I recently ordered a mixed case from Ales4you (the online shop of Coppers8till8 in Newcastle).
I asked for a bunch of local-ish beers and this is the first one I’ve opened.
Oh man, what a way to start.
This is really something else.
I opened it first because I love the label – Modern, tasteful, well designed.
On flipping the lovely green cap I was met by a delicious smell of my childhood.
This beer smells of corner shop sweets, it’s full of Opel Fruits (Starburst for our younger readers) and Tropical Fruit chews.
I spent a minute just sniffing and then I took a big mouthful.
The first thing I was treated to was a big friendly runny honey, full of toffee and followed quickly by toasted sesame seeds, shortcake biscuits and wholemeal bread.
So far so good right?
Can’t get better right?
Oh, it can.
The hopping in this beer is enormous.
The label says, “bags and bags of whole leaf hops at every stage”, and they’re not kidding.
The hops are so forceful that they’re HOT in your mouth.
Green and fresh and tangy, and bursting with lemon and lime sharpness, lychee dryness, orange  rind pithiness, peppercorn spice and a squirt of grapefruit juice right in your eye, the finish goes on and on into the distance.
Next time I might just order a case of this.