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Pompelmocello IPA – ABV 6.0%

The team at Siren say their objective with Pompelmocello was to make a beer as grapefruit tasting as possible. We think they nailed it; beers just don’t come more citrusy than this.

Aroma: Sharp, nonintoxicating sweet and naturally bursting with citrus

Taste: It delivers on extremes of sour and sharp, yet is so drinkable you could almost overlook the alcohol content and swap it out for a morning breakfast juice.

Verdict: Interested in sour beers but don’t know where to start? Start here.

Food Pairing: The sharp, sour flavours go perfectly with salty fried food. Drink it with a bag of good quality pork scratchings or crisps.

Brave New World IPA – ABV 7.0%

This is everything we love in a good IPA; lots of pithy grapefruit and pine on the nose, followed by big bittersweetness balanced out with tropical fruit flavour and and that classic pine-resin note, finished off with a long hit of pine bitterness.

Ryesing Tides Rye IPA – ABV 7%

Citrus and tropical fruit, including grapefruit and tangerine American hops, zing over the top of spicy rye and a malty toffee base in this seasonal IPA.

Look: Pours gold and hazy with a thin white head that quickly vanishes.

Aroma:  Pineapple, grapefruit and peach with just a hint of spice the rye.

Taste: There is a velvety smooth mouthfeel and an explosion of pine, grapefruit and tangerine against a toffee caramel body – again with an accent of spice the rye.

Food pairing: Try pairing this beer with a scotch egg. The tropical hop profile works really well with the salty crispy outer, and the spice of the rye is a lovely contrast with the creaminess of the egg.

Sandanista! IPA – ABV 7.4%

A crisp, dry IPA with loads of bitterness an “avalanche” of eight hops such as Apollo and Ahtanum, plus zesty lime, orange and juicy mango and pineapple.

Look: Sandinista pours dark golden and slightly hazy with a pillowy white head.

Aroma: Lime, mango and pineapple and bitter notes

Taste: Adding to the tones the aroma you also get pine needles and zesty orange peel.

Verdict: This is lovely, crisp, easy drinker with a huge hop burst said ‘avalanche’ – which includes Citra, Centennial, Crystal, Cascade, Bobek, Summit, Apollo and Ahtanum.

Dag & Dauw IPA with Bergamot – ABV 7.1%

Dag & Dauw, De Molen’s seasonal IPA with bergamot is subtly perfumed and beautifully citrusy with sweet lime, pine and refreshing grapefruit crispness.

Look: Dag & Dauw – translation ‘Day & Dew’ – pours a hazy brown in the glass

Aroma: Notes like a citrusy IPA with lime and a touch of perfume.

Taste: There’s pine, grapefruit and peach the hops, with a creamy malt body and more of that perfume the bergamot.

Verdict: It would be easy to overdo the perfume in a beer like this, but De Molen have got the balance just right. So if you thought bergamot was something you only found in hotel toiletries, its time to think again.

Great Eastern IPA – ABV 7.4%

This IPA has a malt-packed menu including Maris Otter, which is balanced by the dry bitterness of late hopping and the tropical juiciness of a paradise island.

Look: Similar to the colouring of the bottle’s label, this pours a lively hazy orange with a thin, just off-white head.

Nose: The aroma is driven by chinook, columbus and nugget hops to give tropical fruits: citrus, pineapple, grapefruit, with hints of pine and some background floral and fruity malt notes.

Taste: More complex than your average an IPA, as coconut joins the juicy tropical paradise party – dare I say I even detect a rum warmth in the alcoholic mouthfeel. Long, slightly dry bitter coating finish and intriguing earthy character.

Verdict: Just like my favorite type of Caribbean party, this leaves you with memories of tropical fruits and takes a long time to finish.

Eternal Infinity India Pale Ale – ABV 7.4%

A tropical, hoppy drinkable IPA the Leeds brewery team, this is an amplified version of their World Beer Cup award-winning session IPA, Eternal.

Look: Golden yellow and hazy with a creamy off-white head. Great lacing and fine carbonation.

Aroma: Tropical fruits – mango, orange and grapefruit – plus hoppy accents and notes of pine.

Taste: Hoppy bitterness and lots of citrus zing; some caramel the malts and tropical fruit sweetness underneath. Finish is crisp and hoppy bitterness and pine freshness.

Verdict: Eternal Infinity is not just the name of this brew; it’s the number of them we want to drink.

Patrons Project 6.01: Hazemaker IPA – ABV 7.4%

Northern Monk and Deya and Verdant in one collaboration? Tempting. Amarillo, Simcoe and Columbus hops make this IPA fresh, fruity, punchy and hazy. Go figure.

Look: Hazy amber-gold colour, with a small lasting cream-coloured head and fine carbonation.

Aroma: Tropical fruits – orange, mango and pineapple – punctuated with nice Amarillo hoppiness and a zing of spices.

Taste: More mango and zesty orange, crisp and dry with some malt and subtle creaminess. Light, sweet finish and medium bodied.

Verdict: This IPA is a knockout (tropical fruit) punch.

Frank & Vrij IPA – ABV 6.9%

With more tropical fruits than you can shake a palm branch at, this “Vermont IPA-ish” has mango, peach, and pineapple notes and a satisfying alcohol warmth.

Look: Golden-amber with a lasting white head and low carbonation.

Aroma: Bursting with tropical fruits: pineapple, orange and passionfruit.

Taste: Even more tropical fruits, as above plus peach and mango, backed up on a bed of creamy malt and caramel. Medium-bodied with slight bitterness and some boozy warmth in the finish.

Verdict: Sweet and creamy and layer upon layer of fruit. I’ll be Frank: this is a belting IPA.

Guardian of Peace – ABV 7%

Juicy tropical fruit the bold American hops with a gentle tingling finish, this unfined IPA celebrates the “light side of the force”.

Look:  Deep golden amber and hazy with a medium white head.

Aroma: Loads of orange marmalade and grapefruit with accents of bitter pine.

Taste: Starting sweet and punchy with apricot and orange, moving into a lingering rich bitterness. Medium smooth body with soft-medium carbonation and tingling finish that hints at the booziness without detracting the drinkability.

Verdict: Surprisingly rich without yielding on juicy fruity notes or drinkability, this Guardian can look after us any time.