No Idea what this was doing at a usually boring big chain beer shop, and in such good quality, not skunked or fucked up at all. One of the best UK Pale Ales and one of the best Pale Ales of all time, in my limited opinion. Amazing beer, amazing and beguiling find.
Homestead Brewery – Midnight Blossom, Dark Cherry Sour. 5.5%ABV, 375ml can. This was really nice. Not as sour as most sours are these days, and I am going to assume it was kettle soured, which isn’t a problem. Its nice and fermented-fruit/wine characteristics with none of the weird almost fake taste that cherries can throw off some times. Mild dark cherry/dark fruit flavour, a slight cherry sweetness, and a nice mild sourness.
Lucky Bay Brewing – The Homestead, Farmhouse Ale. 6%ABV, 375ml can. Now this has the “wild” unrestrained fermentation stuff. Very Belgian, very farmhouse with lots going on flavour-wise with the yeast/bugs (some brett?). Nice malts leaning to a stronger Saison and almost a more straight Belgian Ale, but also some lager-like tastes and smells, both yeast and hops – there is definitely hops in here that become more noticeable as it warms, they seem really Pilsner-like adding to the afore mentioned lager-accents. Its good to see a more unrestrained ferment farmhouse ale like this. Definitely something we are seeing less of unfortunately.
Rodenbach – Fruitage, Fruit ale, 3.9% 250ml can.
Still a combination of aged and young ale, and like the Alexander version this has cherries added. Far less sour than any of their other beers, I’d hesitate to call it a sour at all, this is lighter, more fruity (cherry obviously) but still has the elements of the Original and Grand Cru such as the oakyness and even wine notes. Nice.
Green Beacon – Apricot & Peach Sour. 5% 375ml can.
Nice peach smell and a little sour funk. Its pretty hazy as well, nice head. The taste is mild, there is a hint of apricot, some fermented fruity flavours and a fruity sourness. Nothing crazy. A refreshing sipper. Nice.
Molly Rose Brewing Co – Nitro Persian Coffee, Vegan Desert Stout. 5.2% 375ml can
Awesome coffee smell, like a cup of coffee but also of crushed coffee beans, some dark roasty malts. The coffee smells is fantastic and very fresh smelling, just awesome. The taste and mouthfeel is smooth, theres oats in here giving it a viscocity as well. A really nice big initial hit of coffee, dark and black malt with some bitterness from the malt and also I assume hops. After a few sips theres all kinds of things going on in here, it says cardamon is in there and yeah I guess, I also taste anise/licorice? There’s other stuff I just cant put a thumb on. Cant taste the rosewater or coconut listed, though they drop off pretty fast and this is nearly 2 months old. A great interesting stout even if the additions didn’t shine. This also seems like a rather interesting brewery and brewer, I have one more beer from them now but will def check out more from them.
Molly Rose Brewing Co – When Life Gives you Lemons , Farmhouse Ale. 4.2% 375ml can.
This is, obviously, the other Molly Rose can I have. Straight off the bat its insane lemon into the nose. Its like sherbert, this is crazy. Interesting as hell. NOT a standard farmhouse ale at all. Very fine carbonation, great smooth sourness and mouthfeel. That first crazy lemon scent blast doesn’t follow through into anything overpowering at all. Its crisp, its soft but sharp. This is nice as hell. Not what I was expecting at all.
The last of my Bitter(?) Ale.
About 80% Golden Promise, 20% Shepheards Delight, A heap of Cluster for bittering, then Styrian Golding and Cluster through the boil and also for dry hopping. Used Kveik yeast slurry from a previous beer. Cloudy, unfiltered or cold-crashed.
This was a dry crisp, almost pucking from the bitterness, not overly bitter like pine resin or tastebud destroying IPA, just a good strong bitterness like a extra powerful UK or Aussie ale. Some lemon/citrus from the kveik, some woody ashyness as well. Sweetness and bready malt, a dry cola taste? Very good, very interesting and complex.
