Non-stop hop drop

Time for another couple of rounds with the three-headed beast of Bluebell. A lot of IPAs this time. Tch. Typical.

Although first, Third Circle returns to its roots as an homage to Belgian brewing (ish) with Saison Me, a saison with a dry hop twist, namely Pacifica and El Dorado. The name suggests casual sunny-day drinking, so that's what I'm judging it by. The ABV mostly passes the test, at 5.2%. It's fairly densely hazy in the glass, and a deep orange colour. The aroma is somewhat soapy, in a sickly floral fabric-softener way, the saison spice not sitting well with the aroma hops. The texture is light and the carbonation gentle, which is fun, but the flavour suffers from the same problem as the aroma. Hooray for big, spicy, earthy Belgian saison notes; and also hooray for candy-sweet, lemonade-bitter, new-world hops. But together? Febreeze. It's not a drainpour but I definitely couldn't see myself quaffing this while relaxing in the sun. It's too loud and too busy. They should have done an IPA. Next!

Next they did indeed go back to IPA, and It Doesnt Matter, which is a kveik-fermented one with Citra and Amarillo. 6% ABV and only €2.75? Seems very fair to me. It's a happy shade of orange and quite full bodied, almost heading to cordial or syrup territory. It's not particularly sweet, however, coming through dry and savoury from the outset. That's unfortunate. After it there's a touch of saison-ish funk and a spritz of orange and lemon as the hops' first and last stand. There's a warmth from the alcohol which is quite pleasant, but the flavour really isn't for me here. This tastes a bit rough and unfinished, suggesting that kveik isn't the bulletproof shortcut it's sometimes made out to be.

We move on with Like A Boss, a Springsteen tribute from the dad-rockers behind Stone Barrel. It's an IPA of 6% ABV and hopped with Strata, still the hop of the moment, probably, a bit. Hazy orange is once again the colour, and the aroma is very straightforward: bright and juicy mandarin at first, with a buzz of garlic creeping in as it warms. I found both in the flavour. It's savoury at first: garlic and caraway in a way that doesn't usually suit me, but the zesty citrus is loud enough behind it to balance it, and the DDH New England fuzz gives it a vanilla softness and smoothness. I shouldn't like this. Vanilla? Caraway? Both red flags for good IPA, but it still works for me, being subtle, sufficiently fruity, and simply nice. Eventually I gave up trying to find fault and just drank it. You win this round, Stone Barrel.

They're not messing with the next one: Remember When west coast IPA. A burnished rose-gold colour, it's hopped with American classics Citra, Simcoe and Columbus. As you would hope and expect, the aroma is a one-two punch of grapefruit and lime and the flavour kicks off on a bitter bite of oily pine. The experience is gentler after that. 7% ABV means plenty of malt-driven body and the hopping softens to a perfumed floral effect; sweet, but not in the vanilla-and-juice way of IPAs from the lesser coasts. A twist of white pepper adds a bonus complexity. This style demands an exceptional level of cleanness and this example delivers on that, the resinous flavours lasting long into the finish but free of interference from anything else. There was a time when I would have found this harsh and unpleasant, but now I love the assertive bitterness and the preciseness of its citrus and pine. I guess that had to go away for a while in order for me to appreciate what I had. Like many an old-timey IPA drinker, I'm glad that it's making a comeback now.

Stepping aside from the house brands for a moment, the brewery has produced another 6%-er for Two Sides, marking One Year & Counting since Brickyard and The Headline changed their way of working. For all the grimness of that, it's a sunny orange colour and has a cheery sweet and juicy aroma, with a hint of bitterer citrus behind. There's an interesting contrast in the flavour: a creamy seam of vanilla and orange ice lolly and then a much harder resinous side, almost burning with dank oils and finishing dry. Citra and Amarillo is how that is done. The body is satisfyingly big, and the overall impression is of a beer very like Like A Boss above, with maybe a few bits and pieces rearranged. I'm fine with that.

As usual, a Third Barrel release is the daddy, this time a double IPA of 8.5% ABV called When Life Gives You Hops... Aussie hops Galaxy and Vic Secret headline in this, and I think it's Galaxy's orange-candy that's in charge of the aroma. I immediately went looking for Vic Secret's aniseed in the flavour. Nope: still oranges. It's quite a simple fellow, all considered. The texture is fairly light for the strength, and there's no hard booze or big hop punch. A gentle citrus sweetness up front turns to harder pith and peel in the finish, but it stays easy-drinking and clean. This too will please the old-school west-coast mob more than the haze-chasers, and that means it pleased me too. Nothing fancy or extreme, and definitely nothing silly. Gotta love those classy double IPAs.

Their round two offering is Mr Blue Sky, promising Nelson, Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe, at 7% ABV. I thought this one would be pale, but no, it's yet another orange one. No DDH fluffiness here: the aroma is an invigorating kick of aniseed and diesel, followed by a herbal intensity in the flavour, very much Nelson's minerality but minus the white-grape juice that usually softens the blow. I like the kick. The finish is quite quick, offering a brief buzz of dankness and lemon rind. There's a certain unfiltered roughness to the mouthfeel which I think would be better if polished more, though I also wouldn't want to risk filtering out those lovely hops. Overall, it's unusual but very tasty. We could all do with more Nelson in our lives.

Some fun has been has with hops here, and there's lots to learn if one is so inclined. My takeaway hop knowledge is: saison, no; west-coast, yes, east-coast, maybe. Rules to live by, I think you'll agree.