Boris has just announced that hugs are back on the menu so naturally this beer by New Zealand brewers Yeastie Boys seemed the most appropriate. ‘Cuddle Party’ is described as a Nourishing Ale, which isn’t exactly a specific style of beer but does conjure a certain mental image. Brewed originally as a warming beer to help get through the last stretches of lockdown it comes in at 6.4% ABV. Every Yeastie Boys beer I’ve had has been excellent so I was certainly looking forward to this.

Visually the beer has a deep nutty brown colour to it with a large off white head. Adding the sediment at the bottom of the can provides a cloudy look to it. The aroma is full on toffee and caramel sweetness coming from the malts. That sweetness continues through into the flavour with a rich caramel-like quality coming through. There is also a little nuttiness present with a a great dark chocolate bitter quality to the finish. Warming and drinkable!

A quick note on the can art: The designs for Yeastie Boys are really cool. A lovely piece of art depicting exactly what everyone wants to do with friends and family as these restrictions lift.

What another cracking beer from the worlds smallest multinational brewery. For me, ‘Cuddle Party’ is the result of elevating the classic brown ale to a higher level. It’s rich and sweet but with a good level of balanced bitterness. You do still get a touch of the hops in there which is nice. Once again they’ve produced a beer where the alcohol, impressively, goes under the radar, resulting in a very drinkable ale. Certainly feels nourishing! I’ve got a couple more Yeastie Boys beers in the fridge that I cannot wait to crack into.

Score: 8.5/10

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Additional Information:

• Hops: Centennial
• Malt: Pale Ale, Munich, Medium Crystal, Dark Crystal, Pale Chocolate
• IBU: 25
• ABV: 6.4%
• Gluten Free: No
• Vegan: Yes!