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Redemption Roasters - Werka

Roastery: Redemption Roasters

Varietal: Heirloom

Origin: Sidamo, Ethiopia 

Process: Fully Washed & Dried On Raised Beds

Altitude: 1,500 - 2,000 metres

Brew Method: V60

Brew Ratio: 1:16.7

Redemption Roasters are a coffee roaster based within Aylesbury prison who aim to equip prisoners with skills within the coffee industry to reduce the number of reoffenders. They state: 

“We already know that prisoners are 50% more likely to reoffend if they leave prison without skills and a job.” 

They train the inmates in roasting and competition level Barista skills to allow them to achieve more once their sentence is served. I believe coffee is a very powerful commodity that brings together a huge community, all the way from cherry to cup. For one more element to be socially conscious is an incredible thing, but not only that. This coffee is exceptional, roasted perfectly to highlight the potential of this bean. 

This particular Ethiopian Heirloom is full of stone fruits and jasmine notes. On the nose it is juicy and floral chamomile and black teas entice you. In the mouth it is tea-like but thicker, verging on a marshmallowy finish that coats the back of your mouth. This finish is accompanied by blackberries and peaches and a light lemon acidity, the darker milk chocolate and roasted nut flavours linger longer on the tongue. This is a fully washed coffee which means it isn’t acid-forward in the presentation of the cup, focusing the drinker on the juicier notes that sit upon the chocolate and nutty backbone. 

Due to the weather I cold brewed this coffee at a 1:10 ratio for 12 hours, which I then filtered through paper to ensure a clean cup. The longer brew really enhances the juicy stone fruits and lemon acidity that compliments the tea mouthfeel that makes for a delicate and balanced cold brew that is delicious in the sun over ice.

Most Ethiopian coffees are trade through Ethiopia Commodity Exchange Programme (ECX) which limits the traceability of the imported green coffee. Coffee producers bring their cherries to a wet mill where the coffee is graded and processed. Werka is the wet mill where this coffee was processed and part of the grading is to identify the region, in this case, the coffee was grown in the West Arsi zone of Sidamo, at 1500-2000m above sea level. 

I couldn’t recommend this coffee more, not only for it’s luscious juicy and floral tea notes, but for the good the roastery is doing for society and the inmates of Aylesbury prison.

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Pressure Drop - Wallbanger (Blood Orange & Vanilla)

Brewery: Pressure Drop

Style: Wit Beer

ABV: 4.7%

Colour: Light Golden Straw

Hackney based Pressure Drop & Square Root Soda have joined forces to create this banging Wit Beer.

Witbier translates from Flemish to White Beer and is a Belgian Wheat style that is traditionally brewed with bitter orange peel and cracked coriander seed. I tried the Blood Orange and Vanilla rendition which is deliciously refreshing.

On the nose there is plenty of spiciness including the coriander seed and bitter orange peel. I thought that the vanilla would make this beer too sweet but the vanilla sits wonderfully in the background supporting the juicy orange and creamy body created by the unmalted wheat.

A light golden straw colour, creamy white head accompanied by it’s lower ABV makes it a perfect summer beer (a little late, I know) it’s a juicy & crisp beer that has a tantalising carbonation that leaves you yearning for more. Belgian beers as a style is a relatively daunting family of styles with such a variance of flavour, if you’re a pale ale kinda person this is an easy and very delicious step into the Belgian world. 

This beer in the sun and some BBQ’d fish would be heaven, bring on next summer!

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Square Mile - Gicherori AA

This is the first time I have tried Square Mile coffee at home and I have to say, this is possibly the best Kenyan I’ve ever tasted. This is what Square Mile had to say about it:

“On the slopes of Mount Kenya at about 1600 metres above sea level, some 1200 small farmers grow coffee that they deliver to the Gicherori factory. A majority of farmers in Kenya are members of cooperatives who process the coffee for them, so they deliver cherry and get paid by weight, with a higher price paid for the ripest cherry. The factory then looks after the pulping, fermentation, washing, soaking and drying of the coffee, a process that can take up to three weeks from start to finish. Between the unique Kenyan varieties, the soil and climate of the region and the processing methods applied, the best Kenyan coffees showcase a very special flavour profile unmatched elsewhere in the world.”

