpg Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 What a beautiful sight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528392247010-UZJE44A0HD6JYVA1FBJF/IMG_1120.jpg Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528392348409-3J7NVJKA5O2J2YPT91XZ/IMG_1116.jpg Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528394223656-EDKZX5GY4JXYFJ7GKZMF/IMG_1114.jpg Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528392381433-ZO64TLUULJYM345E0DBI/IMG_1113.jpg Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528392355920-QRDRZWN8PNMCNO2XMSFX/IMG_1117.jpg Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528393571177-4XA7HXF6PVRB8RX8RFS0/IMG_1115.JPG Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528392472754-UUTMKWXTSQYSY2HHY5AL/IMG_1106.jpg Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528393571438-7OMFSCL2LYQOWKXE3ZRI/IMG_1118+%281%29.JPG Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528392478782-YLZHF5YPTDAV3JS97W29/IMG_1103.jpg Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528393575841-SZ8JNXUR4EOOX94VR2AV/IMG_1112.JPG Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1528393176284-I1LYV48X907EUQV92XDU/IMG_1121.jpg Beer Voyage - Weird Beard Brew Co. Open Day, Summer 2018 barrel-aged beauties https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/3/30/leeds-yorkshire monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1522413228453-Y44UJF58SVHRHD5823JU/IMG_0568.JPG Beer Voyage - Leeds, Yorkshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1522412601655-ON15XOGH2ZV7L4G3361S/IMG_0563.jpg Beer Voyage - Leeds, Yorkshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1522411409666-YNP3B3J908GJTX04EYE4/IMG_0554.jpg Beer Voyage - Leeds, Yorkshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1522412229058-9D5SOZN815M6Z60U0QCF/IMG_0557.jpg Beer Voyage - Leeds, Yorkshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1522412478514-V5N3O8TLW2Z7FEXTLC2K/IMG_0556.JPG Beer Voyage - Leeds, Yorkshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1522412444659-8HPJPDP50ZVE0R9QPA1N/IMG_0560.jpg Beer Voyage - Leeds, Yorkshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1522417775098-8R79VFRWV934CTNWVO4R/bd2.jpeg Beer Voyage - Leeds, Yorkshire Photo courtesy of Jason Hemmings https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1522415875212-FII41XTA9DNA8OOZCJ2Y/bundo.jpg Beer Voyage - Leeds, Yorkshire https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/2/15/drunk-in-december monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1526323240314-O5X79A11IWJENM0YOWIN/grapevine.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - Grapevine - Pale Ale 5.4% // Fallen Brewing Co. A belated birthday gift from Beer Voyage Friend and, at time of writing, Scotland resident, Jabo. We were lucky to receive a selection of Scottish beers and this pale ale from Fallen Brewing Co was my pick of the bunch. This new world pale is packed full of hops with the citra hops being the star of the show here. The balance of four different hops and four different malts is managed really well and leads to a really refreshing, easy drinking pale ale. This would go down a treat in the summer. Thanks buddy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518713993073-H6UHBE54T616T1B8MISZ/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - Rain Shadow - Imperial Stout 10% // Buxton Brewery This turned out to be my final beer of 2017. And what a beer to end on. I'd been trying to hunt this beer down for the best part of a year so had to put in one last booze order when I saw it pop up online. It's deep and complex with a wonderful roasted malt backbone pushing this towards the bitter end of the stout spectrum. It came after a pretty big meal out and so I took my sweet time over this. And I'm glad I did as it really improved as it warmed up. Apparently this beer took 8 months to make and went through various edits before Buxton were happy with it. Good things come to those who wait it seems as this was a knockout end to 2017. Now to hunt down the single barrel editions... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1526325625621-M41K97JWAZP44HUPKQ1M/bombay-dazzler.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - Bombay Dazzler - Witbier 4.8% // Northern Monk x Gateway Brewing Co Although not brewed as a seasonal beer, I think Bombay Dazzler is the perfect Christmas beer. Packed full of warm spices, including coriander, cardamon, and ginger, this witbier is refreshingly light whilst packing plenty of taste. I would say that this is a good accompaniment to food, particularly whilst stuffing your face at Christmas as you don’t want anything too heavy. I’ve since had this at Bundobust Leeds and it pairs really well with Indian food. An excellent collaborative effort between Northern Monk and Gateway Brewing Co and a fantastically designed can. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518710938873-LCY1LONKHZUSXBSCD461/yolo.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - #YOLOmælk - Imperial Milk Stout 14% // To Øl On reading about this beer I thought it sounded interesting - an imperial milk stout brewed with caviar and champagne yeast. This beer is pure decadence. I've never tried caviar but I think its addition to the beer is the reason it has a slight hint of salt in amongst the rich, chocolate, coffee flavours. It works really well. It might be the first time I've ever drank a beer this strong from a can. It almost felt like the wrong container to hold such extravagant liquid but with a design as striking as this, it's a minor niggle. This is one hundred percent a beer made for sipping and I lovingly laboured over drinking this for quite some time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518711847450-3MLSC4GLM6JGWU7WARLS/yb.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - Yellow Belly - Imperial Stout 11% // Buxton Brewery x Omnipollo A beer I'd been saving for a while and what better reason to finally open in than my 2,500th unique checkin on Untappd? Originally brewed as part of the Rainbow Project back in 2015, this beer got so many plaudits it has been brewed every year since. The bottle has courted some controversy from idiots accusing it of promoting the KKK/racism but they are missing the point entirely. It's called YELLOW BELLY you morons. A peanut butter biscuit stout made with no biscuits, butter or nuts. As a big fan of peanut butter and a big fan of stouts, this was a perfect match for me. I've had the bottle for a while so some of the nuttiness had faded but the big biscuity and usual stout flavours were very prominent. A beer fit for the occasion! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518713265788-ZEXPUJ2O8QGWLHGJA4AA/jungle.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - You're in The Jungle Baby! - Imperial Stout 12% // Evil Twin Brewing x Jackie O's Pub & Brewing MOAR STOUTZ. I actually had this the same day as the previous beer and it proved to be the perfect nightcap to what was an excellent day trawling around various pubs and bottleshops in East London. This was imbibed in The King's Arms in Bethnal Green - a superb boozer with the always welcome addition of a central bar. It's almost rude not to pull up a stool and take a pew. This beer was made with Pasilla chili, honey, tangerine peel and cocoa nibs apparently. I don't particularly remember the fruit flavours but do remember the heat from the chili paired nicely with the sweetness of the chocolate. Ending a pub crawl on a 12% beer is probably not something I should make a habit out of. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518714410737-RILW17B46OVZCGFYCLY4/lervig.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - There’s A Beer In My Fridge, And I Need A Drink - Rye IPA 7.2% // Lervig x Cloudwater Brew Co. And to end on a non-stout note now with this ridiculous beer from Lervig and Cloudwater - a double dry hopped hazy rye IPA. After tasting this I'm surprised to not see more beers of this style. The addition of rye is superb and gives this juicy beer a beautiful spicy, smooth edge. If memory serves, I think I said 'WOW' and did a double take at the can. It was by far and away the best beer I had over the Christmas break and one I'll definitely return to should I get the chance. Also, one of my favourite named beers of 2017! (Forgive the festive glassware, it was Boxing Day and I'd gone back to Somerset to see my family so drinking vessels were somewhat limited!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1526324400447-RCPORHJEE1LDJNY24JOR/crimson-bird.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - The Crimson Bird With Raspberries - Saison Farmhouse Ale 6.1% // Naparbier Around November time, I had the great idea to order twelve beers for a special seasonal ‘12 beers of Christmas’ post, with each line of the Christmas song having a beer selected by yours truly to go along with it. Unfortunately, my tardiness got the better of me as usual and I didn’t do anywhere enough planning. As well as this, it's really difficult to find beers that fit the song lyrics (ten lords a leaping anyone?). So the plan was abandoned no sooner than it had been dreamt upt. I ordered this as part of this project, fortunately my efforts were not in vain as this is a lovely beer. With plenty of raspberry flavour, this is a really pleasant, smooth drinking farmhouse style saison. I need to try more of Naparbier in general and look forward to trying the strawberry version of Crimson Bird. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1526324595643-BOJKS96ZC7XPDDPL9J15/lorita.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - Lorita Passionfruit Pale Ale - Pale Ale 4.7 % // Amundsen Bryggeri This was another one from my Christmas beer order (though not part of the theme, I just liked the can) and my first time trying anything from Norway's Amundsen. I had heard good things about Amundsen and their colourful cans have caught my eye on a number of occasions. This is also one of the few ‘topless’ cans I’ve had (I seem to be late to the party there). As expected from a passionfruit pale, this is massively fruity, with strong tropical flavours. Another really easy drinking beer, I’ll definitely be trying more of Amundsen’s range in the future. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518712549075-FNBLF0JN4PA8ADWNXAQW/wylam.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - Pleasures In The Darkness - Imperial Stout 11% // Wylam x Hawkshead Brewery It's definitely stout season - we're 4/4 for imperial stouts so far! Had as part of a flight at excellent Brick Lane bottleshop, Kill the Cat, comes this potent number from Up North. The beer before this was one of Cloudwater's beers from their Small series, so to go from 2.9% to 11% was a wonderful beery slap in the chops. There are no subtleties here - this is a massive stout packed with coffee, vanilla and chocolate notes. I've only had a handful of Hawkshead beers but Wylam continually impress. It turns out they are even good at making big imperial stouts. The clever buggers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1526323799317-XFMJMK15DLVUCOT3MIZ8/brewheadz.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - S'Our Gym - Sour Ale 4.6% // Brewheadz With Christmas time comes lots of (often terrible) Christmas themed real ales. Brown twiggy beer that all have the same flavour profile. In an effort to buck this trend I tried to branch out in December and seek out a range of different styles. This sour, made to celebrate the first birthday of Brewheadz, was incredibly fruity. It is packed full of pineapple, mango, orange, and passion fruit flavours. Also apparently guarana was added ('to give you strength for your workout'), although I have no idea what that actually tastes like. I'm not sure hitting the gym after a few of these would be advised but it was definitely a refreshing change to Rudolph's Revenge and Winter Warmer and the like. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518711427856-2IIT2C2ESXTUPWR28PX1/ab22.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - Abstrakt AB:22 - Imperial Stout 12.5% // BrewDog Another big boozey bastard. This time from BrewDog. AB:22 was actually released at the start of 2017 and had lingered at the back of the beer cupboard for the best part of a year before I saw fit to crack it open. An imperial stout made with cacao and coffee and aged for two years in Speyside whisky casks. The official description is a tiiiny bit over the top in describing the flavours: "chocolate ganache, cold-brew coffee, vanilla pods, molasses, chocolate-covered raisin, fudge sundae, espresso martini, toasted coconut" Seriously? Come onnn... The main thing I picked up was just how warming it was. Who needs to put the heating on when you've got this warming up your insides? The dominant flavour is coffee followed by the whisky punch. It's a wonderful beer and a fitting addition to the Abstrakt series. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1526325022752-2BRWVMEJ2MEO3EA7QG5F/rake.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... December - Hickey the Rake - English Pale Ale 4.2% // Wylam After hearing good things about Wylam from Hedges, I picked up a few of their bottles including Catcher in the Rye, Swipe Right S.P.A, and this pale ale, Hickey the Rake. Hickey the Rake is branded as a 'Limonata Pale' which promises 'almost toxic levels of citrus zing'. Whilst personally, I found the citrus a little underwhelming, I did enjoy the mild sherbet like fizz and the fruity lemon, lime and pineapple flavours. This was a lively mother! This pale ale is ultra smooth, light and really easy drinking, I could happily drink this all night. (With thanks to Beer Voyage Friend, Chris for the photo) https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/2/25/dublin monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1521970610198-HGFAKLWHB1NPEWC1O3S2/IMG_8575.jpg Beer Voyage - Dublin, Ireland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1521970633943-URBJ9BW8D580A7SV4J4T/IMG_8578.jpg Beer Voyage - Dublin, Ireland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1521971245637-W6ODON9EKWBWIDKXAXW0/IMG_8579.jpg Beer Voyage - Dublin, Ireland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1521971339090-DLQ19DN383UK3YBPVOUS/IMG_8592.jpg Beer Voyage - Dublin, Ireland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1521970289142-0G6C0WT6O5U2MJ7COC4S/IMG_8598.jpg Beer Voyage - Dublin, Ireland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1521974195786-JK23UDXCK7Q2GCJS80AG/IMG_8538.jpg Beer Voyage - Dublin, Ireland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1521999196981-XLIA9L550DF4M1N8C0MV/IMG-20180217-WA0005.jpg Beer Voyage - Dublin, Ireland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1521999152657-5GS46U4BW83NA1UONOW5/IMG_20180217_153702.jpg Beer Voyage - Dublin, Ireland https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/2/15/drunk-in-november monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518701101775-B4IMACCFXF05KDT21NJQ/lightning.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Lightning Sombrero - Double IPA 8.5% // Mad Hatter Brewing Company x Wild Weather Ales Now some light(ning) to break through the dark with this beer from those always interesting Scousers, Mad Hatter. I find Mad Hatter beers the very definition of hit and miss - some of their beers are fantastic but some can be real stinkers. This collaboration with Wild Weather Ales really took me by surprise. I went for it on the recommendation of the barman at London Beer House - a wonderful little pub in St James, London. It's a gooseberry double IPA which intrigued me enough to go for it. There was definitely sourness apparent from the gooseberries but I was amazed at how strong it was considering the taste and colour. It was very pale looking and tasted very, very light. Deceptive for 8.5%! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1519499179357-CQXNDWMXYBN7IUVOCUPD/918b1811841175600482a92b635c4ba8_raw_damemelba.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Dame Melba Phantom - Berliner Weisse 4.8% // Beavertown “Hey deadhead, take a bit of peach” Ah, Beavertown with your consistently good brews, where would I be without you? I managed to find a can of Dame Melba Phantom at bar on a night out and I’m pleased to say it’s beautiful stuff. Peach and raspberry flavours with a perfect mixture of tart and sweetness. It also pours a really pretty grapefruit pink. This Berliner Weisse, unlike Hallo ich Bin…above, isn’t overly tart or offensive at all. To be honest I mostly forgot I was drinking a Berliner Weisse and I was able to enjoy the sweet flavours that came through this fantastic beer. I could easily drink a few of these in a row unlike most sours. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518698991158-6AUITDMS7TP7D8KI0NAY/moob.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - I Like To Moob It Moob It - Double IPA 8.8% // Northern Monk x Wylam We kick off proceedings for November with this delicious entry as 'an answer to recent click bait articles about IPA's giving you man boobs'. I'm glad this was the response to the bullshit claims as it's one of my favourite beers of the year from two of my favourite breweries of the year. It's everything you'd expect from a double IPA - it's thick, punchy and fruity and went down far too easily for an 8.8% beer. It has Citra, Ella, Vic Secret, Enigma and To hops. I've never knowingly had a beer with To hops but I'm a massive fan of citra, vic secret and enigma hops so inevitably sunk this in double quick time. I just wish I bought more than one! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1519498758310-OG05K3GB4PBF0Z0E4PXB/IMG_20180221_223955.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Pale Ale Kiwi Lilt - New Zealand Pale Ale 5.5% // Wiper And True Kiwi Lilt has the honour of being my first ever takeaway growler fill, purchased from my local bottle shop the Beer Musketeer. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve had from Wiper and True thus far so I had complete confidence in taking away a litre of this stuff. Guess what? It was bloody great. A refreshing pale ale with loads of tropical fruit flavors and citrus zest made this really easy drinking. I polished off the growler to my self in one night (who shares beer anyway?). Just like actual Lilt this has a totally tropical taste. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1519498643060-GDJOP1XOSOZG9TWZT0VU/automne_small_1.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Automne - Farmhouse Saison 6% // Unity Brewing Co I went on a trip to Winchester to check out the Overdraft Craft Ale Bar which opened a few months ago. Looking up at their beer menu, I was pleased to see a couple of Unity beers on. I’ve been impressed with everything I’ve sampled from Unity so far and this Farmhouse Saison did not disappoint. Automne is brewed with juniper berries which gives it that beautiful floral bitterness found in gin. I’ve not had any beers like this before but my understanding is that it’s a difficult style to get right. Unity have pulled off the juniper saison brilliantly though with this. Besides the beer, I was impressed with Overdraft in general, a great little bar serving some nice craft beers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518699596138-AV9D0TRQOJ7NG53XY4FZ/amber.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Amber Enigma - American Amber Ale 4.8% // Cloudwater Brew Co. From one beer with Vic Secret, Enigma and Citra hops to another comes this delicious red ale from Cloudwater. I'm usually quite indifferent to red ales generally but was pleasantly surprised by this. Mostly because it didn't taste like the majority of red ales I've come across in the past. It has five different hops and five different malts which gives it a pretty unusual flavour. It looks like a red ale and smells like one but tastes quite a lot more tropical than I'd expect from this style. That's definitely not a complaint and is probably why it's on my list this month. Once the initial fruitiness die down you're left with the usual biscuit/malt taste you'd expect from a red ale but the fresh hop taste still lingers which really makes this beer stand out. Great stuff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1519499133527-1881YSQFOD2MH2L1N3L5/IMG_20171101_194308_ichbin.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Hallo Ich Bin Berliner Weisse Watermelon - Berliner Weisse 3.7% // Mikkeller During the latter end of my trip to New England, USA, I managed to discover a great bottle shop in the Somerville area of Boston called Downtown Wine and Spirits. Whilst they may not win any awards for the name of the shop, they deserve the star prize for the wide range and sheer quantity of craft beer they sell. This shop was huge. Packed to the rafters with domestic beers, half of which I had never heard of before, as well as a big selection of beers imported from outside of the USA. I'm used to bottle shops with a couple of shelves but this place was bigger than a lot of our supermarkets back in Blighty. Surrounded by all of this, I somehow managed to select possibly the least American beer available from the whole bunch - maybe I was just feeling Euro-homesick. Either way, this Berliner Weisse was enjoyable and a welcome change after spending two weeks mostly drinking pale ales and pumpkin beer. Extremely sour, Hallo Ich Bin Berliner Weisse Watermelon is nicely refreshing. The watermelon isn’t overpowering at all, in fact, I probably would have liked a bit more of it. Overall enjoyable and made a nice change of pace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518701748415-S6HDS7IW1CRCUHQ0E11G/jambo.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Jambo! - Imperial Stout 8.5% // The Wild Beer Co One of the last beers from the same day I had the Mad Hatter beer above so by rights I probably shouldn't remember this beer. But when it's as good as this, I definitely do. An imperial stout brewed with all of the raspberries and all of the chocolate. It was wonderful to get to try this of draft at Craft Beer Co. in Holborn. On a bitterly cold winter's evening, this was just the warming antidote. Jamboooo! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1519500227736-DJ2CAQWC7VU5YIQH5WU8/automne+small.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Thirstday Fossil 8 - Oyster Stout 6.4% // Staggeringly Good Staggeringly Good Brewery based in Portsmouth have been running a weekly event dubbed Thirstday Fossil - every Thursday they debut a new experimental beer. These experimental brews have included a Champagne Saison (Thirstday Fossil 6) and a Scotch Ale (Thirstday Fossil 1). Unfortunately, I managed to bloody miss nearly every single one (even the amazing sounding Cola Bottle Beer!). Suffering from some serious FOMO, I eventually managed to get to the launch of Thirstday Fossil 8, where they would unveil their 8th experimental concoction. Staggeringly Good deserve a lot of praise for trying something different and scoring a hit with this lovely oyster stout. Brewed with real oysters (yuck), this stout is deliciously smooth, bold and goes down very easily. I’m just saddened that I didn’t get to try their other Thirstday offerings! (Update: I have a feeling that Thirstday Fossil 8 was a precursor to the Bishop Slayer Oyster Stout that Staggeringly Good brewed to support the Solent Oyster Restoration Project. Bishop Slayer is another excellent oyster stout and well worth checking out.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1519499221028-D5BA0PS4B8LIOIKVFX7N/2766920fe557173a14cbf1b72cdce9e8_rawshandy.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Blueberry Shandy - Fruit Beer 5.4% // Ipswich Ale Perhaps a controversial entry to this month’s Drunk In… is this Blueberry Shandy by Ipswich Ale. Yes, that’s right, shandy. Now before you shut your browser, unsubscribe or drop-kick your computer out the window, let me explain… it tasted really bloody good. I had tried a few of Ipswich’s beers on my trip through New England and I was generally impressed by all of them, their Pumpkin Porter that I had at the Flights and Frights event was also surprisingly great. During a long day of seeing the sights of Boston we arrived at our final stop for the day, the iconic Cheers bar, as made famous by Woody and co. Taking in the atmosphere of this tourist hot spot and Boston institution, I took a gamble and ordered this Blueberry Shandy despite there being more conventional ales on offer. I’m pleased to say the gamble paid off, Blueberry Shandy was light and nicely refreshing - it wasn’t sweet at all but had that earthy blueberry flavour as well as plenty of citrus zest top it off. It’s also 5.4% which means hopefully my man points are still in tact. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518702038924-ZRWEDY568U0J55Y1K0BA/neal.