Contemptuous Bastard

The Beer

Every family has one, and we are not proud, merely thirsty. This is the biggest, brashest beer we make: a proper India Pale Ale loaded with British hops, dry-hopped twice, and bittered to a degree that would make a Victorian dock master wince. At 5.5% it has the muscle to carry a mountain of resin, pine and tropical fruit, and the manners of a beer that was raised in a shipyard. Faint of heart, drink the pale ale.

Tasting Notes

Aroma

Bright orange and lemon arrive first, bold and unbothered by your plans, then apricot and ripe stone fruit pile in behind. A streak of modern British hop character ties it all together. Loud, juicy and entirely in charge.

First taste

Citrus floods the palate straight away: zesty, sunlit and dangerously moreish. It does not ease you in, it just hands you the good stuff and gets on with it.

Middle

The stone fruit deepens into apricot and peach, with that modern British hop character adding edge and attitude. Big flavour without the big mouth, which is more than can be said for the beer.

Depth

Beneath the fruit sits a firm, hoppy backbone with real bite. Structured, confident and never sweating, even with all that brightness on show.

Finish

Crisp, clean and bitter enough to keep you honest. Dangerously easy to drink: one pint disappears politely, the second does not even knock.

Vital Statistics