This coffee is typically Kenyan with buckets of fruits hitting your tongue. Notes of blackberry and red currants hit you first, complimented by the silky mouthfeel that reminds me slightly of melted marshmallows. It has a slight Tannin dry finish that is contrasted with the juiciness that carries the whole way creating a  coffee that if it were wine, would be described as Medium-Dry. 

The summer berry juiciness of this coffee is balanced by a strong backbone of super dark chocolate that has subtle hints of a light wood and brown roasted flavours. The heritage of the coffee beans used to produce this cup are very interesting as it consists of SL34 & SL28. Both produced by Scott Laboratories after the Kenyan government came to them to survey each coffee strain for its commercial viability. Whilst SL34 is capable of growing at lower altitudes and SL28 at higher ones, the latter is infamous for the quality of cup it produces. Despite both having genetics from Bourbon varieties the SL28 varietal provides stunning acidic complexes that will consistently blow your socks off. 

I brewed this coffee using a V60 with 20g of Medium-Fine ground coffee and 320g of water yielding 280g of brewed coffee. I believe the pour-over method really highlights the juicy components of this coffee whilst maintaining some body to hold the dark chocolate backbone in place. 

Overall this is a stunning coffee that I could drink all day long, it is beautifully balanced and showcases what Kenya has to offer.

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Workshop Coffee - Finca Las Pavas

Well this coffee is blooming brilliant (if you’ll pardon the pun)! This is the first time I have tried Workshop’s coffee and they’ve got me. Not only does it come wrapped in a box with the best description/story I’ve ever had with a coffee, but it is the richest, tastiest and cleanest coffee I’ve ever had.

Roastery: Workshop Coffee

Varietal: Caturra & Bourbon

Producer: Carlos Antonio Toles

Origin: Tarqui, Huila, Colombia

Process: 36hr Dry Ferment & Fully Washed

Altitude: 1,900 - 2,000 metres

Method: V60

Grind: Medium-Fine

On the nose you get notes hazelnuts and peanuts with a fruity backbone of passionfruit and figs. Using the V60 brewing method always brings a beautifully clean looking/tasting cup, this coffee has a warm red hue to it that reminds me of dark rum.

On the palate the nutty heaven continues with pralines and a subtle strawberry tartness to backup up the depth of dark chocolate bitterness. To balance this loving bitterness the passionfruit and strawberry keep this coffee sweet but not cloying. There is an ever so slight smokiness to it that reminds me of a peat scotch without the alcohol burn, delicious!

Carlos Antonio Toles is not only the producer of this coffee but the mayor of the local municipality too! He is also a risky coffee producer! A 36 hour fermentation  would put a lot of producers on edge, as the longer the fermentation period is, the higher the risk off-flavours developing in the coffee. Fermentation is used to remove the mucilage from the coffee bean, as the beans go through fermentation the sugars within the mucilage are converted into acids which bring a depth of flavour to the final cup. Carlos has pulled this off perfectly creating a beautiful depth to the coffee through the longer fermentation period. 

I absolutely love this coffee hot, but when cooled it becomes beyond juicy. I have to admit, I did add a little bit of my home-made milk-washed coffee liqueur to it but it made for a deliciously refreshing cup of iced-coffee, that was to die for.

10/10 Workshop Coffee & Carlos Antonio Toles!!

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DIPA Off - Cloudwater Vs Beavertown

Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) is a completely interchangeable term with Imperial India Pale Ale (IIPA). Both being the hoppier, higher ABV, big brother of the India Pale Ale. After a visit to The Real Ale Shop in Richmond I came back with 4 different imperial style beers, the first of which I’ll be writing about are the DIPAs. (2 Beavertown Imperial Stouts to follow soon!)