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Neal Gets Things Done - American IPA 6.1% // Verdant Brewing Co At the end of November, we were lucky enough to attend another Tate Modern Tap Takeover. Following the same format as the Cloudwater one we attended in the summer, only this time the beers were provided by haze makers Verdant and Cheltenham's Deya. The night was a fantastic showcase of both breweries and this beer was the standout. Even though we were in the middle of winter, sinking this beer immediately had me pining for summer days where I could sit in a beer garden sampling beers such as this. Verdant are probably the one of the UK's best at what they do and this is a perfect example of that. Hazy, juicy, hop-forward beers that mask their ABV well. I may have even drunkenly professed my love of Pulp to the guys from Verdant who probably thought I was a weirdo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518700600436-OA2EZHBIHGL74NLV9JPY/noa.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - Noa Pecan Mud Cake Stout (Bourbon Barrel Aged) - Imperial Stout 11% // Omnipollo Going even darker and even more Swedish now with this ridiculous beer from the magical Omnipollo. The regular version of Noa was one of my favourite beers in 2016 and it's no surprise this version aged in bourbon barrels is equally as good. If not better. Whilst regular Noa is very much a dessert beer, this one ramps up the flavour with the warmth and booziness of the bourbon barrels. It's definitely a beer to sip and savour as the flavours come through more and more as the beer comes up to room temperature from the fridge. I had this and the Hazelnut Cupcake version together and this one was definitely better. More complex, not overly sweet and all round excellence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1518700098631-ZYOY494L84URRL77KEAH/redwine.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... November - The Red Wine Stout - Stout 8.2% // Anspach & Hobday x Dugges Bryggeri Taking a darker turn with this collaboration between London brewery, Anspach & Hobday and Swedish maestros, Dugges. Aged in red wine barrels after black pepper, liquorice root and blackcurrant juice were added, this was an excellent stout to drink on a winter's evening. The fruit from the blackcurrant and wine were the dominant force and there was a subtle warmth from the spicy ingredients giving the beer an extra layer of complexity. Lovely. I had this on my first visit to The Arbitrager, an excellent little beer spot in the heart of the city. Despite being full of suits, it soon cleared after an hour or so and the atmosphere improved greatly. Prices are quite steep but if you're in the area, it's worth a visit for a couple of beers. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2018/1/30/indy-man-beer-con-2017 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1516486909905-6QX9V2CMSW5RFU674GQE/tinytrout.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517349538830-V54EQBIW1XK1RQQPOB6X/IMG_9683.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517349511503-TEXLHXLLY28TJMH6MZFL/IMG_9684.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517349528235-E3LL5ZKXF9ZRAQI6IPAH/IMG_9693.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517262709699-N9WFWOP28WO58IHYZKR7/IMG_9648.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517262736438-HYMIR121YT9B352O6MJN/IMG_9644.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517262703055-JTPC7MNKKX6MT0LRQNFD/IMG_9645.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517262453030-LO9PFV9ZL7H425YHGC1Z/IMG_9653.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517262519184-C21P3DDQEYD9RWJGJL5G/IMG_9649.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517262447599-C6LNIQ43ACVPE1GXI3R1/IMG_9654.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517264127583-BMGQ0ZNHLKEC6K202LSZ/IMG_9663.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517264095819-THE11UX3P22C5TDPI4QI/IMG_9661.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517264116932-EO1RW7NZ6I1IRKVIAI6P/IMG_9665.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1515092571758-1ZB8B4BUH9OHQZR1FGYC/imbc.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester Photo taken from IMBC Official website https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1517348781141-M1293BJ6AG2AHLXUE261/IMG_9680.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1515092602823-INLZIM8DGWND1VQQQ75G/imbcbeers.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester Photo taken from IMBC Official website https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1515092525300-2UWD3TVUV7L2OGA1YKD5/imbc-softserve.jpg Beer Voyage - Indy Man Beer Con 2017, Manchester Photo taken from IMBC Official website https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/12/17/drunk-in-october monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513631030291-Y472UKWWHPPGT4DHMVMX/rasp-meringue.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Original Raspberry Meringue Ice Cream Pie - Fruit Beer 6% // Buxton Brewery x Omnipollo Indy Man Beer Con brought about my first opportunity to sample the new Buxton/Omnipollo ice cream releases served with all the trimmings. They were pouring a few from the series with various different toppings including meringues, marshmallows and pecans. Bordering on dessert more than beer, I was intrigued to try them for myself to see what all the fuss was about. This raspberry meringue ice cream pie number was topped with mini meringues. The beer itself is excellent and does taste like raspberries and meringues - sharp and fruity whilst also being sweet and slightly creamy, I was happy to finally get to try it. As for the toppings? It's definitely a massive gimmick and doesn't really add anything to the beer. It generated a lot of buzz and the queues to get into the room Buxton were in were massive. I guess it was something different at least and I'm always pleased to see breweries doing things unorthodox. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513633305606-7ZK2MEZ5PCM176QAB53W/jme.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Don't @ Me Nicolisa Husk - Imperial Stout 14% // Cloudwater Brew Co. A third and final beer from Indy Man Beer Con and something of a rarity. Cloudwater in making a non-pale beer shocker. We all know Cloudwater make some of the best pale beers around but their dark beers had always passed me by so I jumped at the chance to give one of their imperial stouts a go. Christ alive was this good. After a disappointingly 'too fresh' beer (Big Pump tasted like soap and burning) from them earlier in the day, they totally redeemed themselves with this absolute behemoth of a beer. My tasting notes for this beer on Untappd just say 'yes maaaaaate' which about sums it up. This was one of the best imperial stouts I've ever had. Thick, rich and complex it ticked all the boxes for a stout of this stature. Sadly, I didn't get a picture so have a picture of JME as the beer is named after one of his songs. (I totally knew that and didn't read it somewhere because I am super hip and down with the kids.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513635638924-AKC1VO6VUXL8G8LH5QUZ/stig.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Galaxy IIPA - Imperial IPA 8% // Stigbergets Bryggeri When we got to Stockholm we made a beeline for Omnipollo's Hatt, Omnipollo's tap room, like the ardent beer travellers that we are. We were a bit taken aback to find out they were in the midst of a Stigbergets tap takeover - imagine travelling all the way to Sweden to drink draft Omnipollo at their tap room to find out you can't. Thankfully this wasn't a problem because Stigbergets are a bloody brilliant brewery and we were in the city for several days so had plenty of time to come back for the Omnipollo goodness. Which we did. Daily. Until we had to come home. One of the best offerings from Stigbergets on our first visit was this murky masterpiece. Another beer using Galaxy hops, this was thick and juicy and well earned after traipsing across the city in the rain. Many of Stigbergets beers went down very easily but this being the first made it all the sweeter. A perfect welcome to Sweden. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513634987116-41OZHDXOLE9YW8CPFRIX/cookie-dough.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Cookie Dough - White Stout 7.4% // Siren Craft Brew x BrewDog This beer was brewed for Collabfest 2017 - an event that I found a little underwhelming this year (hence the lack of review covering it). There were far too many distinctly average beers, a few absolute turds and only a handful of standouts. This white stout was the best of the bunch. Vanilla, chocolate, nutty goodness was the order of the day. Rum barrel aged coffee was also added to the beer to give it a lovely warming finish. It did genuinely taste like cookie dough which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Hopefully Collabfest 2018 is a return to form and we get more beers like this mother. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513634200723-LYML31JS4OBMZTNC2WS2/mango-lassi.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Mango Lassi Heathen - American IPA 7.2% // Nothern Monk Look at the colour of that beer. What a beautiful sight to behold. This is Northern Monk's regular Heathen souped up with a fuckton of mangoes and some lactose to basically turn it into an alcoholic Innocent smoothie. Long-time readers know full well I am a big fan of fruit being added to a pale ale so it's no surprise I am totally besotted with this incredible juice. Not long after this I tried the double dry hopped version but think this just edges it as it's more nuanced and very well balanced. Northern Monk continue to churn out brilliant beers at a steady pace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513991087831-DORA2R3ISCR779B3QRNJ/20171025-IMG_7496.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Ganache - American Wild Ale 7.5% // Allagash Allagash was the first proper brewery we made it to whilst Stateside. Located a little way outside of Portland, Maine, it required a taxi to get there but it was totally worth it. The brewery has an unusual set-up, with a taproom that is restricted to limited drinking on-site so you can only order a maximum number of drinks, checked off a menu card when you order although there is plenty more bottles for takeaway drinking. After ordering flights and sampling most of their available beers, I ordered my last from the menu card. In this case I had definitely left the best till last. Ganache is a complex brew, rich and chocolatey whilst also containing cherry flavours with a tartness that cuts through. This is the type of thing you would expect from a rich chocolate-cherry gateau. This really was one to savour and a beer unlike any other I found whilst across the pond. Ganache is highly recommended if you get a chance to drink it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513632084320-LSTMGQWSARYLLF3HJWCU/old-fashioned.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Old Fashioned Barley Wine - Barley Wine 8.5% // Siren Craft Brew Another from Indy Man Beer Con comes this fantastic barley wine from Siren. I took a total punt on this as it sounded interesting and I was so glad I did. Siren's take on an Old Fashioned cocktail using a barley wine base was an interesting premise. I'm a big fan of a barley wine when it has a sweet finish and this definitely did. The mixture of whiskey, citrus, bitters and the base beer lead to a wonderful combination of vanilla, caramel, creamy, woody, sugary, warming flavours that went down all too easy. I'm hoping they release this in bottles because I'd love to try it again. Also, shout out to the guy at the Siren stand who let me go behind the counter to read the beer list because I broke my glasses the night before (a story for another time). (Apologies for the terrible photo - say hello to Friend of the Voyage, Dan. Apparently I take photos like this when drunk.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513991164015-33F08SGTP2LOPIA94YJ0/IMG_20171030_205432.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Pumking - Imperial Yam Beer 8.6% // Southern Tier Being in America for Halloween was pretty spectacular; the over-the-top decorations, the surplus of teeth rotting candy and the overall atmosphere were all amazing. Being pretty unaccustomed to the scale of the holiday (UK Halloween sucks, American readers), we were stumped for how to spend All Hallow's Eve to do. Fortunately we saw a flyer for a ‘Flights and Frights’ event when we went to local bar and restaurant, Christopher’s in Cambridge, Boston. We dropped them an email and the awesome manager saved us the last two tickets. Flights and Frights was brilliant fun, involving pumpkin decorating, food and of course, beer! Our flights consisted of four pumpkin beers from various American breweries and the crème de la crème was Pumking by Southern Tier Brewing Company. We also had a brief guest talk from the brewer from Souther Tier who clearly had a lot of confidence in his product and rightly so, it was excellent. This imperial yam beer at 8.6% is strong. It has all those classic American pumpkin pie spices of clove and cinnamon and is very indulgent. Almost rum like in quality, one to savour. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513991134935-OGL44YRBO76DBQW03BCB/IMG_20171029_174347.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Sip of Sunshine - Imperial IPA 8%// Lawson's Finest Liquids This was recommended by the very knowledgeable and genrally awesome barman at Foundry On Elm. Foundry on Elm was one of my favourite bars that we discovered whilst staying in Boston, it's based on the Cambridge side of the Charles River in the buzzing neighbourhood of Somerville. The barman recommended this as one of the best beers in the local area to try. He also said that it tends to have a very limited run and sells out quick so I was keen to get one in to see what all the hype was about. Sampling this as a part of my flights, I can see exactly why it is so popular and also why it's called Sip of Sunshine. Honestly it was like heaven in a glass. Beautifully sweet, it reminded me of drinking tropical fruit juice whilst being distinctly beery. I can’t say I’m familiar at all with Lawson’s but I will be keeping a keen eye out for them from now on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513633616245-PMVMRKC2S8TM5HMHJB74/galaxy.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - NW DIPA Galaxy - Double IPA 9% // Cloudwater Brew Co. From one Cloudwater to another. Drinking Cloudwater in Manchester is pretty much a given but I did not expect to be able to buy it in Frome, Somerset - a bit of a craft beer black hole. Until now. Step forward Brewed Boy, a relatively new bottleshop in the aforementioned town of Frome. Back home visiting family, I was told about this place and so engineered a reason to go to Frome, primarily to visit here. It's a fantastic little place and I'm really happy to see somewhere like this exist so close to where I grew up. This DIPA is more like the Cloudwater I know compared to the previous beer - I think I'm running out of ways to describe a Cloudwater DIPA but I don't think I'll ever tire of drinking them. Galaxy hops are apparently one of my favourite hops as I tend to rank beers that use them quite highly. I loved this. My Dad did not. (Though he did enjoy Tiny Rebel's Stay Puft on draft. Baby steps.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513991106196-0JCALGAUC3EWXRYO6O38/IMG_20171026_163702.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Autohelm - American Amber Ale 6.4% // Rising Tide Portland, Maine is a brilliant city located on the picturesque Casco Bay. It is also blessed with an abundance of fantastic craft breweries. We were fortunate enough to be able to check a good number of them out on our trip to the city. On a pretty rainy October day in Portland we hiked fo to what felt like the edge of the city to eventually find the welcoming sight of the Rising Tide Brewing Company. Keen to try out as many of their brews as possible I again opted for flights, a returning theme during my trip. One of the beers I ordered was Autohelm, an American Amber/Red ale. This came out hoppy, juicy but also kind of dry. This is a collaboration with Otto's pizza, a famous local pizza chain that we also checked out on the same night. The pizza was top quality, as was this collaboration. Perfect drinking with a slice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513991120186-OLK3NVB0UDOKUA6ZC8Z9/IMG_20171026_160932.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Soundings #766 - American IPA 6.4% // Rising Tide Soundings was another that I ordered as part of my flights at Rising Tide. As I'm not being particularly familiar with the output of the brewery, I was a bit stumped as to what to order. I’m really glad that I opted for this delightful IPA. Soundings is part of an experimental IPA series brewed by Rising Tide. The brewery describes it as: “With each batch, we take new soundings and explore uncharted territories of flavor.” You can find out more about Soundings on their website. I was lucky to have batch #766, which was brewed with Huell Melon hops and packed full of lovely subtle fruity flavours. I'm a massive fan of melony flavoured beers anyway, I'll be searching out others that use the Huell hops after this. Unfortunately you're unlikely to sample this version of Soundings if you visit the brewery but I'm sure their other experimental brews are just as satisfying. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513635752391-8PJQ2I4KA2NBAFS8ZF9G/brush.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Brush - Imperial Stout 12% // Omnipollo x J. Wakefield Brewing And finally, a beer that took ten minutes to pour but was absolutely worth the wait. I'm not sure if the nitro tap at Omnipollo's Hatt was meant to take as long as it did but it resulted in one of the creamiest, thickest stouts I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. Look. At. That. Head. This beer's list of ingredients is an embarrassment of riches; vanilla bean, cocoa nib, hazelnut coffee and ancho chillies. Ordered as a night cap, I took my sweet time savouring every sip of this beautiful beer. Wonderfully complex, each sip uncovered a different taste and the chilli kick at the end rounded out the flavour and gave it a lovely warming finish. Thinking back to this beer is making me want to book a flight back to Stockholm just so I can hole up in Omnipollo's Hatt and bankrupt myself drinking beers of this calibre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513991073065-WIUUY4YV0GU0H8O8JTVC/20171021-IMG_7244.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Vicinity - Imperial IPA 8% // by Trillium October was a pretty amazing month for me as I headed stateside for an amazing trip through New England to enjoy an American Halloween, the Fall leaves and of course plenty of American craft breweries. First up on my trip was a stay in one of my favourite cities, Boston, Massachusetts. After a long day of walking in the sun along Boston’s historic Freedom Trail, we were depleted and running on fumes. Stumbling across the Trillium Beer Garden was therefore like finding an oasis in a desert. A cold one was much needed and I couldn’t think of a better brewery to be supplying delicious refreshment that then ever so popular Trillium. After braving the queues (or lines as our American friends would say), which thankfully moved pretty quickly, I was spoilt for choice for what to try as they all sounded pretty amazing. I threw an imaginary dart at the menu and ended up going for Vicinity. This big juicy number, packed full of hops, was so moreish it wasn’t long before I had sunk it and was queuing up again for another. A really fruity, easy drinking Imperial IPA. Excellent as expected from Trillium. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513991149747-KOTT9O3KZ82VD4UXCCYV/IMG_20171029_174055.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... October - Hazelnut Brown Nectar - American Brown Ale 5.6% // Rogue Ales & Spirits I love these sweet, sickly beers that taste almost like someone has crammed all the flavours of an indulgent cake into a glass. Hazelnut Brown Nectar is exactly that, it tastes like someone has distilled chocolate cake and hazelnuts into a gorgeous brown ale. Brown ales are definitely a neglected style so it’s great to find one done so well. I’ve not had many like this, the last one I can remember that was a similar style and quality is Cake Boy Hazelnut Ale brewed by Meantime as part of their experimental Pilot Series. Another brilliant recommendation from the barman at Foundry on Elm. Man knows his beers! https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/12/17/fullers-friends-collaboration monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513537737564-E0YMUXB1AJE2EYNVG896/IMG_20171217_093655.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends - Rebirth - ESB 6% // Moor Beer Company x Fuller's Brewery What the box says: Inspired by the very first ESB recipe, we’ve used hops from Britain, Australia, Slovenia and the USA to create a rich, complex, delicious ale. The original ESB from 1971, reborn. Expectations: A bitter isn't really a style that gets me overly excited. However, I've had a few of Moor's beers which I've found to all be generally excellent so I thought I should approach this with an open mind. There's history behind this beer and it's interesting to see the range of hops sourced from around the world to recreate this original ESB recipe first brewed in 1971. Reality: When I cracked this beer open I didn't really have high expectations at all but actually, I quite enjoyed it. This strong bitter packs in the maltiness. Although not be hugely interesting, it's overall a pretty solid effort. I'm not old enough to know how this tastes compared to the original ESB recipe but I have a feeling that Moor have probably put a slightly modern twist on the recipe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513537847125-T4E1XP9U5EWG2TUHQQ3B/IMG_20171217_093632.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends - Flora & The Griffin - Red Rye Ale 7.1% // Thornbridge Brewery x Fuller's Brewery What the box says: This punchy red ale is made with a diverse range of ingredients including spicy rye malt and bold, floral American hops. A beer named after the symbols of both breweries, Flora and The Griffin. Expectations: Thornbridge are one of the breweries that I trust for, and generally associate with, quality beers. I'm also a fan of rye beer and red ales so this partnership was looking promising. The description of Flora & the Griffin doesn't give much away, it's the strongest beer out of the collaboration project at 7.1% so I was certainly expecting it to pack a punch. Reality: I was a bit disappointed by this effort. Yes, it's a red rye ale and looks gorgeous in colour. There's a hint of spice but other than that, I couldn't pick up on much else. Overall, I thought this was strong for the sake of it and I was hoping for a lot more flavours packed in. Although perfectly drinkable, this isn't a beer I would ever make an effort to have again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513536879545-CXOVN0QOP4Z2NYXC3OGQ/IMG_20171217_093612.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends - New England IPA - New England IPA 7% // Cloudwater Brew Co. x Fuller's Brewery What the box says: We've used oats, wheat and a mountain of hops - Chinook and Simcoe from the US and Olicana from the UK - to make a soft, juicy New England IPA. We've then bottle conditioned it, old-England style. Expectations: My expectations for this NEIPA were high since it involves the massively popular Cloudwater, who have produced some amazing stuff in recent years. I think a lot of the reason that the Fuller's & Friends collaboration box has been so popular is because of Cloudwater's involvement. I've been a bit disapointed with NEIPAs lacking substance recently so I was approaching this with caution, hoping that Cloudwater and Fuller's could pull it off. Reality: This collaboration is definitely the standout of the pack. Packed full of hops, it has a all the juiciness you would expect from a Cloudwater beer. It also has that NEIPA 'mouth-feel' that they are so famous for. This is a great beer and it's a savvy decision by Fuller’s to get this Manchester brewery on board with the collaboration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513537117241-HRBNOQI7H0XKWTBE5M14/IMG_20171217_093810.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends - Galleon - Dry Hopped Lager 4.8% // Fourpure Brewing Co. x Fuller's Brewery What the box says: We've used lashings of Loral, a modern American hop, to give Galleon its unique character. There's bucket-loads of floral, citrus and delicious dark-fruit flavour in this crisp, refreshing lager. Dry-hopped for extra punch. Expectations: Although I haven't sampled a huge amount of their range, I'm a fan of Bermondsey based Fourpure from what I have tried and Juice Box might be one of my favourite beers of all time. A lager doesn't really get me excited so I was a bit aprehensive at seeing this in the pack, still I thought I would give it the benefit of the doubt... Reality: Unfortunately, this lager is one of the weakest to come out of the six pack. Although refreshing and inoffensive, it really doesn't have much else going for it. All I can say is than it is your standard fairly bland lager, a similar style to those output by some of the big Asian breweries. I can't say that I got any of the citrus or floral notes from this beer or much in the way of hops. I can't help but think that Fourpure pulled the short-straw by being asked to help create a lager. