To Øl / Mikkeller Sleep Over Coffee IIPA

A mouthwatering combination brew here between young start-up To Øl and their past master Mr Mikkeller himself.

As mentioned previously, coffee plus IPA just sounds like a brilliant combo to me, though I'm yet to be wowed by one. This of course ups the stakes - at a remarkable 10.5% it's well and truly in imperial territory.

It's good looking too, heavy amber colour and strong lasting head. Aroma is just what you'd want here, malt driven, hops not evident to allow the coffee character to shine through. It's double percolated coffee castoff style aromas here rather than fresh beans but it works in nicely with that malt backbone.

Delicious malty imperial flavours up front, which meld into a lovely coffee finish. Despite its mighty heft, there is no alcoholic bang to it - instead it is smooth as you like, and delicious. It's hard to call it a definitive IIPA as such as the hops are bit-part players, but the label does acknowledge that it is the hybrid spawn of a strong ale / barleywine / IIPA and to me, I'd prefer to see boundaries broken for the sake of the beer experience rather than slavish adherence to styles.

All in all great beer: a concept proven. Any beer that has me looking forward to trying it again like this one has to be highly recommended. 9.0

Yeastie Boys + Lobethal Bierhaus Bruce

I have to admit I looked at the 3.5% abv on the menu with some disdain before ordering this one.

It came with a recommendation though and I'm glad I picked it up - great nose from the outset really lifts the spirits with both hops and barley present and accounted for. Nice caramel character there too.

Flavour-wise it's malt driven for the most part with some sweet cotton candy sort of notes. Slightly overcarbed I felt, but then for its aim of a low alc beer that's maybe not a bad thing. There's enough hop bitterness to push it over the norm for a bitter and crank up the interest level to something pretty good.

This is up there with Rogers and a couple others in quite rare territory at present: a mild beer that you actually want to drink. Good stuff. 7.5

Birra del Borgo & Dogfish Head My Antonia

Another team effort here - so, successful collaboration? Or disjointed aberration?

Let us first take a look at the label, shall we? Un'emozione luppolata continuamente per 60 minuti. Which, to my expert Italian mind, means basically it's a Dogfish Head beer given their ongoing fascination with continuous hopping over n minutes. Only it's not an IPA - it's an imperial lager.

This effort smells like fresh cooked biscuits, with a bit of a maple syrupy edge to boot. It's 7.5% abv, and pours a good if cloudy honey coloured body with a nice thin finger of lasting head. Good beer this - starts out with a refreshing bitter presence which ushers in the inevitable biscuity malts to follow. Happily, there's a balancing kick of spice at the end to ensure you don't start craving a glass of milk with it half way through. Well balanced, smacks of quality brewing throughout, very well done.

Would drink again for sure - appears eminently sessionable (ie not too sweet) and a well balanced example of a punchy, flavoursome style. 8.0

[Nøgne Ø / 8 Wired / Renaissance] Ø for Awesome Imperial Amber Ale

Well, it's certainly wrapped up the longest title on the record for a start.

First impressions are great too - the dull bone head and brown, amber tinged ale body heighten expectation of something special here. Nose is slightly hot but otherwise more or less what it says on the tin: dark imperial amber malts and muted fruit backing.

Initial reaction on tasting is that it comes across like a cross between a barleywine and a solid fruity brown ale. A bit of caramel develops in the mid body as it warms before it delivers a quite strong bitter fruit finish. There's a constant and competent backing bassline of malting and alc throughout.

This beer is intensely flavoursome and interesting, but somehow just a little spiky in places which limits it from either drinking with great glee, or in great amounts. I get the feeling this was close to utter brilliance - not a great surprise given the quality of the brewers involved. 7.5