Two beers sampled last weekend, both big bold West Coast IPA's both brewed by Siren but each in collaboration with different brewers. First (on the right) we have one of my all time favourite beers made with brewers "Green Cheek" based in the USA (on the West Coast) and the other slightly less glamorous "Elusive" based on the same Berkshire industrial estate as Siren in Finchampstead. It's kind of a face off between two beers in the same style, slightly different hops but essentially the USA vs UK!
Firstly we have "Every Minute Matters (EMM)" first launched five years ago and re-released this Spring. It reached the dizzy heights of #2 in my beers of the year list back in 2020 and is a classic Westy, clean, crisp, marmalade and grapefruit with a fierce bitter finish, lovely. Secondly we have another re-brew first seen in 2023 for the 7th birthday of that brewery, called "Nine Mile Ride (NMR)" it celebrates the famous (well, around here) road that both breweries sit at the end of and is quite similar in flavour profile to the previous example. I get a ton of grapefruit and citrus, the bitterness is there and it's quite dank as well, a delicious expression of Westy goodness.
If I had to choose only one then I think I'd plump for NMR, but it's very close, NMR is just that little bit more drinkable since EMM sits at 7.2% ABV and NMR at 6% and NMR features more Nelson hops which bring something special to the party. But, then again, on a sunny Saturday afternoon with the BBQ flaming away I'd be perfectly happy to sink either one of these beauties.
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