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513537544950-1EYXQ10XD29TD0L8EH35/IMG_20171217_093726.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends - Peat Souper - Smoked Porter 7% // Hardknott x Fuller's Brewery What the box says: Named after the thick fogs that bedevilled industrial London, this delicious dark beer takes inspiration from the capital’s 18th-century Porters. Smoky peat, rich malt and a trio of classic English hops make it one to savour. Expectations: A smoked porter is much more my thing and I was excited to try this despite knowing very little about Hardknott (who I now know to be based in Cumbria). This beer probably had the best description on the pack, although the whole idea of drinking something "peat" flavoured did put me off slightly... Reality: A stellar effort from Hardknott and Fuller's, this is a lovely porter packed full of flavor. The rich smokiness and malt really come through in this delicious dark beer. This made for great slow drinking. I'll have to keep an eye out for Hardknott in the future. Easily one of the best beers to come out of this project. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513537666742-1KX9DTAKZR0E2GM898MZ/IMG_20171217_093542.jpg Beer Voyage - Fuller's & Friends - Matariki - New Zealand Saison 5.8% // Marble Beers x Fuller's Brewery What the box says: Belgium meets New Zealand in this zesty, spicy ale. Using wheat, oats, rye and spelt alongside a quartet of Kiwi hops, we've created a beer that's both complex and very, very drinkable. Expectations: Possibly one of the more unique sounding beers of this project. I'm a big fan of Marble, I think they produce some of the best beers around at the moment and I'm yet to be disappointed by them. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this New Zealand Saison as to me, it conjures up conflicting flavours and styles. Billed as "Belgium meets New Zealand", I was excited to see what had been produced. Reality: This is definitely the wildcard of the pack. Although this probably won't be to everyone's tastes, I thoroughly enjoyed the unusual combination of flavours this saison packed in. The Belgian style is immediately recognisable, with it's rich, spiciness and the New Zealand influence also smacks you in the face with the bucket load of powerful hops. This is definitely a complex brew and one of the more unique contributions. Overall, I thought this was one of the more enjoyable and interesting beers conjured up. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/12/3/honestbrew-ultimate-craft-beer-advent-calendar-2017 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513111021725-YK1KIJGE82VQP344LS50/Ultimate-Advent-Calendar-1.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1515356469750-NDEBF2G4Y0N4K6Z8FRHG/day20.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Twenty: Dual Runnings - Quadrupel 12% // Partizan Brewing x The Kernel Brewery This beer has an interesting concept around it so rather than explain badly myself, I've taken it straight from the horse's (brewer's) mouth: "This beer is part of a collaborative process that we have been working on with The Kernel Brewery, just down the road from us. Back in the summer of 2015, we trucked the mash from the first runnings from the mash (high-gravity, sugar-rich part) down to Partizan's brewhouse which we used to brew our high-alcohol Quad. The guys at the Kernel then used the (weaker, lower-gravity) second runnings to create a lower alcohol, mixed fermentation Saison, subsequently aged in oak foudres. The concept is that by sharing the base mash for two very different style beers the finished beers could then be reunited in the glass to create a fascinating drinking experience. Six weeks in the tank and bottle-conditionined for nearly two years, this is a rich and luxurious Belgian-style quad with notes of toffee and candied fruit, a complex yeast-profile and a subtle smoothness achieved from age. This really is a labour of love - and a limited edition one at that." I like this idea but didn't have the other version to do some experimenting with so had to settle for this 12% thunderbastard solo. It's a beautiful beer, perfect for this time of year. It has a definite toffee and prune like taste and then the booze hits - it doesn't hide its strength at all. An excellent winter sipper. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513452137773-L6X5BW9O4A04BFD3C7LX/day15.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Fifteen: Coffee Brain - Stout 4.5% // Laugar Brewery x Mad Brewing Another cofee stout, this time from two Spanish breweries: Laugar Brewery and Mad Brewing. Two breweries I am unfamiliar with so, unlike the last beer, I went into this one with no expectations at all. It smells exactly like a black coffee and taste pretty close too. It lacks the bitterness of black coffee and instead it finishes with a sweet, chocolatey flavour that's really quite good. Apparently this is made with Brazilian and Guatemalan coffee beans but not being a coffee person, I don't really know if that's why it has a slightly sweet finish. Let's just say it is. It's billed as a 4.5% 'session stout perfect for summer' which is a term I've not really come across before. I'm not sure I'd want to session a whole load of stouts in the sunshine. Maybe it's a Spanish thing? Either way, it's made for a decent beer on a winter's evening so make of that what you will! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1516224608251-32OCYWBYJZ4ZFUVH2DM1/day24.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Twenty Four: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock - Rauchbier 5.1% // Schlenkerla ("Heller-Bräu" Trum) And to finish we have my utter, utter disappointment. Most beer advent calendars tend to finish on a high note with a big beer to end proceedings. Last year's box finished on the mighty Mikkeller 1000 BA Chardonnay which sums up exactly what I mean. It's aged in chardonnay barrels for 1000 days and retails for £15-£20. This year is this fairly ubiquitous rauchbier which retails for about £3.50. Even if I liked the style, I'd still be disappointed because it's not a very exciting beer. And because I don't like the style it's made for a bit of a shitty end. Rauchbier translates to 'smoked beer' and this is akin to drinking liquid smoke. It's all smoke and wood. It smells like barbecues and tastes like hate and anger. I poured it down the sink and I rarely do that. When I had my hopes set on a blockbuster beer and then get sidled with this, it almost ruined my Christmas. Poor form HonestBrew. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1516221691294-4640F2B0JV9BVQZ57L2C/day22.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Twenty Two: Flat White - Milk Stout 5.5% // 8 Wired Brewing Co. This is the fourth coffee based stout in the calendar and it probably ranks somewhere in the middle of the pack. It tastes just like a flat white so they've nailed that but is a little bit too carbonated and lacks the bitter edge to elevate it beyond being just ok. It's also a bit thin. I keep saying this a lot but it does make a difference - a stout that has that thick mouthfeel (sorry, I hate that word) just gives it a silkier and smoother finish. I don't really have anything else to add to this beer. I think I'm getting calendar fatigue and coffee stout boredom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513208370058-VP647LB4LPIPYLUVOAKZ/day10.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Ten: D'être: Ultime - Saison 4.1% // Boundary Brewing We're into double figures and a new brewery with Northern Ireland's Boundary Brewing who apparently specialise in Belgian and US style beers. It makes sense that this is a saison then. I really like the label design, it's very minimal but still stands out. The beer itself is also pretty good. I'm not a huge fan of your basic saison but this is a fantastic take on it. It doesn't do anything out of the ordinary but it doesn't need to - the label says it's taken them a year to be wowed by saison yeast and now they are wowed. Whislt I wouldn't go that far, it's clear that the experimenting has paid off as this is a very clean and refreshing beer. A brewery to keep an eye on I think. I am interested in trying their US style beers now. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512423721931-1TXZ7HF9X4MMT8Y12EWF/day4.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Four: Patrons Project 4.03 DDH Double Mango Lassi IPA, Northern Tropics (Drew Millward) - Double IPA 8.7% // Northern Monk You bet your ass it can! After having the original Mango Lassi IPA earlier this autumn I was all in when I heard about this version released as part of the Patrons Project. Also, look at that can. I've been a big fan of Drew Millward's art work for some time as he has designed various band and gig posters over the years. I absolutely loved his previous can designs for the Patrons Project but this one is probably my favourite so far. Does the book (err, beer) match the cover (err, label)? Abso-bloody-exactly it does. This is like the original Mango Lassi's younger, rowdier sibling. I'd willingly take a punch to get a hit of this beer. It smells like a Solero and goes down like fruit juice. There is so much mango in this beer that it feels like I'm drinking fruit juice. That is not a criticism; I am all about dat juice. There is no way this beer is 8.7%. I am impressed that so far in this box, all of the beers have been new to me. Quite a mean feat for someone that is a fairly well-read (well-drank?) beer fan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512505498156-IEAYWNYORIDO9EW6WZRI/day5.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Five: Me So Honey - Blonde Ale 5.5% // Belching Beaver Brewery Yet another beer I've not tried before. I've seen this and their peanut butter milk stout a few times online and in bottle shops but, for whatever reason, never tried them so was quite happy to have it in the box. Blonde ales are a style that I find fairly uninspiring but I hoped that the addition of honey might offer an interesting take on things. It didn't. It was just a bit bland really. I can't really say anymore than that. After I finished the beer, I noticed that HonestBrew had emailed me to say that they had been let down by their suppliers of this beer and so it was not as fresh as they'd hoped. Checking the brewed on date on the underside of the can confirmed this (October 2016) which may explain why I found the beer pretty boring. HonestBrew have offered all customers of the box a £5 voucher with free postage to make amends which I think is more than generous - I didn't even notice it had been brewed a while ago so it's great to see them correct this. Let's hope day 6 gets things back on track. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1515358634545-AVNUB6A8Q9238C7KT01Y/day21.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Twenty One: Rodenbach Grand Cru - Flanders Red Ale 6% // Brouwerij Rodenbach Surprised I'd not had this before considering I went on a particularly boozy trip to Bruges a few years ago and just assumed this was one of the beers I'd sank over that weekend. Alas, no! This is a red ale aged in oak foeders (basically a massive barrel). It smells very winey but the taste is a sharp, acidic sourness. Not overpowering at all. The oak comes through at the end and helps round off the beer. It's very good. I would've likely wrote this off as being vinegary a few years ago but I've grown to appreciate sour beers and can definitely taste some more subtle flavours. Let's chalk it up to having a sophisticated palette. Right, guys? Guys?! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513291357632-X1H7VH8XGKZYW7O438U6/day12.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Twelve: Black House - Oatmeal Stout 5.8% // Modern Times Beer Just like buses, two stouts turn up at once. This is a way better stout than yesterday's (even though I enjoyed that). It's way more nuanced in flavour but has much more depth to it. The coffee is still prominent but it has a hint of chocolate throughout which makes it very enjoyable. San Diego's Modern Times are one of the only breweries in the world to roast their own coffee which I thought was pretty cool. As I'm not a big coffee drinker, I'm pleased they decided to chuck some of it into a beer. I've had several Modern Times beers but definitely need to try more. I imagine this is wonderful on tap. We're at the halfway point now and I'm pretty happy with the range of beers and styles so far. Amazingly, still yet to have a beer in here that I've had before (the Orval doesn't count as it's the 2017 version)! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513209100494-19O86GS1HLBQXN41MM75/day11.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Eleven: Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout - Stout 7% // Kiuchi Brewery It took eleven days but we have our first stout. Hooray! I've seen a lot of Hitachino Nest beer in the supermarkets and popular Asian-inspired & Japanese chain restaurant Wagamama but never this stout so I was looking forward to this. I can't say I've had much in the way of Japanese beer outside of Kirin Ichiban or Asahi and they are pretty insipid. I'm happy to report this is not. A huge hit of bitter coffee is the dominant flavour here but there's not much else to it. I'm ok with that as I do like coffee stouts but it's a little one-dimensional and a little bit thin. It's basically like drinking a cold brew coffee so if you like that sort of thing then you'll love this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513450441596-CX46HL05QYZOSOEZA207/image-asset.jpeg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Thirteen: Sanguinem Aurantiaco - Sour Ale 3.25% // Evil Twin Brewing 'Sanguinem Aurantiaco' is Latin for 'blood orange' so I was expecting a very bitter orange taste from the sour from Evil Twin Brewing. Sadly, there's not really any there at all. I'm a big fan of Evil Twin and so had pretty high hopes for this beer, the aroma bolstered these hopes even more so I was a bit letdown on first sip. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine sour but I'd never guess it was meant to be a blood orange sour unless I'd seen the can. At 3.25% it's the lowest ABV so far and I've drank it very quickly so this probably sounds harsher than it's meant to. Bit of a disappointment on the whole but you can't win 'em all I suppose. Onwards and upwards hopefully. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1514925466613-JSRXGFQUB561TDACIDRH/day18.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Eighteen: Brothers in Farms - Grisette 6.3% // Brasserie de la Senne x Two Roads Brewing Company I was a bit taken aback to see a grisette at above 4% as it's generally a style known for its low ABV - for the uninitiated, a grisette is essentially a light (in both colour and taste), hoppy saison. Upon reading about the beer, I discovered it's a double grisette (which explains the percentage), a style originally brewed for the working class in Belgium in the 19th century as a thirst quencher. It's certainly that and the flavours took me by surprise. This is a very subtle beer with a dry, bitter finish. It's a little bit floral and a little bit fruity - there are hints of lime here adding to the aforementioned bitterness. I always like to try new styles so I was happy to have this and it's a beer I'd love to drink in the summer when I feel I'd enjoy it even more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513547848906-IKO5DUAT0HM3C3S0UZO6/day16.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Sixteen: Running with Spectres - Baltic Porter 6.8% // Lost And Grounded Brewers I thought this was going to be the first beer of the calendar I've had before as I thought I had a bottle of Running with Sceptres - Lost and Grounded's excellent lager. It turns out this is Running with Spectres, the Bristol brewery's winter seasonal take on the aforementioned lager. This is definitely not a lager, it's a porter packed with six different malts and four different hops resulting in a very drinkable dark beer. It does not drink like a 6.8% porter and due to the amount of hops, feels closer to a black IPA. That's not a complaint in the slightest, it's delicious either way. I've been a big fan of all of the beers I've tried from Lost and Grounded so far and they've grown massively despite only brewing since July 2016. I'm interested in seeing what they do in 2018 and beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513025854041-JE250151L3SL8PBPMDC4/day7.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Seven: Planet Oedipus Lifeform No. 6 PO17-CW-NBPA - Belgian Pale Ale 7% // Oedipus Brewing x Cloudwater Brew Co. A beer from a brewery I'd never heard of (Oedipus Brewing) collaborating with one of my favourites (Cloudwater Brew Co.) was behind door number seven. Belgian pale ales are a style I'm not overly enamoured with, I'd much rather a straight up pale instead as I find a lot of Belgian beers to be quite rich and filling. (And also because I may have overindulged during a trip to Bruges a few years ago that I've likely ruined Belgian beer for myself). I digress, this beer is fine. It doesn't really do anything extraordinary but it does what it's meant to and is drinkable. Not one I'd rush out to try again but wouldn't turn it down if I was offered it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513117986196-FXGATXXJV2LPINAECJIF/day9.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Nine: Orval - Belgian Pale Ale 6.2% // Brasserie d'Orval I first had this beer back in 2014 in Bruges (it's a fucking fairytale town, isn't it!) and remember enjoying it. I've read many a thing about aging this beer and the taste developing differently over time with varying opinions that it's best 6 months, 12 months, 18 months or even 2 years after it's been brewed. This one was brewed this year and, whilst I would've liked to have aged it, the advent calendar demanded it be drunk. I dutifully obliged but sort of wish I hadn't. It was fine, not quite as good as I remembered, but think it may have benefited from aging a little longer. It's your typical belgian pale ale with some added funk and it does taste very fresh but the flavours are quite muted. Ah well, I will definitely pick up a bottle or two to experiment with aging. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512947548880-D5D78EKNOW3ANN8UTDIR/day6.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Six: American Barley Wine - Barley Wine 11.5% // Brouwerij Kees We're back on track after the slight disappointment of day five with the first real big hitter of the box, this wonderful barley wine from Dutch brewery, Kees. I find barley wines as a style very hit and miss but when done right they are excellent. I'm pleased to report this is a good example of the style. It's the perfect beer for this time of year, heavy oak and dried fruit flavours means this one is definitely a sipper. Moreso when the ABV clocks in at 11.5%. The dry finish means that it's not a beer you want to chug and rightfully so - this is a beer to be savoured. Good stuff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1516222471364-J138M8B7FPAZR0D9WD0N/day23.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Twenty Three: F*ck the Christmas Tree is on Fire!!! - Imperial Oatmeal Stout 10% // Het Uiltje And then this comes along and totally redeems the average beer from the day before. From hard to pronounce Dutch microbrewery, Het Uiltje, comes the best named beer in the box in 'F*ck the Christmas Tree is on Fire!!!', an orange and coffee oatmeal imperial stout. It smells very much like a Terry's Chocolate Orange (other chocolate oranges are available. Probably.) and tastes like one. Washed down with a swig of booze. The coffee here is relatively subtle, it's definitely there but the booziness and orange are the dominant flavours. It does make me want to gorge on chocolate oranges and drink all the Christmas spirits (not the ghost kind). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512420846885-1XYD2Y4NH82GZ4X4R119/day1.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day One: DDH Pale Enigma Galaxy - Pale Ale 5.7% // Cloudwater Brew Co. Off to an absolute flyer with this wonderful double dry hopped pale from Beer Voyage favourites, Cloudwater. If this is an indication of things to come, I'm going to have an incredible month working through this advent calendar. This beer just epitomises everything that Cloudwater are great at. Perfectly balanced pale beers packed full of flavour and a boatload of hops - Nelson Sauvin, Enigma and Galaxy. I don't think I've had Enigma hops in many beers but the other two are pretty common these days so I knew I was going to be on board with this. This definitely went down far too quickly and smelt super fresh and grassy. Bring on the rest of the box! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513111111308-RHF28KNGE5GF3NAHQWLB/day8.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Eight: Superluminal Raspberry - Sour Farmhouse IPA 7% // Buxton Brewery x Stillwater Artisanal On first sniff I thought this was going to be super sweet and fruity as it's just all raspberries invading your nostrils so much so I had to double check the bottle to see if it was a sour. I never got around to trying the regular version of this so was pretty happy to pull this out of the box on day eight. The aroma totally threw my tastebuds out of whack which made the tart flavour all the more powerful - I was a little taken aback with the sour punch that followed after the first mouthful. It's tangy and salty and sharp and great. I likely would've hated this beer a year ago as I just didn't get sour beer and whilst I'm not a total convert, I am appreciating them more and more. I thought we may have had a stout by now what with it being winter and cold - here's hoping they are saving them for the latter stages. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513550777531-YEHCCMZYFUL5XMXP8FBS/day17.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Seventeen: Milkshake Stout - Milk Stout 5.6% // Rascals Brewing Co. Four dark beers on the bounce now and another brewery I'm yet to try anything from in the shape of Dublin's Rascals Brewing Co. I was fully on board when I saw the name of the beer but when I spied 'coconut' as one of the ingredients, my heart sank a little. I may start a one man crusade to keep coconut out of beer because it is SICK and WRONG. Luckily, the biggest flavour here is vanilla so it's not as bad as I was expecting. It's very, very sweet which is to be expected in a beer called 'Milkshake Stout' and is pretty enjoyable. The vanilla dominates but then the dreaded coconut rears its head at the end and takes it down a notch for me. Decent but nothing that's going to set the world alight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1514926399263-CQKXCRYT5I7X646Y7C9S/day19.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Nineteen: Black Forest Strannik - Russian Imperial Stout 10% // Northern Monk What a beautiful beer. I'm yet to have the regular Strannik but this version is up there with any of Northern Monk's beers. Inspired by a Black Forest Gateau, this beer is an excellent beer for a nightcap. There's an abundance of chocolate, vanilla and cherry here all rounded off with the bitterness you'd expect from a stout. I don't really want to wax lyrical about this beer anymore than I have for two reasons: 1. I'm halfway through the can and am struggling to find the words. 2. I want to enjoy the rest of it in peace. Do yourself a favour and grab a can if you see one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512421159184-A6VPVCDJAZE15QRIOW1R/day3.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day 3: Fruitbooter - Sour Ale 5.7% // The Wild Beer Co. When the beer is called Fruitbooter and the label says 'Raspberries - Pink Peppercorns - Raspberries' you know this sour from Somerset's Wild Beer is going to be a fruity bastard. The smell of this beer was a weird combination of raspberry and farts but if you can look past that, you get an excellent, sharp, face-puckering sour. It's all about the raspberries in this beer which are obviously the biggest flavour (they've listed it twice on the bottle for a reason) but the subtle hint of pepper from the pink peppercorns (no way) really elevated this beer from being a run-of-the-mill fruity sour to a beer I would happily have again. We're 3/3 so far, can this advent calendar keep it up? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513510138013-WZEY8LQDS0SO6JCY9E7G/day14.