I usually like to start these pieces with some sort of an introduction, maybe something where I wax lyrical about something vaguely related to my day or the experience of being an adult (to some degree of competency) in the 21st century. But, I can't really be arsed with that today. I'm in a terrible mood, it's dark, cold and pretty miserable here in my little patch of Scotland, work is a pain and I just want to sit and drink beer all day.
I guess the good news is that my mood will pass, the sun will rise again, the heating is on and the Christmas holidays are nearly upon us, oh and I've just opened up day 6 of my Beer52 advent calendar. So, I will stop being a downer and get down to downing my beer instead.
Kramah
Style - IPA
Brewer - Bevog Brauhaus
Hops - Some variety or another
ABV - 6.5%
The beer
I've never heard of Bevog before - this is becoming a common theme to these posts - but my researches tell me they are a brewing outfit from Austria. My eyes also tell me they have some pretty sweet can art, kind of David Cronenberg meets Xena Warrior Princess vibes, so basically the sort of art you find on adult boardgames.
For all the can's funky design, I could do with a hop bill. I could hazard a guess if I had to, but really I just want to know, it's like buying wine and just being told it's red or white, it's a little unnerving, like what are you hiding?
Anyway, Kramah pours well, settling into a crystal clear, amber which immediately makes me think of west coast IPAs - I like thinking about west coast IPAs.
Further good news on the nose. There is a solid heft of the forest about Kramah, all sticky resin and pine needles, again redolent of west coast IPAs, so we could be onto a very good thing here. I'm picking up a sweet, slightly fruity note too, but it is subtle and not the overriding scent. (Bevog claim notes of mango, lychee, citrus and a bunch of other tropical fruits - their words - which I don't pick up on).
In this mouth this is exactly what I was expecting. This is a sticky, resinous bitter boy and I am very happy about that. Definitely getting some major west coast vibes from this in the dry your mouth out with bitterness kind of way. I'm not all that sorry to say I am not getting any mango, lychee or tropical fruits, but if I am being charitable there could be a hint of a lemony citrusness, but not much. Don't get me wrong, I love fruity notes coming from hops in a well structured IPA. But, I love a westie even more.
If Bevog want my advice, and I am sure they don't, ditch any mention of fruit here and go big on the west coast branding, maybe whack a surfboard under the nightmare creature on the can's arm and change the name to Surf's Up Kramah. I'll buy a case.
Score - 5/5
West Coast IPAs?
Best Coast IPAs
Give me that NEIPA haze
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