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Monday, November 29, 2010

SummerWine P6 #6 & Crown's Brooklyn Heights


Decent Pale Ales. Like buses, you wait ages for one and two show up at the same time. Foley's had both these gems on over the weekend, and I managed to taste both today. First up, Crown's Brooklyn Heights; a 5.8% US-inspired pale that I've been wanting to taste for a while (forefront of picture). It didn't disappoint - copper-hued, with a firm, cereal-led body and a green-pine and grapefruit hop profile that was both soft and dry at the same time. A serious pale, at a serious abv, that ends up wholly drinkable, super-refreshing and well-balanced. Simple, yes, but strangely enough can be hard to find in pale-world. Let's get more Crown into Leeds; North and now Foley's have stepped up to the plate - who's going to be next?

Summer Wine's final Project 6 IPA doesn't fail to disappoint either - as I kind of knew it wouldn't as I held it to my nose and caught a whiff of all that lemony aroma. With a little darker malt in the body, there's enough sweetness at first to balance the bitterness that you know is coming; and it does arrive in style. Softly juicy at first, then getting dryer and bitterer (is that a word?) as the sip continues, P6 Brew 6 certainly lets you know it's an IPA. Check out both breweries' blogs too; both are enlightening as well as entertaining.

4 comments:

Ian said...

I don't have much experience with American beer or ale, I will be looking out for Foleys input in London.
Thanks Guys
Ian

Rob Derbyshire said...

We popped in for a half of each on Sunday before nipping up the road to the cinema.
I've had Brooklyn Heights a few times now and its always incredible. So Esther had a half of that and I went for a half of Project 6.

Project 6 Brew 6 was a huge hop onslaught! loads of citrus bitterness, lemon, lime and grapefruit. At times I felt it edged towards being too bitter and a bit unbalanced but I kept coming back for more. I'm not sure I could handle a full pint but saying that I didn't struggle with my half or my previous pint of Brew 5.

I'd have liked a little more malt sweetness and a softer mouthfeel to make it less harsh. But I did enjoy it and I'm glad the lads at Summer Wine are pushing forwards and brewing brave beers.

Leigh said...

Rob - my problem with the P6's is that with it sometimes being weeks between each edition, I have to go back to my notes to remind myself of what the main points of each one was - and I would agree and say that the ones with a touch more sweetness in the body drank a lot easier. This one was, I think, the bitterest. However - Enjoyable - and an excellent concept like you say, and you know we love the SWB lads here at TGS.

Mark Dredge said...

Haven't had either of these yet but definitely want to. Shame I've missed the Project 6 stuff as it sounds great. I hope Summer Wine get some more distribution down south next year (and Crown, of course!).