Verdant - Intimately Spaced Pylons
As we approach year-end, it’s a time for many craft beer drinkers to reflect and reminisce on what beers really stood out for them during the course of the year. Without dropping the C-word (not that one!), having great beer at home and perhaps mixing up your cooking game a little has been one of the few enjoyments we have had.
For some reason this reflection takes the form of a “Beer of the Year Top 9” list for much of the community and having never been one to miss a good band-wagon let’s get straight to it.
I’ll be providing a reverse countdown to my 2020 Champion through December and for the purposes of this list, and in a sardonic embrace of Brexit, I am only including UK breweries. Don’t worry, I will also be posting a “World 9” later in the month as we have undoubtedly been spoilt for choice with some of the transatlantic and European beers that have reached our shores this year.
Anyway, to the beer at large in this photo and my number 9 for the year, this is “Intimately Spaced Pylons” by Verdant Brewing in Falmouth, a 6% IPA showcasing Vic Secret and Motueka southern hemisphere hops in all their glory. Now I will caveat this review straight away by saying that I have a vigorous affinity to Vic Secret hops simply because they conjure images of Vic Reeves draped in a smoking jacket and stretched across a valour sofa advertising the latest chocolate for grown-ups in his best Nigella voice. However, hopes and wishes for 2021 aside, the Vic and Motueka together bring a gorgeous medley of sweet and sticky pineapple, zesty kaffir lime and the deftest pinch of crushed black pepper.
Verdant also invited Idaho 7 to the party with a bucketload of papaya and a smattering of broccoli because he got it in this month’s Abel and Cole box and couldn’t face another batch of broccie stilton soup. Eukanot snuck in through the backdoor as he always seems to do and thankfully made little impression on the party, making a French exit whilst is was just getting into full flow.
This beer had tonnes of body really allowing the flavours to shine and to cap it all off, the can design is fantastic. I salute you good sir or madam who put their neck through such punishment to capture this beautiful shot! Whack an edgy name in the mix and you have yourself a place in my Top 9 Verdant.
Whilst this brewery usually performs best at the 8% mark, they do have some amazing less blotto-inducing beers in their roster (I’m looking at you MaryLou and Sharks) and this slots straight into the mix as one of, if not their best, sub-DIPA outing for me. Now let’s hope for a rebrew of this in 2021 at a time when Jack and I can get it on tap at either The Experiment or at the source itself!!
Numero ocho coming in hot next weekend.
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