TOP DROP June 2020
Top Drop June 2020 looks at eight easy drinking beers that are sure to put smiles on your customers' dials...
MONTROSE HOP OIL IPA
Urbanaut Brewing Co.
So a relatively new word used to describe certain types of IPA’s is “dank”. Now its use is not in reference to the beer being made in a cold, dark, wet basement but to the cloudy, hoppy, funky, resinous awesomeness of a flavoursome IPA. Well, this beer has it in truckloads! Absolutely loved it and would happily consume as many as humanly possible.
FIRST POINT PALE ALE
Land & Sea
Very dry, crisp and bitter with a subdued hop flavour of tropical fruit salad that is ever so subtle but so, so enjoyable. This is a very, very good beer. Will definitely buy again.
BREWTIFUL HAZE NEW ENGLAND IPA
Deep Creek Brewing Company
A beautiful IPA, far more approachable in style to those new to the world of IPAs than say Urbanauts’ Montrose but equally as impressive from what is fast becoming one of my favourite Kiwi breweries. As I keep saying, they can seemingly do no wrong in the Land of the Long White Cloud. A bomb of citrus, orange and mango flavours.
PALE ALE DRAUGHT-STYLE
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
One of the first to start the whole craft beer phenomena way back in 1979. Their first batch of hop forward beers heralding a bold new approach was this very beer in November 1980. You can see why it has stood the test of time. Unequivocally a class act. Pale ales don’t always have to be overpowering to be good. Subtle and sublime pine and citrus notes.
HOPPY DAYS XPA
Endeavour Brewing Co.
Pretty light on aroma and flavour. Hints of pineapple and passionfruit with a watered-down cordial finish. Not a lot going on unfortunately.
FEAR MOVIE LIONS DOUBLE IPA
Stone Brewing
I will wholeheartedly admit that double IPAs get me pretty excited. I love them. And whilst this one had that beautiful strong hoppy and aromatic flavour I have come to expect with a bit of bitterness and a malt backbone, I couldn’t help but ignore a notable aftertaste of alcohol. Yes, it is 8.5%, so what did I expect? It won a Gold at the prestigious 2019 San Diego Beer Competition so it is highly rated but alas, you can only call it as you taste it.
WIT THE FUNK
The Bruery
Whilst admittedly not a huge fan of the sour beer phenomena seemingly gripping the world, this is a version that comes close to converting me. It’s an undeniably acquired taste but I could see the merits of the approach in this one. A wheat beer fermented with coriander, orange peel and a combination of yeasts that gives you the hits of spice and fruit you would expect from a good wit along with a strangely refreshing, funky sour taste.
IPA
Little Creatures
Said to be a West Coast USA inspired IPA I found it more English in nature. There’s nice accents of spice, pine, citrus, tropical fruit and sweet caramel malts with a dash of bitterness. However, I couldn’t ignore a notable aftertaste of alcohol, which was nonetheless disappointing.
We hoped you enjoyed the Top Drop June 2020. Click here for the Top Drop May 2020 Review.
