5 best new beers of the week
New in the warehouse this week are these amazing beers. We've a stunning barrel-aged sour from Bruery Terreux, a hop bomb from Ironfire, a ginger and lemon delight from Siren plus one of the most lucious porters we've had for ages.
Franzikaner / Weissbier Alkoholfrei / 0.5%
Franziskaner Alcohol-Free is one of the best examples to show that low-alcohol doesn’t mean low-flavour. Indeed, this weissbier won Gold at the 2015 World Beer Awards for an alcohol-free wheat beer. This satisfying beer is full-bodied and really delivers in the flavour department: lovely notes of citrus, banana and spice are unmistakable and a lively carbonation brings it all straight to the forefront.
Ironfire Brewing Co / Mr Hopagiorgio / 7.5%
Temecula, California-based Ironfire Brewing Co don’t really do subtle (just look at that label, instead the brewers make beers so loaded with hops you could imagine the fermenter falling over. And while subtlety isn’t in its tool box, thankfully balance is. It is big on hops, big on bitterness, but not at the expense of balance, of mouthfeel, of greatness. Mr Hopagiorgio – a brilliant name too – is a super limited edition IPA hopped with Galaxy, Mosaic, Summer and Nelson hops – giving a swirling blend of grapefruit, pineapple, orange peel, and spiky bitterness at the back. More please!
Siren Craft Brew / Agua de Sapo / 5.8%
Beer never fails to surprise us. Agua de Sapo from Siren Craft Brew, a brewery we file under ‘always interesting’, is a beer that takes flavours of ginger and lemon wraps it up in a 5.8% brown ale. It is based on Agua de Sapo, a popular light and refreshing soft drink from Costa Rica (guess where the brewer of this beer comes from) made from, yes, lemon and ginger. While the ginger is discernible on the nose, it’s the hoppy citrus notes that come through straight away. Drinking this effervescent beer it is the ginger that comes through more, but never dominates it, focussing instead on drinkability. Agua de Sapo means frog water, probably a nod to its muddy colour. It’s may not be pretty to look at, but it’s very tasty. One for a hot summer’s day.
Buy it here
Bruery Terreux / Sour in the Rye / 7.7%
Bruery Terreux is a boutique craft brewery located in Orange County, CA, specialising in farmhouse-style wild and sour ales – and they are very, very good at it. One of the best in America, in fact, and this Sour in the Rye is one of its best of its range – it gets 99% on RateBeer for starters. So what can you expect? It’s very tart from the start, with a hit of dark cherry, but the depth emerges slowly like a bear awaking from hibernation. A rich earthy vanilla flavour has been imbued by barrel ageing. The rye always keeps it grounded however, with spicy pepper notes. This is a truly complex beer. Not one you’ll ever regret buying.
Beowulf Brewery / Finn’s Hall Porter / 5.2%
In 1997, Phil Bennett started Beowulf Brewery in Staffordshire. This is a traditional brewery offering fantastic bottle-conditioned beer. This rich, luscious porter, has just the loveliest aroma of dark cherry, toffee and caramel, and full of flavour. A hint of smokiness helps with drinkability too. This is just one of those beers that is full of the best of bottle-conditioned beers – and that’s not easy.
