Hops and barrels

Time for another DOT post, following the release of a bunch of new offerings in recent weeks.

We start with the hoppy cans, and Running On, described as a DDH pale ale. It's an even 5% ABV and a hazy yellow-grey colour. The icemen of Instagram won't be pleased by the big and fluffy head which forms on pouring. The aroma is surprisingly muted, just a vague breakfasty citrus-juice thing. There's a modicum of orange juice in the flavour, with a sweeter twist of mandarin and then a savoury dreggy finish. It's a little watery for the strength too. I expected bigger and bolder -- more hop fireworks. It didn't really deliver those, however. Grand drinking, but nothing special.

The name of the next one doesn't suggest any wows either: Just Another DIPA. "Big, bold and juicy" says the label, advertising Hüll Melon, Galaxy and Centennial hops, oats, and a Vermont yeast strain. Again there's that unattractive greyish tint to the hazy body. I didn't get juice. I got a concentrated cordial effect: a jarringly sweet and thick tongue-coating fruit syrup with a hard alcohol finish. Beyond it -- and you have to look hard -- there's a certain spice, a white pepper or nutmeg quality. That does help take the edge off the sweetness, but not enough to make this beer palatable. There's no freshness, no zing, and definitely no juice. Thumbs up for the absence of gritty yeast, but this doesn't come through with the hops. Just Another DIPA? It wishes.

OK, so before I lose all faith in DOT, we turn to the new bottled barrel offerings, something much more in their wheelhouse.

Barrel Blend V is a saison aged in white wine barrels, coming out at 5.8% ABV. It's a bright and clear gold, forming only a thin white head. Smoothness is the watchword here. While there is a residual trace of the earthy spices normal to saison, it's overlaid by soft and luscious fruit, some of it from the base beer but I'm certain the barrel makes a big contribution. There's lots of honeydew melon and a sharper lemon-peel citrus. A touch of oak spice arrives in the finish, which is remarkably quick and clean for a barrel-aged job. My only criticism here is that it's a little too smooth, the subtle flavours running the risk of making it seem bland. I think I wanted something punchier, but this isn't it, and that's not really the beer's fault. This is one for leisurely sipping.

What happens to an IPA when it's given 20 months' maturation in wine and whisky barrels? In this case it becomes Serving of Serendipity. It poured out almost totally flat, the still amber liquid resembling filtered apple juice. Lime is mentioned on the label blurb as one of its features and it really is dominant: a spritzy squeeze tasting very real indeed. There's a definite whiskyness in the rasping dry oak finish, though there's surprisingly little alcohol heat for 7% ABV. It's an odd one for sure, and not very beery with it. There's an idiosyncratic charm, however, one that kept me coming back until the glass was empty.

A storm last winter claimed a big chunk of the fig tree at the bottom of my garden. Shane from DOT was interested in taking the wood and when he called to collect, he kindly left a couple of bottles from his stash. These don't seem to have been released commercially and there's absolutely no information provided on them. I could ask, but where's the fun in that?

This one says "Cellar Range" on the label, so that's what I'll call it. It's a murky red-brown colour with some fairly large chunks bobbling about in it. There are signs of extended ageing here: a blast of sherry vinegar in the aroma and a highly attenuated thin texture. I'm guessing wine barrels have been used as there's a red grape note in the flavour alongside black cherry and milk chocolate. The ABV has to be quite high too as it brings a pleasing belly-warmth after two or three swallows. The vinegar tang returns in the finish and that made it hard for me to enjoy this. There's plenty of lovely complexity still, but I think it was past its best.

The last one is a total mystery, though the label is a segment from DOT's 2017 Tequila Saison so I'm guessing it's related to that. The apple-juice look returns: a clear copper colour and pouring quite flat. I'm definitely getting tequila from it; a strong lime bitterness with a sizeable chunk of dry oak. That's it, though: there's nothing beyond these big and punchy flavours. While it doesn't taste like a saison, it also doesn't taste any way aged, and in fact would benefit from some mellowing out. I liked it, though. It pushes my margarita buttons nicely.

Despite DOT's move into hoppy can territory, the slow-production barrel-aged concoctions are its best work. That's the stuff it's harder to get from any other brewer, local or abroad.