Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet 1.5 Double Black IPA

This one glowers amber in the light .. looks a bit light possibly for a double black, but right on the money at 10% abv.

I can't say i was overly looking forward to this one, maybe it's something about the branding leading me to not take these guys too seriously. One whiff of the nose though and any misgivings are soon addressed:  this is a serious complex malt bandit tending toward imperial stout character. Coffee is evident there along with other roasty notes - good stuff.

Taste wise for 75% of the mouthful you're thinking 'lovely light-bodied imperial stout' but then you're assaulted by a late burst of big pungent hops courtesy of a double dry-hopping of reliable trio Columbus, Cascade and Amarillo. It's definitely justified as a Black IPA despite the body, which is a pretty fair achievement for mine. They have managed to produce distinct elements of each beer while also tying it all in together with a tasty roast driven finish. Nice!

The appearance could perhaps be slighly better, but apart from that colour me impressed. 8.5

Pretty Things Jack D'Or Saison

Fair bit of anticipation for this one after Pretty Thingseses' auspicious debut.

This is a change of pace as a 'Saison Americaine'. At 6.5% it's perhaps on the lighter side of things for (modern) Saison and pours an indistinct orange hue with a very low slightly disappointing head.

The aroma is of orange peel first and foremost and a cast of big spice in the background. Taste pretty much follows those lines, bit of green pear there too but the mouthfeel is quite oily and without any sourness / funk / carbonation to cut through it, it gets a bit heavy. Lasting spice is a nice touch, and it does have a quenching sort of finish to slake a thirst.

I want to like this more but, while there's not a lot wrong, it's just a bit sort of standard. 7.0

Pretty Things Saint Botolph's Town

From one big brown to another - in taste at least.

For this is in fact only 6% abv, a fact belied by its authoritative flavour profile. Quite a bold beer this, tastes authentic somehow, speaks of coffee, slight roast, bit of booze, nuts, all those good things you like in a brown. The caramel aspect is not dominant and I find that rewarding.

The styling of this brewer is intriguing. If they can keep backing it up with thoughtful, quality beers like this I'll keep coming back.

I am glad I did not get the pipsqueak glass on the right. 7.5