Do we have a new champion?
My journey of beers has taken my back to Dyfed. As per my previous posts and without getting into it again the county of Dyfed got a do-over and it is with Tenby Brewing Co https://www.tenbybrewingco.com
This was one of the breweries that really leaped out at me when I was doing my initial research for Dyfed and I was genuinely gutted when Harbwr brewing came out of the random generator, but alas it’s like I was meant to taste these guys.
As their website says. “They Love Beer” and have been in business since 2015 whilst implementing new brewing techniques and looking to improve their processes to be the best they can be.
I ordered
their Taster Case (at the time of writing currently sold out, however the
individual beers are still available) which was £38 (Free Delivery) and included 10 beers (I believe
one of each of their ranges) and a glass (which is actually pretty fantastic).
Without being too much of a spoiler I can’t emphasise just how value for money
this order was so before I do let’s get straight into the beers. In my quick
research as, I write this I haven’t been able to identify any awards that Tenby
have won, however if I find this information out at a later time, I’ll
certainly update to reflect this.
Immediately I’m interested in how this is going to go for
them. I specifically picked this brewery as Dyfed's do-over and have gone with
something I’ll be able to directly comparison first as I often have
Shindigger's Mango Unchained another Mango IPA, so we will see how it goes. Firstly,
it smells absolutely fantastic really really punchy fruit notes which make me
again excited for how this is going to go.
We're in happy town. Taking a big mouthful swilling it all around, I can immediately tell this is more flavourful than Shindigger's Mango unchained. It's still very much a good IPA base but the balance of fruit flavour is pretty much bang on. This is a really really good beer and leaves me very excited for how we're going to go forward.
Paradiso - NE Pale Ale 4% - Vegan (2 in pack)
Apologies, i apparently forgot to take a photo of this one so lifted from their website.
So although I’m only on their second beer this brewery is really reminding me of Cloudwater (which is a huge accolade in terms of quality) the smells that the beers are giving out are absolutely sensational, each sniff you just know you're going to having a quality beer. First sip of this one is incredibly refreshing, slightly bitter to the taste which is often the way with NE pales, but all in all a really solid beer. Swilling around the mouth doesn't leave a coating as much as the YEAH MANGO does, although since that beer I’ve realised it was actually a Milkshake IPA, not stated on the tin but on the website. Anyway, Paradiso does evoke the name a very summer like and lovely pale ale.
As you drink more the initial bitterness dissipates and really opens up how tasty and flavourful a beer is.
Son of a Beach - Tropical Pale Ale 4.2% - Vegan
I was hoping for a bit more based on the last two beers. Now don't get me wrong this is still a solid pale ale but it's just that solid, doesn't really have that thing that makes it pop to the next level like the previous two. The initial flavour that hits is really really good, but it just dissipates a little too quickly. That said there is nothing wrong with this at all and is still like I said a good beer. What I will also say is that although the picture hasn't done it justice it's a gorgeous looking beer when it's in the glass and if I saw one poured, I’d certainly be asking what it was.
Those Damn Crows - Blink of an IPA - West Coast IPA 5% - Vegan
So, before I even start with this one, I read the can and apparently "Those Damn Crows" are a local band and this is collaboration beer in the same sort of ilk as Metallica or Trooper. Their last album "Murder and the Motive" hit 14 in Feb 2020 and apparently in 2021 the Crows will fly again.
So naturally I’m going to have to listen to what they're about. But alas we're here for the beer. So, smelling this beer gives very little away, very subtle with a slight hint of bitterness and this is very much relayed in the flavour. The whole thing is incredibly subtle, it's totally packed with flavour but everything is muted but in a way that it works. It really makes you think about what you’re drinking and gets you to try and detect all the flavours that are going on. Even a full mouth swill leaves only a very subtle aftertaste which is pretty damn joyous. I'm normally someone who likes bold bombastic flavours but this is one that's really making me think.
