Som like it hop(15/94)
We return to Somerset this month for one of the “free hit months” and try Electric Bear Brewing Co.
As not all counties fit the criteria of being able to deliver beer or having breweries etc, free hits are essentially this. I still want to do 94 breweries, but substitute in a brewery that has interested me from another county. As the whole process is random, sometimes there are breweries I really like the look of that don’t make the cut. As such I simply pick one of these to keep the blog going.
Electric Bear Brewing in their own words
We were all home brewers. Some of us still are, in our spare time. Chris founded the brewery to escape a small garage which had no running water and no drainage. This was where he home-brewed on a 20L Speidel Braumeister, traipsing in and out of the house for water and cleaning, generally making some decent beer, but also a lot of mess.
The desire to make things sits deep within us all, and homebrewers are particularly passionate artisans. With some homebrewers that passion extends to fashioning their own equipment to make the beer; we have always seen things differently. We think great kit gives you the best chance to make great beer consistently. So Electric Bear Brewing Co. was born from the dream of escaping the garage, increasing capacity and building a brand-new brewery creating great, innovative, delicious, modern beer that delivers on that ‘glad to be alive’ vibe.
Our approach to brewing is simple: we want to produce consistently great tasting beers of all styles from easy-drinking ales to highly-hopped, high strength beers – from our core range to our experimental small batch nanobrews.
Starting the brewery has been a journey and not a day goes by where we don’t learn something new. Challenging, yes. Hard work, yes. Worth it? Yes!
Fin
Brewing out of Bath, the brewery also appears to have a tap room, which based on their beers I had I would 100% recommend.
https://electricbearbrewing.com/pages/about-us
Whilst there are mixed boxes available, as this brewery is one, I have been interested in I decided to take the plunge and order one of each of their single cans, resulting in quite a large order. 14 beers were ordered; however, I utilised a newsletter sign up discount code and the order was still eligible for free shipping meaning I paid £50.32, (saving £5.59 with the discount code). Meaning the average cost of the can was £3.60, which is very in line with what you would expect to pay.
https://electricbearbrewing.com/collections/beer
At the time of writing not all the beers I reviewed are still available, but some fantastic looking new ones including “into the vimtoverse” Triple Fruited Sour have taken their place.
This has been had first as unfortunately it had a really short date on it, the beers arrived on 12/07/2022 and the Best Before Date was 13/07/2022 which is a little unfortunate that I may not be getting this in its ‘prime’. That said it has a fantastic pun for a name, so there is a little bit of leeway given.
In just normal light this looks pitch black, but hold a torch against it and there is a rich ruby colour to the beer which is incredibly pleasing to the eye. It’s smelling like a good Porter, there’s the richness that lingers in the nostrils and works its way through the senses. It smells pretty heavy with a slight sweetness seeping through the malty main.
The taste is surprisingly welcoming and for the most part reserved. It really makes you search out for the flavour notes in it and if I’m being honest is “beerier” than some Porters I’ve had in the past. There is a slight aftertaste of malty bitterness that sits on the sides of tongue but other than that it’s hard to pick out the key flavour breakdown, when you have the initial drink, you are hit with a tiny hit of sweetness, but I’m unable to ascertain where this has come from or put my finger on it being “vanilla” or what have you.
The drink is very light to drink in mouth feel and doesn’t give the velvety rich lip lining I’ve come to grow and love. It’s drinkable and pleasant enough, if a little unremarkable.
Electric Bear Brewing Co X Attic Brew Co.
Attic Brew is a brewery that I recognise the name of, but I don’t think I’ve had anything of there’s certainly nothing that’s in their shop at the moment so I’m quite intrigued as to how this will go. The type of beer alone confuses me a little bit here as Table Beer by definition is just typically a low ABV beer that everyone can have, so to smash out an 8% table beer goes against the ethos…which I quite like.
As avid reader Michael Hughes (the first blog shout out I think) dubbed it “Under the table beer). I wanted to steal that as my own, but credit where credit’s due that’s a banger!
The trouble is I don’t know what to expect with this. I know what to look for in IPA’s NEIPA’s etc, but what makes a good table beer, let’s find out shall we. It smells incredibly citrusy, but the can doesn’t provide any indication as to what hops are present, but I’d bet my left arm Citra is here in some way or another.
Oh, this is tasty, but my word you get the strength STRAIGHT away. Table beer, not here son get that weak sauce out of here!
As expected, there is the tropical twang which stays for the initial taste and sits on the top of the mouth predominantly, then the strength overpowers everything subtle about it with a low hum of bitterness and leaves you sat back wondering exactly how you’re going to feel at the end of this. It’s a beer which somehow knows exactly to travel straight to your head and simply asks you what the hell you’re going to do about it.
