That's more like it

I don't drink much beer from Danish brewery To Øl. A lot of what we get from them is hazy IPA and, through practice and diligence, I have decided that I don't really like the way they do them. In July I stumbled across the remnants of a tap takeover in Dublin pub Fidelity, which featured two beers in styles I wouldn't normally associate with To Øl. Worth a go, I reckoned.

The first is Ratio of Exchange, a collaboration with Oud Beersel which definitely bears the lambic stamp of authenticity, although only a third of the blend came from there. The rest is a To Øl wild ale and a hoppy saison. Dry and spicy geuze minerals form the foretaste, joined in the middle and end by zingy grapefruit and soft peach notes which add a modicum of modernity while still retaining that classical sour feel. One could look at this as a gimmicky effort but the blend has been done too well for that: the different elements are fully complementary and result in a 6.8% ABV beer that is both smooth and drinkable while also magnificently complex. For once I'm not wishing that the lambic had been left alone: here they've done something genuinely excellent with it.

Also on the board was Lay of the Land, a brown ale in the American way, at 5.9% ABV. This is a great style for the mix of rich and sweet coffee and chocolate, against fruity and/or bitter assertive hops. The Danes have got the balance bang-on once again, leading on mocha with an extra shot or two of espresso to dry it out and enhance the roast, and then there's a lacing of cherry and raspberry to add a mild tartness which is adequate substitute for a lack of bittering. The texture is creamy, to the point where it might get a little cloying and sticky in quantity, but one glass for sipping was highly enjoyable.

I would definitely buy more To Øl beers if they were all like this pair.