So here we go again, the top 10. It’s been a bit of a West Coast year in 2023, many great brewers have turned their attention to this classic style and three out of my top ten are Westies, including the number one from Verdant drunk at source and singing a sweeter tune than any other brew this year.
1. Cheeky Westy (Verdant & Green Cheek) – Made as a collaboration between Verdant and Green Cheek, a real stand-out beer for me this year. I had this several times both from can but also at source from the Verdant taproom in Falmouth (Cornwall) A delicious and classic West Coast IPA, grapefruit and stone fruits with a lip-coating oily bitterness that is totally moreish (I purchased some cans from the Verdant taproom, see picture above).
2. Puttty (Verdant) – Another Verdant classic, this time their annual homage to all things dank and murky but maxed out in the form of a triple IPA version (10%) of their famous “Putty” offering (note the extra “t”) This one was amazing, sampled at the Small Bar in Bristol it was super smooth and fruit laden with an amazing mouthfeel, a world class beer.
3. Dark & Perilous Nights (Siren) – Closer to home now and a stunning dark beer from Siren. I’ve never experienced so much chocolate in a beer before, but this wasn’t in anyway cloying. Such a rich, unctuous and super smooth experience and at 12.4% ABV to be enjoyed in small quantities!
4. Fruit Car Sight Exhibition (Verdant) – An old favourite and a slightly tweaked recipe this year, sampled down in Cornwall at source was like putting on a favourite pair of slippers, Citra hops showcased at their best.
5. Nine Mile Ride (Elusive & Siren) – Two of my favourite (and closest) breweries collaborated to make this wonderful West Coast IPA. Two of my favourite hops on the hot and cold sides, Nelson and Citra. Grapefruit, citrus, dank, bitter and nothing out of whack, excellent.
6. Destination IPA (Elusive, The Kernel & Burning Sky) – Very similar in style and flavour profile to the Nine Mile Ride this one but brewed via a collaboration between Elusive, The Kernel in London and Burning Sky in Sussex. Classic West Coast vibe, pine, bitter, dank, great drinkability, excellent.
7. Putty (Verdant) - A deep, rich and smooth Putty this year with a delightful fruit profile of masses of mango and passion fruit with underlying layers of citrus, dank pine and malt.
8. Table Beer (The Kernel) – At only 3.4% this is the perfect beer to chug after a long walk on a scorching hot day, and back in the Summer that’s exactly what I did after walking from the West End to the Kernel taproom in Bermondsey! A wonderful experience, great tropical flavours, perfect balance and smooth mouthfeel, probably up there with Verdant “People Money Space Time” as the best session beer in the country.
9. 40 Watt Moon (Verdant) – One of a series of beers produced by Verdant of different “wattages”, this is the top of the range at 8% a DIPA that has it all. A complete juice bomb, Strata and Citra take the lead to deliver grapefruit, pine, dankness and tropical fruits, so good.
10. Doing Science (Siren, Track) – Similar to the Time Hops series by Siren last year this IPA was saturated with delicious Strata, Idaho 7 and Citra hops. I picked up a can at our town's May Fair and it had a great mouthfeel with a lingering finish showing stone fruits and citrus, delicious.
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