After all of the hurly burly of the festive season I usually enjoy the quiet time at the start of the year. Time to take stock, contemplate what’s to come, make some plans, breathe.

It seems like the world of beer has other plans for me this year though, releasing new brews with a regularity – and often a potency – that would make your head spin.

I thought I may struggle to find enough new offerings to keep you entertained at this time of year, but instead quite the opposite is true. So, on with the show.

New year, new beer.

Siren Squealer (£3.20/6.5%/330ml)

For me, sour beer and raspberries go together like the early hours of January 1 and a headache but as I had a quiet Hogmanay I approached this with some trepidation. I needn’t have worried, it’s absolutely delicious and its pink hue immediately put me in party mood. A slightly funky farmhouse aroma combined with juicy berries, lemon zest, and some stone fruit on the nose. The flavours are exceptionally well balanced with an initial burst of refreshingly sharp raspberry followed by vinous and zesty notes before a lightly sour and brett-laced finish. A perfect palate cleanser for a fresh year.

Weird Beard 7th Church Of The Apocalyptic Lawnmower (£3.20/6.5%/330ml)

Before we get on to tasting notes, let us take a moment to look over that name. It is – in the words of my father – one to conjure with. The titular grass is also there in the nose of this cream ale, alongside milky coffee and a little chocolate orange. The palate is great, creamy and super smooth. I was expecting this to be more of a refresher, but instead it’s a big malty mouthful with some orange oil and brown sugar sweetness balanced by less expected earthy savoury notes, possibly from the Sorachi Ace hops. A complex one which is worth taking some time over.

Burning Sky Cuvee 2016 (£14.00/6.5%/750ml)

I thought I had my supping selections all sorted for Hogmanay, and then Burning Sky came along and ruined my plans by bringing out four great beers at the very last minute and on the same day. For me this is the pick of the bunch, a Lambic-laced saison for lovers of the funk. This has loads of farmyard character on the nose that mellows in the glass leaving citrus peel, clementine juice and some grassy notes. Zingy, clean and refreshing on the palate with all of the flavours promised by the aroma mellowing to some Lambic and woody notes on the finish.

Kernel Export Stout Raspberry (£3.90/6.4%/330ml)

Raspberries are obviously the fruit of the season, but I’m certainly not going to complain as the juicy fruit is a perfect foil for the big chocolate and roasted notes of this stout. There’s a real depth of fruit on the nose alongside some treacle toffee and spice. Rich dark chocolate, espresso and malt flavours are offset wonderfully by the sharp tang of raspberry and a little jammy sweetness. The fruit lasts well in a long finish alongside some bitter roast notes and the return of that spice.

Poppels Russian Imperial Stout: (£6.30/9.5%/330ml)

Arriving on the same day as the Burning Sky delivery, Sweden’s Poppels brewery further confused my festive plans with three exciting new offerings. I’m saving their fruited saison for a special occasion, but I couldn’t resist their Imperial stout. Pushing 10%, it’s a sipper rather than a slurper but taking time over it revealed a proper depth and complexity with well fired coffee, bitter cocoa, sweeter milk chocolate, dark berries and tobacco all in the mix. One to savour.