Brewery: Beavertown

Style: DIPA

ABV: 8.5%

Colour: Golden Straw

Beavertown recently celebrated their 4th Birthday and held a huge party on the 13th of February at their brewery. My girlfriend and I made the trek from Isleworth to Tottenham Hale to see what was going on but never made it in. Down to the sheer number of people that turned up, the brewery filled up within a couple of hours. BUT, all is not doom and gloom as I managed to pick up a beer they brewed for the occasion. This is a DIPA version of their Session IPA, Neck Oil. Neck Oil was the first beer they brewed as a company, so I guess they decided to beef it up a bit and they have done an incredible job in doing so.

It pours a lovely golden straw colour with a bright white head that disperses pretty quick. I was expected to be punched in the face with the typical pine and grapefruit aromas from the normally blasé flavours of a Beavertown beer, but to my surprise this is a subtle beer that is so drinkable. 

Loving, gentle aromas of grapefruit juice and sweet malt tempt you into this beer. It is lightly carbonated, elevating the beautiful hop balance. If compared side-by-side with Neck Oil it is similar but is miles better. It is slightly resinous with hints of Pine but nothing that assaults the tongue. The higher ABV is completely hidden and I could have drunk pints and pints of the stuff. Unfortunately this beer is going to disappear very quickly, so if you can get your hands on it, DO IT.

Brewery: Cloudwater

Style: DIPA

ABV: 9.6%

Aroma Hops: Citra, Chinook

Bittering Hops: Pilgrim (Carbon Dioxide Alpha Extract)

Malts: Extra Pale Marris Otter, Dextrose Monohydrate

Yeast: American Pale Ale

Colour: Deep Amber

As mentioned in my previous post, Cloudwater are a newer brewery based in Manchester producing Seasonal Beers. Their first DIPA gained an incredible reception when released and was very sought-after as it was a limited edition. The clever folks at Cloudwater have made Version 2 of the DIPA and wow, it is exceptional.

Describing this beer as juicy is an understatement, It is orangey heaven both on the nose and in the mouth. With such a simple malt bill this beer is extra pale and super crisp, balanced with such fresh juicy hops. Using 99kg of US aroma hops from the 2015 harvest, it’s no surprise this beer is like being hit with a fruity pine branch in the middle of an orange field. 

It has a wonderful, dry sparkling bitterness that balances out the juiciness. The finish to this beer is hop heaven that lingers in the mouth long after finishing the bottle, this is another beer that I could just drink and drink and drink. I tried so hard to think of other adjectives than juicy but it’s the only one that describes this beer to a tee, it is just SO juicy. 

Both of these DIPAs are incredible in different ways, Double Chin was much more subtle and laid-back, whereas DIPA V2 was intense and fresh. Both equally drinkable and equally delicious, if you can get your hands on either, do not hesitate to get it. You will not be disappointed. I promise.

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Cloudwater - Special Edition Imperial Stout

Brewery: Cloudwater

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.1%

Hops: Willamette, Chinook, Simcoe & Motueka

Malts: Best Ale, Dark Crystal, Black Malt, Chocolate Malt, Medium Crystal, Liquid Glucose Syrup & Roast Barley

Yeast: American Pale Ale

Colour: Dark Black with Glints of Ruby Red

Cloudwater are an amazing brewery, that specialise in Seasonal Brews, instead of the classic core range strategy. They’re based up north, in Manchester and they’re doing some incredible stuff. This Imperial Stout was a special edition for their 100th Gyle and special edition is definitely a good way of describing it, it is damn delicious. 

This stout is full of rich dark chocolate & dates, with splashes of orange and molasses. On the nose there is dark caramel, chocolate and raisins. This is a very malty beer with HUGE chocolate flavour but such a crazily balanced hop flavour too. Lovely lemon and grapefruit hit you at the end of this beer from the Chinook & Simcoe hops. It has a huge alcohol hit as you swallow, it is not definitely a beer for the faint hearted. It is lightly carbonated that just tingles on the tongue emphasising the bitter/citrus hops. I cannot speak higher of this beer, it is one of my absolute favourites.

