I know Glasgow’s Overtone Brewing Co. for the excellent hoppy beers that they’ve been brewing since 2018, so it was a nice surprise to see a selection box of styles in this one – a Lager, Hopfenweisse, Oatmeal Stout, fruited Gose, and some Pales and IPAs. Here are six that stood out for me.
Place of Light. A 5% hazy Pale Ale with Mosaic, Ekuanot Cryo, Simcoe and El Dorado hops. The foam on this was sticky with hops – I love it! It’s the sort of beer that you know is very good from the first sip, but don’t realise just how good it is until you finish it and immediately want more. It’s got a beautiful soft mouthfeel (like most of the beers in this box). The hops give tropical fruit, peaches and apricot, and there’s fruity yeast esters as well. Superb!
Hopfensee. This is a Hopfenweisse, a German-style Weissbier that’s hopped like an IPA. The Simcoe, Eureka and Citra hops dominate the aroma, with juicy stone fruits, then the Weissbier comes later with its distinctive spicy and fruity yeast. The wheat beer base and the Weissbier yeast transform the hops and gives us some new aromas we wouldn’t find in an IPA with the same hop additions.
Northern Hemisphere. With Ekuanot, Mosaic and Simcoe, this DDH IPA is exactly the sort of beer I hoped and expected to get in this box. Thick, hazy and juicy, there’s orange, peach and tropical fruit, fruit candy yeast esters (they’ve got a pretty estery yeast at Overtone – I like it!), and a grip of bitterness at the end.
Gold ‘n’ Gose. A Gose with golden berry, prickly pear and passion fruit. Some people might want this more fruity, or more sweet, or more sour, but it was just right for me: it has an elegance which gives it a great balance without ever being too intense in any direction. The tangy tropical fruit comes through more as you drink it.
Pizzicato. A Premium Lager brewed with Saaz Lupomax – I’ve never had Saaz in this intensified hop form before, and the aroma is wonderful. I love Saaz hops, and this is the most pure version of the hop aroma I’ve experienced. Wow! I feel like the balance is out overall: too sweet (or not bitter enough), a bit to hazy for crispness, and lacking carbonation. It’s close to being great, but not quite.
Porridge on the Road. This Oatmeal Stout is one of the best dark beers I’ve drunk all year. The foam is a delicious dark brown colour, and the aroma is a treat of heavily roasted malts, fruity dark chocolate, chocolate truffles, and espresso, which carries through into the flavour. There’s big roastiness first, then the body is so soft and silky smooth. It’s a magic trick of intense flavour first, then softness at the end. Exceptional!
Overtone have really impressed me with this box, as they usually tend to do! If you’d like to give them a try, head over to their profile and get them lined up!