Variety is the spice of life

Just as I believe that – with a few exceptions – an album of cover versions is the last refuge of the damned, I feel that simply talking about the beers I’ve enjoyed through the week is a bit of a shoogly peg to hang a whole column on.

However, here are the greatest hits of the beers I’ve been drinking since I last wrote. Notable mentions must go to UpFront Brewing’s Ahab, which was the beer of our tasting on Friday (I haven’t gone into more detail as I’m sure I reviewed it before) and a particularly enjoyable pint of Tartan Special which proves that often the company is as important as the beer.

BLACK FLAG SAISON BLANC

I always like to start with something to wash away the strains of the day and this does that in spades. Crisp, fruity and thirstquenching with crisp gooseberry and citrus notes and a grassy character that is a perfect match for the spice from the yeast. Wonderfully dry in the finish with those grassy herbal notes lingering.

EVIL TWIN SANGUINEM AURANTIACO

As soon as I unpacked this orange sour from Evil Twin I knew it was going to be my train beer for the evening. For such a restrained ABV there are still plenty of sour, pungent notes in the aroma with only a little hint of the zesty orange to come. Supremely refreshing, it crackles with a sour fizz across the palate before a lovely gush of juicy orange and then a tart bite in the finish.

MIKKELLER HALLO ICH BIN BERLINER WEISSE RASPBERRY

Saturday night called for pink fizz, so I started with this. There’s plenty of bright raspberry in the aroma which almost had me worried that it might be a little too jammy. I need not have worried though, the fruit is perfectly balanced with the crisp and tart Berlinner character and never gets too sweet or cloying. Light bodied, juicy and very easy to make quick work of the larger can.

ABBEYDALE HEATHEN

Returning to Friday night and the tasting, this is an English take on an American style Pale. Not a lot of malt of yeast character, this is all about showcasing the hops. Looking at a few of the tasting notes our guests spotted citrus, passion fruit and grapefruit on the nose, with more grapefruit on the palate alongside a little peach, light florals and a crisp and slightly bitter finish. I would have to concur. A straightforward, no nonsense take on the style without many bells and whistles but with enough charm to assure that I could drink a few in succession.

OSKAR BLUES FUGLI It’s amazing how specific styles or ingredients seem to become inescapable almost overnight. Whether it’s an obscure hop, a previously forgotten recipe or an exotic fruit or herb, one minute it’s unheard of and the next it’s all the rage. So it seems that the ingredient du jour is Yuzu, but if you’ve been reading the last couple of weeks you’ll know that

I for one won’t be complaining about that. Here Oskar

Blues have added it alongside Ugli Fruit (hence the charming name) to a juicy

IPA. Tropical fruits and berries on the nose, soft citrus, blueberry and zesty notes balanced by a good dose of bitterness on the palate that lasts in the finish. Really great stuff, I had another almost immediately.