Ölbeat 067: Thornbridge Halcyon

Brewery: Thornbridge Brewery
Country: England
Style: India Pale Ale
Abv: 7,4 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is clear light yellow with a small white head. Aroma has very fruity scent of fresh orange and lemon. Taste starts with medium sweet fruity and hoppy first bite. Orange flavour quickly takes over. Hoppy bitterness and bite of alcohol get onto the stage later. Some faint sweet spice flies by. Towards the end orange turns to grapefruit. Aftertaste has dry piny bitterness and a bite of alcohol.

Excellent strong fruity IPA: sweet citrus domination seems to be the thing for me. When bitter grapefruit and dry pine finish the treat, couldn't ask for much more. Despite this being the first Thornbridge beer in this blog the brewery is an old acquaintance: Halcyon belongs to the quality continuum with Jaipur, Raven, Chiron and Bear State. I'll probably come back with them later.

Ölbeat

Well, the phrase for this choice is 'instant spontaneous reaction' to the name of the brew. The beer and the great album of the young lady had the same name, and the beer's style matched the artist's style nicely. Only thing to choose was the matching song. While completing such task anything can happen:

Ellie Goulding: Anything Could Happen (YouTube)

From the 2012 album Halcyon, the song was written by Ellie Goulding and Jim Eliot.

Ölbeat 041: Pôhjala Virmalised

Brewery: Pôhjala 
Country: Estonia
Style: India Pale Ale
Abv: 6,5 %
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Northern Lights from Estonia

What about the beer?
Colour is cloudy thick orange with smallish natural white head, which thins down quick. Aroma has fresh orange and mango with thin grassiness. Taste gives bitter hops and grapefruit in first bite. Sourness of lemon and grapefruit take over in the flavour. Towards the finish we get lemon, hops and pine, and even some hints of orange. Aftertaste is nicely dry and bitter.

Overall this one is a very enjoyable, powerful and coherent India Pale Ale. Strong fruity aroma and fresh citrus flavours are accompanied by decently heavy hops. Solid performance from the awarded quality brewery.

Ölbeat

Fresh and fruity brew asks for an energetic pop song. Since 'virmalised' means the Northern Lights in Estonian, there had to be some connection with the name. Well, had to drop the cold direction here:

Ellie Goulding: Lights (YouTube)

From the 2010 album Lights (bonus track & single from 2011 re-release Bright Lights), the song was written by Ellie Goulding, Richard Stannard and Ash Howes.