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Fourteen: Celebrator - Doppelbock 6.7% // Ayinger Privatbrauerei Like a proper beer wanker, when I open a bottle or a can, I like to give it a little sniff to smell the aroma coming from the beer before my first sip. This doppelbock from Ayinger smelt exactly like malted barley. It was very sweet so I was surprised it poured a very dark brown/bordering black. Bocks (basically strong German lager) is another style I don't drink often and is probably one I should. A doppelbock is a stronger, maltier version of a regular bock and is generally just a bit more interesting. This beer was very good - very malty and sweet and lots of dried fruit came through. One good thing that's come from this advent calendar is that it's reminded me I should drink more traditional styles of beer. Put down the impy stouts and DIPAs, Hedges! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512421027043-6XL7O0HKNYKTVOW53N7H/day2.jpg Beer Voyage - HonestBrew Ultimate Advent Calendar 2017 - Day Two: I Love You Honey Bunny - American IPA 6.3% // Siren Craft Brew Co. & Other Half Brewing Earlier this year, Siren bashed out two fruit smoothie IPAs in the shape of Comfortable Silence and Ten Dollar Shake and they have followed up those two excellent beers with this new addition to the smoothie IPA family. Only this time round the fruit has been replaced with an absolute boatload (that's 200kg) of blossom honey. Oh and Brooklyn's Other Half helped make it if all of that wasn't enough to get your mouth watering. I missed out on this when it launched at Beavertown Extravaganza back in September so was more than happy to see this pop out of the box on day two. I really enjoyed the two aforementioned fruit smoothie IPAs so had a feeling this was going to be right up my street. It obviously was. Thick and smooth, this beer was very easy to drink and the after taste of honey on the palate was the perfect balance and not at all overpoweringly sweet. If I was a bee, I would be drunk FOREVER. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/11/16/beer-advent-calendars-2017 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512586506246-F3E5FFP8CKUZB27FAFCA/Ultimate-Craft-Beer-Advent-Calendar-2017-1-540x720.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer Advent Calendars 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512586419421-FIKQOXPFGEAMAIW45XVN/Pakkekalender_1024x1024.png Beer Voyage - Beer Advent Calendars 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147430618-NBX18L8AFUD7G6X93QVT/gw.png Beer Voyage - Beer Advent Calendars 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512586483183-8L96M9EHKXZ0H2EC1N8Z/beervent_webshop_b9774a07-bbfb-4d84-9f25-2b9ebebbee69_1600x1600.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer Advent Calendars 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512586443538-UVCIOSUBTL1HC2CLDBWV/to%C3%B8lekalender-300x300%402x.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer Advent Calendars 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512578602491-AOT995SVHJIV2JHHN7XX/advent_1024x1024.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer Advent Calendars 2017 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/11/08/drunk-in-september monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147424504-AJ3KMHAF24LLJJAV7NFL/28066a1cd052fef1395756f3ed199413_raw.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Mexicake - Imperial Stout 11% // Tempest Brewing Co. Tempest’s Mexicake series had long been on my list of must-try beers for a while so I was pleased I saw this in the fridge at the Queen’s Head. It was perfect timing, or just dumb luck, as I had it just as my incredible birthday cake was presented to me - seriously, how awesome is this cake? (Made by the fantastic Parkton Bespoke Bakery - thanks, Claire, not that you’ll ever see this!) What better combo than an indulgent chocolate cake and a massive chocolatey imperial cakey stout? Cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa, and chillies are the order of the day here and sipping this alongside a slice of chocolate/stout cake may be one of my favourite food and beer pairings from recent memory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147421881-S1FWYSC6D2BYJIRAS7DD/1935980d06cdaeb9f7ebdb93fc6d1950_raw.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Pineapple Express BA - Imperial Stout 10.5% // To Øl Despite having a name that you’d likely expect to delivery an IPA of some sort, those deceptive chaps at To Ol brewed an imperial stout with pineapple! This version saw it barrel-aged in whiskey and cognac. And boy can you taste those spirits. This is a beer for grown-ups and definitely one to sip. The pineapple took a while to come through as the big punchy flavours from the whiskey and cognac took center stage. Once the beer warmed there was a subtle hint of pineapple which really elevated the beer and made it surprisingly light overall. I really want to try the regular version now! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512578109170-4ZM5YHSMTVFEAQWRCAOW/980599420a24f24f5e668e2ae7ab6162_raw.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Amanecer Mexicano - Sour Gose 5.8% // Magic Rock Brewing x Casita Cerveceria The ‘red’ entry for the 2017 Rainbow Project and a collaboration between Magic Rock Brewing and Casita Cervecería. Amanecer Mexicano promises lime, hibiscus and chilli in a sour gose. This is an interesting one, I didn’t get hibiscus (I’m not actually sure what it tastes like, to be honest) and the chilli is dry and subtle but it is packed with sour lime. This is probably a bit over the top for a lot of palettes but I found I really enjoyed the sour-chilli kick. It is vibrantly red in colour, a perfect entry for the Rainbow Project. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512577262998-RBL30U61REK6CJGN4D9E/9e3b27851f27f0aa0254c8211e9f0bee_raw.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Beer Geek Brunch Weasel - Imperial Oatmeal Stout 10.9% // Mikkeller I purchased this during last year’s visit to Copenhagen and had been saving it for a special occasion - what better way to console yourself that you’re an old shit than with this incredible number? The last beer of my twenties and what a beer it was. This beer is made using one of the world’s most expensive coffee, made from the droppings of civetcats - weasel-like animals that love to dine on fresh coffee berries. I’m pleased to say this beer does not taste anything like shit. Instead it’s probably one of the best imperial stouts in the world. It’s a bold statement but fully justified. It’s bitter, sweet, nutty, milky and delicious. Yes! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512578195615-WQ9710ZKG2YT9E68W3FG/fd8036cd9fc40b46c25cfce277f6bd98_raw.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - MaryLou - American Pale Ale 5.2% // Verdant Brewing Co. It was the day after Beavertown and we were feeling surprisingly fresh (must be the 100ml pours). We headed to the Queens Head, a fantastic little pub located in Kings Cross. This pub is a real gem and I loved the decor, a real traditional Landan boozer. They also had a brilliant beer selection where I was pleased to try this gorgeous pale ale from Verdant. Mary Lou is a juicy, hazy pale ale which features rich melon and vanilla flavours. After all of the sampling at BeaverEx you would expect us to be ultra critical but Mary Lou scores top marks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512578058619-42MS2WLFJRRIFJZF2NPR/24315bcc9ec5634c0eb93af0b90bde9c_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Red Robot - Double IPA 7.5% // Brewski Brewski, from Helsingborg, Sweden has been on my radar for some time and I was keen to get my hands on some of their beers. Luckily the local bottle shop had recently received a delivery. By the time I got there though they had all gone… then out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this adorable little red robot looking on the shelf. I couldn’t leave him on his lonesome so I picked him up and took him home. This strong double IPA contains a melody of tropical flavours; passion fruit, pineapple, and mango, which all combine brilliantly in this fruity concoction. I'll be looking out for more of Brewski’s range and hopefully, they won’t all be sold out next time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147428504-21E3DR750KFRRVW7SF6L/ef6a3b42d0f11eb507a903b777f5f275_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Pompelmocello - American IPA 6% // Siren Craft Brew Another winner sampled at the Queens Head. This grapefruit IPA by Siren packs a sour punch. I love grapefruit beers and Pompelmocello features a good balance of citrus, bitterness and hops to make it massively refreshing and flavourful. A great stand-out offering by Siren who consistently produced some amazing beers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512577436685-CHGY3APFR7FPXG4NI921/9bf983bd8820c8daa06e465a5a072bfe_raw.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Chubbles - Triple IPA 10% // Cloudwater Brew Co. x The Veil Brewing Co. Murkzilla. Probably the cloudiest beer I’ve had in a while comes the first of two collaborations between Cloudwater and The Veil this month. Not only is Chubbles a great word to say out loud, it’s also a fantastic beer and one of my favourites of the year so far. Punchy, smooth and very well-rounded, this beer is everything you want from an Imperial IPA and one of the most balanced examples of the style I’ve ever had. I enjoyed this so much that it was dangerous how quickly I managed to polish off a 10% beer. Definitely glad I bought two of these beauties! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147424587-KH0XNUF3HZ065QIA8VB4/54454b6d46daba3ec83fc521e4f33966_raw.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Patrons Project 6.02 KNUCKLEPUCK TIME (Jon Simmons) - Double IPA 8.5% // Northern Monk x Bissell Brothers Northern Monk’s Patrons Project continually conjures up some absolutely stunning beers and this collaboration with Bissell Brothers is no different. I’d not really heard of the Bissell Brothers until earlier this year so was interested to try a beer from them (well, in part) due to their huge reputation. The one thing I noticed with this beer compared to many others of its style was the bitter aftertaste which was way more prominent than some of the other NEIPAs I’d had around the time. It was a refreshing change from some of the lighter numbers that almost don’t taste like beer so the bitter finish was a pleasant reminder that it was a drink for adults. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512578143005-2GR6RFPCUXDZ7FUVPDZ4/2169a0bb3d03e24aa930a6f982032f42_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Modus Mandarina - American IPA 6.8% // Ska Brewing I first heard of Ska Brewing and their Modus range of beers when I was travelling stateside and spotted some of their artwork with the iconic ska man at the beer memorabilia museum at Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin. Being a fan of ska music in my younger days (the shame), I was instantly drawn to the artwork and it stuck with me until I first saw their cans over here a couple of years ago. I was pleased to get to try Modus Mandarina, their orange version of the Modus Operandi. This is a refreshing, well balanced IPA. It’s not overly fruity, which is a plus to me and has that darker, marmalade type flavour that I think works well in beer. I much prefer this over some of the other orange flavoured beers I’ve had like the recent Prototype Tangerine IPA by Brewdog. This is a classic that I could go back to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147430982-O0WKW8YDLBSC5OP6FSCB/tacocat.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... September - Taco & Cat - American IPA 6.7% // Cloudwater Brew Co. x The Veil Brewing Co. Bookending my choices this month comes another collaboration between Cloudwater and The Veil. We picked these up from Cloudwater’s brewery after heading up for IndyManBeerCon (review coming soon) and couldn’t wait to crack them open as soon as we got back to our hotel room. You’ll have to forgive the plastic cups due to our over-excitement. These two beers were brewed with the same hops, malts and yeast but with a twist to be revealed at a later date. Cloudwater welcomed feedback on both beers before they spilled the beans on what this difference was. We took turns sipping each beer to try and work out if we could detect any changes and at first thought it may have been an elaborate troll and they were identical. However, the further we got through the two beers, we began to notice some subtleties - the Taco version was slightly less bitter and tasted a little lighter whereas the Cat was a bit harsher in bitterness and warming from the fresh hops. Cloudwater made the big reveal a few days ago and… *drumroll*... ‘the only guaranteed difference being the distribution channel the hops had passed through before being used in the beer’. It was an interesting experiment and was interesting to discover that such a small difference can produce quite a different beer in the end! You can read about the difference between the two beers on Cloudwater’s blog here. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/10/31/beavertown-extravaganza-2017-printworks-london monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512589558497-H2Y53WEQP6YYFQCERNBM/IMG_20170908_194337.jpg Beer Voyage - Beavertown Extravaganza 2017, Printworks London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512578902918-LNKPOUT0CDL1LP7SCCEG/IMG_20170908_203348.jpg Beer Voyage - Beavertown Extravaganza 2017, Printworks London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512579546028-HLTEO4FREG4BXW8P1HZ7/WhatsApp-Image-2017-10-19-at-11.51.42-AM.jpeg Beer Voyage - Beavertown Extravaganza 2017, Printworks London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512578846233-TSZY0XE1UJTMY37G34GX/logan-e1509486091569.jpeg Beer Voyage - Beavertown Extravaganza 2017, Printworks London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512578822148-YBSVFNYHOWLW9RRNNWTU/WhatsApp-Image-2017-10-19-at-11.51.39-AM-1-e1509482787772.jpeg Beer Voyage - Beavertown Extravaganza 2017, Printworks London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512578781134-13XFCHM59K5Z99KCQYRY/WhatsApp-Image-2017-10-19-at-11.51.43-AM-1.jpeg Beer Voyage - Beavertown Extravaganza 2017, Printworks London https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/10/18/tim-anderson-x-melissa-cole-food-beer-pairing-ghost-whale-london monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147420488-F24XQZGCMTSH2B8FWPX0/gw8.jpg Beer Voyage - Tim Anderson x Melissa Cole // Food & Beer Pairing, Ghost Whale, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147418006-LKAMHXJ0R68J6SUXBJCX/gw3.jpg Beer Voyage - Tim Anderson x Melissa Cole // Food & Beer Pairing, Ghost Whale, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147417679-Y6QID81MXPCQS5QEJYSM/gw1.jpg Beer Voyage - Tim Anderson x Melissa Cole // Food & Beer Pairing, Ghost Whale, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147420685-D0H1RWYL1LU3N41BQJHI/gw9.jpg Beer Voyage - Tim Anderson x Melissa Cole // Food & Beer Pairing, Ghost Whale, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147420281-TA9EFDKD15EHS16JOZ5P/gw7.jpg Beer Voyage - Tim Anderson x Melissa Cole // Food & Beer Pairing, Ghost Whale, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147417880-WUCI06N577Y8AOXN9830/gw2.jpg Beer Voyage - Tim Anderson x Melissa Cole // Food & Beer Pairing, Ghost Whale, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147420092-TBO3PZTS8215TZ2JVH0Q/gw6.jpg Beer Voyage - Tim Anderson x Melissa Cole // Food & Beer Pairing, Ghost Whale, London https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/10/08/drunk-in-august monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147403997-CJYNPI1T52N08AVV5TOZ/IMG_20170811_163909.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Brusseleir - IPA - Black IPA 8% // Brasserie de la Senne I was after trying something different at local Belgian style bar Huis and settled on this guest beer by Brasserie de la Senne. I have to be honest, I was mostly won over by the awesome (and very Belge) artwork on the pump clip featuring a rocketeer. This black IPA is really indulgent and at 8% I found myself savouring it for a while. It has a strong malt flavour and combines this with rich chocolate notes. Overall, a very satisfying dark beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147407980-Z0KK3KX4VL7PHAOFTMUZ/download.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Curse of the Ryeclops - Rye IPA 7.5% // Weird Beard Brew Co. This was another sampled during my trip to Camden. Curse of the Ryeclops is the sequel to the original Attack of the Ryeclops (both awesome names) by Weird Beard. A hoppy rye IPA which features tropical fruits with spicy pepper notes. Overall, a well-balanced beer, although to be honest, I was mostly sold on the Hammer Horror-esque name. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147404182-2DIOSNBHXYFB1R4CGFFT/IMG_20170819_192910.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Framboise - Fruit Beer 3.6% // Kirkstall Brewery What’s this? A fruit beer? Get out of here with your pectin-based nonsense! This must be a first for Beer Voyage. Also sampled at Brewdog Southampton, this has to be one of the best fruit beers I’ve tried. This was ordered by my girlfriend and partner in crime for the day, who being a non-beer drinker (a what?), certainly enjoyed it. Framboise by Leeds based Kirkstall is bright raspberry-red, sweet and juicy in flavour with a little bit of sharpness to balance it out. Basically like an alcoholic fruit juice, highly recommended. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147407383-VU5Y3UZIG0P2EKQ57FZP/bible.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Barrel Aged Bible Belt - American Imperial Stout 13% // Prairie Artisan Ales x Evil Twin Brewing As soon as I saw this was pouring during a visit to Cask, I knew it was only a matter of time before I introduced it into my life. A mixture of two of the best imperial stouts in the world in Evil Twin’s Even More Jesus and Prairie’s Bomb! Before being aged in Heaven Hill whiskey barrels for 7-9 months. Ho. Ly. Shit. Sipping this felt like someone punching me in the face with a booze-soaked boxing glove that had been dipped in cocoa and vanilla beans. Absolutely wonderful. On a night of excellent beer, this stood head and shoulders above everything else that came before it. YES! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147408798-N3ZZC63GIM14FZF6JYH6/lemonade.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Old Fashioned Lemonade IPA - Fruit Beer 7% // Omnipollo x Evil Twin Brewing I managed to snag the last can of this from Ghost Whale and good lord was it worth the trip across London to pick it up (with some other treats because beer). I was intrigued if this would live up to its name but it really does. A collaboration between Evil Twin and Omnipollo, two of Scandinavia’s best breweries, this IPA was destined to be great. This is home-made lemonade for grown-ups. The sweet and then sour hit of the lemons are clearly the dominant force here and it definitely hides its ABV because of this. A beer tailor-made for the summer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147404680-JEDRPFEF42CI7D4RXWB7/OZBomb%402x.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Oz Bomb - Australian Pale Ale 4.6% // Arbor Ales Whilst attending Victorious Festival in Portsmouth I was keen to check out the at the real ale tent. Unfortunately, the queues for the bars were pretty horrendous this year and I contemplated giving up. I held out however and managed to get my hands on some decent beer, often a rarity at music festivals that will typically serve overpriced lager-water. Oz Bomb was my choice of the festival, a refreshing, hoppy pale ale from Bristol brewers Arbour Ales, packed full of Australian Hops (hence the name). My first choice was actually Why Kick a Moo Cow (which I had to ask for repeatedly), also by Arbour Ales but it was off at the time. My other favourite of the festival was Arbour’s Shangri-la (4.2% session IPA), an all-around good offering from Arbour Ales. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147410780-RHYICITYRTXGZ5XOP0HT/stone-_-wood-330ml-pacific-ale-spritzed_2.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Pacific Ale - Australian Pale Ale 4.4% // Stone & Wood During a trip to Camden, I ended up sinking a couple of beers in the Black Heart. As with most of Camden’s rock bars, the Black Heart is pretty dark and dingy (read ‘alternative’) which makes it near impossible to read the pump clips (and take a decent beer snap hence the stock image). Fortunately, I picked a good one on tap with this pale ale out of Byron Bay, Australia. Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale is mega fruity, easy drinking and really enjoyable. Overall, a perfect summer beer to sup in complete darkness. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147404291-6IWM48BFE5GPMIZTJFLS/IMG_20170819_212031.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Prototype Tangerine - Session IPA 4.5% // BrewDog After a long tiring day out in Southampton, with achy feet and legs giving way, I managed to carry myself a little further to the welcome sight of the nearest Brewdog establishment for a refuel with pizza and beer. This was my first visit to Brewdog Southampton, an unassuming little bar tucked away not far from the city centre. I was after something refreshing and spied the Prototype Tangerine Session IPA on the menu. Massive, massive tangerine flavours in this IPA. The flavour is almost so overpowering it tastes a bit artificial like someone has added a shot of orange cordial. It’s bordering on being wrong, but… it works though, and I could gladly session with this beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147408690-2M8GMDNXLM2LN54HGTD3/flatwhite.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Beer Geek Flat White - Oatmeal Stout 7.5% // Mikkeller Mikkeller’s Beer Geek series has now been canned. I’m not a huge fan of keeping big stouts in cans for ages as I think the flavour can be affected by the metal more than from a glass bottle so I didn’t want to age this and cracked it in the middle of the summer as a nightcap. If you’ve been lucky enough to try any of the Beer Geek beers, you know exactly what this one is all about - thick, chocolate, coffee, lactose, decadent, viscous black liquid gold. Being a flat white version, this was obviously prominent on the coffee flavours and I’d happily have one of these for breakfast every day if it was socially acceptable and wouldn’t bankrupt me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147404881-YB6B3GRVXNDVB7J4UB64/Sitis.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - SitiS - Imperial Double IPA 8.5% // Brouwerij De Molen x Omnipollo “Hey, Hedges, we heard you like pineapple?” “Yes” “What about when it’s in beer?” “Double yes” “What about in a Double IPA?” “Triple yes” “What about when it’s also a collaboration between two great European breweries?”“Why are you still talking?” I spied this in the fridges at The Beer Boutique in Putney and it wasn’t long until we became intimately acquainted. This was brewed using cornflakes and whilst I can’t claim my palette is so advanced that I could taste them at all, I think it’s the first time I’ve seen them listed as an ingredient in a beer. Well, I thought it was interesting... Forget the cornflakes - this was all about the pineapple. A juice bomb that tasted super fresh and went down way, way too easy for 8.5%. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147407482-RTK1C0QP3MZKJQITXIS5/c2ceb3ee059bbd78603fe321f5b433e2_640x640-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Beaverillium - American IPA 7.5% // Beavertown x Trillium Brewing Company I’ve started to get fed up with the trend of so-called ‘juice bombs’, maybe it’s just a phase, maybe it’s just an oversaturated craft beer market. Either way, it would be criminal not to feature this excellent collaboration from Beavertown and Trillium in my top beers of the month. Extra juicy, fruity, and packed full of flavourful hops, you can’t really get much better than this. Beavertown brew some great stuff and Triullium are also massively popular, combine the two and baby you’ve got a stew going... or, a rather good IPA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147404993-5D6O9N8EM5T6MDUJ7HDZ/acidjam.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Acid Jam - Sour Ale 9.7% // Siren Craft Brew This might be the first imperial sour I’ve had so I was a little sceptical it would be too overpowering for me but boy was I wrong. Siren took a fairly simple sour recipe and dialled up the strength before ageing it in bourbon and red wine barrels for added complexity. I have to say this may be one of my favourite sours so far. It’s almost closer to wine with the berry flavours and woody taste from the wine barrels and it definitely packs a puckering punch to your gob. It’s a brilliant smorgasbord of flavours and developed more as I drank it. Go buy one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147406980-UUWHO0EX3VJFFJ1AI3IS/beaverillium.