Moon Dog / Beer Here Freaks & Geeks

I've had this twice now (first review was sadly lost) and both times for some reason I expect it to come out a red sort of colour - instead it's pretty dark brown / black almost, a hue that means business at a substantial 7.6%.

Also having managed to miss the photo the first time I lined it up with the subtle backing notes of an old crappy microwave this time around. Beer photography awards here we come.

This is a mash-up brew between Moon Dog and Beer Here with all the craziness that entails. There's dark wheat, peat, rye, and oats on the label for just a start, all tied together with farmhouse yeast which makes its presence felt immediately on the aroma along with a slight berry sort of note. It's pretty funky and complex. Pleasing.

Taste wise too this is good stuff - layers of flavour, and I find the peat malt a nice accent to the other notes. I quite like the way it interacts with that funky yeasty character.. you get the feeling it's settled, deliberate and somehow balanced, in a pretty out there sort of way.

Overall not something I'd go out of my way for - but another interesting, flavoursome drop that's well worth a bash. Or two. 7.5

Beer Here Hopfix

Have to say first up, what a great label. He's just saying what we're all thinking..

Aaaaaaaah..

Where were we? Ah yes, hops. Our gentle lords and saviours. This beer delivers them in a format that speaks immediately of rye additions alongside the inevitable US hop aromas. Quite noticeable sediment, though it is not intrusive.

Taste-wise this fits in with the 'pleasant' rather than 'destructive' school of hop-bombing, easing 6.5% of Sunday morning come down juices into you without ever getting all up in your face about it. It's a pretty chilled dude, very green, more about the herbs than the abrasive bitterness y'know, why can't we all just get along?

Which could all get a bit boring if it were underspecced, but I feel the rye just gives it enough character to be that bit more than alleyway hop water. Well thought out and yet cruisy at the same time. 7.5

Brewfist & Beer Here Caterpillar Pale Ale

BREW FIST! Oh, and Beer Here. And they've made a beer, together as it turns out.

It's a slightly lackluster pour out of the bottle, but settled with a good light hue and quite a delicious complex smell despite the lack of head. It's certainly an APA from the nose, but one with a bit of added fairy floss and spice notes going on there also. Things are looking good.

Things remain pretty pleasing when you have a sip too - this is up there with the best APAs on record as it is both true to style, and compelling throughout. Malt, hops and spice are working here in concert to produce a lovely rounded mouthful that smacks of depth and complexity in a class where sometimes it can be a bit lacking. 5.8% is a good mark for a beer like this too. It's a beer that wants to be your friend and make you happy.

This smacks of being an excellent sessionable yet interesting beer, and that in itself leads me to my only regret - a carton of this stuff would set you back far too much in this country to be practicable. Perhaps Italy is nice this time of year? 8.0

Beer Here Lupulus APA

From the growler no less!

Like the rest of the world (seemingly) I've been on a bit of an IPA bender of late and as such have lost a bit of enthusiasm for the world of 'normal' pale ales. Wasn't really looking forward to this one that much to be honest, at just 4.7% it all pointed toward a very bland experience. But then..

Biscuity sort of nose on this, then a bit of fruit / stone fruit hops - very nice indeed, and indeed that same profile comes through on the taste. It's pretty much all you want in an APA for me - mouthfeel nice and fresh out of the growler and a well balanced progression of flavours that renders it highly drinkable through the pint and indeed beyond.

A malt driven beer, this is not explosive but it is a fine, fine beer and a paragon of the style. I'm starting to wish I went to the event while the brewer from Beer Here was in town.. 8.5