Beavertown, Bloody 'Ell Blood Orange IPA

Brewery: Beavertown Brewery

Brew: Bloody ‘Ell

Type: Blood Orange IPA

ABV: 7.2%

I wanted to try this beer as soon as I read about this years launch. Purely because who the hell puts blood orange in an IPA?

Beavertown do, but only for Spring, so get it soon or you’ll be waiting around for a while.

The 6 year old, London brewery released Bloody ‘Ell 2017 on April 8th. Originally inspired by a visit to Vermont, Logan, from Beavertown, decided to chuck some Blood Oranges in with a typical British IPA. As you do.

Four types of hops have been thrown in with some extra pale malts to create the base of this brew, it’s then infused with the blood orange to create an IPA that give us Swillers, according to the brewery, a smack of hops with warm hits of blood orange aromas.

So, does it deliver?

Open the can and out comes the tangy citrusy smell of the hops swiftly followed by the sweeter smell of the orange. Nothing complex, exactly what you’d expect. Pour it out and you’ll see that this beer, really is extra pale. The colour is very light yellow with a slight orange tint. It settles a little murky, more gold/yellow and with a decent white foam on top.

The taste is bang on. Like an orange cheese cake with a malty biscuit base (I shouldn’t write when hungry). It’s light, more a stroke than smack, around the mouth, but the fallout is deep. There’s a good amount of orange and the hops come through at just the right level, not overpowering your tastebuds or the blood orange that make this brew what it is. Bit of a dry finish, was hoping a bit more citrusy, but it works.

So yeah, it delivers!

Beavertown have delivered exactly what they promised. It isn’t as orangey as I thought it might be, but then I didn’t really know what to expect. That’s one of the draws. The orange hits hard though and the hops give it a real edge. We want bold, brave flavours. Bloody ‘Ell brings it.

It’s a proper Spring beer. It gives you that refreshed feeling you want on a proper hot spring day and you’ll feel warmed on one of those grey, overcast, not really that warm days we always get. At 7.2% you’ll be relaxed. Thinking of going out for a beer? Put your keys down, leave the car where it is, stick the deckchair on the grass pull the orange and silver, slightly freaky, can out the fridge and squeeze out every last drop.