10/10

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The Barn - Bokasso

Roastery: The Barn

Varietal: Mixed Heirloom

Origin: Sidama, Ethiopia

Process: Washed

Method: V60

Grind: Medium-Fine

I had tried The Barn’s beautifully crafted coffee before at Artisan in Ealing. I fell in love with the complexities of their beans but also the process of showcasing exactly what the bean has to offer with nothing added or blended in. I actually bought this coffee in Berlin, from their tiny, little coffee shop, it was recommended for its floral characteristics and my god am I glad I went with their suggestion.

At the end of their info card I got when purchasing the coffee it says:

“Make sure you breathe in before taking your first sip. It is sensational!”

That is the second time these geniuses have hit the nail on the head. Massive rose and peach notes on the nose with subtler woody and chocolatey notes that balance this coffee’s aroma perfectly.

In the mouth it’s a luscious coffee full of the peach and rose and so many other floral notes I can barely decipher whats happening on my tongue, but my god do I love it. It has a lovingly clean mouth-feel that hides nothing, pushing the rose, peach and chocolate right into the spotlight. 

Handpicked at 2000m above sea-level in the mineral-rich volcanic soil and then left to slowly dry for 10-15 days in raised drying beds this coffee really showcases the possibilities of Ethiopian coffees. The culmination of dark chocolate and woody notes with the floral massacre gives an all-rounded, well balanced and bloody great coffee.

I highly suggest you get your hands on this coffee or any of the stuff from The Barn, they are doing some great things to coffee beans.

Find them here: http://barn.bigcartel.com 

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Brew By Numbers - 08|03

Brewery: Brew By Numbers

Style: Stout

ABV: 6.2%

Brewed with: Lactose, Cacao Nibs & Seville Orange Peel

Colour: Midnight Black with a Orange Twist

This stout is slightly underwhelming but still very, very tasty. With ‘chocolate & orange’ plastered across the front I expected to be drinking a liquid, alcoholic terry’s chocolate orange but unfortunately this is not the case.

Despite this, it is a great stout brewed with lactose, creating a wonderfully smooth and luxurious mouthfeel to compliment the huge dark malty notes of chocolate, caramel and honey. The cacao nibs enhance the chocolatey notes and the seville orange sits at the back of the mouth just tickling the tongue with a splash of bitter orange. 

This is a bitter-sweet stout that slips back incredibly easily with little to no alcohol burn, I could drink this all night and not get bored of its slow burn of flavour in the mouth. There is little carbonation on the bottles which allows the dark roasted malt flavours to dance on your tongue without being overly bitter.

On the nose there is a bigger orange hit with lovely dark roasted malt notes that entice into the beautifully silky smooth body and dark colour. I love this beer but I admit, I was expecting much bigger and orangey things.

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The Kernel - Export India Porter

Brewery: The Kernel

Style: Export India Porter

ABV: 5.8%

Hops: Summit & Cascade

Colour: Incredibly Dark Amber/Brown, Almost Black, Orange-Mahogany Head

This style of beer is why, to me, craft beer is so interesting. The relationship between an Export India Porter and a Porter is what an IPA is to a Pale Ale, it is a higher ABV with more hop additions. Therefore this style is close to a Black IPA but because it is based on a Porter it becomes an Export India Porter. The blurring of styles creates beers that are so complex and interesting with rich histories, which also creates real beer nerds. (Not sure if thats a good or bad thing, but thats beside the point.)

Kernel (based just down the road from Brew By Numbers in Bermondsey, London) have made a solid beer here, based on a Barclay Perkins recipe from 1855 but changed the hops from English variations to American Variations, Summit and Cascade, which give this beer a much fresher, citrusy character than a porter would ever have, whilst maintaining a coffee/cocoa/smoky body.

