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17-04-2013, 10:34
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Last year Elland Brewery treated us to one of my beers of the year, Hoptopus. An IPA style beer, light in colour, but rich in hops and very drinkable. I assumed it was a one off and I would never encounter it again.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5XNR8tRxLek/UW5Meapbl-I/AAAAAAAAAls/xkYIEfpzlWQ/s200/elland-logo.png (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5XNR8tRxLek/UW5Meapbl-I/AAAAAAAAAls/xkYIEfpzlWQ/s1600/elland-logo.png)
I was wrong. Yesterday, on a fact finding mission round the pubs of Newcastle, I happened to call in The Bodega, and there, on the bar was its brother 'Hoptopus 2'. It delivered what it promised on the pump clip, no not octopus, but an IPA with 8 hops. It is a sensible 4.9%, light coloured and is packed with hop flavour, both in the nose and the taste. A check of the website says that it is a 30 minute IPA, and that the 30 minutes is taken up, at the end of the brewing process, by adding 8 different hops to the boil at different times to create the finished beer
. It certainly has worked and Elland have created an excellent beer. It may be even better than its younger brother.

My only critcism, and its only a small one, is that because of the number of hops used it is difficult to get the taste of any one individually. They do combine very well though, so maybe I am just being churlish.

I was surprised to see the beer up here, but I am aware that there is a barrel at the Star at Folly Hall, waiting to tempt you do there. It may even tempt me to hop(topus) on a train and get back for another pint.

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