440ml can from sophiesbeerstore.co.uk. Hazed golden orange appearance, settled pure white head. Some definite hemp, cannabis coming through on the nose. Taste sees twiggy hemp-like elements nudging into an otherwise pleasant, smooth mango-like IPA character. Not sure what benefit it brings to the beer, thankfully not too imposing. An excellent IPA otherwise though.

Strong milk stout (so with the obligatory lactose) further flavoured with vanilla, coffee and cocoa nibs, from this craft brewery in the English Tyne & Wear area. Can from Gedeelde Vreugde. Mousy, regular, greyish beige, small-bubbled, slowly opening head on a pitch black beer, showing some greyish dead yeast 'sediment' at the bottom of the glass - not usually a good sign in this type of beers. Aroma strongly beef stock cube-like, burnt toast, cold espresso, reduced game stock, damp earth, wet black chocolate bars, leather, coffee grounds, old 'jenever', dried porcini, charred walnuts, salmiak, wood ashes, charcoal, forest floor, dead tree leaves, black tea, hard caramel, stewed beef - but very little of the promised vanilla, if any at all. Sweetish onset with light fruity notes of prunes and figs as well as a sourish blackberry-like undertone, quickly surrounded by very heavy beef stock- and porcini-like umami, with even a slightly 'dirty' effect at the edges, hinting at mild and onsetting infection - as does a suspiciously spritzy carbonation effect. Full walnutty and 'unsweet' caramelly body, bitter chocolate too, toasty but holding back its bitterness a bit, leaving that to the coffee addition, which adds a spicy, aromatic bitterness working well with a spicy hop note and lingering at the back long after swallowing, yet without becoming overly dominant; light liquorice accent as well as that 'dead tree leaf' earthiness, salmiak, but the vanilla sadly remains as good as absent. Warming, 'jenever'-ish alcohol glow amidst the lingering coffee, bitter chocolate and toasted bread aspects. I have a suspicion that a mild infection is creeping in here, with a slight dirtiness and strong earthy effects, as well as additional carbonation which breaks the normal creaminess of the lactose. That said, the lactose dosage probably was not very strong here to begin with, as I get very little of the 'milky sweetness' it normally exhibits; vanilla, apparently added here at some point, is all but unnoticeable and this is regrettable, as I love a good whiff of delicate vanilla in this kind of beers. Enjoyable enough, in all, still bold and powerful as it ought to be, but not entirely satisfactory with regard to what it promises - I expected more, to be honest.

440ml can. Sweet, stingy hoppy and tropical fruity with loads of citrus, mango, grapefruit and pine. Okay, a bit heavy and sweet though.

Opaque yellow colour with thin head. Aroma and flavour have mango and peach and lots of hop bitterness. Good combination of bitter and fruity sweetness.

21st March 2020
Can. Once again, DIPAs from this brewery evaporate. This one from, rare enough that it had to come back from over the channel, from whence it had been dispatched. Pretty hazy gold beer, small pale cream colour head. Smooth light malts, a light creamy sweetness. Good pine overlays a strong and skunky savoury hop vibe. Some piney and spicy citrus, mostly orange and grapefruit. Some peel bitterness from both. Will very match appeal to those who like the the dirtier side of hops, skunky and savoury. .