North East Beer Review

I am familiar with the brews by Lakes Brew Co and this one intrigued me by its Monsters Inc inspired can design. Always Watching is a hazy pale ale and quite low in ABV compared to what I have been drinking recently. I am quite the fan of Lakes Brew Co and seeing Monsters Inc so it was a no brainer to give it a go. So what did I think? During the course of this review I will cover the history of this beer and brewery, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally my verdict.

From Hawkshead to Lakes Brew Co

Lakes Brew Co is a craft brewery based in Kendal, in the Lake District. The brewery was founded by Matt Clarke, Michelle Gay, Steve Ricketts and Paul Sheldon. They came to form the Lakes Brew Co due to being made redundant by Hawkshead Brewery.

In 2021, the first brew by the Lakes Brew co was born. This brewed in the Mintsfeet Industrial Estate which is 16hl brew kit alongside their own canning lineup. Sustainability and quality are important to them: they emphasise freshness, consistency, and controlling their production from brewing right through to canning. Their branding is performed by Scratch Creative which utilise the Lake District’s beautiful landscape.

Always Watching is a 4% Hazy Pale which is brewed with Motueka, Citra and Peacharine hops. This brew is unfiltered, Unfined and Vegan Friendly. The brews description is “Pillowy base gives way to let this trio of hops shine through with intense tropical and citrus notes. Zesty citrus of lime and lemon with a soft rich peach and nectarine pulpiness gliding through.” The can design offers a Monsters Inc theme inspired by the character Roz who says to Mike Wazowski “I’m watching you, Wazowski. Always watching”.

A light and hazy pour

Always Watching pours a bright hazy yellow colour which appears soft and glowing in appearance. A foamy head forms which is retained throughout much of the drinking experience. Despite this, the lacing was very light to almost non existent. The carbonation is lively with a steady stream of bubbles consistently travelling up the glass. This hazy pale offers an approachable and bright appearance.

A fruit forward flavour

Aroma

The aroma opens with bright citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Lime zest from the Motueka hops combines with grapefruit and orange notes from Citra, while Peacharine contributes layers of peach, nectarine and subtle stone fruit sweetness. Beneath the fruit-forward character is a soft floral note and a gentle malt backbone. Overall, a fruit forward and fresh aroma.

Taste

Always Watching delivers a blend of citrus fruits and stonefruit which is made up of lime and grapefruit aswell as peach and nectarine. This is followed by tropical flavours of pineapple and mango. The bitterness is restrained and the malt base offers a smooth mouthfeel which makes this quite drinkable. The finish is crisp with lingering tropical flavours. Overall, this is quite a sessionable hazy pale due to its 4% ABV. The flavour was quite fruit forward as you could see the intention to let the hops shine without sacrificing drinkability.

Time for my verdict

Overall, Always Watching is ultimately a cool brew with its references to Disney Pixar classic Monsters Inc. This is quite an approachable brew due to its low ABV and sessionable feel. The flavour was refreshing but ultimately I felt this was quite restrained possibly to keep this brew sessionable. Although, on the other hand, the hop selection allowed for an interesting flavour to come through with the brew being led by citrus and peach. Overall, I rate this a solid 3.75 out of 5. Cheers

Where did I purchase the beer?

I bought this beer from Rehills of Jesmond. Cracking little shop in Jesmond, Newcastle which has a massive variety of craft beers. Check them out.

Thanks for reading my review, if you enjoyed my review you will love my review of Lakes Brew Co NZ Pilsner.