Big can energy

Lancashire brewery Rivington is a new one to me. I don't know if they've made much headway in their time in Ireland so far, as this pair were rescued from the Craft Central bargain bin, a few days past their best-before date.

The one that caught my eye as I perusing said bin was Struck Me Down, described as a farmhouse pale ale. Intriguing. It's a hazy pale yellow in the glass, with a fine white head. There's a pleasant kick of lemon zest from the aroma, but I think it hasn't otherwise been well served by time. I believe I'm within my rights to expect more zest from the flavour, but if it was there originally, it's gone now. Instead, it's dry and savoury, with a crunch of sesame seed up front. There's tiny pinch of citrus in the middle, and then a different sort of savouriness -- a briney salinity. It's all a bit severe, and drinking it was an effort, which shouldn't be the case for any beer at 4.6% ABV. The farmhouse side of the spec is all dry and earthy, lacking any fun fruit or funk. I had high hopes for this, but whether it was the recipe or the extended storage time, it didn't live up to them.

That had me worried about the follow-up: Never Known Fog Like It. I just liked the name, but this turns out to be the brewery's flagship, and received particular praise from Katie a few years back. Well, let's see how it works a week after the expiry date. It's a cheery bright yellow/orange colour, fully opaque, with a thick and lasting head. The aroma is quite bitter and piney, which makes sense as traditionally bitter hops Simcoe, Chinook and Citra are all included, alongside Mosaic. Despite looking thick, it's actually quite light, and the easy-going texture reflects its modest 5.2% ABV. The flavour is quite a simple one, but delicious. It's pretty much all mandarin, and all of the mandarin: the peel, the pith, the flesh and the juice, sweet and tangy with a tiny bite of acidity. There's a hint of the green pine from the aroma too, but barely noticeable and easily ignored. This can seems to have weathered much better than its stablemate, and the beer is still very enjoyable. It reminds me of another brewery's flagship: Trouble Brewing Ambush, one which similarly puts high-end New England characteristics in sinkable pint form.

The final score from Rivington is a 1-1 draw. Perhaps my favourite feature of the beers was that both came in 50cl cans, which just feels more satisfying to handle and to drink than the usual 44. I'm not in a big rush to explore more of their wares, but I'll make a point of getting fresher ones when I do.