A very unique beer today in the form of a collaboration. Rather than it being a collaborative beer between two breweries this commemorative brew is between one of my favourite brewers Northern Monk and the satirical online news page The Daily Mash. To commemorate (or perhaps commiserate) the year that was 2020 they brewed a 5% ABV pale ale with some of the best headlines from The Daily Mash on the can. Hopefully the beer inside is no laughing matter!

The beer pours a hazy, straw gold with a big foamy white head. There’s a lovely soft tropical aroma of pineapple and mango with a touch of peachy stone fruits too. There’s a medley of flavours on the hop forward body of the beer. Predominantly that of zesty orange but also a touch of flaked coconut as well. A moreish bitterness to the finish makes this more drinkable as you go through.

A not so quick note on the can art: Absolutely hilarious. An incredibly unique idea for the can wrap to have the headlines of satirical takes on some of 2020’s best (or more accurately worst) moments. My personal favourites include ‘Furloughed man with no kids and a garden living like a f**king king’ as well as ‘”Run schools from pubs?” suggests teachers’ which I think is only a half joke based on the teachers I know! The label also peels back to reveal a bit more on a couple of select articles. Very cleverly done overall!

While the can is a hilarious 10 out of 10 the real question is if the beer inside it is any good. And I’d say it is. It’s got that classic Northern Monk consitency that I have grown to love. Packed full of hops the beer packs a nice a flavour for being a humble pale ale. While I don’t think I can make out the six hop varieties I believe the array of distinct aromas and fruity flavours is the intended result. Juicy and drinkable I’d happily go on a session of this while reading more Daily Mash articles!

Score: 8/10

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Additional Information:

• Hops: Amarillo, Citra, Citra Cryo, Mosaic, Sabro, Simcoe
• Malt: Not Available
• IBU: 20
• ABV: 5%
• Gluten Free: No
• Vegan: Yes!
• Purchase Location: Premier Hop