Less haste more speed. Or is it more speed less haste? Whatever, I erred. Opening Grim Overlords straight away after they had been kindly picked up by my OH was folly, flying in the face of bottle-conditioned protocol, particularly if you know what her driving is like......This 4.9% collaboration ale with the fantastic Great Heck of err, Great Heck, was not at its best. Double doh.
The union of two of our very favourite producers ought to be a nailed-on winner but this wasn`t and I`ll take the blame. (No score given!)
Black IPAs are an oxymoron. A contradiction in terms. The quintessential dichotomy. Protz`s Pleasure was spot-on though and I`m sure that would rankle with the most fabled of British beer writers. Co-conspirer North Riding have produced some excellent beers recently and Shakespeares regularly have their latest offerings. PP arrives at a respectable 5.3% and has a surprisingly creamy head from the bottle. The malt balances well with sexy hops, which include Simcoe and Mosaic, culminating in a chewy and lingering bitter finish.
Whilst the Black IPA is not one of my favourite styles of beer, this is certainly a very good example of it. Believe! Black IPAs do exist! (Score - 8 / 10)
I had tried the Phantom of the Hopera at the Gibraltar Street mecca but this extra / special, a Steel City reunion effort (Dave + Gazza), was what I really wanted to unmask:
Phantom Extra was lively to say the least, jumping eagerly out of the bottle! With this 6.7% IPA you get a big grapefruit hit, a foamy aromatic head and a hazy peachy appearance. The wheat malt is quite prominent and the sorachi ace, citra and mosaic hops are spectacularly showcased in a bitter fruity finish. Wow! Not subtle (which is not a Steel City-related adjective tbh) but very tasty indeed. Winner!
(Score - 8.5 /10)
No comments:
Post a Comment