I’m not sure this would be for everyone, on a personal level I’m loving it, but it’s incredibly challenging. It’s not just about the ABV either I’ve had stronger beers which haven’t felt as strong. If you can get past the strength there is a complex fruity beer behind everything, however you have to put the work in.
Limewire has an issue here as it is running my four favourite hops, Azacca, Mosaic, Simcoe and Citra. (As well as Chinook). The problem is I know just how good this combination can be, so I am very consciously setting the bar quite high.
The nose has immediately triggered the unconscious bodily reaction of saliva building up in the mouth in anticipation. For a more detailed explanation there is a nice mixture of tropicalness and beer and I’m possibly getting a slight peppery smell in there too which could be interesting. That said my nose is still by far the weakest aspect of my blog so far.
Mmmmm, there is something so good about this. It didn’t get the OHOHOHOHOH reaction that beers have got from me in the past, but I expected A LOT from this beer and it has duly delivered. The combination of hops and the brewing process has led to a perfectly balanced drink. The first mouthful, you get the faithful IPA notes and you think right we’re in beer town, but then you get the glorious coating in your mouth with the tropical flavours, with the citrus end being the most dominant (the name being the key indicator here).
These hops and this type of beer, is truly my happy place and I’m glad that they have been held in such high esteem by Electric Bear to produce a stand out session IPA. Some could argue 5.4% is a little high for a session beer, but for me session is about mood and vibe, in between tasting and notes, my chair is fully reclined, the music is on and my eyes are closed and getting lost in the flavours and the moment.
Fantastic.
Another beer where we’ve got some good hops in the making here (Citra and Mosaic), so once again quite high expectation. With just how hot it is today; this is probably going to be fantastically light and refreshing with APA’s typically not as bitter and lighter tasting.
This can be seen in the pour in that straight away any semblance of a head has disappeared and although slightly hazy it still appears very light and not in any way heavy.
The nose is echoing the thoughts I had, it’s very fresh to the nose and fruity to punch, there isn’t any hint of bitterness or aftertaste and gives the impression that it could be quite sweet, but I know full-well that it won’t be.
As an IPA / NEIPA fan, part of me is looking for a little bit more that gorgeous coating in the mouth that gets the saliva going, but this is doing it in a different way which is both confusing and wonderful. What we have here is something incredibly refreshing and packed with a light citrusy flavour which is just really good. I know it seems a bit of a cop out with “good” but for me it’s a really good representation of the drink. Crisp, fresh, completely weather appropriate. It’s a beer that is leaving me wanting more but also just really enjoying what I’m drinking.
It’s still incredibly warm, so what better drink to whet my whistle with than a lovely refreshing Pink Lemonade sour. (Although the red weather warning is incoming so maybe water as well). It looks exactly as you’d expect something based off Pink Lemonade to look, so I’m not going to labour the fact.
What I will point out is the second I opened the can there was a gorgeous smell that escaped. The drink smells unashamedly sour to the point that I fully anticipate that this will be lip and tongue smashingly sour.
You get the first powerful hint of tartness the second you take your first sip and it’s one of those sours that the fluid goes and sits in your stomach instantly with that acidity slapping you about, however the subsequent drinks are a lot more accommodating. There is a lovely mix of raspberry and lemon fighting for dominance, with the lemon probably just edging it.
The only negative thing I would say I have, is that while it’s nice it’s not hugely “wowing” me. I think generally I’m moving away from sours, which is good tastes adapt and evolve. This is sweet, tart and has that lovely tang, but it not doing enough to propel itself to greatness and making it stand out more.
It’s 31 degrees outside and apparently next up is a Porter. I’m pretty sure that a nice ice pop or iced water would probably be the best option, but never mind that’s where we are.
This Porter is incredibly deep and rich and is demonstrated in the fact that no light at all permeates when the torch is held up behind the glass. As such this should be exactly what I’m after the deep tar like molasses flavour that coats every part of your lips and mouth.
It smells how it looks, deep and heavy with a sweetness behind everything that it’s doing, which is tempered even with a bitterness even in the nose.
This is actually a little bit lighter than I was expecting, both for the ABV and how dark the beer looks. There is something oddly refreshing about this, granted it has come out the fridge but there is a real playful lightness with the porter that doesn’t sit heavy of the mouth or stomach. The molasses nature of the drink is really dialled back and barely rests on the palate at all, more waiting to be invited to the party, waiting outside with its mate slight bitterness until you’re ready for them.
As more and more of the drink is had the bitterness dials up, but only slightly and as more is had coffee notes appear in both the nose and taste.
We’re now back to a much more seasonal 18 degrees for those trying to place exactly when I’m drinking these, after a few days where it was just too hot for beer (sacrilegious I know). Genga is one of those beers where I imagine it could get lost in the crowd and be just another pale ale, but just opening the can I got a lovely hit of fruitiness from the very first instant.
