a swift one - Beer Of The Day, 10th February

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One of the local breweries that does not feature often in our postings is Summer Wine. There are many reasons for this but one of the most obvious is that it often not easy to find their beers in their home town. This post is the result of a search for the 'holy grail'.

I have sometimes come across their beers in The Head Of Steam or the Cherry Tree; the former showcased their 'Project 6' series, ( a collection of 6+ % beers brewed using different hops but with apparently the same malt base), and the latter often gets their darker beers, I recently sampled their 'Treason' treacle stout there. But I have never managed to find their 'Diablo'.


That was until yesterday, when on a trip out to the Harlequin in Sheffield I found it waiting for me on the bar. I had heard other drinkers make very complimentary comments about it, and I was sure that it was a beer worth hunting down, but it always eluded me. It either ran off before I could order a pint, or the clip sat there taunting me for a visit on another day. When it invariably had been and gone. Well the wait was over. There it was, in all its glory.


I ordered one, and sat down to see what all the fuss had been about. It was a 6% offering. Light and appealing. A quick sniff told me I would not be disappointed. It gave off a burst of tropical fruit flavours and the first taste confirmed it was a classic. A massive hop hit followed by the release of all the flavours that the nose of the beer had given me. There is some sweetness there but that underpins the mango and lychee taste that burst in the mouth. Full of intense flavour but not excessively bitter, I knew I was holding a great beer, I suspected, (and had it confirmed from their web site) that this was yet another superb use of 'citra' hops.


If you see it around, don't pass it by, or take my word, give it a try. It is one of the classic beers of 2011. Just wish I could find it closer to home.




https://blogger.googleusercontent.co....aswiftone.com


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