I have must have had four or five beers from Rivington Brewing co now after first sampling their renowned pale ale "Never Known Fog Like It" (seriously, if you are yet to try it's a must for pale lovers!) back in December and I can confidently say none have been mediocre and actually, 2 have been sublime (the aforementioned Fog and a worldie of a DIPA called "Hills Have Eyes").
I was, therefore, psyched to have gotten hold of this cheeky chappy and was pretty confident Rivi would be serving up another juicy banger!!
Brewery
Rivington Brewing Co
Name
This Guy Was An Interior Decorator
Style
DDH Pale
Hops
Azacca
Sabro
ABV
5.5%
You can probably see from the pour but this came out of the can exactly how I had hoped - bright, juicy and on the thick side (especially for a pale).
For me, the hooter was largely Sabro with fleshy overripe pineapple, creamy coconut and a touch of key lime tantalising the taste buds for what was approaching. On the chops, those Sabro Piña Colada notes definitely came through along with the faintest burst of Aquafresh spearmint that only el Sabrone can bring to the party!!
However, this wasn't a single-hopped pale and whatsmore, it had undergone a kinky double dry-hopping and the Azacca was also apparent delivering a sticky sweet tropical medley of papaya, mango and grapefruit. The finish wasn't bitter per se but there was a wee hint of earthy allspice and freshly mown grass that nicely rounded it out and tempered down what easily could have turned into an overpowering sweetness.
All in all, a pretty delightful drop and one that I would certainly go back to and likewise, recommend to friends. However..... you might have felt there was a but coming and I'm afraid there is...
Whilst this is a cracking pale and one that I would suggest can hold its own against other industry heavy-hitters (I'm talking Steady Rolling Man, Sonoma, MaryLou), I couldn't help but leave with the slightest twinge of disappointment given, in my humble opinion, the aforementioned Fog blows this pale out of the water (and for me the rest of those beers named above!!).
Alas, each beer should be taken on its own merit and there is no doubt that Rivington have done a fantastic job on this one - they are expertly showcasing that a good pale or IPA in that 5% to 6% ABV bracket can truly stand its own against the ridiculous TIPAs and QIPAs that beer meatheads seem to be throwing down by the bucketload these days (and no doubt there will be more on that topic to follow in coming articles).
In a nutshell, if you see this beer buy 2 of them.
If you see Fog buy as much as your bank balance can justify.
Score 4.0 but very nearly a 4.25
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