SWB - Maelstrom

A double IPA that smells so deliciously hoppy that it could well have been used as an ointment to cure rubella, polio or Jimmy legs in ye olde times, this 9% beast pours like a stop motion video of bread being left to prove and comes in a shade of brown that hints a little towards agent orange. The effect of the two combined forms a beer that looks like it's very slowly breathing out. The froth is clean and leaves remains at the top of the glass and above the lip of the head but little in between. The smell, however, is the best bit when I consider upon first impressions because it's heady and hoppy with citrus and raisin tones coming through like a fat ninja.

The taste is quite powerfully bitter with a lingering after taste that reminds me of malt loaf, ginger bread and grapefruit... Mashed together and served as a fizzy brown liquid. The texture is smooth with a little edge that comes with the bitterness but that has to be expected with such a high percentage, only the most skilled craftsmen can make beer with lots of booze and no lash back, and even then I'd say they fail more than they win. Saying that, however, this can quite happily go down as a win in my book. This is a high quality double IPA from a company who seem to really want to push the boat out.

It's beer like this from breweries like this, who maintain such a consistently high standard, who make me question my often unwavering Southern Pride. I could drink this out of a lepers' boot and I'd still enjoy the hoppy aroma and the strong, bitter, kick, disguised in a smooth body that goes down as easily as a donkey with gummy worms for legs and an ear infection.

This, amongst many other delicious Drew Treats, was purchased at The Bottle Shop in Canterbury, just next to Canterbury West... A train station... You have no excuse!!!

Food Suggestion: I like curry, but I can't handle crazy heat. With this by my side I can see myself having the balls to take on a vindaloo in one of the spiritual curry towns/cities of the North. I imagine I'd end up crying, vomiting and then crying again but, hey... Doesn't matter, had Maelstrom.

Drink this if you like: Big tasting Double IPAs, or just particularly bitter IPAs like the Meantime one, which is readily available at most supermarkets.