Blog Tracker
02-12-2022, 08:20
Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/12/fleeting-hopes.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx6BywggY69ftnhzLl4oXAHnVMMUzkOsLnJSW_QmVaG A7QacKSEYOcMIyTLYVbJLb_erB8GtI28DAxYfjaEDVe12xUTVH hoeRteYUkJYRG2ZmHZ39iV8y7J810X6cLNgeEyI7p7uYn_EFmR-BdqCKRpO-V9PE-qCFyKMaOBng7-8K1BgPWj0/w166-h200/hope_munich_helles.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx6BywggY69ftnhzLl4oXAHnVMMUzkOsLnJSW_QmVaG A7QacKSEYOcMIyTLYVbJLb_erB8GtI28DAxYfjaEDVe12xUTVH hoeRteYUkJYRG2ZmHZ39iV8y7J810X6cLNgeEyI7p7uYn_EFmR-BdqCKRpO-V9PE-qCFyKMaOBng7-8K1BgPWj0/s2040/hope_munich_helles.jpg)Three beers from Hope today, beginning with numbers 27 and 28 in their limited edition series.
The first is a style I'm sure they've tackled before: Munich Helles. It's a high-spec one too, amber rather than golden and a smidge over standard strength at 5.3% ABV. The extra gravity is apparent in the texture: it's thick almost to the point of being syrupy. Syrup is also what's served in the flavour, a much intensified version of the light spongecake that Helles usually shows. It doesn't dispense with lager pleasantries completely -- it's still nicely crisp despite the density -- but it's no casual easy-drinker either. 440ml was enough to chomp through.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFuQcdcLLRlo2RDtgZ9uTMJoaGPC7KsaaRkeToZ8uIA Rv8yFMyRjqd23lB__9XqAd2LuNt-w_GOJNEjhFOSBZUeF-V-KhtBk4L9RtFxIpykjWavT9ONwVNEXO46BMe8GZ_NdUo8f_Iy8I RyLVTUgnTRi5va-tGlpjqGrW4sEgEL-y3VzW7VI/w147-h200/hope_double_rye_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFuQcdcLLRlo2RDtgZ9uTMJoaGPC7KsaaRkeToZ8uIA Rv8yFMyRjqd23lB__9XqAd2LuNt-w_GOJNEjhFOSBZUeF-V-KhtBk4L9RtFxIpykjWavT9ONwVNEXO46BMe8GZ_NdUo8f_Iy8I RyLVTUgnTRi5va-tGlpjqGrW4sEgEL-y3VzW7VI/s2735/hope_double_rye_ipa.jpg)28 is a Double Rye IPA and 8.5% ABV. It's a deep amber colour and smells fresh and spritzy, all clean west-coast grapefruit and pine. The flavour is clean too, but in a very different way, packed into a thick and sticky malt bomb. This is double IPA as it used to be, a decade or more ago, where doubling down on everything was the key, resulting in big and heavy bodies with accompanying chewy malt flavours while also packing in intensely citric and dank hops. In short, it's mostly subtle as a foghorn, though the rye adds its own thing, bringing a relatively understated grassy bite. If you're in the mood for something daftly 2010, then here's the entertainment. On its own merits it's rather fun and delivers everything it promises.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMfZO8i8e46M9pVLb5ifE5sR6YfAwInJB0SmmtNbRcl wDNY-rf8oIejv1i0ayW62uWFtRoIlPYHZ1o_9ResYAkxiYNHqFDl9IF 3lDGDLkdN4iv1ZR5LwduwoI_92OIu5o-tETMld3a1IGBmLi6voP8sVlRbQCttOR_EzWSfjfk6ZqEEDjmrg/w160-h200/hope_dublin_porter.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMfZO8i8e46M9pVLb5ifE5sR6YfAwInJB0SmmtNbRcl wDNY-rf8oIejv1i0ayW62uWFtRoIlPYHZ1o_9ResYAkxiYNHqFDl9IF 3lDGDLkdN4iv1ZR5LwduwoI_92OIu5o-tETMld3a1IGBmLi6voP8sVlRbQCttOR_EzWSfjfk6ZqEEDjmrg/s2770/hope_dublin_porter.jpg)Roll forward a couple of months and deckchair guy is back, with this year's winter seasonal: Dublin Porter, a 6% ABV job using smoked malt. It's quite a dense black, with the requisite topping of ivory foam. There's a faint twang of phenols in the aroma, though nothing too severe. In the flavour that represents as a mild acridity, sharply dry to begin. It mellows quickly, however, rounding out into an almost creamy texture with notes of charred oak, burnt sugar, dark chocolate and well-done toast. It's nothing fancy but very nicely done. There's just enough weight for it to be satisfying and just enough smoke for it to be interesting. Neither of those elements interfere with the easy-going drinkability, however, and it still shows all the essential characteristics of daycent porter. A sequel is promised, and I look forward to it.
I don't know if Hope deliberately keeps track of the styles it puts out in limited runs and seeks to keep them varied, but if they do, it's appreciated.
