North East Beer Review

This is a beer I got out of the bargain bin at Asda for £1.19 and I thought I would give it a go for that price. Siren to me is usually pretty hit or miss especially when it comes to their hazy ales. Although their collaboration with the Croatian brewery called the Garden Brewery was tremendous I often don’t sway towards this brewery. So what did I think of Siren Sounds like Citra Hazy IPA. To find out I will cover the history of the beer and brewery as well as the pour and flavour profile. Cheers.

A name derived from Greek mythology

Siren Craft Brew is an independent UK based craft brewery. Based in Finchampstead, Berkshire, Siren was founded in 2013 by Darron Anley with the goal of producing modern craft brews inspired by the rapid growth within the United Kingdom. Despite the first brew taking in the February of 2013, Siren quickly became one of the most well respected craft breweries in the country. Early core beers include the likes of Soundwave and Maiden. As of today, Siren has expanded from a team to 3 to a large exporting independent brewery. The brewery has a reputation for experimentation with styles such as IPAs, Sours and Stouts.

The name Siren comes from Greek mythology where sirens used to lure sailors using enchanting songs. This is used by the brewery to describe combining ingredients to create layered and irresistible experience for drinkers.

Siren Sounds like Citra is a hazy IPA which carries a modest ABV of 4.7%. The sole hop in this beer is Citra which was used by Siren to create a blend of tropical and citrus flavours. It is also brewed using malted barley, wheat and oats. With its juicy hop character and moderate strength, Sounds Like Citra is aimed at drinkers who enjoy hop-forward craft beer but want something easy to return to for multiple pints.

A light and hazy pour

Sounds like Citra pours a light yellow to golden colour which is more common in a session hazy. The Siren Brew has a distinct haziness but not as opaque as other hazy pours. The bubbly white head forms which dissipates pretty quickly. A minimal amount of lacing is present. The carbonation is lively with steady streams of bubbles present. Overall, a typical pour from a session hazy IPA.

A citrus led taste and aroma

Aroma

The aroma of Sounds like Citra utilises the Citra hop which presents flavours of citrus and tropical fruits such as mango, passion fruit, grapefruit and lime zests. There is a subtle stonefruit flavour too and the malt selection offers a sweet biscuit like edge. Overall, a hop forward beer which solely focuses on expressing the Citra hop.

Taste

Moving onto taste, the taste basically follows the aroma. A tropical and citrus fruit base leads the way with similar flavours of mango, passion fruit, grapefruit and lime zests. The citrus zests offering a slight bitterness. The malt bill adds to the body of the beer giving it a smooth mouthfeel. The malts also gives this a slight sweetness which somewhat balances the flavours out. The finish is light and clean. Overall, an ok beer which really focuses on the citra hop but leaves you expecting more, of course I have been drinking a lot of DIPAs recently so this may be swaying the my opinion.

Time for my verdict

As I stated earlier, Siren is a brewery that I often don’t sway towards. I feel their brews are often hit or miss. My feelings on Sounds like Citra is mixed although it wasn’t a bad beer and was still quite palatable. It also was quite one dimensional (I get thats the style) and bland. I honestly would probably not buy this beer again unless it was reduced like how I purchased it. I feel more play with the malt base may have added more to this drinking experience. Overall, I rate this a 3 out of 5.

Where did I purchase this from?

I bought Siren Sounds like Citra from Asda as it was reduced down to clear and I thought I would give it a try.

If you enjoyed this review, you will love my review of another I purchased from Asda in the form of Bullhouse Brew Co Hoppy Days. Thanks a lot for reading and I hope you have a great rest of your day.