Ascension - HBC 638

Can from the brewery’s online shop. Hazy golden body with a white head that holds well. No visible carbonation. Faint lacing. Aroma of green banana, pine, white candy sticks and underripe pineapple. Flavour of grapefruit, peach and white grape with a peppery hop finish. Medium body with a smooth texture. Soft fizz. Hoppy and fruity.

5th October 2022 Can. After enjoying the Kernel Pale Ale HBC638, where to next? Well this makes sense. A hazy orange gold beer with a small pale cream colour head. Nose is an enticing fruit cocktail, too complex to pick apart but definitely more on the tropical side. Light palate, mildly dry, good fine minerally carbonation. Smooth malts, a thin creamy sweetness that is very slightly milky. The HBC638 hops are a notch above the Kernel PA in intensity here. Strawberry and melon still obvious but much less sweet than Kernel. Soft melon on the back end along with mango, mild pineapple, soft pine and a good nip of hop spice. Just a trace of cherry here, more obvious in the Kernel PA. This IPA brings out the mango though. Banana? Nah! Finishes crisp and spicy. This is a very good new hop and would combine well with many others imho. Really well delivered here by Vocation.