It’s not red. Or is it? What at first seems like another easy classification as a black IPA gets mighty confused when you hold it up to the light because, yes, there’s definitely redness there. And as there would be because the recipe is based very loosely on the West Coast USA style Red Ale, tweaked and nudged until it’s arguably become Six String’s signature beer. The red colour here comes from rich caramel and chocolate malts, which also give off a contrasting creamy white head. Once you’ve stopped looking at it and get it close to your face, you’ll get the hops, hops, hops. They’ve been added late in the brewing process; at the end of the boil, in the whirlpool and dry hopping during fermentation. Yet, despite the heavy hopping regime, between those big malts and the big hops it’s a balanced beer. You could argue it keeps its balance a little too well. At 6.6 per cent ABV, you might even say it sneaks up on you.