CoolHead look

Today's random exotic picks from the off licence are all by the Helsinki brewery CoolHead.

They wear their hearts on their sleeves with an IPA called Best Coast Forever, overtly claiming affiliation with the bitter west-coast style and using classic US hops of Simcoe, Centennial and Mosaic. All that said, it is a most unAmerican 5% ABV, and poured rather murky, so can't boast the pin-bright gold or amber of the style's classic examples. The haze adds a level of fuzz to the mouthfeel, making it seem quite heavy. After an initial flash of sharp lime and grapefruit, it settles out to a more chewy and sedate sort of beer, its cereal heft more similar to how English IPA behaves. Similarly, the initial hop rush becomes becalmed quite quickly, softening from raw pith to sweetened marmalade. I don't know that I would have claimed American credentials for it, but it is an enjoyable beer; spritzy and cleansing in a way that's very out of fashion for IPA at the moment, but much missed.

The ABV increases to a pokier 6.5% for the next one, called Nova. They say this is a "modern" take on west-coast IPA, because the Idaho 7 hops were added in DynaBoost™ and Cryo forms, in addition to Simcoe and Mosaic. Does that make it a better beer? This one is paler but still a little hazed up. There's less of a hop flavour, and I'm sure that wasn't the intention from using the proprietary tech. What's there is a dry, rasping grapefruit rind effect. It's quite abrasive and, despite the extra strength, there's no extra malt to help soften the smack. This definitely does have an authentic west-coast feel, and is particularly akin to the sharper and paler examples -- I was never as much of a fan of those. Although it's clean, the hop oils do sit on the tongue somewhat, giving it a long finish and aftertaste of dank resins. I hope the vocabulary of this review is pressing the buttons of any west coast aficionados reading, because this is very much in their wheelhouse, even if I found it a smidge too overweening.

I needed a palate-cleanser after that, and CoolHead is offering me a "nordic sour" with Ginger Sour. All of these three were consumed al fresco on a warm day, and I thought this one in particular was aimed at such a context. It's only 4% ABV but pours a dense-looking carrot-juice orange. It smells of bready ginger cake, and the sourness makes itself felt in the foretaste: tangy, acidic, and just stopping short of harsh. The ginger arrives in shortly afterwards, and it's the raw, shredded sort found in Chinese cookery as it's practised round my way. The mixture of tartness and spice works rather well, both providing their own sort of invigorating scrub for the palate and throat. Like the first IPA, it is surprisingly robustly textured, a sugar weight making it taste a bit like Canada Dry-type ginger ale, where there's a generous amount of sugar accompanying the spice. I wouldn't say that this is the light refresher I was expecting. Instead, it's more of a full-on culinary experience, to be sipped and savoured. It's nicely done.

The sour one was my favourite of those three, though I was charmed by the first IPA and challenged pleasantly by the second. CoolHead may not always brew beer to my taste, but they're always well-made and interesting.