Beer Today’s rundown of new brews, brewing projects, and collaborations, in a slightly longer form than the home page news in brief.
There’s a “triple festive fix” of releases from Balance Brewing and Blending. Creak 2024 is the second cherry wild ale the brewery have released, an intensely fruited ode to kriek. Ripple 2024 uses raspberries from Kent for full-on fruit character.
Finally, there is Spectral Diffusion, showcasing Spectrum hops, which make for an intensely tropical take on Balance’s house saison. These are all available in 750ml and 375ml bottles from the webshop and the taproom, as well as on draught at the tap.
• Indie Rabble have collaborated with Dimscûa, a new Berkshire-based post-metal band, on a beer named after them, ahead of their full album performance at Bay Days Festival this month.
The beer is a 4.5% ABV black lager, hopped with a generous hit of both traditional and modern Hallertau hops, and with just a touch of biscuit sweetness, overall remaining dry and easy drinking.
Bay Days Festival took place at Chelmsford’s Radio City Social, the second collaboration partner for this beer.
Indie Rabble have also released a new cask ale, Gilded Dragon, a 4% ABV Northern-style rich amber bitter. Chocolate and Crystal malt add roasty, bready malt sweetness to classic, peppery hop bitterness from East Kent Goldings.
• Neon Raptor has unveiled a trio of Christmas brews. Christmas Carol (6.6% ABV) is a NEIPA full of Idaho 7, Ekuanot Cryo, Mosaic, Nelson hops. Snowglobe is the latest variant in the Clusters series, a white chocolate and coconut stout coming in at 5.2% ABV. And, finally, there’s Holiday Slushasaurus (5% ABV), a vanilla coke slushy sour.
• There are three festive beers from Drop Project, too. Poppin is a 3.8% ABV cherry kriek, bright, punchy, and refreshing. “Bursting with sweet–tart cherry vibes, this light kriek is built for long afternoons, Christmas lunches, and anyone who loves a fruity, sessionable sipper,” says the brewer.
At the other end of the scale is passage, a 10% ABV imperial chocolate fudge and caramel stout. “Rich chocolate, silky caramel, and a deep, warming stout backbone. Smooth, decadent and perfect for cold nights, open fires, and after-dinner indulgence.”
Sitting in the middle, TROPiKAL, a 5.2% ABV mango and raspberry fruited sour.
• There’s a new release of DEYA’s Saturated In series of DIPAs, hopped with varieties grown on the BC Hop Ranch in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. All are 8% ABV.
Saturated in Simcoe offers mango, jolly ranchers candy, and a hint of pine. The Mosaic variant gives tropical and citrus goodness, with come underlying classic Mosaic dank. And Citus offers the full citrus experience, with papaya and watermelon providing another level of complexity.