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Beaverillium - American IPA 7.5% // Beavertown x Trillium Brewing Company I think I professed my relatively newfound love for Trillium last month so I had high hopes for this collaboration between them and Beavertown. And what a beer it is. This is everything I wanted in a collaboration between these two: juice, fruit, freshness, juice, hops, juice and more juice. I found it to have a really lovely melon-esque aftertaste that kept me going back for more. I’m glad I bought two because this is the definition of chinnable. Get it down ye! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147404388-NHPRKX26QDG35SVS8I13/IMG_20170827_134029.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Mr. Pink - Berliner Weisse 4.5% // To Øl Mr. Pink: Why can't we pick our own colors? Joe: No way, no way. Tried it once, it doesn't work. You get four guys all fighting over who's gonna be Mr. Black, but they don't know each other, so nobody wants to back down. No way. I pick. You're Mr. Pink. Be thankful you're not Mr. Yellow. An excellent film and an excellent sour, probably one of the best I’ve ever had. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147405079-FR8KAXAAALSQY042QXZS/anagram.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... August - Anagram Blueberry Cheesecake - Imperial Stout 12% // Omnipollo x Dugges Bryggeri This beer has been sitting in my fridge for months, waiting for the right time to try it. But what better place than here? What better time than now? ALL, HELL, CAN’T STOP US NOW Ahem. Anyway, this is pretty much the ultimate dessert beer. All of the blueberry, all of the cheesecake, all of the stout. I would totally believe someone if they told me that Omnipollo and Dugges had liquidised a blueberry cheesecake and mixed it with an impy stout to make this. It is very sweet but really, what do you expect from a blueberry cheesecake stout? It’s meant to be decadent, you’re probably not meant to drink more than one. Why are you still reading this and not drinking one immediately? Come back and thank me later. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/10/04/florence-italy monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512587923696-3BKH3FYE6545X4SEJBTR/bd.jpg Beer Voyage - Florence, Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512587956864-UTFF6ZFC9IJJDLSP1Q8Q/mostodolce.jpg Beer Voyage - Florence, Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512586113935-LBS5MIZAP0PP0PYV9DE0/archea-e1507128128620.jpg Beer Voyage - Florence, Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512585485123-6AI125DQM9XPB5PA5HQV/view.jpg Beer Voyage - Florence, Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147417480-3SH5XAW9BUR6R84IJBYF/fermento.jpg Beer Voyage - Florence, Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512586254232-04RFF2U5DWO8310F80TX/archea2.jpg Beer Voyage - Florence, Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512585794169-5XLOKYH29IH8YBH5TVUL/sunset.jpg Beer Voyage - Florence, Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512586085551-N5P5V7T3BU544QND0WJJ/carpaccio.jpg Beer Voyage - Florence, Italy https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/09/25/rainbow-project-2017 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1515866295673-COATIUADJ33FCGT8MWR7/violet.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2017 - Burial Vault - White Stout 8.4% // Burning Sky x 3 Floyds What the booklet says: Bashing ideas out with 3 Floyds, we found solace in this White Stout. A huge grain bill was rounded off with some lactose in the kettle for softness. Aged in a mix of Burgundy and Bourbon barrels for a deep oak and subtle violet flavour. Expectations: Saving the best until last, this is the beer I'm most looking forward to trying. White stouts are quite a new style for me and I've enjoyed the few I've had so far - they are slightly less heavy than traditional stouts. I like the sound of the two different barrels used and hope the flavours come through. Reality: A bit of a let down this. I'm getting the oak and bourbon and a lot of vanilla but not much else. It's very, very thin which just makes the whole thing a bit confusing. A shame really as this one had the most promise from its description. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147410981-G1OQCX7J0HQSHBCWXUJJ/yellow.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2017 - Rex Apiary - Biere De Miel with Honey, Rosemary & Texas Dried Lemons 4.7% // Beavertown x Jester King What the booklet says: Our colour this year was yellow so we thought about seasonal ingredients which were yellow in both of our areas, and decided on using honey and beeswax from local honey producers, and some texas dried lemons, with some rosemary to compliment the flavours. Jester King also shipped in some of their house culture which we used to ferment the beer. So the beer is a combination of what is local, and native to both of us. Aged for a few months in ex-Sauvignon Blanc barrels from France. Expectations: Yep. I'm bang into this. Honey, lemon and rosemary are all great flavours that should compliment each other. The bottle is also beautiful. That Nick Dwyer is a clever bastard. Reality: I like this a lot. Lemon is the biggest flavour here with the rosemary and honey coming through to give it a slightly sweet finish after the initial sourness. It's a very light coloured beer and has a very clean taste but packs in a lot of flavour for less than 5%. It's not a beer that I'd want to drink a lot of but is enjoyable all the same. Redemption after the orange beer! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512250662046-Z56QWLNYZ5QXB7AL9C7M/IMG_0157.JPG Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2017 - Mojito - Kettle Soured Tart IPA 6% // Hawkshead x Modern Times What the booklet says: Inspired by the colour green, MOJITO is a collaboration between HAWKSHEAD & MODERN TIMES of San Diego, Ca. It’s a refreshingly tart, kettle-soured IPA. Dry hopped with aromatic new world hops – Cascade and Motueka, then further aged post fermentation on fresh mint, lime zest and oak rum cubes from Appleton rum estate. Aromas of lemon and lime, enhancing the flavours of mint and fresh lime zest blended with very subtle oak rum notes, this tart IPA will have you rushing for the nearest beach lounger or hammock. Sit back and enjoy our take on the classic cocktail, Mojito. Expectations: I do like a mojito now and then so I reckon I'll enjoy this. Kettle sours don't tend to be too overpowering in their sourness so combining that with the mint and lime should result in a well balanced refreshing beer. If only the sun was shining. Reality: Another bit of a let down. This genuinely tastes like drinking an IPA after cleaning your teeth. I'm failing to really get any sourness from it because the mint is so strong and overpowering the taste of anything else. There's a very subtle hint of lime once it has settled on the palate but overall this just doesn't really work. Shame. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147410482-WVEG9DSDQ1JPH2N6PJMA/red-e1509481564734.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2017 - Amanecer Mexicano - Lime, Hibiscus and Chilli Gose 5.8% // Magic Rock x Casita Cerveria What the booklet says: We drew Red and Casita this year and bandied about a whole bunch of ideas. Eventually, we realised we were circling around Mexican flavours that we all loved, so Ryan, Rich, and I looked into the flavour profiles from some traditional Mexican drinks and dishes that A) we like, B) played well together, and C) wouldn’t completely terrify the British palate! In the end we decided that the rich, savoury, sweet, chocolate and umami flavours in mole sauces that come from a wide variety of dried chiles, tamarind, and cinnamon would provide the subtle base of the beer, and be accentuated by bright tart flavours of hibiscus and lime– just like you might find in a traditional tiendecita. A subtle complexity of flavours in the meal followed up by refreshing tastes from the aguas de tamarindo, Jamaica, limón, and horchata. Expectations: With Magic Rock being one of my favourite breweries, gose beers being my favourite type of sour and being a huge fan of Mexican food, this sounds right up my street. The brainchild of the Rainbow Project, Ryan Witter-Merithew (at the time was Siren's Head Brewer), is now the Head Brewer for Casita Cerveria so another tick in the positive column for this beer. I love lime, hibiscus and chilli so I'm excited to see how this turns out. Reality: Hmm, an interesting beer. It's a very limey beer (to be expected) and the tartness and berry flavours from the hibiscus are also very prominent (again, to be expected). However, I am getting zero chilli here which I was hoping for with the finish. Instead, it's a slightly salty and fruity little bugger which is by no means a bad thing but I wanted some warmth or heat to hit me and was left a bit disappointed. A solid enough start though! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147410282-2YKJ71FNVILD6FOPV083/orange.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2017 - West Fork - Saison with Spruce Tips & Experimental Hop 522 5% // Partizan x New Belgium What the booklet says: This year is orange so we thought about the idea of the destruction of nature and the rebirth of it such as a phoenix or fire destruction leading to regrowth. The area where the spruce tips were sourced is called Pagosa Springs, Colorado. It’s in the San Juan Valley. Super gorgeous area. About four years ago, this area experienced terrible wildfires that were referred to as the West Fork Complex. About 109,000 acres burned. So this area is experiencing a ton of rebirth and growth after that fire. The new trees aren’t mature enough yet to produce the quality of tips we used, but there’s a rejuvenating story to be told there that all stems from fire. Expectations: Hmm, not sure about this one. Saison is a style I'm not hugely enamoured with but with the addition of spruce tips and an experimental hop, there's at least something here to pique my interest. If I set my expectations low, it can't fail to impress, right? Reality: Yeah, this is just a run of the mill saison. Can't really say anything more than that unfortunately. Boo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512251900332-LHPNEVUR0JB9M6YHTCYD/IMAGE.JPG Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2017 - Santo del Frio - Dry Hopped American Lager 5.2% // Siren Craft Brew x Sante Adairius What the booklet says: We drew the colour blue for this year’s Rainbow Project, and set to work on the challenge, keeping our barrel aged beer in mind for 2018. We decided to go an entirely different route this time out and brew a lager with our new friends at Sante Adairius. It’s fermented cold and the theme follows through; we added heaps of cryogenically frozen hops! We’ve used an American lager yeast sourced close to Sante Adairius’ home in California. We’ve also taken some Mexican influence, with blue corn tortillas in the mash and blue agave syrup in the boil – which we aged in Tequila barrels beforehand for an extra flourish. We hope you enjoy Santo del Frio – Saint of the Cold! Expectations: I'm partial to a lager now and then - especially in the summer but I struggle to get excited by lager in a box such as this. The added flair to this lager may help elevate it but it's not massively exciting, is it? Reality: Redemption after the green disaster above comes this lager, or India Pale Lager which I am apparently a big fan of after having this and Beavertown's Westside Beavo earlier this year. I can't say I can taste any tequila or agave syrup in this but it is a very refreshing lager. I'd love to pick up a crate of this to enjoy at a barbecue. Pleasantly surprised by this one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1515865777949-F3EBTYMMCSCFJYE9N0SH/indigo.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2017 - Indigo - Sour Wheat Beer with Foraged Fruit 5%// The Wild Beer Co x Side Project What the booklet says: Our Rainbow Project beer is a Transatlantic sour wheat beer, with Somerset foraged fruits. The base water has been infused with foraged seaweed from the Cornish coast to give an umami saline character. We have used our house wild yeast cultures and at the peak of fermentation added foraged elderberries and blackberries from local hedgerows. Expectations: Not much to say about this one. Fruity sour? Sounds like it will be fine. As with Blue, it's not overly exciting for this project but I might be surprised. Reality: So, it's now January 2018 so this bottle is a few months old. I'm not sure if I have a duff bottle or the passage of time has done something to this but it genuinely tastes of nothing. It smells like a sour should but if I drank this with my eyes closed I would guess it was water. Really disappointed as pouring it out I was impressed with the great colour it has. Hmm. Nevermind. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/09/15/drunk-in-july monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147394282-D5FMEPMRPU2VEMNKB03F/7bbb553eb4f73cc1f9907487acd0d140_640x640.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Special Editon Drink Fresh DIPA - Double IPA 9% // Cloudwater Brew Co. Located on the dark, damp, haunted hull* of the HMS Warrior at the ‘secret bar’ as part of Warrior Fest. This strong DIPA from Cloudwater was much sought after and didn’t last on tap for long. Fortunately, I managed to locate the secret bar but not after wandering the ship admiring the rifles and officers galley. As expected from Cloudwater, this DIPA was excellent, full of flavour from the combination of hops, and very easy drinking. * Please note: the HMS Warrior has excellent lighting and is well maintained by the Royal Navy. Hauntings are unconfirmed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147397784-3WXDDI590HCQK4E3JGK1/jurrasix.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - JURASSIX - Double IPA 8% // Staggeringly Good This month’s Drunk In… has a decidedly Pompey feel so far as my second choice this month comes from another south coast brewery in Jurassix from Staggeringly Good. Brand did a comprehensive write-up of the launch event of this beer and, being a gent, hooked me up with one of the beers from his six-pack. It was worth the wait as this was cracking. Probably the most resinous DIPA I’ve had, Brand’s comparison to the amber fossilized tree resin from Jurassic Park was absolutely spot on. Look at that colour! Slightly envious he has three cans of this excellent beer left. The jammy bastard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147399182-98RRM4P4SVX6MLMP10ZT/patrons.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Patrons Project 1.04 Leeds Lurking, Morello Cherry & Peruvian Coffee- Imperial Porter 10% // Northern Monk x Other Half Brewing Co. Another Other Half collab beer making the list (see last month) means I’m super excited about checking out their beer at the upcoming Beavertown Extravaganza in September. This, however, is different from the IPAs of last month and is an excellent, silky smooth Imperial porter just showing that Other Half are not one trick ponies. I hate to use the term mouthfeel because it makes me sound like more of a beer twat than I am but this really was super smooth and a delight to drink. Up front were the big coffee notes and I was sceptical about the cherry but it came through at the end, very subtly and then more as the beer warmed up. I may have said this before but Northern Monk’s can design for their Patrons Project are probably my favourite designs in the UK. Peeling off the label reveals more info on the beer and the artwork. I only wish I’d kept all of the labels instead of binning them like a chump. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147397881-YC83X6SX4EI85UYTVDZL/keylime.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Key Lime Pie - Sour Gose 4% // Westbrook Brewing Co. I’d had the original version of this beer at the start of the year just when I was beginning to appreciate sour beers as a style a little more and so by the time July rolled around and I got my hands on the key lime pie version (courtesy of the always excellent Ghost Whale), it was destined to be a welcome encounter. This is better than the original and is essentially alcoholic limeade. Salty gose flavours up front before the sourness kicks in and the limey finish lingers in the mouth. Zesty! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147394981-A102STIHJUDU0TQZ5S15/Wit-or-wheatout-98.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Beavertown Says Wit Or Wheatout You - Witbier 5.5% // Beavertown Oh Beavertown, I can't live Wit or Wheatout you and I certainly can't live without this mothertrucking wheat beer. Another favourite from our visit to the brewery, Wit or Wheatout You, a tangy, sour mix in a refreshing wheat beer. This was like drinking beer infused with a packet of sherbert. I think this stood out most from the beers I sampled at Beavertown and this was probably the best I had all day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147393883-IXH6CI8KSG3CV4PYO5NW/66fca1e223979a4f1d7ae18b7337f6f8_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Bellini Vice - Berliner Weisse 4.5% // Magic Rock Brewing A quick impulse grab as I was after a train beer. I knew I couldn’t go wrong with picking up something from Magic Rock with the name Bellini Vice. This sour is refreshing, with raspberry and peach fruit notes, but not too overpowering on the sour front. This makes for a really enjoyable, easy drinking beer. I’m really starting to enjoy my sours, Magic Rock have set the bar high and hopefully, other breweries can keep up. Also, great can art as always from Magic Rock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147396403-U67R7CKZT0CR266G11GR/bb.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Brazilian Breakfast - Coffee Milk Stout 6.5% // The Southsea Brewing Co. Brewed in conjunction with Hunter Gatherer Coffee to celebrate the brewery’s first birthday comes this fantastic coffee milk stout made with maple syrup and waffles because why the hell not? Picked up at the brewery pre-Warrior Fest, this probably wasn’t a wise choice to start the day with but I’m not one to make logical choices when it comes to beer. As it was absolutely pouring down with rain, we couldn’t enjoy our takeaway beers on Southsea Common so had to settle for drinking in a bus shelter like a bunch of tramps. However, tramp juice this is not - pure decadence is what it is. The coffee comes through first before the lactose and maple syrup gives it a wonderfully sweet, dessert-like finish. One more for a winter night than a rainy summer day but it did the job either way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147397083-EDE0Z7Q9BP9CFG87VLQU/dialledin.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Dialed In (w/ Sauvignon Blanc Juice) - Double IPA 8.5% // Trillium Brewing Company We hit up Beavertown Brewery for Brand’s birthday (that’s a lot of b’s!) in July and timed it brilliantly as they had some Trillium beers leftover from a tap takeover that ran the weekend before. I’d heard rave reviews about the Boston-based brewery for quite a while now and so getting a rare chance to sample some of their beers on tap in the UK was something I was not going to pass up. I managed to work my way through all four of the beers they had on offer but this juicy number was my favourite. Trillium are famed for being absolute masters of the IPA and it’s easy to see why. This mother is dry-hopped and then dry-hopped some more with a whole bunch of hops which helps to really bring out the fruity flavours. Sauvignon Blanc juice is added mid-fermentation and there is a very subtle crisp, dry white wine finish because of this. Definitely worth the hype. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147399484-CAUHJ62HET6DJYT01NST/ramblers.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Ramblers - Double IPA 8% // Gipsy Hill Brewing Co. x DEYA Brewing Company I tried to steer clear of picking too many DIPAs this month after the love-in in June but couldn’t resist adding this collab between Gipsy Hill and DEYA. Thick and oaty, this was so smooth and had such a well-rounded flavour that, as much as I wanted to savour it, I had chinned it in a very short space of time. I just wish I’d bought several more bottles. DEYA are building themselves a nice little reputation for such a new brewery and I feel their influence on this beer is why it's so good. I've had several Gipsy Hill beers in the past and none have really struck me quite as much as this one has. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147394782-0I3QXV9HDIMDVBKIESU3/IMG_20170708_173528.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Liquid Cuddle - Maibock 6.5% // Marble Beers x Yeastie Boys I popped into The Lawrence Arms in Portsmouth, a pub that I haven’t visited much in recent years, to check out their craft beer selection. It was a blisteringly hot day so I wanted something to enjoy in their beer garden and I don’t think I could have done much better than this collaboration between Marble Beers and Yeastie Boys. A warm red amber beer, packed with complex, tropical flavours. Most prominently, I picked up on a sweet melon flavour, it seemed like it shouldn’t work but it somehow it did, I actually found it pretty moreish. I would highly recommend this if you are after something a bit different. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147395091-R5EJB5O53TT4CO47IQ52/archea.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Hydra - American IPA 5.5% // Archea Brewery Another from our Tuscany trip - I managed to try a few of the excellent Archea Brewery’s beers whilst in Florence recently (review coming soon) and this was the pick of the bunch. It was just a simple IPA but done exceptionally well. The hot weather made it all the more enjoyable as it quenched my thirst and then some, although it was more piney than in-your-face hops. Bizarrely, the beers are actually brewed in Rome so the place being called the brewery is slightly misleading. Not that I cared. The beer was still great. Hail Hydra! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147396880-FQ48PTYJEPXQ9JZ84IEI/de9bd78a232f52e89f8a5580478dd847_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Black Perle - Milk Stout 3.8% // Weird Beard Brew Co. What could be more appropriate feature for Warrior Fest, a beer festival on a Royal Navy ship, than this excellent stout, Black Perle by Weird Beard. Normally, I would stay away from heavier beers at a beer festival but this sweet milk stout went down a treat after sampling a few others at the festival. Brewed in partnership with Alchemy Coffee, this beer has just the right combination of coffee, sweetness and richness. At 3.8%, it’s not too heavy and is a perfect breakfast beer, or in my case, a night-cap to a beer festival that didn’t send me overboard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147399693-D6VMRDFWASJBOG5N2578/tropmilk.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - Humalaya - Double IPA 7.2% // Amiata Brewing Company After traipsing around Florence, we decided to check out Fermento for lunch, mainly because they had a good beer list despite being in the heart of the touristy area. I opted for this as I’d never had a tropical milk IPA so was intrigued. A whole host of Slovenian hops are used in this which I don’t think I’d come across before - Styrian Wolf, Styrian 102 and Styrian Cardinal. This gave the beer both a tropical feel and also a slightly aniseedy, bitter taste. Lactose is added to give the beer a creamy, milky finish. A welcome beer to sip in the sunshine watching the world go by and an introduction to lactose-based IPAs! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147393781-S2G469EWZDPXZKMDYX5C/20170718-IMG_6899.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... July - JURASSIX - Double IPA 8% // Staggeringly Good ABV A pre-historic DIPA from the Staggeringly Good guys. Packed with massively resinous flavours. I’ve already posted a fairly comprehensive write-up of this from the Jurassix launch event so check out the post for the full scoop on this. