Incredible balance of funk and grape notes. Now if they can just package their barleywines and strong ales in reasonable sized bottles...

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Not what I was expecting… Fonts Flora Lake James Rind Lager Beer 3.8% Crystal clear gold with fast-dissipating fizzy foam. My first sniff had me thinking grapefruit but then I realized it had HUGE lime aroma. Apparently, it’s made with heritage corn, watermelon (undetectable at first), fresh lime and tajin (some kind of lime/chili sauce). Medium bodied with a very dry finish. The taste is loads of lime giving it lots of acidity. After a bit you get use to the mild chili and can actually get quite a bit of watermelon. Very summery, very interesting but I cracked this open looking for a clean straightforward crushable lager. Really interesting take on a Mexican lager with deft use of watermelon.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

On tap at The Rake, Borough Market. Hazy orange pour with a white head. Nose is orange marmalade, apricot, peach, papaya. Taste is zesty orange, grapefruit, apricot jam, peach. Very dry. Tart fruity malarkey.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Almost forgot about sharing this one till Shig remembered. Very late in the tasting. 375ml bottle. Cloudy, frothy, white washed pour. Sour watermelon, yellow cherry, irritating white grape acid in my nose. Apricot-y, lightly vinous, sour fruit, endless twang, hard bittersweet bite. No obvious funk. Tasty. k

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle thanks to MicroGrog: Poured an unclear to straw yellow with a white ring head. Aroma is funky, fruity, grape husk, oak, vinous. Taste is tart, fruity, acid, grape husk, apricot.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Keg at 73 Enid Street, 31/07/24. Moderately hazed marmalade orange with an off white cap that thins to a swirl. Nose is funk, herb, tangy citric zest, sharp lemon, green berry must. Taste comprises dusty hay, green and red berry mulch, funk, straw, lemon rind, herb, hedgerow. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, drying close with a balanced puckering bite. Solid well balanced sour.

A hazed golden ale with very thin white head. In aroma, sweet fruity malt with light ground cherry, light lactic notes, light buttery notes, pleasant. In mouth, a nice tart mix of ground cherry, light lactic notes, light buttery notes, pleasant and rich. On tap at Venti’s.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

16oz can pours a dark black, creamy off white head. Looks the part. Tight. Smoke and malt. Creamy finish. Really well made. 7 4 7 4 14

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

750mL bottle. Pours black with minimal beige head. Aroma has bourbon, wood, coffee, almonds, marshmallow. Mouthfeel is pretty thick. Flavour has bourbon, vanilla, marshmallow. Very intense, not exactly coordinated, but also not a punch in the mouth. Enjoyable to drink.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Dark brown, inky, no head. The aroma has a lot of elements, hazelnut, almond, coffee, coconut. It's relatively thick, and again lots of elements competing. It's not that it doesn't come together, it's just that some elements come out well and some do nut. There's bitterness from the cassia, there's hazelnuts, and there's a little coconut and vanilla. I won't sweat the missing pieces, just liking the alcohol splash in the finish, and a decent base to carry the adjuncts.