HopKins Desire, blackcurrant wheat ale

HOPKINS DESIRE

black currant wheat ale

brewed: Hopkins, Gdynia, Poland

In the effort of trying as many summer beers as possible (before the end of Indian summer), we have given a try to Desire from Hopkins (thanks to Browarium again). I was a bit reluctant, because until now, Hopkins taste was not exactly my cup of tea; still black currant is one of my favorite fruits and I was simply tempted to try. Even more, Hopkins is located in my home town, and I would really like to see the best beer being brewed in Gdynia!

First contact – aroma is clearly black currant with a hint of malt and caramel. Looks really great in the glass – beautiful orange amber, with rather weak and short lasting head. It really looks nice in the glass. Taste?

…

It is clearly sour, which is not a surprise giving the nature of black currant. What is killing my Desire to tis beer are the special British hops used. A combination of sour and bitter is really bad. In fact, it ends up with a blunt sour taste with blunt bitter finish. After this experience, I have decided to test this beer on my wife – who is a big fan of wheats and their derivatives. The outcome – out of 500 ml, approx. 300 went in the sink. Not drinkable. At all. Sorry.

Zachod nad Wigrami, hibiscus wheat

ZACHOD NAD WIGRAMI

Style: Wheat Ale
Brewed: Browar Słodowy Dwór, Poland
Tested: Bottle, July 2016

As mentioned before (in one of my posts), Polish craft likes to experiment with the taste. Every month we are enjoying a few beers that can be called experimental. Different type of plants, herbs, spices tend to be added and the effects are as various as the additives (and I am willing to try as lon as they do not make beer with belladonna)…

Sometimes it is interesting, sometimes its nice and sometimes you are getting Zachod nad Wigrami (Sunset at the Wigry lake). In fact, since this blog is about the beer I need to stop writing at this moment. There is no beer, only hibiscus.