Brew number two from Oldham based Donkeystone is ‘The Notorious NEIPA’; no guesses on where they got the name from. It is of course a New England IPA, coming in at 5.5% ABV. It uses Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe hops so it could be on to a winner if brewed well!

This beer poured very lively with far too much head. It also had a rather murky colour which wasn’t the most appetising at first glance. On the nose, the beer has a strong aroma of clementine but also a slight peppery quality to it too. Flavourwise the beer has those classic tropical fruit notes you expect from a NEIPA. The body is soft and juicy and has a well balanced bitterness to it.

A quick note on the can design: I like this wrap a lot more than the previous beer I reviewed from these guys. I think the colour scheme works really well firstly. I also like the image. Imagine its a reference to rapper Biggie, but I can’t work it out. Answers most welcome in the comments below!

‘The Notorious NEIPA’ is certainly a beer that tastes better than it looks. When I first poured the beer I had very little hope it would be any good. However, I am pleasantly surprised to report that it was nice, decent brew. It’s not a flavour exploding NEIPA but it has the tropical juiciness as well as a gentle hop throughout. Not bad at all.

Score: 6.5/10

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Additional Information:

• Hops: Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe
• Malt: Not Available
• IBU: Not Available
• ABV: 5.5%
• Gluten Free: No
• Vegan: Yes