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/09/06/warriorfest-2017 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512601117089-P3ZKD2Q07RYMJLZ8OVUI/8f9c835e-cfbb-4ab4-9fa2-baafc677ca15.jpg Beer Voyage - WarriorFest 2017, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512601353466-Y57UWQOEWAF13W8ASPED/b5754165-901e-4f0a-86bb-8395e803cce7.jpg Beer Voyage - WarriorFest 2017, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512601217085-5IQYHY23WDHOTNKLDZQO/09bf594b-bbbd-496b-9ada-455c68a07c72.jpg Beer Voyage - WarriorFest 2017, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512601325325-7BOO6S7DFBYRPCK606YI/fd006d80-7849-4f2c-b2c5-cf932b739a82.jpg Beer Voyage - WarriorFest 2017, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512601446908-3AVYLX90ZQ7WD4GJ1N34/3aa8a3ea-0d9b-4b1e-b69c-cc1fdc26c68c.jpg Beer Voyage - WarriorFest 2017, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512601419113-PSUQZX0ZDL4HFO7KGXSE/e84b332f-95bf-4864-9604-2afeb4ac4f95.jpg Beer Voyage - WarriorFest 2017, Portsmouth https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/08/23/siren-project-barista monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147396479-SCBGSWUNLAPGLYJDOYBN/capheine-e1504302170382.jpg Beer Voyage - Siren Project Barista - CapHeine – 6.2% Kettle Sour with Coffee What Siren says: Finally, we have CapHeine. We paired up with London’s artisan coffee roaster Climpson and Sons to deliver a unique kettle sour beer. The most nuanced coffee beer of the four, CapHeine’s biscuity, bready malt notes combine with hibiscus and raspberries and floral/fruity Kenyan coffee beans to create a cacophony of flavour. There’s redcurrant, cranberry, plum, red fruit notes and some light hibiscus florals. Mosaic, Palisade and Bravo hops are added during kettling and a small dry hop addition. There’s hibiscus in the boil and 120kg of Raspberries added to the fermentation. Expectation: Another beer that intrigues me. I'm not entirely sure how a coffee sour will work, with coffee traditionally being on the other end of the spectrum to sour so I'm interested to try this one. I'm expecting to like this the least even though sour beers have grown on me, the other 3 just sound much more my thang. Reality: I couldn't really taste any coffee in this which was a shame. I know it was meant to be the most nuanced but it's very, very subtle. I can taste the tart, sour raspberry which leads to a dry finish but if I'd tried this blind, I would never have said there is coffee in this. That's not to say it's a bad beer, just I wanted hits of coffee as a coffee sour is basically an oxymoron! An enjoyable sour but not exactly what it does on the tin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147396789-CMM9V7NSJYDULZ9CC2KC/crema.jpg Beer Voyage - Siren Project Barista - Crema – 4.9% Deceptive Sweet White Coffee Stout What Siren says: Crema is a white stout with German Whiskey Barrel aged coffee, which builds on our continuing experiments with the ageing of coffee beans. We steeped Tamp’s coffee in a fermenter at both 21°C and 0°C to accentuate the low notes of the coffee, whiskey, wood and vanilla. Then we took 25kg of German Whiskey Aged Coffee and added vanilla and cocoa nibs to create a sweet white stout that completely defies the way it looks. Expectation: I had never had a white stout until a few weeks ago and didn't even know it was a thing until recently. Disappointingly, I discovered they aren't actually 'white' but more of an amber colour and not black like a regular stout. I'm definitely looking forward to this one as the description gives me high hopes. Reality: Bit of disappointment this. I can't taste any whiskey or wood at all, it's very sweet and has a big dose of vanilla in both taste and smell and obviously has a coffee finish. It's all just a bit boring and I had quite high hopes for how this would taste. It's also a bit thin but I think white stouts suffer from that as a style. Oh well. Onto the next one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512231359157-05Q2TOV8FFMZLHPPUC13/IMG_0078-e1510785737787.jpg Beer Voyage - Siren Project Barista - Americano – 9.1% Devious Double IPA with Coffee What Siren says: Americano is a Coffee Double IPA which uses a new method designed to preserve the delicate nature of Ethiopian coffee’s high-end berry notes. Quarter Horse Coffee in Birmingham brewed a strong hot coffee which was added to the beer directly before packaging. Americano is packed full of Citra, Columbus, Cascade, Chinook hops, and Mosaic Cryo Powder, to the tune of 21 grams per litre. Expectation: Long-time readers of the blog will also know that a DIPA is also one of my favourite styles of beer. As I've already mentioned, I'm yet to have a DIPA made with coffee or even give off a coffee taste so this beer has me intrigued. Adding coffee just before packaging has me sceptical that it will pack a big coffee punch but subtlety may be key here in delivering a well-balanced beer. Reality: So I was wrong. Adding the coffee late in the brewing process has made this very coffee heavy. It smells more like a coffee than a beer. It's very sweet on the initial taste and then the coffee hit comes followed by a dry bitterness. Unfortunately, not the good kind of bitterness. I've drank the whole bottle now and I still can't work out if a coffee DIPA really works. There are elements of it I like but I think I'd rather just a normal DIPA. Hmm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1515977637883-U8I5APTP86VGFDN7A6KZ/turkish.jpg Beer Voyage - Siren Project Barista - Turkish – 10% Indulgent Imperial Stout with Coffee What Siren says: Turkish is inspired by the country’s robust coffee traditionally served with a piece of rock candy. 45kg of Thai coffee beans, roasted by Reading’s Tamp Culture Coffee, are added at three different brewing intervals. The brew also includes the addition of vanilla and orange zest in the spinbot, orange zest and nutmeg in the whirlpool and an incredible 420kg of figs to the fermented beer! The result is lovely smooth spicy notes, a nice citrus sweetness and a sound body. Expectation: Long-time readers of the blog will know that imperial stout is one of my favourite styles of beer. A spicy, citrus, coffee style impy stout has me weak at the knees. I fear it may be a while before I drink this as I have a fair few imperial stouts I need to get through first. Reality: This is bang on. It's exactly what you'd expect from a coffee heavy imperial stout. I didn't really get the citrus notes but the spice came through a little. All in all it is a solid imperial stout and has the right thickness to give it a luxurious taste. Off to a good start. Hope the rest live up to this beginning. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/07/29/drunk-in-june monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147389894-1BMEKK6BDZ2DG2V1XYAD/apple.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Tempus Project BA Applelation, Calvados & White Wine Saison /- Farmhouse Ale 10% // Beavertown I had the regular Applelation a while ago and remember not enjoying it as much as the art on the can it came in. I feared the same here as the bottle label is again excellent. However, I needn’t have worried - the barrel ageing in calvados and white wine really elevated the beer and brought the apples to the forefront with the Brettanomyces yeast bringing the funk. It almost tasted like a cider mixed with a white wine; giving off an initial sweet taste before being left with a sour finish. Saison is a style of beer that I don't really have a lot of time for but off the back of this, I'll definitely be more open to trying barrel aged versions. An excellent beer to pair with watching the Foo Fighters performance at Glastonbury. It was definitely one of THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST beers of the month, anyway. I'll get my coat... over to you, Brand.... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147379679-0X7WHTT884B0D3B4ILLG/40d6d7936c467b8c910b5e93754a426c_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Tremendous Ideas - Double IPA 8% // Cloudwater Brew Co. x Other Half Brewing Company I find it hard to describe Cloudwater’s brews and do them justice. Another massive, juicy, fruit IPA. It smelt amazing; like a literal juice bomb had been opened. It also tasted pretty good too, great collaborative effort with Other Half Brewing Company. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147390881-QTRCQ2PU8BSFIEOXT42Q/djuicy.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Djuicy - Double IPA 8.5% // To Øl Bucking the trend this time, but only ever so slightly, comes one of the standout beers I had as part of To Øl’s tap takeover at BrewDog Shepherd’s Bush. Another superb DIPA - I think this is the first of this style I’ve had from these Danish heroes and they’ve again shown they have mastered yet another type of beer and reinforced why they are one of my favourite breweries. This was amazingly refreshing and I sank it in record time, only wishing it wasn’t so expensive so I could buy pints of this wonderful alcoholic juice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147390781-44ERJZD13IKRPZ2WQ9DS/ddh.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - DDH IPA Citra - American IPA 6% // Cloudwater Brew Co. Here comes my favourite beer from our visit to the Tate Modern for the Cloudwater Tap Takeover . Pretty much alcoholic fruit juice, this was dangerously drinkable and went down extremely easily. There was a surprising watermelon-esque aftertaste that made me actually say ‘wow’ as I didn’t expect it but once it had settled, I couldn’t stop drinking it. The perfect beer for a summer’s evening. I may have had three of these. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147380484-Y3PJRN1QUMG2RLE0KWMP/60da9c3720756e4b1a3285655c523629_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Bloody 'Ell - American IPA 7.2% // Beavertown I had been waiting to get my hands on this year's version for some time and finally tracked a can down last month. Having heard mixed things about the beer I was a bit unsure what to expect. I’m pleased to say that I found it thoroughly enjoyable, juicy with just a hint of orange (definitely not overpowering). At 7.2% it's pretty strong for an IPA and I could definitely taste the alcohol in this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147388279-6B5Z2DSOJ2SR0R66KOSS/Tellicherry-pump-clip-178x300.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Tellicherry - Witbier 5.4% // Red Cat Brewing Something a bit different from Winchester based Red Cat Brewing. I’ve had a couple of their beers before but nothing as good as this refreshing Wit. If you were expecting cherry from the name you will be sorely disappointed as Tellicherry actually refers to the type of peppercorns used in the brewing this beer. The peppercorns provide an interesting character and create a nice balance within this beer. Part of Red Cat's more experimental Untamed Range. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147379584-WDESXFUFRL7MUVONTLBB/280c05e661cce5073a71a126e792912f_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Peacher Man - Witbier 6.2% // Beavertown This Belgian Wit was my beer of the month. I’m a big fan of wheat beers anyway but this refreshing number stood out as something special. It’s fruity with a pleasant mix of apricot and peach flavours without being overpowering. A pleasant, easy drinking beer… I’m glad I got my hands on this as I almost walked out of the shop without spotting it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147391205-44T5ZVAQGNVGNMY1CAYJ/halfcut.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Half Cut - Double IPA 8% // Magic Rock Brewing x Other Half Brewing Company Bang on the Hedges brand, comes this 8% DIPA collaboration with New York brewery, Other Half. Wait a minute… I’m basically a broken record, aren’t I? Magic Rock have churned out some superb IPAs this year and this is probably the juicy icing on the very hoppy cake. Grassy, mango, piney, peachy - I should probably get myself a thesaurus. And to Huddersfield post haste to visit the tap room. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147390279-YXHAZRMQPHA2W4R3V9I7/b0a61a1f5a68c323e5fcf10b8dfd6c27_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Squid Ink IPA - Black IPA 5.5% // XT Brewing Company Picked up from local bottle shop, The Beer Musketeer, as part of a run for some beach beers. This isn’t the usual type I would go for on a blisteringly hot sunny day but this Black IPA went down really well. Fantastically malty and really smooth. Also, aptly named for a drink to swig whilst staring out to sea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147391780-4PQ77MDX1K1F3VKY2ZY1/humuloid.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Humuloid - Double IPA 8% // Beavertown Bang on the Hedges brand comes this 8% DIPA. I feel like Bill Murray right now. Except I would willingly repeat all of these beers FOREVER. This is quite probably the murkiest beer I think I’ve ever had. We cracked open a few of these one evening and I thought they tasted a little raw and vegetable-y. If someone had poured them into a bowl, I would’ve genuinely thought it was some sort of soup. The souped up version of Lupuloid, if you will. I resisted opening my can and left it a few weeks to reach its peak and I’m glad I did as good things come to those who wait and all that. This was the second big bastard version of a Beavertown beer I’ve had this year following on from Double Chin (the daddy version of Neck Oil) and this was the superior beer. Continuing the trend of juicy, fruity DIPAs, this was a welcome addition - I’m not sure it’s a style I’m ever going to get bored of so maybe I do need a thesaurus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147390984-7VOB8U3XAR1Y3E3ABX4M/goliat.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Goliat - Imperial Stout 10.5% // To Øl The other standout beer from the To Øl tap takeover was this huge stout. The first dark beer to feature this month - it is summer after all so the stouts are on the back burner. As a man that doesn't really drink coffee all that regularly, I sure do love big imperial stouts packed with coffee like this. Definitely a sipper, the huge sweet chocolate and then bitter coffee lasted long on the palate and I'll definitely be seeking a bottle of this out for the winter months. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147393281-SLCN5NO6QIUG4MK6FBXI/trem.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Tremendous Ideas - Double IPA 8% // Cloudwater Brew Co. x Other Half Brewing Company Bang on the Hedges brand, comes this 8% DIPA collaboration with New York brewery, Other Half (who brewed several collaborations with several UK breweries during their trip over from the US for Hop City Leeds). If you’ve read anything I’ve written on this ol’ blog in the past, it’s pretty obvious by now this beer was always going to be my thang - the UK kings of this style of beer collaborating with one of the US kings of the style? Go figure. 50% oats were used in the grist for this which made it super viscous for dat murk and was very thick for dat mouthfeel. This was super fresh and juicy. I had two cans, one not long after they went on sale and one about a month later - it definitely improved once the slight burn from the super fresh hops had settled down. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147380004-C9TXGSSR9JL1SZOH79S4/450x450.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Columbus Comet Cluster - American Amber Ale 5.7% // Wiper and True The King Street Tavern in Portsmouth was having a beer festival as part of their first anniversary celebrations. I’ve enjoyed popping into the King Street Tavern on occasion, it has a cool decor and normally has some beers on I don’t see in most places (the excellent Bruges Zot on tap for example). For their beer festival they had got in even more beers for the celebrations, my favourite was this excellent amber ale (with an even better name) by Wiper and True. Readers of the blog will know I’m a big fan of Wiper and True so no surprises here. A warm, rich and slightly spicy amber ale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147391883-0USTFBUUX7ZSOXVLYZ76/selassie.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Selassie - Imperial Stout 11% // Omnipollo Another massive imperial stout, this time from the best brewery in Sweden, Omnipollo. I picked this up a few months ago but after reading several reviews I cracked and had to raid the fridge to try it for myself. This was pure decadence; conditioned with a heap of Ethiopian coffee and vanilla beans resulted in a rich, oily dream of a drink. When you get an imperial stout in the glass with a deep brown foamy head, you know you're in for an absolute treat. Maybe I should start drinking coffee? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147393380-M29K8H0VLXJ1LCBBKTQM/zuur.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Zuur Rhubarb - Sour Ale 3.5% // Vibrant Forest Brewery I tend to stay away from sour style beers having had pretty mixed experiences with them. However, I’m pleased to say I have found one that I would gladly go back to. I tried a couple of sours on the same day and this immensely refreshing, fruity concoction with a hint of sweet rhubarb really stood out. Honourable mention to Vibrant Forest’s Acidlicious which I also enjoyed but didn’t quite have the edge as Zuur. Definitely one of the more enjoyable sours I've had. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147391684-TCWWXXOZ8OGDHPQKXDBA/humuloid.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... June - Humuloid - Double IPA 8% // Beavertown A gift from a friend, we had fun comparing the varied art of the Humuloid cans before cracking these open and pouring them out. First impressions were; massively murk and so fresh. It was dense and packed full of flavour. I found the flavours a bit overpowering initially but it did grow on me. Overall, an enjoyable Imperial IPA and one I would return to. (Thanks to Friend of the Voyage, Jabo, for the picture) https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/07/19/staggeringly-good-jurassix-6-pack-launch-portsmouth monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147376183-7H3XZ1MXY0JFU6BD35SK/20170718-IMG_6897.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147384179-NIVKD0COHR1I7UIJ4S9E/IMG_20170708_184831-e1500417550880.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512602297578-A03W9SYM2GI2JD8F4OJY/IMG_20170708_185253.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147376682-HT32R9PZATDQ9V2WPM52/20170718-IMG_6899.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512602347784-9NX5RCO4VXSM0W8KJ65V/20170716-IMG_6893.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147379081-6V2MCAEKHLUO21U1ZUJ9/20170718-IMG_6900.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147379383-IXALDVUPTFZC6ZWA1VBD/20170718-IMG_6903.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147376585-KHT8BJUXX8IA9GY6BXBR/20170718-IMG_6898.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512602322428-VCYL6DP822VCQGIEGKY0/IMG_20170708_184602.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147379295-LWTNT6F6Y7WXYUNK53XC/20170718-IMG_6901.jpg Beer Voyage - Staggeringly Good Jurassix 6 Pack Launch, Portsmouth https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/07/09/cloudwater-tap-takeover-tate-modern-london monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513115645633-RODTEDLPAQK3XFKHW6XJ/IMG_8923-e1499619964375.jpg Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Tap Takeover, Tate Modern, London Don’t worry glum barman, we are steering well clear of the London Pride Unfiltered. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513115958111-JUA27LZJ5J6QZTNXTVN0/IMG_8927.jpg Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Tap Takeover, Tate Modern, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116082684-NYU91YZ9YLYJPFL4V3LY/IMG_8928-e1499620299261.jpg Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Tap Takeover, Tate Modern, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512602619098-M2DKUJ0JHTXTI53JT03Y/FullSizeRender.jpg Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Tap Takeover, Tate Modern, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513115892074-JISXRB7B9KGSRCQ48G9H/Image-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Tap Takeover, Tate Modern, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116037922-2GKK9UPDVT9I07RVJ6M4/FullSizeRender_1-e1499620337797.jpg Beer Voyage - Cloudwater Tap Takeover, Tate Modern, London https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/06/30/hook-norton-brewery-oxfordshire monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147289860-IBVUBEOX2KH40SPT1M1V/20170602-IMG_6754-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147362085-37U8KE1R30KRUGHQEJ9N/20170602-IMG_6758-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147365481-0OST8FH4LLTHK42ODRQV/20170602-IMG_6782-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513115327591-M3ZOKXZ4PX1GDJGWSH3W/20170602-IMG_6798-1024x683.jpg Beer Voyage - Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147365333-9X6FJZZ69DU8IQZFRXTJ/20170602-IMG_6778-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513115235224-JZCDP52WJTN4MRYU7E87/20170602-IMG_6761-1-1024x752.jpg Beer Voyage - Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire Monty! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147365992-JKE5J5MU9B0RICS0KZ53/20170602-IMG_6793-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147368303-KHBMH9GLDVWIR2OCFLNW/20170602-IMG_6797-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/06/13/drunk-in-may monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147368879-RVL72HNEYBNVZAOISF9M/IMG_20170501_195438.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - DIPA v13 - Double IPA 9% // Cloudwater Brew Co. I'm well late to the party but this was an amazing beer! I was so glad to finally get my hands on a can of DIPA V13 and it lived up to all of the hype that surrounded it. Thick, fruity and immensely enjoyable. Sadly this is my first and last of the Cloudwater DIPA V range that I'll get to try! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147371782-IKU46L015E0UPSHBTRPQ/delta.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Delta IPA - IPA Belgian 6.5% // Brussels Beer Project A gift from co-blogger Hedges. Brewed as part of the Brussels Beer Project, Delta is a hybrid Belgian style IPA. This means all the smoothness of an IPA with the strong dominant flavours of a Belgian beer. Delta had orange-citrus flavours that gave it a very well rounded finish. Overall, really enjoyable and a lot more character than I expected. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147375483-IQ3FTIKX0KU5UT4U3W6A/tdp.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Patrons Project 3.02 Tropical Death Party - Black IPA // Northern Monk x Siren Craft Brew Black IPAs are a style that usually leaves me pretty cold but this souped up Black IPA from Northern Monk and Siren did the complete opposite. Thick and refreshing at the same time, the usual roasted malt flavours were not present here which is probably why I enjoyed it all the more. An initial coconut hit before finishing with bags of pineapple. The best type of pina colada I’ve ever had. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147372801-7Y9FY2BWD5YL6CV2K15N/sb.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Sticky Bud - Double IPA 8.7% // Wylam I picked this up on a whim having not really had many beers from Wylam but I’m glad I did. In a sea of DIPAs this really stood out. It didn’t do anything different but had the perfect balance of flavours. Tropical, juicy, bitter and citrusy all at once. Why aye bonny Wylam lads! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147375782-34FFBIIIXJIBSPUSXUXW/tt.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Totally Tropical - Pale Ale 5.7% // Irving & Co Brewers Winner of the Strong Island Homebrew Competition 2017. I've found a lot of Irving & Co’s beers to be quite samey but this tropical pale ale sets them apart. Really fruity without being a huge departure from their other popular ales. A really nice summer beer from the Portsmouth brewery. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147369081-MKLOCTRSEB4Y86PBBV39/IMG_20170526_134454.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Cryo Baby - Session IPA 4.8% // Magic Rock Brewing x CRAK Brewery Great session IPA from Magic Rock. This has been developed in collaboration with CR/AK brewery in Italy. Bold, with a nice smooth finish and a slightly lower ABV which makes this an easy IPA to enjoy. Fantastic can art as usual from the Magic Rock guys. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147372183-F1HLKJUB43DMSG9N1Z6K/fantasma.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Fantasma - Gluten-Free 6.5% // Magic Rock Brewing This is probably the best gluten-free beer I’ve ever tasted (To Øl’s Reparationsbajer runs it a close second). Massive mango juiciness made this beer very moreish on a sunny day in May. I bought this along with Magic Rock’s Psychokinesis, a straight up IPA and was surprised that I far preferred the gluten-free offering. Now I just need to source another can. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147372583-V2ENIYCLWOELE0ENUZFG/pr.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Paradox Rye - Imperial Stout 15% // BrewDog BrewDog is to impy stouts what Cloudwater are to DIPAs. Some of the best imperial stouts I’ve had have been courtesy of BrewDog and this one was no different. A new version of the Paradox series, this time aged in rye whiskey casks and for the first time sold in cans. To say I’m a novice whiskey drinker is an understatement but I’m definitely getting an appreciation for it through the medium of whiskey cask aged beer. A complex beer, this has everything you want from an imperial stout; bags of coffee, chocolate and molasses before finishing with the warmth from the whiskey cask. A great beer for a night-cap. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147371983-AWT41RLSBOK40SM7PUCC/ecc.