Hop and change

Today I'm catching up with my late winter beers from The White Hag, all in hop-forward styles, as is the brewery's wont.

The first is Swell, claiming to be no more than a classic American-style pale ale, but casually dropping that it's also brewed with "HyperBoost™", a science-fiction sounding name for Citra hop extract. It's not a shortcut, it's an enhancement, honest. The beer certainly looks classic: the beautiful rose-gold colour of pale ales from a more civilised age, and flawlessly clear, of course. We're back in the 21st century with the aroma, which is more juicy than bitter; suggesting soft peach and cantaloupe. In the flavour, the bitterness is quite restrained, emerging only in the late finish, alongside a slightly oily burn. Before that, things stay sunny and tropical, giving me mango, pineapple and more of that melon. In fact, it has a lot in common with the brewery's fab flagship Little Fawn, which is a surprise as it's both stronger, at 5.2% ABV, and darker too. Still, I'm absolutely not complaining -- this is lovely. Maybe lacking in the punch of good ol' APA, but with plenty of clean tropical fun to make up for it.

I expected that to be the better of this pair, because it's a red IPA next, and they rarely float my proverbial. The Fox is another clear one, which was more of a surprise than it should have been, and is a beautiful chestnut red. It doesn't smell dark, exuding lots of spicy, peppery hops, like sandalwood or incense. Even though it's a full 6.5% ABV, the flavour is more muted than I'd hoped for: still hop forward, though not in any assertive way. Red IPAs tend to be harsh and unbalanced, but this one is a little on the blander side. Resin is the primary flavour, accompanied by a mild summer fruit vibe: strawberry and raspberry. The spice in the aroma arrives late and is gritty and bitty, coating dark toasted grain crumbs. That's enjoyable, and I like how it keeps the malt's caramels in check. So, it's drinkable, and even somewhat fun, but still not entirely to my taste, turning a little astringent once the hop kick fades. Props for making a style that nobody else bothers with, however.

Finally, a shout-out to Brian who had cans of Baby Duck in his fridge when I called round to raid it a few weeks ago. Well, it was his birthday. This 4.8% ABV pale ale was brewed in collaboration with the P. Mac's pub chain, and has the first bit of haze we've seen today: a pale yellow translucency. That it's designed primarily for pub drinking is apparent from quite an understated flavour, low on bitterness and with very accessible peach and mango notes. Like the beer up top, it has a deal in common with Little Fawn, although it lacks the token hop bite of that one. There's no real follow-through in the flavour: one mouthful leads to the next and nothing builds as it goes. That approach has its place, but I would have liked a measure or two more complexity, starting with some proper bitterness. As is, it runs the risk of blandness.

It took a bit of work to be properly critical of these. The White Hag knows how to make clean and tasty hop-forward beers, and isn't shy about keeping new ones coming, it seems.