Beer Today’s rundown of new brews, brewing projects, and collaborations, in a slightly longer form than the home page news in brief
Balance have collaborated with Manchester restaurant Skof on Skof 108, a 4.6% ABV blended barrel-aged saison.
On the nose, there’s honey and peach blossom. Floral, fruity acidity leads on the palate, with funky complexity following. Barrel tannins bring body and structure, as well as soft, woody vanilla notes, before a smooth, satisfying finish.
Balance have also released the 11th iteration of their house saison, Saison de Maison Blend 11. It’s a Bretted saison with Golding, Target, and Pilgrim hops, coming in at 5.5% ABV.
“This blend leans into the fruity side of things, with funky pineapple jumping out alongside pithy lemon peel and an earthy, floral funk,” says the brewer. “You’ll find poached pear, orange, and ripe peach rounded out by freshly cut hay meadow aromatics and soft wood tannins. Drink fresh or age to see where the funk takes it!”
Last year Northern Monk and Thornbridge collaborated on a Faith/Jaipur mash-up. Now it’s back, but this time it’s getting the double-dry-hopped double IPA treatment.
It’s loaded up with classic US hop varieties Simcoe and Chinook for crisp bitterness and distinctive pine, and dry-hopped “to high heaven” with Monk staples Citra and Mosaic to bring in juice-forward tropical notes. It comes in at 8.4% ABV. “This is a mammoth DDH DIPA that not only combines but celebrates the best of both beers,” say the brewers.
For their upcoming Six Nations beer, Crafty Devil have teamed up with Welsh artist Charlene Hopkins, whose watercolour painting will feature on the cans when the beer launches in the first week of February.
“The artwork captures a familiar Welsh scene, a father figure and son, draped in a Welsh flag, walking home from the rugby,” says the brewer. “It’s nostalgic, heartfelt and quietly powerful… everything we love about rugby days in Wales.
“Being able to showcase local Welsh talent like this, and put such a meaningful piece of artwork onto our cans, is something we’re genuinely proud of.”
Knill (7.5% ABV) is an evolution of one of St Ives Brewery’s first ever beers, Knill by Mouth, first brewed back in 2010. The new brew is described as a ramped up hybrid of a classic style, mixed with modern execution. The West Coast DIPA has “all the bitterness and pine you want. All of the oil-rich hops beginning with ‘C’ have been used.” They’re Chinook, Cascade, and Columbus.
Also new from St Ives is Whistling Up The Wind, a 6.5% ABV East Coast-style IPA. Using oats and wheat, in tandem with Talus and Ekuanot hops, this is a beer that brings aromas of fruit and booze, as well as flavours of peach and passionfruit.
Black Iris have unveiled two new collaborations. Cometh The Anticrich (3.9% ABV) is a pale ale brewed with Crich Brew Co, of Belper. A combination of Strata and Nelson Sauvin hops brings a clean, dry citrus and white grape flavour, with a little weedy dankness thrown in. A simple malt base, with added wheat and oats really allows these hops to shine.
Black Iris teamed up with Derby-based black thrash metal band Devastator for Devil’s Curse, a maple and pecan stout coming in at an apt 6.66% ABV.
“For this one, we wanted to create some delicious nuttiness in the base beer before we added any natural flavourings,” says the brewer. “So we added loads of Munich malt, Carared, and roast barley to build the foundation for a deep, dark flavour of nuts, chocolate, and a touch of coffee.
“We then went with English hops Whitbread Golding Variety and German Tradition hops in the boil, creating spicy, earthy, and floral notes. We then finished the beer with natural maple and pecan flavours to create a proper fireside winter warmer!”
There a fresh release of Lightning Struck Itself, Verdant’s 6.5% ABV IPA, brewed in tribute to the late Tom Verlaine, from the band Television. “A proper juice bomb, packed with a hop-combo we’ve never used together in an IPA before: Citra and Nelson Sauvin,” says the brewer. “An elevation of hop character that only Citra can bring to Nelson.”
There’s new Tabula Rasa imperial stout (10.5% ABV) from Bearwood, with one version aged in a whiskey barrel and the other in a bourbon barrel. The Irish wkiskey version imparts notes of honey, vanilla, and caramel, finished with a deep whiskey character. The bourbon version offers notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, and caramel, rounded out with a deep bourbon finish.
Altar’d State, from Vocation, is a new Belgian IPA, weighing in at 6.9% ABV. Bright and golden, it starts with a soft, biscuity malt base before bursting into orange, grapefruit, and tropical fruit from Amarillo, Pacifica, and Mosaic hops. Subtle Belgian-style spice and hints of pear keep it lively, and there’s a dry, refreshing finish.
Also new from Vocation is Full Roast, a 7% ABV coffee and walnut porter. It layers roasted walnut with rich chocolate and fresh coffee, creating a deep, indulgent porter that’s never heavy. Soft cocoa and toffee sweetness round it out, while cold-brewed Yorkshire coffee adds depth and natural walnut brings a gentle praline warmth.