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - LIVE East Coast Crush - Session IPA 4.7% // BrewDog This is something that I asked for on a whim in Brewdog Camden. It turned out to be a brilliant choice. A refreshing, fruity ale, ordered on one of the hottest days of the year, it was superb. I've heard some great hype about this since so I was glad not to miss out on it. More information on East Coast Crush and the Brewdog LIVE system can be read on the Brewdog Blog. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147346977-PYWYWN09TYFOWW5PTMUD/IMG_8739.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Big Ass Money Stout 2 - Imperial Stout 16% // Lervig x Evil Twin Brewing And you thought the Paradox Rye was going to be the strongest beer this month. Think again. I professed my love for this in the Peckham write-up, go check it out there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147372283-510BUEH966VOF79JFXNE/itp.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - In The Pines - American Amber Ale 5.3% // Wiper And True This was my top pick from the Portsmouth Beer Festival 2017. Warm, resin, pine flavours permeate this smooth Red Ale. Another winner from Wiper and True. I really must take my own advice and get an order of their range in soon and maybe even pay a visit to The Old Butcher's for their freshest beers (I'll be in heaven). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147375381-EJVJSRZEOID8MVOQL0EU/sp.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Stay Puft - Porter 5.6% // Tiny Rebel Brewing Co During a weekend away in Cardiff I was fortunate enough to pop into Tiny Rebel, a located in the heart of the city. I was overwhelmed by the selection so opted to go for something I knew I would enjoy, the Stay Puft porter. Thick vanilla-mashmallowy goodness in a glass, served on nitro for an extra smooth finish. The Tiny Rebel bar is a fantastic place and I look forward to going back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147372482-RE0AOAAI0Q6J79WMO77B/neb.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Nebuchadnezzar - Double IPA 8. 5%// Omnipollo A beer I’d been trying to get my mitts on for a while. Did it live up to the hype? You bloody betcha it did. I’ve drank a lot of DIPAs lately and most are more on the murky, juicy end of the spectrum whereas this was a welcome change of pace. It was still citrussy but had an almost spicy taste to it with a lingering boozy bitter finish. The alcohol hits you clean in the chops so you know it’s 8.5%. Excellent beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147375279-M53HM1SFK1W3URV8BBU6/shock.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Shock Series: !!!PA Centennial & Mosaic - Triple IPA 13% // To Øl The night before I had this I had been on a particularly boozy work night out drinking rubbish lager and wine (they were free at least). I didn’t realise this was a 13% Triple IPA until after I’d opened it - I was hesitant I wasn’t going to enjoy this due to the crushing hangover but it was lovely. Bags of flavour from the mosaic and centennial hops gave this a punchy tropical finish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147349782-2PDYLIHMBRNJLCGJGF8B/IMG_8750.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... May - Paradise IPA - American IPA 5% // Bianca Road Brew Co Another from an excellent day in Peckham, this was surprisingly awesome. Because I'm lazy, go and read the post for more details. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/06/07/peckham-london monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513244965997-DL1GXPWSHHBI52P58GDL/peckham8.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London LOOK AT DAT BRASS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513244832825-Z16RC8D0ZPP8S2LFIGGK/peckham4.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513244832942-Y73XYP6EQZ0SOCPCH6PO/peckham5.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513244865660-QPX54HFHPV7RUR5Y2OTC/peckham6.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London Hi Chris! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513244792042-EL6NTJZMGXGMHBI6QNEQ/peckham3.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513245024085-QCT2G4MYK8GW9LZZM2MA/peckham10.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513245024199-CGMS3K8KH6R73GHHHXP2/peckham11.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513244909597-FPUEL34QBSNA60LSVAWL/peckham7.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513244936720-7NPEEUKVKBHAUSNJE1UW/peckham9.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513244750856-7W21144M1D62E8PNE0AL/peckham1.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513244751083-QRGO1Y67WS77LQOAZGLW/peckham2.jpg Beer Voyage - Peckham, London https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/05/31/portsmouth-beer-festival-2017 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512604727444-MMN6H42UL9SMKULY2W02/IMG_20170512_224303.jpg Beer Voyage - Portsmouth Beer Festival 2017, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512603573475-NI1E672GI95EO2J2LFBR/IMG_20170512_214519.jpg Beer Voyage - Portsmouth Beer Festival 2017, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147344078-FWCH03IXDQXY9R7N6XZJ/C-5SkQDXgAA44FC.jpg Beer Voyage - Portsmouth Beer Festival 2017, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512603843288-BPZ2CQ0WY0Y9QSNXWMKB/IMG_20170512_214415.jpg Beer Voyage - Portsmouth Beer Festival 2017, Portsmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512603868386-HPZNDXP8BMAHJPZ6H1P4/IMG_20170512_194802.jpg Beer Voyage - Portsmouth Beer Festival 2017, Portsmouth https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/05/25/drunk-in-april monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147341285-65ECOVLP2S1D2ATT309Q/0bbae07caaae7c47a9cf7a03ffa33b38.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Kaleidoscope - American IPA 6.5% // Vibrant Forest Brewery Vibrant Forest have been on my radar for a while since they held a tap takeover at a number of local pubs. This sweet, hoppy IPA seemed to get everything right. Packed with a range (or Kaleidoscope) of fruity flavours it went down very well. I’ll be making an effort to try some more of Vibrant Forest’s brews. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147361108-9UX8A93ARWANN4AE2L0Y/nm.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Hop City - American IPA 6.2% // Northern Monk x Cloudwater Brew Co. Created for Hop City Festival in Leeds is this incredible IPA. It’s very close to a DIPA in style but just doesn’t have the bitter finish which makes it very dangerous and very chinnable. I also loved the can design. The logo itself is pretty cool but the label could be peeled off and contained information on the festival which I thought was a nice detail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147353161-7H81Z6V8QAWMHAY1K61C/brewski.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Pango - American IPA 5.9% // Brewski I finally got myself over to Ghost Whale in Brixton and had a few beers in the shop (as well as taking home some beers, including the Hop City below). Ghost Whale is an excellent bottle shop and exactly the sort of place I’d love to own (pipe dreams!). This Pango IPA from Brewski was excellent. So much mango coming through. It’s part of the series I mentioned back in January so I jumped at the chance to try another one - definitely hit my expectations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147356706-JBYKXT31MH9FLSP9GNLI/dessert.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Dessert In A Can (Chocolate Marshmallow) - Imperial Stout 10% // Amundsen Bryggeri This was imbibed on my second visit to the Queen’s Head - an excellent Victorian boozer in King’s Cross. It does exactly what it says on the tin(can). I had to decide between the marshmallow or chocolate mudcake versions and plumped (flumped?) for the marshmallow carnation. Decadent stuff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147361596-ZSVGTSV9O8JFR15VH1NZ/unnamed.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Tap Type - American Pale Ale 6% // Magic Rock Magic Rock have done it again. Smooth, drinkable and juicy with fruity citrus flavours in this American Pale Ale. The abstract art of Magic Rock’s cans don’t give much away and it’s always fun waiting to see what they have in store. Brewed to celebrate a typography project created by Magic Rock designer, Rich Norgate, this APA was a pleasant surprise - well rounded and enjoyable, the type of beer you don’t want to end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513117591487-PZ7X0GQI982OTYX2TL0V/milkshake.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Milk Shake - Milk Stout 5.6% // Wiper And True Wiper and True are fast becoming one of my favourite breweries and I like to keep an eye out for their distinctive bottles. I can’t find any fault in their offerings and really need to try the whole range. This rich and creamy stout is no exception, sweet with a hint of vanilla, it goes down very easily. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147343580-KI8U82X3X21MWCPD9DUZ/9ec0785f-bdda-467a-ad09-a5198f8f4019.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Konrad's Stout - Russian Imperial Stout 10.4% // Lervig Big, strong flavours in this Russian Imperial Stout. Chocolate and coffee give this potent stout equal doses of sweet and bitterness. It was like drinking very a half pint of melted coffee ice cream. I enjoyed this at Portsmouth’s finest Belgium bar, Huis, at the end of a night. Enjoyable although in hindsight perhaps a bit too strong for a night cap. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147352598-UQDCB1B0BBJLK8CZ5UTC/amigos_web.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Amigos Británicos - Saison/Farmhouse Ale 7.8%// Siren Craft Brew x Casita Cervecería And now time for something completely different. Amigos Británicos, brewed in collaboration with Siren and Casita Cervecería features lime, honey AND chilli. It sounds wrong for a beer yet somehow it works. It’s not something you could drink a lot of but if you want to try something different go for this. The spicy, Mexican style flavours work particularly well with food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147342481-XOQ69CJ68YA7ZMIE7XMW/735dfa86207394555a7469246f61a3a8_640x640.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Myrcia - India Session Ale 4% // Buxton Brewery Discovered on a tour of some East London bars, this beer really stood out from the rest. Buxton have previously brewed a beer called Myrcia before but this is a new recipe for 2017. Fruity and hoppy, this full body IPA is comparable to some stronger DIPAs that have come out recently. The lower strength of this brew makes it a good easy drinking, session beer. Highly recommended. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147355281-P0L7KSWYDK0WRIGRIG8S/cw.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - DIPA v13 - Double IPA 9% // Cloudwater Brew Co. The last of Cloudwater’s amazing V series goes out with a bang with v13. I didn’t manage to try every version but did try 3, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 13. I’d say v13 is just behind v3 for me (v3 was the first I had so holds a special place). You know the deal with a Cloudwater DIPA by now. And if not, do yourself a favour and get drinking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147359783-IKMVZXILU3LYEH207V4S/mr.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Human Cannonball (2017) - Double IPA 9.2% // Magic Rock Brewing This was my first experience of Human Cannonball and Unhuman Cannonball (Magic Rock’s yearly DIPA and TIPA versions of of their fantastic core IPA, Cannonball) and I’ll definitely be all aboard the hype train next year. I preferred Human to Unhuman, the latter having a bit too much hop burn. Human was great though - everything you want from a DIPA. Hoppy, resinous, juicy and boozy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147356894-TECL968E0AY4YFZB4198/deya.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Steady Rolling Man - American Pale Ale 5.2% // DEYA Brewing Company I’d heard good things about DEYA and this beer in particular so took the plunge and ordered a can. This was glorious - I could chin these all day. Super light and refreshing. Looking forward to trying more from these guys soon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147343081-063XGYFOFHGSD2A81F9N/7bceb8a0ba4b3e9b63b6dbd235010c19_640x640.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Bergamonster - Hefeweizen 5.6% // Beavertown On our trip to Duke’s Brew & Que, the original home of Beavertown, we failed to get any food as we had arrived two hours before the kitchen actually opened. Instead I enjoyed a Bergamonster, a pleasant hefeweizen. I’m a big fan of the hefeweizen style and this beer, with bergamot and citrus flavours hit the spot. I would definitely recommend checking out Duke’s as well, it’s a cool little place and interesting to see where Beavertown started and has some of the original skull drawing art work up on the walls (as you can see behind me). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147361380-KWM8EJ0G9R8C111SM59W/sc.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... April - Bourbon Milkshake - Imperial Milk Stout 11% // Siren Craft Brew Sweet, boozy and wonderful. I cracked this open one evening not noticing it was 11% and it hides the ABV well. I felt a bit wobbly after polishing off the bottle. A perfect dessert beer that only got better as it warmed. The bourbon and milky flavours really go together well. Great stuff. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/05/21/half-acre-chicago monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116296117-UIJKRXW6OQVR4DUQJJA1/chicago.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116444477-7S7ENIZ3DHEEN4SDO3X1/halfacre5.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116312804-6HGLEAH8KY7KZC3KQL6Z/chicago4.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116334375-N51ZH95PKOZDJT4IEM7F/halfacre.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116406977-YXCIEQYG9ZEI1PT2J7T6/halfacre3.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116407067-KGYP55FGJ4VCN3EHBPCL/halfacre4.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116495485-RYCSZR53HCSYK5XCRVKY/halfacre6.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116256362-QSOZ0IPX4TZCV3DL1JO0/chicago2.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116353219-Q3Q1V7P5R7PE59YI7BVC/halfacre2.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513116275660-NTR6TO62D1FFLHX9SU63/chicago3.jpg Beer Voyage - Half Acre, Chicago https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/05/01/amsterdam-netherlands monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147333585-OIVEZ2JS5NWO35D5TF42/IMG_7972.jpg Beer Voyage - Amsterdam, Netherlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147329884-B3OGGJDHVZCWG0WXL329/14317567_10154043022088520_3153199829190644464_n-e1491512478191.jpg Beer Voyage - Amsterdam, Netherlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147333782-28820CEBPKIU3RCWGDLV/IMG_7985.jpg Beer Voyage - Amsterdam, Netherlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512684871089-7923YLN3MO3CVQYXJSRN/IMG_7969.jpg Beer Voyage - Amsterdam, Netherlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147333892-8UL169Q1FE1A24DA9XAW/IMG_7986.jpg Beer Voyage - Amsterdam, Netherlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147333683-SX2148ZLIST0QT9QVTRL/IMG_7981.jpg Beer Voyage - Amsterdam, Netherlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147331783-F8F4086N13S6A2BCATGH/IMG_7966.jpg Beer Voyage - Amsterdam, Netherlands https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/04/25/drunk-in-march monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147337883-UDRCEF70R9I5NAOGLPVO/hopcandy.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Hop Candy - Double IPA 9.2% // Siren Craft Brew It appears to be DIPA season, at least for Hedges and this big, boozey edition from Siren ranks up there with one of the best. The notable thing in this was how limey it was and it worked very well alongside the tropical fruit flavours and bitter finish. Definitely not a session beer! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147330599-583NQKUTS0MIN41U5AWQ/IMG_20170324_224247.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Clwb Tropicana - American IPA 5.5.% // Tiny Rebel Brewing Co It took me bloody ages to get my hands on a can of this, thankfully I wasn’t disappointed. Light with great tropical flavours and really cool can art to boot. Hopefully I can try it somewhere on tap soon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147330482-CAG4QHUHDYULFN0SZS5Q/IMG_20170310_223406.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - New England IPA - American IPA 6.8% // BrewDog Massively fruity, at times I was a bit perturbed as I actually thought I was drinking an Innocent smoothie. I had heard great things and it managed to live up to the hype. Cheers to Millar for picking this one up for us! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147335586-5LDF1K5HXAD1PLV906RF/MASTER-TAP-BADGE-PADRINO-CHOCOLATE-VANILLA.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Padrino Porter Chocolate & Vanilla - Porter 6.9% // Edge Brewing Barcelona Probably the best beer I had in Madrid - essentially tasted like chocolate milk and totally did not feel like it was nearly 7%. Our hype man below will likely gush about it more than me as he immediately started fist-pumping and shouting after his first sip. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147335586-5LDF1K5HXAD1PLV906RF/MASTER-TAP-BADGE-PADRINO-CHOCOLATE-VANILLA.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Padrino Porter Chocolate & Vanilla - Porter 6.9% // Edge Brewing Barcelona As previously mentioned, last month we visited Madrid (check out the write-up if you haven’t already). El Pedal was my favourite bar and it just so happened to be our local too. I was a massive hype man for this Porter, it tasted exactly like drinking a vanilla ice cream coke float, amazing. I'm not joking when I say I could have drunk gallons of the stuff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147340483-UBHODIA9Z9BVXTES6MXA/semiskimmed.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Semi-Skimmed Occultist - Oatmeal Stout 8% // BrewDog The last dark beer I had from BrewDog (Self-Assembly Pope) was a bit of a mis-fire so I was a bit dubious about this one. However, an oatmeal stout is right up my street compared to a coconut porter and this made up for it in spades. Smooth mouthfeel and wonderful aromas of chocolate, vanilla and a hint of coffee. Opulent! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147329983-Y4WAXH4L4EOTSUER5WAP/1512-cervecita-bien-fresquita.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Malasaña Ale - American Pale Ale 5.4% // Fábrica Maravillas My other favourite bar in Madrid was Fábrica Maravillas, a really cool modern bar with a micro-brewery set-up (and awesome bar snacks). All of their beers were great and I would definitely recommend a visit if you are in Madrid. This ale gets an honoury mention as one of their best out of many. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147330983-R0D6YS72NQIPGE4O3WHT/IMG_20170329_192137.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Lucky Jack Grapefruit Edition - American Pale Ale 4.7% // Lervig My first time trying Lervig and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. This Grapefruit Edition of Lucky Jack from Lervig's core range has a dark, almost marmalade like flavour. It's more bitter than some of the other grapefruit beers I’ve tried and I found that worked really well with this pale ale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147340586-VJ073ZPNXPS4HR3X03RO/squealer.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Squealer - Berliner Weisse 6.5% // Siren Craft Brew On paper, I shouldn’t really like this as much as I do but it’s very good. I’m warming to berliner weisse as a style and with the mixture of raspberries and brett yeast gives it a lovely, complex fruit and tart finish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147340179-NZZIFH7QHRTEHI6LW46S/pulp.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Pulp - Double IPA 8% // Verdant Brewing Co. I had this in the same evening as Double Chin (see below) and thought this was the better beer. It hides its 8% very well and I could’ve easily sank a few of these without realising. It’s a DIPA so you get the usual hoppy, fruity, juicy flavours with a hit of bitterness at the end - however, the balance is spot on here and I’d love to try it on tap somewhere. I really enjoyed the can design too, the vibrant colours and big cartoony style text is great. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147337681-JTYWGNLB1JSIE3L66DP5/e0baa6ce9dc2b757c3bc69a5075ff11e_640x640-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Inhaler - Session IPA 4.5% // Magic Rock Brewing Great beer, strong flavours. Reminded me of of Brew Dog's Elvis Juice but more of a session beer. I will definitely be making this one a regular. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147330315-F99Y6KG1U4RZL892GTOD/1fcc12bec75ea0ef028d8b70d78c8113_640x640.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... March - Double Chin - Double IPA 8.5% // Beavertown Brewed as part of Beavertown’s birthday celebrations, this supercharged version of Neck Oil was great - super hoppy and resin-y* (is that a word?). I found this to be a lot less fruity than other DIPAs I’ve had recently which was a welcome change. Definitely a maltier type but enjoyable. *Apparently the word I was after is ‘resinous’. The more you know. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/04/13/madrid-spain monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513113124940-0NHOWJKABMB15FBIDQUY/madrid2.jpg Beer Voyage - Madrid, Spain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512684938645-KO3MYJTVDLE2HW4FDIE2/IMG_8260-e1492081815208.jpg Beer Voyage - Madrid, Spain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512684894479-GJL5X1NVMB7PF6P6LCL7/IMG_8301.jpg Beer Voyage - Madrid, Spain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513113236339-R8BS7KZOIPVGK7U8DRES/fm2.jpg Beer Voyage - Madrid, Spain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513113236984-ARI8INBY4H589JYU9KWQ/fm.jpg Beer Voyage - Madrid, Spain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1513113314268-5UAIZVJR2BEK7GEBUSTK/mhr.jpg Beer Voyage - Madrid, Spain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512684727458-U9OEEMDXPFFGQYPKNONV/madrid3.jpg Beer Voyage - Madrid, Spain https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/04/05/beer52-com-review monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512683235605-UF0VV5ZLR8WUUGEG72ER/box.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer52.com - review https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512683135900-QDOYFGU2WBHY0CABT3OJ/ferment.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer52.com - review https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512682251539-2HOH9GUD7W0CBPULH22X/believeinbeer.jpg Beer Voyage - Beer52.com - review https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/03/21/drunk-in-february monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147322385-6QRPMKKIYKRN79NYB4AD/97b17995488f671fdc70dcf24de69bcd_640x640.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - Small Batch: Vermont IPA - American IPA 7.4% // Brewdog Incredible beer. Hopefully BrewDog see sense and actually make this properly as it deserves it. Super juicy, golden, cloudy nectar of the Gods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147326284-3LEHJPSG9E3QKNRPFXJ7/d0fade515b6a282d5cb25b718e265982_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - Hop Rod - American IPA 5.8% // Staggeringly Good Mah gahhhd. They've done it again. I'm continually impressed by Staggeringly Good’s range and Hop Rod is no exception. Brewed exclusively for Portsmouth pub The Beer Vaults; this big juicy number is divine and stands up to many of the offerings from their bigger, more established craft brethrens. I think I could have found my favourite beer of the year and it's only February! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147322183-KWN3TXVZ3NL4X2PC6DHZ/0590fc44deb75b4e912dea037354052f_640x640.jpeg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - No Comply - Pilsner 4.8% // Vocation I picked this up from a Yorkshire Brewing Co. stand on Greenwich market. I've enjoyed other Vocation beers and love their distinctive can designs, so I was keen to try this one. A refreshing, zesty beer with lemon and lime flavours. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147329785-WEBFSKC8TMYZD649J6JS/liquid_1.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - Liquid Mistress - Red IPA 5.8% // Siren Craft Brew I enjoy a red ale so was really pleased to sample this this gorgeous roasted beer. This really stood out from the all the big fruity flavours that I’ve had recently. This went down perfectly on a cold, dark Sunday afternoon where all we wanted to do was find a nice warm pub to hole up in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147289857-61E1R0DZ8A5TR457C3EU/HAZLE-HEAVY-300x300.