The parent trap

Co-option of local vernacular is one of the best things about microbrewing, a fun way to learn about other cultures and to give a shout-out to one's own, via the medium of an endless parade of samey hazy IPAs. Today's pair is from Bullhouse in Belfast, and the branding couldn't be more Belfast if they'd put two yellow cranes on the cans and filled them with concentrated scorching sarcasm.

According to the label, Yer Ma, is "big and juicy". It's 8% ABV and an opaque shade of orange. The aroma goes a bit beyond juicy, into sweet orange cordial. In the flavour, that's confined to the aftertaste, though what goes before it isn't great. The first impression is heat: a slightly solvent-like blue-flame burn. A bitter and herbal savoury quality fills out the middle before the sticky fruit returns: cordial, but maybe a little nuanced peach and pineapple too, if you look closely. I'm aware that asking for cleanness from a hazy double IPA can sound like I don't understand the style, but it is possible and plenty of breweries can do it, even in Ireland. This tastes like an effort from seven or eight years ago when Irish breweries were still getting the hang of the new beer-world order. I found Yer Ma to be overly hefty and a bit unpleasantly dangerous.

Much like your actual ma, I hoped for better things from Yer Da. "Big and bitter" says the label, so west coast, then? There are oats in the grist, so perhaps not purely so. Once again the ABV is 8%, and it is a little clearer than the previous, though a similar orange colour. The aroma isn't sweet, but nor is it anything else, really, suggesting citrus without actually delivering much. It's all rather dialled-down and quiet, in fact, tasting of jaffa orange rind or marmalade shred, on a dry cracker or breadcrust malt base. I would never have guessed the strength because it's not sending heat or any other types of flavour intensity. Yer Da is a bit boring. I had expected something much more assertive, and was all set for lashings of pine and grapefruit. None of it materialised. It's clean and inoffensive, but who wants inoffensive from a double IPA of any stripe?

I'll admit, they got me. I loved the names, and there was no way I could possibly have bought only one of these beers: as a pair they're inseparable. Made for each other. I was happy to be done with them, however. Get out as early as you can, and don't have any kids yourself.