Hammerhead - West Coast IPA 6%
Apologies I forgot to take a photo straight away. Pour slightly darker than a normal IPA and not an awful lot in the way of nasal notes coming out of it leads me to be a little bit apprehensive with this that it could be a bit bland. Incredibly surprised There is an awful lot of flavour packed here which the smell belies. This is just a really really good beer which doesn't need to rely on any gimmicks. This is one of those that I would find myself returning to again and again and is another strong hit from Tenby. There are slight citrus undertones which carry the IPA through and the darkness is not representative in the flavour it produces, refreshing and light without compromising on the flavour.
GLOW - Azacca + Simcoe NEIPA 6%
Oh, my would you look at that. It's a good-looking beer this. Perfect colour and perfect haze. The smell is tropical but very subtle but if this isn't going to be fantastic, I’m going to be shocked, sometimes you can judge a book by its cover.
This is something special, something very special. I have a few instances in food and drink where I have a mouthful of food or a drink of a drink and I get emotional. It's like your man in ratatouille who gets whisked back. Obviously, I’m not being whisked back to a memory with this beer, but I can appreciate just how wonderful it is. For as much as I rave about Voyager from Abbeydale brewery, I think this may well be my favourite beer of this journey so far, in fact it may well be my favourite beer period. I'm struggling to think of another one, that is just this good a flavour, taste, mouth feel. It's the total package.
I'm going to stop writing now lament that I just have one of these and enjoy. You have to try this beer.
Stick That Up Your Dojo - Passionfruit and Raspberry Sour 6% This was the beer that basically led to Dyfed getting a redo and Tenby Brewery becoming dealers’ choice. I love a sour beer and this one just absolutely spoke to me with the flavours. The smell is pretty much that of a good sour with only the slightest hint of fruit breaking through (it should be noted I do have a stinking cold so there might be more to the smell). This is a top end sour with just enough of a face scrunching pucker on your first mouthful which gently dissipates as the fruitiness takes over. It's certainly more Passionfruit than raspberry which makes me think that as a general rule Raspberries don't translate all that well as a bold dominant flavour as there was a similar instance with the Raspberry beer from Ayrshire Brewing as well.
Night Swimming - Coffee Milk Stout - 6.8%
Once more we're in dark stout country, and I’m a little
confused by the concept of coffee milk stout, is it coffee with milk, is it
milky coffee (yes, I think they're different) Anyway let’s give it a go it
smells incredibly rich like it's going to be pack full of flavour so let’s see
exactly what happens here.
Ok so this is quite confusing but very very good on first taste. The first instance is that it isn't a strong or should I say overpowering a flavour as I expected, however it is incredibly tasty. First off there is a very slight tang which first coats the palate however after that it becomes a coffee with milk, or rather milk with coffee, milk certainly is the dominant flavour which hit's first before coffee slips in secondly.
A lot of the time with Stout's / Porters I have to push through with them, but this is a genuinely lovely stout which I can only imagine stout drinkers would be even more appreciative of.
Final Thoughts:
I knew that I’d like Tenby Brewing when I had been doing the research, but I didn't appreciate just how much. Almost every beer was good or great, which in itself is pretty incredible, but the ratio of great to good even more so. GLOW might be my favourite beer ever and honestly gun to my head I think Tenby Brewing beats Abbeydale Brewery. Which I didn't expect to happen. Tenby Brewing is a company which deserves much more recognition. When I ordered the beer, my order was #5527, if you compare that to some others it's criminally low.
If you read this blog and are even remotely interested in good beer, PLEASE order from Tenby, as I’ve said from day one there is no influencer bullshit here, there is no cut backs for me. I just want people to be aware of good new beer and Tenby is exactly that.
Next County: Surrey:
Next Brewery: Hogs Back Brewery - https://www.hogsback.co.uk/
I've been looking forward to this review after speaking to you and hearing your enthusiasm for them, will definitely have to check them out!
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