North East Beer Review

After a pretty depressing Tyne and Wear Derby, I decided to get a new craft beer to try from Fenwicks. Then I saw this beer called Calvin and Suzy on the Number 21 and coincidentally got the Number 21 bus home. This is brewed by Twice Brewed along with a collaboration of Low Fell based The Rare Drop and Microbus in Gateshead. This is a beer that I have wanted to try for a little while now but haven’t had the time to pop around to The Rare Drop to pick up a can. During the course of this review I will cover the history of the beer, the collaborators, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally my verdict.

An iconic collaboration

Firstly, I will cover Twice Brewed Brewing Co, this is a craft brewery located on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. They began brewing in 2017 naming the brewery after the local area which has been known since the 1700’s. This place has a long history of brewing tradition and ale houses. Twice Brewed have a deep connection with the local landscape by using water from their own well and emphasising the quality of hops and sustainability.

Since 2017, Twice Brewed has grown from three fermentors to eight and beyond whilst also building a reputation of experimentation on a wide range of styles from NEIPAs to Stouts. They’ve also earned numerous awards, including SIBA regional and national medals, European Beer Challenge wins, and World Beer Awards honours, reflecting both their core range and creative small-batch beers.

The Rare Drop is a food and drink shop based in Low Fell, Gateshead. They take pride in supporting local businesses from the North East which also allowing access for continental food and drink such as Belgian and Italian beers. A cracking place for picking up North East based craft beers which I have sampled myself. The Rare Drop is run by Calvin who is known for his friendly and professional customer service.

Microbus is a bar located in the Railway Quarter of Gateshead town centre. This is a bar that has been on my radar for a while and I definitely aim to visit in the future. Opening in 2022, they have won Camra Gateshead pub of year for the last three years as well as Tyneside and Northumberland pub of the year in 2023 and 2024. They have also featured in the Good Beer Guide since 2024. At the pub, they have six hand pull taps and 14 taps. They have become famous for their mini bus style bar. Suzy is based in the Microbus pub

Calvin and Suzy On the Number 21 is a batch based hazy IPA which is the subject of the collaboration from the parties above (you can buy it here). I believe I got the second batch of this beer. Hopped with Galaxy and Sabro, this is a beer with a big flavour profile and a hoppy bite. I believe the Number 21 nod is relevant as it is the Go North East bus route which connects straight through Low Fell to Gateshead. This is also a personal relevance as I have jumped on that Number 21 bus many times whether it’s going into Newcastle for the day or Durham for a night out. This a fixture of the Northeast as it connects the region. As a customer of the Rare Drop, I was really looking forward to trying it. This is available in cans, kegs and cask.

An unbelievably juicy pour

On the Number 21 pours a hazy, opaque orange colours which looks stunningly like juice. Which proper exemplifies its New England IPA roots. As it hits the glass, a fluffy white head forms which was a couple fingers deep. This beer was quite lively but presented a more creamy smooth texture rather than majorly carbonated. The head clung to the glass leaving a considerable amount of lacing. Overall, a juice like pour which looks amazing.

A tropical taste and aroma

Aroma

When poured, the aromatics immediately hit your nose from Twice Brewed On the Number 21. You can expect to be greeted with flavours of fresh tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple and peach. This is backed by undertones of coconut and citrus such as maybe tangerine. This flavour profile is most likely from the galaxy and sabro hops. To round off the aroma there is sweet maltiness which rounds off this beer. There was no major bitterness detected. Overall, this smells like a majorly juicy beer packed with flavour.

Taste

To start this was extremely smooth and juicy with a taste profile similar to a tropical fruit salad. This is led by pineapple, passionfruit and mango. Mid Palate, the taste is deepened by the addition of subtle coconut and citrus notes. This is well rounded with a smooth juicy character. The malt profile is light but still relevant which allows for the hop forward nature to shine. The bitterness is not as pronounced as other hazy IPAs but it is still balanced, soft and juicy. This beer really encourages another sip with I can imagine with an ABV 6% would be dangerous. Overall, this was a delicious tropical hazy IPA which I could have drunk all night.

Time for my verdict.

Overall, This is a beer I majorly support as it comes from the North East and one of collaborators (The Rare Drop) I have visited in the past and it really is a great place which I highly recommend you visit if you are in the Newcastle/Gateshead/Co Durham area. Microbus is a pub that I must visit in the future and it is crazy that I haven’t got around to doing that. Twice Brewed is a brewery I have had a couple beers from and in my opinion this one is the best. When it comes to the beer itself, this was a brilliant example of a hazy IPA. On the Number 21, is amazingly juicy and flavoursome, with the soft and smooth mouthfeel allowing this to glide down. The depth of flavour is spot on and I honestly don’t have anything negative to say about this one. I really enjoyed it. Overall, I rate this an amazing 4.75 out of 5.

Where did I purchase this from?

I purchased this from Fenwick’s in Newcastle City Centre. You can buy from the Rare Drop itself which I have linked above. Highly recommend you pop around there.

Thanks for reading this review of Twice Brewed Calvin & Suzy On the Number 21. If you enjoyed this review you will my review of Thirsty Moose Hazy Hinny.