On the nose you get hit by the citrusy hops dominated by an orange note, complimented with hints of rose and a big whack of cocoa.  It has quite a light body due to a higher level of carbonation to keep the drink refreshing and not so heavy, which really entices out the hop character of this beer. The rose and orange pokes out as well as a beautiful nutty caramel note that sweetens the bitterness of the orangey hops. With a loving huge hit of smoky cocoa, this beer is reminiscent of Turkish Delight, coated in cocoa. Similar in both flavour and texture. I’d suggest this beer to someone who wanted to start getting into heavy, darker and more complex beers comprising of darker roasted malts and much higher ABVs (Brewdogs Cocoa Psycho comes to mind). 

Kernel have not gone too heavy on the coffee, caramel and cocoa notes but they are still present and relatively hard-hitting, balanced with the delicate orangey bitterness and rose notes from the hops. The Export India Porter gets:

7.8/10

Find The Kernel Brewery here: http://www.thekernelbrewery.com 

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Brew By Number 25|01

Brewery: Brew By Numbers

Style: White IPA

ABV: ~7% (Mine was 7.4%)

Hops: Citra & Mosaic

Malts: 40% Raw and Malted Wheat

Colour: Rich Golden Orange

Brew By Numbers are a brewery based in Bermondsey London, and they have possibly the most ingenious way of naming their beers. The first number denotes the style of beer, where 25 on this beer means White IPA, and the second numbers denotes the recipe. This makes the process of releasing a beer much easier as they don’t have to come up with groovy names like Beavertown, but in my opinion it makes craft beer much more accessible to the masses as they know exactly what style they’re getting and how it varies to another beer of the same style.

25|01 is no exception to the genius that are employed in Bermondsey, this beer reeks of pine, bitter orange peel and subtle pale malts (in a good way). At ~7% you can even smell that this is a big beer, the big pine notes are typical of an IPA. What makes this a ‘white’ IPA is the malt bill being 40% wheat. Both malted and raw wheat are used in this recipe and it does something stunning to the mouthfeel of the beer. 

In the mouth the beer is carbonated ever so lightly to give a subtle tingle, accompanied by the huge bitter orange note, that verges on pineapple sweetness and piney freshness. There is a backbone of dark malts complimented by the ever so smooth mouthfeel given by the wheat added to the recipe. A sweetness not just from citrus but a brown sugar type sweetness adds to the smoothness of this beauty. This is a beer that is hard not to fall in love with, it’s everything you want out of a new wave, craft IPA. It is hugely fruity with subtle malts and a loving bitter finish that lingers so beautifully in the mouth. Brew By Numbers have excelled in creating this beautiful reincarnation of a typical IPA and deservedly get:

9.8/10

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Pact Coffee - Filadelfia Natural

Origin: Antigua, Guatemala

Varietal: Caturra & Red Bourbon

Roast: Medium-Light

Producer: Francis Dalton

Altitude: 1680m

Process: Natural

Method: Aeropress

Dose: 19g

This coffee packs a punch of aroma, strong notes of strawberry sweetness and rustic woody notes hit you when you open the bag. This is a special edition from Pact Coffee which I must say is one of the best ones I’ve tried. I originally tasted it in their pop up in Spitalfields Market, where they used a v60 and I loved it, but this coffee through an Aeropress is something else. 

It has a luxurious, silky mouthfeel with a dark chocolate bitterness that rounds the subtle strawberry sweetness and the sharp strawberry acidity which verges on a malic acidity. This coffee is strawberries all over the place, balanced by a dark chocolate bitterness and the silky, double cream like, mouthfeel. Pact have described this coffee aptly, as always, and have chosen well with this special edition. 

Pact get a 9.2/10 for this beauty.

