North East Beer Review

Today’s review is on Green Gold Brewing Povodni Mož which is a 5.8% West Coast IPA. I have tried a couple of these Slovenian brews and I really hope to get a hold of some cans to review too. Previously, I had tried Sunset and I was deeply impressed to the point I purchased the Space Hops collaboration with Beyond Belief Brewing. So what did I think of Povodni Mož? To find out I will cover the history of this brewery and beer, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally my verdict.

Crafted by hop experts

Green Gold Brewing is a craft brewery from Slovenia which has roots in hop farming. The founder, Luka Rojnik gained knowledge of craft brewing in the United States and returned to Slovenia to create his own brewery using his own ideas and local hops. Green Gold is located in the Savinja Valley in Spodnje Grušovlje and began brewing in 2016. Over the years, Green Gold Brewing showcased Slovenian grown hops and crafted a highly respected reputation in Slovenia. Bolstering this reputation, the Slovenian brewery crafts hop forward beers and brought international attention to the countries unique hop profile. To add an anecdote, I tried a Slovenian Lager from Polish called Brokreacja Older than Craft, this was brewed using Styrian Wolf and Styrian Kolibri which offered an interesting and unique herbal bite.

Povodni Mož is named after a mythical waterman who is an anti hero from a famous poem by France Prešeren, a famous Slovenian poet. This waterman appears as a handsome young man who seduces young women in Ljubljana. This link helps ground it to Slovenian heritage and culture. Blending Slovenian culture and American brewing culture, Povodni Mož is brewed with Styrian Wolf, Centennial, Citra and Simcoe. This unfiltered and unpasteurised brew carries an ABV of 5.8% and brings a combination of tropical and citrus fruits.

A golden and smooth pour

When poured, Povodni Mož presents a golden straw colour which has a slight hazy appearance from the unfiltered nature. Almost glowing in glass, this is capped by a bubbly white head which does stubbornly retain throughout the drinking experience. A fine ring of lacing remains in this moderately carbonated brew. Overall, this is an ultra refreshing and modern looking pour.

A bright and tropical flavour

Aroma

On the nose, Povodni Mož is quite hop forward and presents strong citrus to tropical aromas. In terms of citrus aromas, think maybe grapefruit and orange peel. Furthermore, the tropical fruits I noticed were pineapple and mango. Beneath the fruity nature a resinous and herbal edge reminds you that it is a West Coast IPA which is followed by a light malt base, adding a degree of balance and remains throughout the experience. Overall, this is a deeply aromatic flavour which is exactly what you would expect from a West Coast style ale.

Taste

The taste of Green Gold Brewing Povodni Mož completely mirrors the aroma. The beer unlocks with a hoppy nature with upfront flavours of citrus and tropical fruits such as grapefruit, orange, mango and finally pineapple. Beneath this fruit edge is bitter piney flavour which lingers alongside the malt base. The latter balances out the hop forward nature by offering a slightly sweet biscuity note. Overall, the finish is clean and dry with a lingering citrus bitterness. The mouthfeel of this beer is light to medium body which makes this quite drinkable. This is a well balanced and typically bitter West Coast IPA which has a touch of New England fruits. Povodni Mož is a very tasty brew.

Time for my verdict

Green Gold is one of those breweries that I am glad to see appearing across the UK and it is great for the likes of Brew York to give them the push. Povodni Mož was a pint I was glad to try when stopping by the Brew York Handley Tap. The West Coast IPA was a well balanced yet refreshingly bitter brew that leaves you wanting more. The upfront fruity nature gives an immediate burst of flavour but is brilliantly balanced out by the herbal hoppy nature as well as the malt base. Overall, I rate Povodni Mož a solid 4.5 out of 5.

Where did I purchase this beer?

I purchased this pint of Green Gold Brewing Povodni Mož from the Brew York Handley Tap.

Thanks for reading my review. If you enjoyed this review you will love my review of Bellwoods Brewery Jutsu.