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/12/fleeting-hopes.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx6BywggY69ftnhzLl4oXAHnVMMUzkOsLnJSW_QmVaG A7QacKSEYOcMIyTLYVbJLb_erB8GtI28DAxYfjaEDVe12xUTVH hoeRteYUkJYRG2ZmHZ39iV8y7J810X6cLNgeEyI7p7uYn_EFmR-BdqCKRpO-V9PE-qCFyKMaOBng7-8K1BgPWj0/w166-h200/hope_munich_helles.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx6BywggY69ftnhzLl4oXAHnVMMUzkOsLnJSW_QmVaG A7QacKSEYOcMIyTLYVbJLb_erB8GtI28DAxYfjaEDVe12xUTVH hoeRteYUkJYRG2ZmHZ39iV8y7J810X6cLNgeEyI7p7uYn_EFmR-BdqCKRpO-V9PE-qCFyKMaOBng7-8K1BgPWj0/s2040/hope_munich_helles.jpg)Three beers from Hope today, beginning with numbers 27 and 28 in their limited edition series.
The first is a style I'm sure they've tackled before: Munich Helles. It's a high-spec one too, amber rather than golden and a smidge over standard strength at 5.3% ABV. The extra gravity is apparent in the texture: it's thick almost to the point of being syrupy. Syrup is also what's served in the flavour, a much intensified version of the light spongecake that Helles usually shows. It doesn't dispense with lager pleasantries completely -- it's still nicely crisp despite the density -- but it's no casual easy-drinker either. 440ml was enough to chomp through.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFuQcdcLLRlo2RDtgZ9uTMJoaGPC7KsaaRkeToZ8uIA Rv8yFMyRjqd23lB__9XqAd2LuNt-w_GOJNEjhFOSBZUeF-V-KhtBk4L9RtFxIpykjWavT9ONwVNEXO46BMe8GZ_NdUo8f_Iy8I RyLVTUgnTRi5va-tGlpjqGrW4sEgEL-y3VzW7VI/w147-h200/hope_double_rye_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFuQcdcLLRlo2RDtgZ9uTMJoaGPC7KsaaRkeToZ8uIA Rv8yFMyRjqd23lB__9XqAd2LuNt-w_GOJNEjhFOSBZUeF-V-KhtBk4L9RtFxIpykjWavT9ONwVNEXO46BMe8GZ_NdUo8f_Iy8I RyLVTUgnTRi5va-tGlpjqGrW4sEgEL-y3VzW7VI/s2735/hope_double_rye_ipa.jpg)28 is a Double Rye IPA and 8.5% ABV. It's a deep amber colour and smells fresh and spritzy, all clean west-coast grapefruit and pine. The flavour is clean too, but in a very different way, packed into a thick and sticky malt bomb. This is double IPA as it used to be, a decade or more ago, where doubling down on everything was the key, resulting in big and heavy bodies with accompanying chewy malt flavours while also packing in intensely citric and dank hops. In short, it's mostly subtle as a foghorn, though the rye adds its own thing, bringing a relatively understated grassy bite. If you're in the mood for something daftly 2010, then here's the entertainment. On its own merits it's rather fun and delivers everything it promises.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMfZO8i8e46M9pVLb5ifE5sR6YfAwInJB0SmmtNbRcl wDNY-rf8oIejv1i0ayW62uWFtRoIlPYHZ1o_9ResYAkxiYNHqFDl9IF 3lDGDLkdN4iv1ZR5LwduwoI_92OIu5o-tETMld3a1IGBmLi6voP8sVlRbQCttOR_EzWSfjfk6ZqEEDjmrg/w160-h200/hope_dublin_porter.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMfZO8i8e46M9pVLb5ifE5sR6YfAwInJB0SmmtNbRcl wDNY-rf8oIejv1i0ayW62uWFtRoIlPYHZ1o_9ResYAkxiYNHqFDl9IF 3lDGDLkdN4iv1ZR5LwduwoI_92OIu5o-tETMld3a1IGBmLi6voP8sVlRbQCttOR_EzWSfjfk6ZqEEDjmrg/s2770/hope_dublin_porter.jpg)Roll forward a couple of months and deckchair guy is back, with this year's winter seasonal: Dublin Porter, a 6% ABV job using smoked malt. It's quite a dense black, with the requisite topping of ivory foam. There's a faint twang of phenols in the aroma, though nothing too severe. In the flavour that represents as a mild acridity, sharply dry to begin. It mellows quickly, however, rounding out into an almost creamy texture with notes of charred oak, burnt sugar, dark chocolate and well-done toast. It's nothing fancy but very nicely done. There's just enough weight for it to be satisfying and just enough smoke for it to be interesting. Neither of those elements interfere with the easy-going drinkability, however, and it still shows all the essential characteristics of daycent porter. A sequel is promised, and I look forward to it.
I don't know if Hope deliberately keeps track of the styles it puts out in limited runs and seeks to keep them varied, but if they do, it's appreciated.
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/12/fleeting-hopes.html)