There's no particular story behind this one, beyond that I was in Lidl, noticed an unfamiliar beer in their Hatherwood own-brand range, and bought it.It's a session IPA called Hop Hunter, and no actual provenance is given, though the internet suggests that Marston's satellite brewery Ringwood is responsible. At 4.4% ABV it's lighter than any of the previous Hatherwood efforts I've tried. Would it deliver the promised full and zesty citrus flavours on that?
The appearance definitely wasn't very exciting: a still and clear amber colour, looking processed and lifeless. There's a strong lemon aroma, but again it's artificial, overly sweet and suggesting stickiness to come. And it comes. There's a Lucozade-like sugariness with the same fake-fruit mix on top. It's not awful, but it's not the easy-drinking refresher it ought to be. A very English tannic smoothness does aid the drinkability a little, though it also adds more than a hint of twiggy brown bitter to the picture.
There was only a slim chance that I had discovered gold in the beer aisle of Lidl, a previously overlooked gem. Instead this is bang-average budget fare, sort-of but not quite delivering both classic English attributes and new-world hop punch. Its place is in a big bucket of ice at the barbecue, and even then don't be surprised when it's the last beer left.