You can pick up a £1 bag of coffee from Pact here with voucher code: DRINKSOFALLFORMSWELCOME

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Camden Town - IHL

Brewery: Camden Town 

Style: Hopped Lager 

ABV: 6.2% IBU: 55 

Malts: Pilsner, Munich & CaraPils 

Hops: Magnum, Mosaic, Chinook & Simcoe 

Colour: Slightly Hazy, Deep Amber 

 This is one of my favourite beers ever, it is described by Camden Town Brewery as an ‘IPA resurrected as Lager’ which couldn’t be more true. Using hops in the boil, whirlpool and dry-hopping gives this lager an incredible IPA hop character, but with the use of super pale malts, keeps the crisp, dry texture of a lager. It pours slightly hazy with a lovely off-white head. 

Aromas typically found in IPAs like citrus fruit and pine are present with a subtle bread-like lager note. The flavour is similar with big citrus notes and subtle pine and fresh grass, complimented by a sweet, crisp malt backbone. 

At 55 IBU, it is quite a bitter beer but is balanced well, this is a wonderfully drinkable lager with a higher ABV and beautiful hop character. Camden Town Brewery have outdone themselves with this beer. 10/10

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The Kernel - Export Stout London 1890

Brewery: The Kernel

Style: Foreign Stout

ABV: 7.1%

Colour: Dark Black

Based on a 1890 recipe from a London Brewery, this is a big beer with a complex character. It pours jet black with a dark brown head, aromas of coffee, cocoa are very blatant yet subtle vanilla still pokes through. The Kernel, based in Bermondsey, London, always produce great beers, everything from super pale, bright, crisp Pale Ales to this heavyweight beauty. It has a lovely, full, oily mouthfeel with the expected dark malt flavours of chocolate, toffee and coffee. Accompanied by a soft carbonation and a warming alcohol that reminds you of just how big this beer is. The combination of subtle herbal hop bitterness, and dark malts remind me of rum and raisin with an extra scoop of coffee.

This is a stunning stout, that I enjoyed every second of, a very, very drinkable beer.

8.3/10

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Five Points’ Pale Ale & Hook Island Red

Five Points Pale

Brewery: Five Points Brewing Co.

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 4.4%

Hops: Centennial, Amarillo & Citra

Malts: Malted Barley & Wheat

Colour: Hazy, Golden Amber

This beer pours wonderfully with a luscious white head, aromas of orange, grapefruit and pine with a subtle biscuity note. A lovely light enticing aroma that carries in the mouth. It is a smooth, juicy beer with big grapefruit notes and subtle orange from the Amarillo hops. It has a sweet malty character that balances with the grapefruit juice bitterness, which finishes in a bitter-ish grapefruit zest note accompanied by the subtle pine. This is quite a carbonated, light, enjoyable beer. If you are looking for something that is easy to drink this is your guy. If you want something that will blow you away, keep looking. 

6/10

Five Points Hook Island Red

Brewery: Five Points Brewing Co.

Style: Amber/Red Ale

ABV: 6%

Hops: Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe

Malts: Malted Barley & 20% Rye

Colour: Deep Copper Red

This is a lovely, spicy, deep copper coloured beer with an off-white head. Aromas of caramel, red berries, pine and floral hops start this beer off very well. The first sip of this red rye ale makes it clear that 20% of the malt bill is rye. It is spicy and earthy with caramel notes and a hint of chocolate, balanced by subtly acidic red berries, grapefruit and light floral hops. This is also quite a dry beer due to the rye, balanced with a sweetness and moderate carbonation gives this beer a medium bitter finish that is very addictive, this is a very well made amber ale.

7.2/10

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Villa Juan

Origin: Colombia

Varietal: Colombia, Caturra, Castillo

Producer: German Valenzuela Gomez

Altitude: 1680m

Process: Fully Washed

Method: Aeropress

Dose: 18g

This coffee was a real surprise for me, as a Pact Special Edition I was excited anyway, but this coffee was described as green apples which couldn’t have been more true.

From the moment I opened the bag my nose was filled with malic acidity combined with subtle wood notes which combined to the described green apple note.

