More Only With Love

Once again I have been asked by friends to sample 4 beers from Sussex brewery Only With Love (website), it's a hard life. 😁 I begin here with my favourite of the ales Big Bongo, a 6.0% New England IPA. Their beers are all vegan friendly, mostly hazy/cloudy except the lager, and regular readers will know I'm not particularly fond of cloudy beers, I prefer beers to be clear for many reasons, mostly 'cleaner' flavours. Anyway, Big Bongo is brewed with Citra (hopslist), El Dorado (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist), Sabro (Yakima Valley) and Simcoe (hopslist) hops, which together with the strength tells you there will be a BIG fruity aroma and taste, mostly tropical fruits but citrus too. Big Bongo has a slightly dry and bitter finish, is very tasty and is pretty good!

Second, its not so strong sibling Bongo Tropic IPA (4.5%). Also brewed with Citra (hopslist), El Dorado (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist), Sabro (Yakima Valley) and Simcoe (hopslist) hops, this still produces big citrus and tropical fruits in the aroma and taste, with a decent dry finish, unsurprisingly thinner when compared to its bigger sibling! However, similarly, it could be a belter if it wasn't so thick, add some vegan friendly finings and/or adjunct and I'd be singing its praises, oh well, too pretentious for moi. 😉

Third, and sold as a "Hazy Session Pale" their Hoopla (4.0%), brewed with Citra (hopslist) and Motueka (hopslist) hops. The hops again producing tropical fruit flavours and aroma, with a hint of citrus, dry slightly bitter finish, not bad, but cloudy, see Bongo above! 😣

Fourth is their 4% 'Helles Lager' Banger, brewed with Saaz (hopslist) and Mandarina Bavaria (hopslist) hops. Pale and clear (Beer Guide behind it obvious in the image!), although it was a wee bit darker than I expected, but quite dry and with a subtle fruitiness in the taste, gluten free and it's 'vegan friendly' too, but nice and clear, see, it can be done! 👍 I'm not a lager drinker as such, but I do like some of the European beers, notably from Bavaria, and I noted that the Banger was "good" again! Indeed, I can be unpredictable in my opinions... Prost! 🍺