Tiny maverick operator

Larkin's has done another rebrand and this time we're going with bespectacled anthropomorphic animals. OK then.

New in the line-up is a session IPA called Tiny. It's not all that tiny by these standards, an even 4% ABV. In the glass it's pale and lightly hazy, smelling pleasantly of fresh mango and mandarin. It follows that by being sweetly juicy on the palate with all the same fruits. A buzz of sherbety baking-soda minerality finishes it off. There's no real bitterness and quite an abrupt finish, but for what it is, it absolutely works. The base is as light as expected but by no means thin -- thanks again, oats. Writing that took half the glass and for the other I just enjoyed drinking it, for it is very much a drinking beer, one of unfussy good quality. Enjoy Little Fawn but would like it in bigger cans? Hello.

Despite the clarity, Tiny's label claimed it's "east coast" but the subsequent IPA in the series is definitely in the east coast style. This is Maverick, and Larkin's isn't the first Irish brewer to put a goose on the label of a beer called Maverick in a hilarious Top Gun call back. Theirs has a hat though. The beer is 5.3% ABV and properly murky. There's a decent amount of fruit in here, more citrus than tropical however, but there's also a nasty dry poppyseed savoury thing which overrides it. It's a full-bodied and warm, tasting like more than its 5.3% ABV. I perceive a very marked contrast between this and the previous one, in that it's just not as good, and I don't think that's solely because of my preferences -- the hops sing better in Tiny, and that can't be faked.

The next one is a re-brew. Operator was a Larkin's pilsner back in 2019. Now they've repurposed the name for something just called "lager", at 4.75% ABV because those louts need that second decimal place. Larkin's started out as a lager brewery so I expected this to be good, and it looks great: clear and golden and sparkling. The aroma is classically German -- bittersweet, herbal and grassy. The body is rounded and the flavour is peachy with red apple first before reverting back to the classic German attributes, all red cabbage, rocket and basil. Despite the apparent sparkle, the mouthfeel is smooth, making this another full-bodied one. As such, it exudes classy lager vibes -- a bigger character than a sub-5% strength would suggest, almost shading to the bock or Märzen zone -- but lovely smooth and flavourful drinking. If the brewery is going to go resurrecting old lager recipes I loudly request the Baltic porter next.

I wish Larkin's luck with its new look. It's striking and fun and all the things can art is supposed to be. That IPA ought to find its fanbase, it just isn't me today. The other two are much more what I'm after and I'd happily make them regulars if they stick around.