When brewed I loved the massively juicy flavour it carried with a lovely sweetness. Despite the juicy mouthfeel it is a very clean and light coffee, with quite a dry finish, the sweetness balancing nicely with the subtle, bitter wood notes. I have thoroughly enjoyed drinking this coffee and it is prime evidence that fresh coffee is a thousand times better than anything you can get off the shelf. 

This is what Pact had to say about the area it was grown in:

‘Villa Juan is located in the Huila Department of Colombia. Huila is home to Colombia’s second highest peak, the Nevado Del Huila volcano lends its high peaks and nutrient rich soil to coffee farmers, giving them the perfect conditions to grow coffee plants.’

I really recommend you trying Pact and with this link you can get your first bag for only £1:

http://pactcoffee.com/spread/DRINKSOFALLFORMSWELCOME@cp

Villa Juan gets:

8/10

Find more info here: https://www.pactcoffee.com/coffees/villa-juan

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Omnipollo Hypnopompa

Brewery: Omnipollo

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 11% 

Colour: Dense Pitch Black

When I saw this beer sitting on the shelf in The Bottle Shop, Canterbury I could not help but purchase this Marshmallow Stout from Omnipollo. That’s right, this beer is brewed with over 100kg of Marshmallows and cigar sized Tahitian vanilla beans, in the great city of Stockholm, Sweden. With 32 different bottled beers available from this crazy brewery. Omnipollo is the award winning brewery that was founded in 2011 by Henok Fentie and Karl Grandin. All the recipes are conceived at home and then produced at different breweries across the world.

This beer comes in 3 different variations, the standard bottle (black cap), bourbon barrel aged (golden cap) and cognac barrel aged (green sticker). The variation I tried was just the standard bottle, which left me wanting to try both aged batches to see what complexities they add.

The beer pours pitch black and has a healthy dark brown head that reduces to a light cap. On the nose there is a huge, seriously dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, vanilla, charred wood and a roasted earthiness balanced with a beautiful dark roasted malt and subtle hints of roasted marshmallow sweetness, coming together in a dark complex aroma that is incredibly enticing.

This crazy stout tastes exactly as it smells with the massive, intense dark chocolate notes accompanied by the cocoa, coffee, molasses and earthiness, which amalgamates to something not dissimilar to slightly burnt toast. The finish is a charred bitterness that leaves the chocolate, cocoa and coffee lingering in the mouth with a light carbonation and a beautiful medium creamy body. This beer is fantastically robust with a balance of complex vanilla and roasted marshmallows with dark roasted malts which produce a lovely bittersweet Imperial Stout, despite the high ABV, it is definitely for the more ‘Stout inclined’ drinkers out there.

Hypnopompa is a bloody wonderful Stout that you can drink now or age for years. Omnipollo get a: 

9.2/10

http://www.omnipollo.com/beer/hypnopompa

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Beavertown’s Neck Oil

Brewery: Beavertown

Style: Session IPA

ABV: 4.3%

IBU: 35

Hops: Magnum, Columbus, Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, Galaxy, Vic Secret, Mosaic

Colour: Pale Straw, Subtle Haze

Beavertown is one of my favourite breweries with a stunning selection from their core range and other seasonal and special offerings that never fail to surprise. Everything from this incredible pale and light Session IPA to dark Imperial Stouts, they hit the nail on the head every time. 

This is no exception, according to Beavertown the aim of Neck Oil was a beer that you could drink from 8am in the morning and for it to be ‘a go to beer’ for refreshment. This is an ultra-crisp, ultra-pale, beauty. With the amalgamation of so many different hops it is a very hop forward drink which was achieved by adding masses of hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and a huge dose of dry hops which makes this beer so delicious and refreshing.

On the nose is a musty grapefruit with light citrus and floral notes, the nose of this beer is beyond enticing and it is hard to holdback from throwing this beer down your neck. In the mouth it is a wonderful hoppy event that is complimented by a sweetness and light malt with the citrus coming through too. The finish shows the grapefruit that came with the aroma accompanied by a bitter hop that enforces the lovely light body of this beer.

This beauty gets a: 9/10

http://www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/Neck-Oil