Once poured the beer maintains a modest head, which dissipates reasonably quickly. There’s a subtle tropical smell to the nose with a more beery notes pushing through in the background.
The taste of it also matches the nose to perfection. You get that initial citrusy burst, before the beer notes kick it out the way and take up residence in your mouth. There is something really satisfying about the juxtaposition of fruit and beer in such a quick transition, which gets the saliva going.
There is a real body to the drink and is a bit heavier than I was first anticipating, but not so much that you would feel bloated. It’s just a drink that you remember drinking, rather than it being a lighter, waterier affair.
All in all, a really solid beer that would appeal to almost all drinkers with something for everyone to pick out.
An incredibly thick and juicy looking IPA as it poured out, with a near perfect head that formed and maintained for a good amount of time. As with a lot of the Electric Bear beers, there’s a hop I’m drawn to (Azacca) and already have a good picture of what to expect.
The cloud like thickness of the beer is supported by a generous fruity note, with a light citrus tones complimented by an understated beery nose.
“Bloody Gorgeous” was my unfiltered response, which clearly means I’ve started taking on other people’s phrases now, but it’s a really perfect descriptor of the beer. What you have is a much stronger citrus than the nose gave away, walking the tartness tightrope with grapefruit which is prevented from falling off with pine like undertones just pulling it back.
As I mentioned earlier in the review, once again Electric Bear seem to have found the perfect balance in flavour and excellent usage of hops to stop it becoming just a fruit IPA. The earthiness in the background compliments and enhances the fruity hops and allows you to explore its nuances.
By giving it a big swill around the mouth it becomes further complex, with a more malty and traditionally beer like taste, which would keep traditionalists on board.
The only thing slightly negative of note is that it does sit quite heavy on the stomach, there’s a lot going on with the beer and you can see from the photo how thick it appears and it is echoed in its stomach feel, so only a few of these would be had before feeling a little bloated.
A lovely lovely beer though.
First things first, I love it when a beer is linked to charity. I don’t know why just makes me feel good about myself and the companies I’m supporting like the F**K cancer special a few months ago. From Treetops 30p from each can sold will be donated to the Green Canopy Fund, planting trees to build a more sustainable future. Let’s be honest I think the planet can get every little bit of help it can at the moment, so yeah kudos and the beer and brewery automatically get extra points.
As an English Pale Ale this doesn’t have the thickness which is associated with most IPA’s, with a quickly dissipating head and although it looks darker in the photo actually looks more see through.
The nose isn’t giving an awful away but with a little bit of coaxing some very feint fruit notes kick through.
To drink, this is very much more beer than anything in the traditional sense. There is an instant zingy twang that hits the palate for a microsecond before the traditional malty, earth tones kick in, there is no one overpowering flavour and again I use the word balance. The beer is very light and leaves a not unpleasant tingle on the tongue.
I feel that whilst it has its own complexities this is a beer that I would recommend to someone wanting to dip their toe in to the craft beer world. Craft beer with armbands of familiarity on. The carbonisation to the uneducated palate could place it in the lager like spectrum as such would feel familiar for those who wanted to explore this world a little more.
I must emphasise that carbonisation is the only comparison with a lager I would make, the wealth of flavour and use of all English hops creates a light, delicious a subtly citrusy drink which would appeal to almost anyone interested in beer.
I don’t know why but I’m apprehensive about this one, I’m hoping there is some sort of coffee or chocolate note which cuts through the ginger otherwise it could be incredibly testing and unbalanced, with ginger being such a dominant flavour profile.
As with most stouts I’ve given it the torch test and it’s resulted in a beautiful ruby colour which the light can just about break through, however remove the light and it sits there, dark thick and imposing.
To the nose it’s not as scary as I was expecting, I’m getting dark rich cocoa notes with a little bit of heat in the background which is probably coming from the ginger (funny that).
Ok so there’s a lot going on with this beer I’ll try my best to break it down.
There is a warmth to the beer from the ginger which somehow bypasses almost all of the mouth and only take effect at the top of the throat before working down into the stomach and sits there warming away, which is oddly disconcerting when the drink itself is cold. Like most stouts it has the syrupy style which slaps itself across the top lip and leaves the thin layer of stickiness.
By giving the drink a swirl around the mouth is when it passes from ok to oh not for me. Without aerating the drink, it maintains a sweet and molasses like note with everything else on the undertones and acceptable. The swirl however appears to liven up the background complexities which and leaves things a little overpowering and out of whack.
