Who do you brew?

Today it's a big bunch of beers from the busy beavers of Bluebell, churning out cans for all-comers, it seems.

The parade of cuckoos begins with Otterbank, and the second iteration of Mates Rates tart session IPA, this time with Citra. The hop is very distinctive, that lime-rind kick is prevalent in both the aroma and foretaste. It's still subtle though, and isn't allowed take over completely. There's an unexpected lemonade sweetness in the taste: fresh and zesty, matching well with a cleansing fizz. The finish is quite quick, and I thought that even at only 4.9% ABV there should be more going on in this. It's a little one-dimensional, though: unchallenging and built for the session.

Said session continues with Mates Rates Mosaic. There's an unsettling dry and savoury aroma here: caraway seed and rye cracker. I don't like when Mosaic does this. Thankfully there's very little sign of that in the flavour. This is another quite subtle one with a mild stonefruit taste next to the minimalist tartness. I had hoped for more of the juiciness you get when Mosaic is on song. These Mates Rates could do with a bit of a hop boost if they're going to make the varieties a central feature. With Citra you can get away with being economical but that won't work for everything.

From TwoSides next, Hazy On A Sunny Afternoon required specific conditions to be in place before opening. This is a light pale ale of 4.3% ABV and, with the sun behind it, it is indeed a sunny shade of hazy yellow. The fluff gives it plenty of texture; no danger of thinness here. I was expecting lots of tropical fruit but it goes for the bittering first, a kick of grapefruit and lemon peel in the opener, presaged by the same in the aroma, with a slight savoury edge as well. Just when it seems like that's going to be the whole picture, there's a gently juicy layer of mango and cantaloupe in the aftertaste. This is nothing fancy; it's designed to be refreshing and drinkable, and it delivers exactly that. The decision to go bitter was the correct one.

Beer name of the year so far is another TwoSides job: Now That's What I Call Mosaic. It's a 6% ABV IPA, pale and slightly hazy, and quite a chore to pour, with an inconvenient amount of head forming. Eventually I got it under control and it's rather decent. Not the tropical explosion I was hoping for, but neither the caraway disaster of Mosaic-gone-wrong. It's broadly sweet but dry too, like a refreshing cup of lemon tea. The alcohol gives it lovely rounded mouthfeel, though it's also squeaky clean and quite sinkable. There's a bit of a pale English bitter feel, which is no bad thing -- it certainly feels like one of those more than anything American. Maybe, given the name, a bit more hop welly would be good, but it's decent stuff on its own merit; no complaints here.

More branding genius comes from Fat Walrus next. I love the artwork on Amuse the Muse, taking its inspiration from "muse" being the origin of the word "mosaic", and that once again being the hop in focus here. It's 5.4% ABV and a translucent orange colour. The Mosaic is impeccably behaved, a deliciously juicy peach and mango opener leads on to a refreshing tea-like dryness. It's quaffable but also with just the right amount of substance to be satisfying too, a low level of carbonation engendering happy thoughts of the pub. A bang-up job by the portly pinniped.

Crafty Bear writes a big cheque with the name of its chocolate milk stout Full Stout Ahead. It walks the walk at 7.5% ABV with a big and creamy texture. The carbonation is down to a gentle sparkle, giving it a nitro-like smoothness. So far so good. The flavour is also full, but I found it pulling in different directions. On the one hand you have the milky milk chocolate sweetness which also features in the aroma and is fully appropriate to this sort of thing. However, it's also hella bitter: that sharp and tarry vegetal thing which, for me, is usually the hallmark of a serious, grown-up and delicious stout, but it doesn't work in this one, clashing dramatically with the other side. The end result is rather acrid and difficult. There are some lovely elements here, but together? Sorry, no.

I do get a slight impression that Third Barrel saves the big hop doses for its own beers, though if you're looking for something hazy and sessionable brewed for you, it's definitely the place to go.