Only With (more) Love!

It was as recent as September 2023 (blog) that I was last asked for my opinion of beers brewed by East Sussex (Uckfield) brewer Only With Love (website). I have written about a cask ale of theirs before (blog), but these were in tins again, although I doubt it would have made much difference regarding my analysis and opinion if they were from the pump.

So, the first beer I'm sharing my opinion of with you is their 5.9% All Star, brewed with Citra, Nelson and Galaxy hops. The selections of hops used for all these ales are very much to my taste, as I often say (sorry for boring you 😉), I do like my beers pale, dry and bitter, like me, and these are the types of hops to help provide me with my preferred taste. It was a bit too 'thick' for me, and I did my best to leave as much sediment in the bottom of the can as possible (for all 3 beers) without wasting any! They say 'hazy' but this is an understatement, it was thick. Lovely big fruity aroma, and sweetish taste, with citrus, tropical fruit, and gooseberry, and a dry finish.

One of the beers I had tried last year (blog) was a 5.0% version of their Bongo Tropic IPA (4.5% this time). Again brewed with El Dorado, Cascade, Mosaic, Citra, Sabro and Simcoe hops, this still produces a big citrus and tropical fruits aroma and taste, with a decent dry finish, and I noted 'pretty good!' However, it still 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.😉

Also, I drank a similar, less than 0.5%, Juicy AF as last year (blog), although lacking the Citra hops this time, only having Columbus, El Dorado and Mosaic hops used in the brewing process, before taking out the alcohol. But I really don't know why they bothered with hops because mango was added to the brew! You can guess what I'm going to say looking back at last year's blog, but this time I may as well have drunk a mango smoothie. A waste of brewing time, I couldn't even taste the hops used, because the mango dominated the taste.

Overall, the brewery uses great hops, but wastes great hops. I'm obviously not trendy enough for them, and quite frankly m'dears, 'I don't give a dam!' 😞

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! 👍