My initial worries were founded and the earthy, gingery notes are totally out of sync with the rest of the drink. I expected crystalised ginger to have a level of sweetness, however there is no balance in it. There is full on ginger and full on sweet, but nothing in the middle once you bring everything to life. It needs stronger coffee or cocoa to work as the middle man, but without it everything just a bit out of whack and overpowering.
I always get confused when we hit German beers as to what is exactly what and often get Kolsch and Weiss beers confused, however a quick search would indicate that they are not the same (funny that) and there is very little to worry about, as I don’t especially like Wheat beers.
This on the other hand has a really light fresh fruity nose to it and is incredibly inviting on just the first sniff. This is replicated in how it poured and looks, incredibly light almost translucent for a beer.
Gorgeous.
Once more an involuntary reaction to a beer, especially as it’s one I wouldn’t routinely go towards, yet spotting the Mosaic hops in the recipe it’s clear as to why I like this. This is as it smells incredibly light and nowhere near as oppressive as the 5.5% advertised, with little to no hint of the ABV of the beer held within the mouth. What you get is a zesty and zingy beer, with its carbonation tingling the tongue and allows all the citrus notes of the hops to pop all around the mouth. It’s incredibly light too and incredibly drinkable. If all Kolsch’s are of this quality I’ve been missing out and it’s another beer genre that has piqued my interest. At this point though I’m pretty sure that Electric Bear Brewing is responsible for the greatness I’ve experienced as almost every beer I’ve had of theirs has been phenomenal.
Straight away the obvious draw is that it’s 3.3% and very very low for a standard IPA. It will be interesting to see if the flavours can carry through in a low ABV. Looking at it on face value it seems to look like a gorgeous IPA.
The same could be said in the nose as well, once again it’s a hot day but just sniffing the beer you get the immediate citrus notes and an instant mouth-watering tang which it generates.
Can the hops and flavours carry through a low ABV. Yes, very much so. Straight off the bat you get the light citrus flavours kicking through and also a slight woody aftertaste with the hops kicking through.
What is gorgeous about this is how it’s a hidden drink, in the sense that you’d have no idea just how low ABV this beer is. It’s full bodied and heavy and the exact opposite of what I thought this beer was going to be. I expected something which would be underwhelming and very light, on the contrary it’s so far away from that.
Once again, I’m left a little bit in awe of what the brewers at Electric Bear are able to accomplish.
This is an incredibly dark stout to the naked eye, which under the torch test reveals an incredibly deep ruby colour which is incredibly welcoming to the eye.
The nose is incredibly heavy and malty with distinct coffee notes in the background. I get the impression that this might be quite a challenging stout, but hopefully will be balanced well.
I’m struggling with this one a little bit, when you get the first sip you get a hit of molasses, deep rich sugar taste. The sweetness then fades away and leaves a slight bitterness at first which then becomes overpowering across all aspects of the palate, with on almost oaky, ashy aftertaste which just tips to the unpleasant for my own personal taste.
I’m not sure if it’s something linked to the export but the ashy aftertaste is something I’ve come across a few times and just something my palate doesn’t or hasn’t adjusted to at the moment and is just a little bit too oppressive.
So, we come to the final drink from Electric Bear and I’m a little trepidatious in that it could possibly taint my overall experience. The non-stouts / porters have been some absolute crackers and I’ve loved almost all of them, but the stouts / porters have fallen a little short of the mark. This appears to have a slight lightness to the standard porter dark however under torch light far less light penetrates the drink leaving only the feintest of ruby colours in the background.
It's incredibly strong smelling too, one of the few beers I’ve had from Electric Bear which smells like it could by and large take your socks off. It’s odd to describe but when you smell it, it’s as though you are disturbing something, a slight sweetness belied by a really heavy earthiness in the background.
The balance here is actually pretty good as soon as the beer hits the mouth, you’re struck with a treacle like sweetness which has dominance, whilst the more earthy malty beer taste just sorts of slides in gently into the background and cradles the palate leaving yourself almost contemplative of the world. I’ve found myself just sitting there and trying to pick apart the beer, but it’s just done its job nicely delivered flavour and disappeared with no lingering intent. Easily the best of the stouts and porters that I’ve had from Electric Bear, by a long shot.
Final Thoughts:
Up until the very end I thought Electric Bear Brewing was going to be a brewery of two halves, absolutely dominating and winning the champions league with their IPA’s and its derivatives, whilst struggling a little bit with the Porters and Stouts, however Circles Round The Moon really pulled that back strongly.
I appreciate the ambition of the crystalised ginger stout, but the flavour profiles were too strong and too out of whack, then you have drinks like Deja Voodoo which was mind meltingly amazing.
Electric Bear is certainly worth your time and I’d
be tempted by their Bear Box mixed case or maybe just a peruse around their
lighter beers which were truly next level.
Next County: Edinburgh
Next Brewery: Pilot
