26 February 2022. At Bar Beenhouwer, Ghent. Cheers to Anke, Ama Deke & Linda!

Cloudy ochre, lime sorbet, ripe peach, papaya, vague passion fruit, soy milk. Taste has sweet peach & papaya, bitter grapefruit & mandarin peel, bit zesty over sorbetty maltiness. Floral hoppy finish, somewhat spicy-yeasty, still quite juicy yet also pithy on the tropical fruits. Medium body, slick texture, average carbonation. Solid NEIPA.

New England IPA by what is one of the most progressive and interesting craft breweries in Wales at the moment, a name almost as familiar as fellow countryman Tiny Rebel. Snow white, creamy, membrane-lacing, stable head, cloudy apricot blonde robe with almost salmon-pinkish tinge somehow. Aroma of orange blossom and lemon orchard, unripe mango, green banana, guava, lime zest, fresh dough, milk, pink peppercorns, dank sweaty note. Sweetish onset with subtle sourish edge, hints of apricot, green mango and kiwi, medium carbonation, creamy body; doughy malts soaked in aromatic hoppiness, varying between green melon, guava, lime and mango peel, but also adding a nice grapefruity bitterness at the back – a key criterion in NEIPA for me, in spite of the attempts many brewers of the style make to completely eliminate it. I think at least a dash of peppery bitterness is needed to keep things in balance and to improve drinkability so this is a very well-made NEIPA in my book.