Verdant Brewing Co. - Neal Gets Things Done
It is no secret that Dan and Jack are Verdant fans. So this 6.5% IPA, hopped with Simcoe on the hot side and Citra, Mosaic and Nelly S on the cold side is surely going to go down a treat!
Jack
No surprise here at all! I love it!! Neal gets things done is a demonstration of all the majesty that is Verdant. It has all the juice that everyone now expects from Verdant, and the tell-tale dank. Neal has all the soft pulpy, citrussy joy of a classic fruit salad, a touch of blue cheese and just enough bitterness to keep things ticking over nicely. My only critique of Neal is that it could do with having the bitter notes turned up a few notches, but that is strictly because I love that burn, I love it so much.
Personal fetishes aside, this is an astounding beer, an absolute masterclass in balancing hops in such a way that each variety brings something to the table, without outshining the others.
A beer of genius and distinction.
Score - 4.5
Dan
He certainly does!!
If Neal was on Taskrabbit, I would ask if I could book him out on retainer. If he was on Fiverr, I would go to the bank and take out no less than £85 in five pound notes and keep them in my bedside drawer for a rainy day. If Neal was in the adult entertainment industry...... you get the gist.I have had prior run-ins with Neal and it's a Verdant core beer that I will always pick-up if I spot it in the bottle shop!
As Jack rightly points out, their is a great balance and skill in the interplay between the hops, all offering something whilst delivering a sum greater than their parts. For me, if there was a 'dominant' hop in Neal, it would be the Nelson Sauvin and I absolutely adore those tart gooseberry and sticky peachy notes shining through. It features that divisive Verdant savory/vegetal twang (Jack pens it as blue cheese so I'll go for sweated down onions for variety) that we both really like but it's measured and softened by a huge fruitiness such that I think most crafties would like this one, even if their super cheesy DIPAs don't appeal!!
Score - 4.5
Watch just how much fun we had with Neal here.
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