Slowly but surely, I’ve been working through the mystery box I ordered from Flavourly last month.
Working is the right word for it at times, honestly. As promised, there’s a real mix of beers in here. Some are adequate. Some are teetering dangerously near to the boundary of what’s drinkable. Fortunately, these two bottles did far better.
Radical Road 6.4%
I’m enjoying the label on this beer even before I get started. I’ve always been a sucker for psychedelic illustrations of hops tumbling everywhere. Once poured, it’s a dark, ruddy gold in colour. It’s a cloudy one too, with a smattering of pure white head that swiftly dissipates.
While Radical Road is triple hopped, it’s more malty on the nose, predominantly biscuits with a hint of pine resin. The bitterness comes through in the flavour, with more of that biscuity malt and a warm, spicy aftertaste.
One to watch out for. I’ll be seeking this one out again. 4/5
Cauld Reekie 6.2%
This is a proper stout. 6.2% ABV, and none of that coffee/cacao nib/vanilla nonsense – just traditional beer ingredients.
Cola brown, with a thick, toffee head, Cauld Reekie smells (reeks?) of chocolate and liquorice. The flavour profile is a journey: first molasses, then liquorice, followed by toffee sweetness, balanced out with a hint of bitterness.
This was the best beer I drank all day. And not just because it was the fifth. 5/5
