Cheeky Monkey – Southern Wailer Hop Flinger West Coat IPA. Supposedly canned on the 28/9 or abouts, and I’d believe that, the hops have the sting on the lips of eating a hop pellet. Very fresh, great smell and great tasting, strong bitterness. The smell of passionfruit and other lovely fruits are really strong all the way through. The taste is bitterness and hops before malt, what malt there is is a lightly sweet hint before being devoured by the hops. Nice, very nice.
Gage Roads – Back Yard Brew ESB. Limited release and a colab with Grant Smith, winner of a competition they ran. MALTY, this is hella malty, roasty, nutty, brown, and English hops. That initial malt hit is really nice, then it balances out and is just a good drink. This was a good beer.
Red Hook – ESB. Sweet smelling carmel malt smell, crushed malt grain smell, light lacing for a head. Tastes malty grain, like eating some malt grains, bready, bitter orange? A malt sweetness that ends quickly in a nice bitterness. Has a good mouthfeel as well, not light or watery and a slightly dry finish. This very nice, a solid ESB with a bit more nice and enjoyable range/depth in flavour than many, but not at all out of character.
Anchor – Porter. Still good, reviewed previously.
Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla – Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche Doppelbock. Good, but not as good as their others I have had. The doppelbock doesnt do it for me as much as say the Rauchbier Urbock or Märzen.
