Things are starting to look desperate. As the lockdown continues, my beer supplies have diminished from “this guy has a problem” through “there’s a few gaps in that fridge” all the way down to “full-blown crisis levels”. Even my stock of worty, half-fermented homebrew is dwindling.
Fortunately for me, I have options for replenishing my stock. Beer + Burger’s Dalston branch is running a discount on beers to takeaway and an even better deal when I buy six.
For now, cycling to Dalston to grab a rucksack full of tinnies is the most exciting travel I can accomplish. But in that rucksack is the taste of a road trip all across the American continent via Peckham. In one evening I get the flavours of both East and West Coast IPAs, courtesy of the brilliant Brick Brewing.
East Coast IPA
We start our journey on the East coast with a thicc and juicy boi. This looks like old-fashioned cloudy apple juice, the kind with chunks floating in it that’s actually good for you.
The aroma is peachy, melony perfume. And no wonder it’s so perfumed, with such an intense blend of hops: Mosaic, Galaxy, and Columbus just to start with. The palate brings pineapple and hints of resin with a thick, sherbet mouthfeel. The resinous finish lingers elegantly, or at least it would if I could stop myself taking another sip.
An excellent start to the evening, with the only real downside being it’s gone all too quickly. 4/5
West Coast IPA
For our next stop we’re all the way over on the west coast with this orangey, piney IPA. Brewed with Centennial and Cascade, I broadly know what to expect. Less predictable is the inclusion of HBC 522, an experimental new hop. Even locked down in isolation in a tiny London flat, we can still partake in a little adventure.
As one might expect from a west coast beer, the aroma coming off this IPA is oily pine and orange. The flavour is perfumed like pot pourri, with sticky pine resin notes cut through with crisp grapefruit. The finish is weak, however, and it’s not nearly as moreish as its east coast cousin. 2/5
It’s a clear win for the east side in this instance, much to Ali G’s dismay. But I’m certainly not done with my east vs west comparisons, nor with Brick’s excellent beer selection. It may be some time until we’re allowed out of the house to check out their Peckham brewery again, but until then, I’ll be on the lookout for whatever Bricks I can order online.
