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! 🍺

Only With Love!

I was asked by a publican couple who are friends, to taste 5 beers in cans from East Sussex brewery Only With Love (website) for them, and who am I to turn down a challenge of this sort? Cheers Mark and Mo! 😉 So I worked up in strength, sort of... 

I begin with their 3.9% 'Super Session Pale' Swift, and a very pale golden ale, as expected. Brewed with Amarillo (hopslist), Columbus (hopslist) and Mandarina Bavaria (hopslist) hops, providing a fruity aroma, notably orange. There was a hint of orange in the taste too, but quite subtle. Nice and refreshing with a dry finish, not too bitter, I liked it.

Second is their 4.2% 'Extra Pale Ale' Wingding, brewed with Citra (hopslist), Cascade (hopslist), Goldings (hopslist) and Apollo (hopslist) hops. Pale again, unsurprisingly, with a light fruity aroma and taste, they suggest 'gooseberry' and I got that too! Finished nice and dry, my notes say, 'not bad at all' 👍which is a decent compliment from me. 😉

 

Third is the 5% 'Tropic IPA' Bongo (rebadged from 'Summer Beer' I guess, but I forgot to take photographs before the cans went into the recycling bag, so had to scour the net for images 😒). Brewed with El Dorado (hopslist), Cascade (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist), Citra (hopslist), Sabro (Yakima Valley Hops) and Simcoe (hopslist) hops, producing big citrus and forest fruits aroma and taste in this pale ale. A nice crisp dry finish, shame about the thickness of this 'vegan friendly' ale, or it could have been a belter... 😞

Fourth is their 4% 'Helles Lager' Banger, brewed with Magnum (hopslist), Hallertau (hopslist) and Mandarina Bavaria (hopslist) hops. Pale, quite dry with a subtle fruitiness in the taste, it's 'vegan friendly' too, but nice and clear, see, it can be done! Okay, I'm not a lager drinker, but I noted that it's "pretty good!" Indeed, I can be open to new things... 😁

Finally their low alcohol/alcohol free (0.5%) Juicy AF, brewed with Columbus (hopslist), El Dorado (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist) and Citra (hopslist) hops. Big fruity aroma and taste, as you'd expect from the hops used, but I may as well have had an orange or mixed fruits smoothie, probably cheaper! If it had been crisp and clear I may consider it, but much too thick sadly.

Overall, they use hops that I like in my ales, I was surprised about the lager Banger, which I thought was pretty good, sadly the Bongo and Juicy AF were much too thick for me, which could be improved if fined, and I shan't go into the 'vegan friendly' ales can be crisp and clear saga yet again here, and the Swift and Wingding were both not bad at all. Decent enough brewers, shame about the vegan influence, although I've heard they do provide clear ales in casks if requested. Cheers folks! 🍻

Many thanks for the images too, cheers! 👍