An imminent religious or public holiday always comes in handy when writing these columns, but I decided that a round up of egg-based beverages or labels that had rabbits on them was going to get quite tired quite quickly.
Instead I’m showcasing five favourites that have recently reached our shelves and which don’t need a specific occasion to make them special, but which should add something special to any occasion.
Cloudwater Motueka Pilsner (£4.10/5.6%/440ml)
I’m off on holiday for a couple of weeks – never fear, one of my colleagues will be keeping you up to speed with all the latest excitement – and I can’t stop thinking about what my first beer is going to be as slip into my wood-fired hot tub (rain, hail or snow I will be slipping into a hot tub, do not try and stop me). This one is definitely in the running, alongside their Bergamot Sour I mentioned last week. Even in the comfort of your own home – or on a train heading towards your home – this one is enough to melt away everyday stresses with crisp herbal aromas, light lemon sherbet on the palate and a little of the tropical fruit refreshment that Motueka promises.
Stone Citrusy Wit (£4.00/5.3%/330ml)
Sidestepping the classic Belgian combination of Orange and Coriander, Stone use Tangerine and Kaffir Lime leaf in their brew. Not exactly reinventing the wheel as far as Wits are concerned, but delicious nonetheless. The Kaffir is initially dominant in both aroma and flavour, but coriander, a little banana, juicy orange and even a hint of peppery spice from the yeast adds to the complexity over time and the finish has a lovely zesty, sorbet or sherbet touch that I absolutely loved. I supped one of these in a sun dappled spot at the weekend and actually said aloud "well, this is nice, isn’t it?" to nobody in particular, so that must count for something.
Eight Degrees Hurricane IPA (£3.00/5.8%/330ml)
This Irish IPA (IIPA?) comes on heavy with tropical fruit and grassy aromas, so right from the off we’re pretty much in classic IPA territory. Oily, dry and bitter on the palate with zesty citrus and grapefruit adding to the taste of the tropics that the aroma promised and good malt character adding a little sweetness overall. Juicy and delicious with a resinous bitter finish to balance things out.
Tempest In The Dark We Live - Dark Fruits Extended Edit (£5.20/9.0%/330ml)
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the regular In The Dark We Live, probably my favourite of the black IPA bunch with plenty of dark berries and fruit in the hop character anyway, but the record nerd in me was attracted to the label on the bottle and the addition of blackcurrants, blackberries and black raspberries makes perfect sense. It ramps up all of the nuances in the original with plenty of rich fruit and slightly boozy plum tart on the nose, and bitter roasted malts balancing out the sweet and sharp fruit in the flavour.
Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel (£2.90/5.0%/500ml)
I started writing the column this week on a beautiful sunny day, but by the time I was half way through it was – in a typically Glaswegian atmospheric turn of events – all together more dark and gloomy, so I found myself straying into darker territory without going into the darkest corners of stout and porters. This classic nutty German Dunkel is a great antidote to overcast days and indeed a suitable companion for sundown moments. Warming with deep dark malt character, never too sweet despite plenty of plum and dark fruit flavour and there’s a little sharpness that balances it all out. Great stuff.
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