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - Heavy Water with Hazelnut and Cocoa Stout - Imperial Stout 9.8% // Beavertown Similar to the Broken Dream above; I had this Hazelnut and Cocoa version before the regular Heavy Water version and again, this version reigns supreme. The extra chocolate and nutty flavours really elevated this stout. Big fan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147323093-QLBTUE5A7LWSG4WKDNUY/Proteus-IPA-300x300.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - Proteus IPA Vol I - American IPA 6.9% // Siren Craft Brew IPA - American I had this as part of a selection on a beer flight and it really stood out amongst the others. A very easy drinking beer, smooth with a lot of flavour. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147326182-IC6RHL6DG584K2Z5IJ9D/cfce59282ebfdf3f24500e78a6cb9cb0_640x640.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - Autumn + Winter IPA Vic Secret Wai-Iti - American IPA 6.5% // Cloudwater Brew Co. I ordered this on a whim to bulk out an online order without really checking what style of beer it was. Glad I took the dive as it’s fantastic. Similar to the Cloudwater DIPAs but not quite as punchy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147322999-JT4XTMGY5LFVRP60325R/IMG_20170226_113634-e1490128162759.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - Cake Boy Hazelnut Ale - Brown Ale 5% // Meantime Brewing Company This was my highlight from the pickups I made from visiting Meantime Brewery. This is an amazing cake-in-a-bottle beer and I really enjoyed savouring the taste of this one. A fantastic rich, truffle like number. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512943837633-MC7MOTQ6AMACY1QH5R99/hskmk3v81r.png Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - (The Pilot Series) Born Hoppy - Pale Ale 3.2% // Meantime Brewing Company Another from The Pilot Series and my favourite beer that I had on draught at the Meantime taproom. A refreshing easy drinking beer that packed loads of flavour despite the low ABV. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147325781-9GZ925JSJGRP09IZAI5V/bourbon-coffee.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - Bourbon Coffee Broken Dream - American Stout 6.5% // Siren Craft Brew Somehow ended up having this version before the regular non-Bourbon coffee version that’s pretty much ubiquitous. This take on it is better - much more coffee coming through and the bourbon finish made this one to sup rather than chin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147326778-HLMYZMU4OT8S45DME7AA/dipav12.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - DIPA V12 IPA - Double IPA 9% // Cloudwater Brew Co. It’s Cloudwater, it’s a Double IPA. Is it as good as previous versions? Probably not but who cares? When they are consistently churning out DIPAs at this level, you can’t really complain either way. First version I’ve had in a can and it holds up just as well, if not better, than from a bottle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147326596-WEODSPFAIBC25NKHMBUJ/d4c350e2104d8b14ca04c2f3b5cf9bed_640x640.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... February - Kolmekordne - Triple IPA 13% // Põhjala What better way to celebrate finally making it to Mother Kelly’s than with an Triple IPA from an Estonian brewery? This kicked my head in, in the best possible way. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/03/10/southsea-brewing-co monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147306253-U43FRVVJCMF0I8IO7A3F/southseabrewing1.jpg Beer Voyage - Southsea Brewing Co., Portsmouth southseabrewing1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147306336-3L24PWLHS2618HQ0OY20/southseabrewing3.jpg Beer Voyage - Southsea Brewing Co., Portsmouth southseabrewing3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147306880-LUXDCZG86R0CF7FPA4L7/southseabrewing5.jpg Beer Voyage - Southsea Brewing Co., Portsmouth southseabrewing5 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/02/21/drunk-in-january monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147318181-0DYOI6GLTGJPHVE41PTE/holeintime.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - Hole in Time - Pale Ale 4.3% // Staggeringly Good An exclusive to the Hole in the Wall Portsmouth, brewed by the local Staggeringly Good Brewery. I was eager to give this a try and it didn’t disappoint as an easy drinking pale ale. Probably one of my favourite beers of theirs, I was just gutted I didn’t get to try the limited Post Impact Porter Peanut Butter & Vanilla they brewed up before. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147319383-M7JU7KYY83FTK39MLFBU/passion.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - Passionfeber IPA - American IPA 7% // Brewski One from my BrewDog Bottlebox, this passionfruit IPA from Sweden’s Brewski was a big surprise. Inevitably massive passionfruit flavour - it almost tasted like fruit juice until the bitter finish hits and reminds you it’s just a fantastic, refreshing beer. This beer is part of a series of fruit based India Pale Ales from the brewery(I am desperate to try to the Mango DIPA), I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for what else Brewski put out from now on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147317782-S1O0C407871TFW6SFEVK/beardedlady.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - Bearded Lady Grand Marnier Chocolate Orange Stout - Imperial Stout 10.5% // Magic Rock Another stellar beer from Magic Rock. I’ve been trying to hunt down their previous incarnation of Bearded Lady for a while with no luck and then they announced they were releasing this version - a chocolate orange stout aged in Grand Marnier barrels for six months. I bought 3 of these bad boys and immediately drank one which knocked me for six. Decadent sums this one up. The two I have left are only going to taste better as they age. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147318281-4V24QQ787B72QXEAX242/ipa.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - I.P.A. - English IPA 6.5% // Brouwerij De Prael We hit up Amsterdam at the start of January for a weekend away. We managed a stop at Brouwerij de Prael’s brewpub in the heart of the city. We sampled several of their beers but their IPA was the one that stood out for me - fantastic punchy hops leading to a grapefruit finish meant I had to order another as it was so good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147314586-73O70URYJH6K8WCO5H11/IMG_20170119_181732-e1487709686573.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - Ten Dollar Shake - American IPA 6.6% // Siren Craft Brew I had heard a lot about this fruity number and I was keen to get my hands on it. Luckily, it came up on my radar that The Wave Maiden, Portsmouth had a shipment in. Resembling more of a milkshake than a beer, this collaboration between Siren and Brewdog did not disappoint. It is made up of Mango, Papaya, Passionfruit and Lactose (mmm milky). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147318101-8VX8ISEI3R3J6X7UJJDR/fruitbat.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - Flat-Pack Fruit Bat - IPA 6% // BrewDog x Omnipollo Another beer from Bottlebox and one I had been looking forward to trying since it was announced at the arse-end of last year, BrewDog’s collaboration with Omnipollo, a raspberry smoothie IPA. I was surprised that it poured bright red from the fanastically designed can and was a little apprehensive it would be overly fruity but they’ve nailed the balance. I just wish I had more than one can. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147321683-ZH2GLHK3ZEM6VAOTLA2D/puur.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - La Trappe PUUR - Belgian Pale Ale 4.7% // Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven On a trip to Amsterdam with plenty of beers on offer this was a bit of a surprise inclusion for top beers of the month. Away from the drinking holes of Amsterdam we actually had this on arrival at our hostel, the StayOkay, which actually had a pretty respectable beer menu in their bar (alongside cheese toasties and pizzas). Boasting organic ingredients, the PUUR went down easy on our early morning arrival. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147319101-N9PRWMWWRC0Q5X33XO5Y/parabolic.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - Parabolic - American Pale Ale 4.5% // Eight Arch Brewing Company Image taken from Eebria Trade's website https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147317984-L1ZWXZU1D6K9QI0UUVP9/bigdipper.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - Big Dipper - Double IPA 8.3% // Magic Rock Brewing x Cloudwater One of my favourite breweries combine with another brewery that are the masters of one of my favourite styles of beer - a match made in heaven for Hedges’ tastebuds. A massive DIPA from Magic Rock and Cloudwater in tallboy cans. Need I say more? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147318688-KXBTOUNPV45VRDZ218M9/norest.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - No Rest For Dancers - Red Ale 6.2% // Lost And Grounded Brewers Yet another beer from Bottlebox (it was an incredible month, to be fair) is this fantastic red ale from new Bristol brewery, Lost And Grounded. I often find red ales a little uninspiring but the hoppiness of this beer elevates it above the crowd. Definitely one of the best red ales I’ve ever had and I look forward to seeing what else is to come from these guys in 2017. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147318381-FEAK7GROXR4GJFPLSYGD/livewire.jpg Beer Voyage - Drunk in... January - Livewire - American IPA 5.4% // Electric Bear Brewing Co A solid IPA that I had at The Wine Vaults (or the Beer Vaults) in Portsmouth. On a night of sampling a few different beers this stuck out as being one of the most easy drinking. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/02/19/tiny-rebel-can-launch-cask-london monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512937766095-OTNZY5IB8ZBFWRWGWW3Q/tr3.jpg Beer Voyage - Tiny Rebel Can Launch, Cask, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512937354200-IYN6X64LB6DNYJ51W35A/tr.jpg Beer Voyage - Tiny Rebel Can Launch, Cask, London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512937828197-NOI0P519SMMTGTP51Q7Z/tr2.jpg Beer Voyage - Tiny Rebel Can Launch, Cask, London https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/01/26/237 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512936777058-FA7EH56WPTYK4N4HHSWH/IMG_20160826_213311.jpg Beer Voyage - 2016 Year in Review https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512936699189-OVF7SG3DQ3E7MT58ZOBH/IMG_20160716_142210.jpg Beer Voyage - 2016 Year in Review Beavertown Brewery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512936870645-ZHE3W3EO2ZKM4TH8MYRO/IMG_20161112_142100.jpg Beer Voyage - 2016 Year in Review https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2017/01/16/csk-16-drygate-cask-ale-festival monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147310683-I9TMT8NVO39M13YLVBPR/drygate_a3-poster_cask_16_v4_499x705.jpg Beer Voyage - C>SK : 16 - Drygate Cask Ale Festival, Glasgow https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512936510318-MY8RZWFGVKWUU7HNXFPS/IMG_20161112_141955.jpg Beer Voyage - C>SK : 16 - Drygate Cask Ale Festival, Glasgow https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512936557281-SS6GE94KMJI5DGPWQS9K/CxEdkewWIAAD3gs-1.jpg Beer Voyage - C>SK : 16 - Drygate Cask Ale Festival, Glasgow https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2016/12/11/mikkeller-julepakkekalender-2016-advent-calendar monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147310780-TTNEADHJ0NPCQB3UY98U/mikkeller.jpg Beer Voyage - Mikkeller Julepakkekalender 2016 (Advent Calendar) https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2016/10/27/brewdog-collabfest-2016 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512934952386-EGE1EQPYNVESWZJCDU8Y/collabfest.jpg Beer Voyage - Brewdog Collabfest 2016 Image taken from Brewdog https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2016/10/12/copenhagen-denmark monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512935652302-27RLC8PX0OXTFPRZAZB4/cph2.jpg Beer Voyage - Copenhagen, Denmark View from atop the Rundetaarn https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512936135253-04C7ENR8FEBVQHI55NK5/mkmpuncher.jpg Beer Voyage - Copenhagen, Denmark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512936136735-KAZXC1WO3HBPKWK0FYHO/mkentrance.jpg Beer Voyage - Copenhagen, Denmark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512936137171-6708PO7FOM0G34US7KDD/mkpainting.jpg Beer Voyage - Copenhagen, Denmark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147301585-32S5W1JGMAY8Z2SUW2D4/himmer.jpg Beer Voyage - Copenhagen, Denmark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512936302439-RLZS1PAO94N5XDPCZ3JW/norrebro.jpg Beer Voyage - Copenhagen, Denmark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147306101-0AXPX59NK5Z8R9MIGFDU/soernes-olbar.jpg Beer Voyage - Copenhagen, Denmark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512935694903-1EHSE24YL84B41F2BS77/cph1.jpg Beer Voyage - Copenhagen, Denmark The Tycho Brahe Planetarium, at the southern end of Skt. Jørgens Sø https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2016/09/27/rainbow-project-2016 monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512929156563-C9ZK9COYWMAQIZTJIX6L/orange-e1478119398820.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2016 - Descent into the Maelstrom - Eclectic, Borderless Beer 6.66% // Burning Sky x Liberty Brewery orange https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147298782-6IUNRUQFMIHE317XZ37T/blue1.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2016 - Black & Blue - Raw + Charred + Barrel-Aged Sour 5% // The Wild Beer Co x 8 Wired What the booklet says: Raw sour ale brewed with green, black and white peppercorns in the mash, no hops, no boil, wild cultures fermented and aged in re-charred bourbon barrels for 6 months. Ideas flew back and forth across the equator centered around the colour Blue: using e numbers, icebergs, berries, potatoes, even a dye used in brewing which turns your pee blue (sadly poisonous...)! But in the end we went far more abstract and took the classic French black & blue steak as our inspiration. Thus was born Black & Blue - a raw ale, un-hopped and un-boiled, fermented and aged in re-toasted bourbon casks for an extra charred flavour alongside brisk acidity from fermentation with our house cultures in barrels for over 6 months. Every good steak needs a sauce to go with it so we introduced white, green and black peppercorns into the mash to accompany our raw ale. Expectations: This is the beer I am most unsure of. It sounds like it could be super sour which is not really my thing. Willing to give it a go of course but tempering expectations here. Reality: It's now April (I originally wrote this post in September) and I'd like to think my palate has changed a little since then. I'm definitely much more open to sour beers in general but wouldn't say they are my favourite style. Six months ago, I would've hated this. Now though, I don't hate it and I can appreciate what they were going for but it's still not for me. It pours an orange/brown and smells very pungent. The taste is very much SOUR and then there's an woodiness from the barrel and slight spice from peppercorns that lingers afterwords. Not as bad as the one before but still one that I don't think is aimed at me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512929439688-XRD8B97S9MEGSQOGN1LW/green-e1480098369575.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2016 - Kia Moana Gose - NZ hops and green gooseberry Gose 6% // Hawkshead x Yeastie Boys green https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147307099-RDIJ8MOGHYLZT4CTUR27/violet-e1504294376952.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2016 - Royal Ale - Barley Wine 8.5% // Partizan Brewing What the booklet says: Violet is often associated as the colour of nobility so we looked at a few royal or coronation ales from 1953 which were quite varied but essentially barley wine-esque for the most part. To add an extra degree of nobility we boosted the sugar content with some Riesling grape juice, Riesling being a grape associated with noble rot. Unfortunately, Panhead were unable to brew with us or be involved in the project this year due to a lack of time on their part, believed to be mainly due to their recent acquisition by a larger brewery/drinks brand. Expectations: It's a shame the collaboration didn't work out for this beer but it still sounds decent. I like a barley wine now and then, so hopefully this ends up tasting as rich as the description. Reality: I am drinking this almost a year after I got the box. Partly due to forgetfulness but partly because a barley wine only gets better with age. Imagine my disappointment when this is bang average. I expected a luxurious, decadent winey experience but instead, it's a bit like the house wine at your local Italian restaurant. It has no carbonation at all and if it weren't for the colour then I'd think I was drinking white wine. It's not an awful drink but I think I'd built it up in my head to be much more than what it is. Maybe the lack of collaboration partner affected proceedings, who knows? A slightly disappointing end to the box. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147305381-X7MZB0D327QMX0PKZ21Y/red1.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2016 - Universal Mild - Adambier 10.5% // Beavertown x Parrotdog red1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512929257165-UHUCONG9GT9TBIJWBG30/yellow-e1479668015976.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2016 - The Upside Down – Kettle-Soured, Tropical Fruit-Witbier 6% // Magic Rock x Fork Brewing yellow https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147298179-XTABQUL7KXAMYEGBNB5O/Screenshot-2017-04-13-at-19.27.24.png Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2016 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512147301937-0MRK4T0ISKXL1OSUPT5X/indigo-e1493841993317.jpg Beer Voyage - Rainbow Project 2016 - Blacklight Banana - Imperial Stout 9.2% // Siren Craft Brew x Garage Project What the booklet says: For this year's Rainbow Project collaboration with Garage Project we drew the colour indigo. After much research on both sides the idea that excited us all most was that of the Blacklight Banana. Ripe bananas uniquely glow bright indigo under bright UV lights, with researchers putting it down to the unique way that bananas break down chlorophyll as they ripen. But why? One possible theory is that it makes the bananas visible as a food source to animals that see in the UV range, like bats. In designing the beer we included 200kg on Molasses, the viscous by-product of refining sugar cane or sugar beets into sugar. Next up: Bananas. We brought in some 100kg of fresh bananas, then blow-torched them by hand to produce a well-rounded, caramelised banana flavour in the beer, which we think tastes true to the fruit (in early tests we'd used a traditional German wheat yeast strain which gave a sweet, candy-like banana flavour, so we ended up blending it with our house Vermont strain to tone that effect down). These are helped along by 100kg on fresh banana puree! As a final touch we included some bourbon barrel aged coffee, which we've had in barrels since early last year. Expectations: I absolutely love an Imperial Stout and this sounds incredible. I've not had a stout with banana in before so I'm intrigued with how it'll work. Probably the one I'm most excited to try. Reality: Imperial Stouts are my jam so I was pumped for this. As with the previous beer, I am drinking this months later (it's now May) so you'd expect a stout such as this to develop over time and taste richer and more complex. I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with this. Don't get me wrong, it's still a cracking beer and I'm happily drinking it but I expected a little more. At first, I was very disappointed with it but as it's warmed up a little, the banana has begun to come through and I can taste the sweetness whereas on first sip it was a little generic. Saying that, it's still one of my favourites from the box. https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2016/09/18/warpigs-copenhagen monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512239654921-NDR96GJNFR6TF9ZZZT3B/wp.jpg Beer Voyage - Warpigs, Copenhagen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512240350571-MU93KMR5QZZQSKCG39FQ/wpbeer.jpg Beer Voyage - Warpigs, Copenhagen Braggot with Sloeberries in the sunshine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512240356040-VKBVO0WNBQGI79P6HT3Z/wpfood-768x576.jpg Beer Voyage - Warpigs, Copenhagen Lunch time feast https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512241023124-ILCA613E58XNHTF43EEX/wpoutside.jpg Beer Voyage - Warpigs, Copenhagen https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2016/07/28/harpoon-brewery-boston monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512239117328-XHMMMS6E65PSA2VA3D76/harpoon2.jpg Beer Voyage - Harpoon Brewery, Boston https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512239049212-2HF7ZSE8TQUTU8V1SB4H/IMG_5134-1.jpg Beer Voyage - Harpoon Brewery, Boston Impressive can display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512239080659-OYB4TNWPS2GA02Y6J55N/pjimage.jpg Beer Voyage - Harpoon Brewery, Boston https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512239175001-SV6AMIIQSWJ9AZ55YA1I/harpoon-sign.jpg Beer Voyage - Harpoon Brewery, Boston https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512239136670-WT4COWA8SYN9AYZJ29OH/beerhall.jpg Beer Voyage - Harpoon Brewery, Boston Image taken from Harpoon Brewery official website https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512239099520-645VOW8OGSV63JZMEBB9/Hillary-Brown.jpg Beer Voyage - Harpoon Brewery, Boston Image taken from Harpoon Brewery official website https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/2016/07/21/ealing-beer-festival-2016 monthly 0.5 2023-04-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512238250185-4JJNPGPH82KOLN9MZGVO/IMG_6898-e1468270262260.jpg Beer Voyage - Ealing Beer Festival 2016, London XT Rhubarb IPA https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512238170917-77SNX4YI6DJWKCM1HE7N/IMG_6900-e1468266911983.jpg Beer Voyage - Ealing Beer Festival 2016, London Ealing Beer Festival 2016 glass https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1512238196296-LUSR89GL1FC8E6NM9SQ1/IMG_6893-e1468269151782.jpg Beer Voyage - Ealing Beer Festival 2016, London Hanwell Ukelele Group https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/blog/tag/epib monthly 0.5 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/new-index daily 0.75 2020-08-19 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/atlas daily 0.75 2020-08-19 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/about daily 0.75 2024-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1598273177103-TSR88UP8PVNPNJITG97H/brand4.png About - Brand My progression into the world of grain based beverages has gone from chain pub lager, twiggy real ale (who’s afraid of the dark?) to FOMO craft beer tinnies. I am an occasional amateur brewer who likes experimenting in the kitchen. The idea for this blog was born of a love of beer and travel. This has led to many an organised beer voyage which has provided us with some great experiences over the years that we are documenting on this blog. Favourite breweries: Trillium, Wiper and True, Unity Favourite beer style(s): Sours, milk stouts, amber ales, saisons Favourite bar(s): Trillium Garden (Boston), Fábrica Maravillas (Madrid), Rogue (Astoria) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/7ec433a0-2081-43a2-aabd-f503c721de5f/IMG_1493-modified.png About - Hedges gareth https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/contact daily 0.75 2025-09-02 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/map daily 0.75 2020-08-20 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/city-maps daily 0.75 2020-08-21 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/uk-ireland-maps daily 0.75 2020-09-08 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/copy-map daily 0.75 2020-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a217dc3bff2002e2714ea53/1597930481398-DBH79GYZXIZ3GLZRRP1Z/copymap.gif  How to make a copy of a Google Map https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/london-maps daily 0.75 2020-08-21 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/eu-maps daily 0.75 2020-08-21 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/usa-maps daily 0.75 2020-08-21 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/advent-calendars daily 0.75 2022-12-16 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/every-pub-in-brighton daily 0.75 2023-05-10 https://www.beervoyage.co.uk/donate daily 0.75 2024-07-04