Spring is in the air and the sun is still up when I'm finished work these days so the odd beer on the balcony after a cycle is starting to become a thing again. That lovely pint is the...
One of the best newer beers from Brú is Osiris IPA. It's a hefty 6.2% but seriously fresh. I recall reading The Beer Nut having a less enjoyable experience when it was released nearly a year ago but this was my first time trying it and I thought it was excellent. Whatever the initial issue was must have been resolved.
It's not trying to be a NEIPA, more an unfiltered IPA but it has the best qualities of both. There's a rich exotic juiciness with a great balance of chewy biscuit malt and decent bittering levels. The result is a fresh and clean IPA with a perfect balance. I'll be picking up more of this. By the way, the 4 cans came with the Smash burger deal from 57 The Headline7 The Headline. Looks like this week it's back to Boom, always great because you get to say Smash and Boom in the same sentence.
Spring might be in the air but it's still cold and sometimes stormy out at the moment. Whiplash's The Ocean Wide is a brown ale, a style that brings up nostalgic tears to many of us at the moment when doing our Zoom calls. At 6.8%, this is not your average sessionable brown ale. Also, you tend not to put maple syrup in most brown ales. There's something about Fungi the dolphin (RIP-probably) but I'm not sure why the maple syrup? Some kind of pancake reference?
Anyway, its sweet yes but not sweet enough to pour on your pancakes thanks to some generous hopping. It reminded me more of an American brown ale with lots of coffee notes and random syrup thrown in for the craic. Lovely beer as a one off but give me a decent, traditional brown ale any day.
Whiplash are just taking the piss with this one. Fakey Cake Maker - Silly Stout is, well not something one can quantify in BJCP terms. It's not a new beer either, I'm sure I had this a couple of years ago on tap but this is the first time I've had it at home.
It tastes rather like liquid cake with coconut really shining through though not so much of the hazelnuts I'm afraid. I bought two of them and enjoyed them both but sweet pastry stouts like this are not my thing usually. They make a great nightcap though.
That's the roundup of recent beers I've enjoyed. As the weather warms, I suspect a few more post cycle pints of Rheinbacher on the balcony.
