North East Beer Review

I have noticed I have somewhat slacking on covering beers from the North East, so this review is on a beer I find particularly cool. The can design is one of the best designs I have seem and the use of liquid hops intrigues me. So the review today is on Twice Brewed Follow the Critical Path a liquid hop IPA, to find out more on this Lord of the Rings themed beer I will cover the history of the brewery and beer, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally my verdict. Cheers

Three hundred years of history

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.

Twice Brewed Follow the Critical Path is a modern hop forward IPA which shows the brewers leap into more contemporary beer styles. This is a new world style IPA which utilises “cutting edge liquid hop products”. The type of liquid hop used was Salvo, Spectrum, Hop Keif, Quantum Abstrax and Cryo. This 6.2% IPA should present “big bold and punchy flavours”. I particularly like the can design which was designed by Josh Beamish, who utilised the famous Lord of the Rings Mordor and Eye of Sauron imagery.

A thick and juicy pour

Follow the Critical Path presents a deep golden to yellow colour which has a distinct haze, common to the modern IPA style. A thick white head forms which is very lively and has excellent retention. A thin line of lacing is contained along with the moderately lively nature. This brew has a juicy, lively and fresh appearance, which is incredibly inviting.

A hop forward taste and aroma

Aroma

The aroma of Follow the Critical Path opens with an intense tropical and citrus forward aroma. Think the likes of mango, pineapple, grapefruit and nectarine with a faint passionfruit aroma. Beneath the intense hoppy nature, is a piney and herbal aroma which adds further depth. As the beer unlocks, an observable malt sweetness offers a light and biscuity note to balance the hop intensity. Overall, this is a deep and aromatic brew that is vibrant and fresh.

Taste

Twice Brewed Follow the Critical Path delivers a hop forward explosion right from the first sip. Tropical flavours dominate such as mango, pineapple and a hint of passion fruit. This is followed by a sharp citrus note with notes of grapefruit and nectarine shining. The hop nature is intense but not overpowering due to the light and slightly caramel-like malt sweetness which sits beneath the fruitiness. Furthermore, the undertones of the hops announce themselves with bitter resinous and piney flavours observed. The finish is clean and dry with a refreshing citrus bitterness lingering from the liquid hops. Overall, the hop intensity in this brew is well balanced and makes this beer is wildly drinkable. This is overall a well made modern IPA.

Time for my verdict

I feel this brew by Twice Brewed is unbelievably cool. The can design by Josh Beamish is second to none and would be a draw in itself. What drew me to this beer was the use of liquid hops as although I have most likely tried liquid hops before, I haven’t explicitly tried a liquid hop IPA. This IPA delivered an intense hop forward experience which oozed quality and expertise. A brilliant depth of flavour brings a delicious and refreshing experience. Overall, I rate this a brilliant 4.75 out of 5.

Where did I purchase this beer?

I bought this from the brilliant The Rare Drop. This is an independent store located in Low Fell, Gateshead, I highly recommend checking out this store if you are in the area. Calvin is an extremely helpful and friendly bloke who focuses on presenting products from the North East. Please check it out.

Thanks for reading my review. If you enjoyed my review you will love my review of Calvin & Suzy On the Number 21.