Redchurch Brewery - Hackney Gold

One of the core breweries in London's craft revolution, if maybe not as well known as breweries like The Kernel, Redchurch Brewery come storming out of the blocks with a bunch of beers that look to be their main stays for the foreseeable future. Their site certainly talks the talk for them as far as saying they value depth of flavour and quality as well as mentioning that they do not filter or pasteurise, something that (hopefully) will become so common that it won't even need to be said anymore. I liked the bottles the first time I saw them, they're simple and no-nonsense, they say what type of beer it is and then there's a borough of London before it. It's not exactly Monet, it's not even Manet, but it doesn't have to be.  I want the contents of the bottle to be the masterpiece.

So here I sit with Hackney Gold, a beer I recommended to a customer without even trying it. The customer, who would only drink lager, is now converted and will often come back for a bottle of Gold. I'd accidentally stumbled upon something brilliant, something that's very easy to do at the Bottle Shop (Goods Shed, next to Canterbury West station.)

The nose is nicely hoppy, just a little, defined, waft as opposed to a direct kick up the nasal passage, there's a hint of red fruit lurking in the background as well, which is rather pleasant. The colour is a dark amber with a pencil thin head that retains well, the pour is satisfying and it has medium carbonation.

It is roundly bitter on the palate, engulfing your taste buds like a forest fire before putting itself out, there is a fruity background again but you have to draw deep from the well to bring that around. Even though it is quite punchy with its bitterness, it remains smooth with a medium mouth feel, which is what makes this the stand up beer I expected it to be.

I look forward to seeing what Redchurch Brewery can bring in the future.

Food suggestion: This has the bitterness of a traditional IPA and, therefore, would got great with a dry or rice based curry.

Drink this if you like: Meantime IPA is identical, I guess what you want will depend on what is closer to hand at the time.