Abbeydale - Unbeliever #3.2 & Salvation #5

So, way back at the start of 2017 we told you to expect great things from our local heroes and Abbeydale have delivered again! Two years ago, you knew what to expect the S8 stalwarts, (20 years established), but now you know that you must expect the unexpected. The recruitment of young, enthusiastic brewers has been key in the evolution down on Aizlewood Road; they seem to have recruited a team of passionate artisans who take pride in researching their art, taking risks and pushing boundaries.

Keg it. A new era for Abbeydale

Snazzy artwork and canned wares hinted at a reyt revolution at Abbeydale and the latest embodiments of this ideal have appeared this week in instalments entitled `Unbeliever` and `Salvation`, both developments of previous small batch brews.

Salvation #5 is a coffee and donut stout which weighs in at a healthy enough 5.8% ABV. I supped it straight from the fridge and so mebbe didn`t allow the flavours to fully develop but it was tasty enough nonetheless. I think a `donut` is an American version of a `doughnut` so, no doubt, bigger and possibly cheaper and in this case I believed it to be of the custard variety. The coffee here is fairly subtle with a gentle yet lasting bitterness whilst the vanilla is prominent and the coconut is a subtle background addition, Thankfully, this is not a super sweet stout but rather a drinkable dark delight. Decent, definitely, and local inspirations Roastology and Forge Bakehouse duly credited.

A super steady stout

Meanwhile . . . . .

Unbeliever  #3.2 is a 5.3% dry-hopped sorachi sour. Personally, I am in the minority of folk who think that Sorachi is hardly an ace in the pack of sexy ingredients but herein it is an clearly royalty, at worst, in any hop pack. The `small batch brewers` emporium` must be chuffed to bits with this beauty; the body is an alluring lemony haze with an off-white head with sufficient carbonation to bring the aromatics into early prominence. Unbeliever is errr, unbelievably drinkable and does enough to satisfy hop heads and sour sadists in equal measure. This is certainly one of the better hoppy sours that I have had the pleasure of encountering. Hats off to Abbeydale. Encore!

WE TOLD YOU SO HERE!