Cali Pale (5%) - Tiny Rebel Brewing Co, Newport, Wales

Brew number two of what I'm now spontaneously dubbing the self-isolation series of Easter 2021, we have a little gem from Tiny Rebel brewery.

Tiny Rebel are a brewery I've had the pleasure of sampling the delights of many times in the past, one of which you can join me in reminiscence here once you've finished with this post and not a moment sooner.

Topped with a nice white fluffy head, Cali Pale pours a pale (the clue's in the name) straw colour with a bit of a haze to it - like the sort you might observe engulfing the Golden Gate Bridge or Newport Transporter Bridge of a morning.

It's abundantly fruity on the nose with tropical notes of mango, passion fruit and pineapples all coming through. I could have poked my nose about in it all day, but there comes a point where you just have to get on with it and take a swig.

Newport within Wales

In the mouth it was gloriously refreshing and fruity, bursting with flavour even after coming straight out of the fridge (I tend to approach cold beers with caution as it normally weakens the flavours too much for my liking, but not so with this one), all capped off with some sweet pine notes and a dry finish.

All in all this juicy pale ale is highly drinkable and thirst-quenching, perfect for the warm spring and summer days that are just around the corner, as well as the disappointingly cold and cloudy ones.

Rating ★★★★★★★★★☆

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Tiny Rebel Brewing Co.

Website here 

Facebook page here

Where to buy

£2.00 at Sainsburys

Luponic Distortion 007 series (5.9%) - Firestone Walker Brewing Co, California, USA

When I first picked this brew out of my vast collection I didn't realise I wasn't dealing with any ordinary beer. Thankfully, a few sips in I looked into its background and was able to fully appreciate the concept behind it before my glass emptied. 

Luponic Distortion isn't just a beer, but a series of limited release beers that experiment with different hop varieties on each revolution. Revolution 007 is the one that had been bequeathed unto me, available between September 2017 and January this year.

Its slightly hazy, pale blonde body topped with a puffy bright white head, which left some trickles of lacing, makes for a very inviting appearance.

Big, fresh aromas of tropical fruits from the three Australian hops come out at you on the nose, with pineapple, citrus fruits, passion fruit and juicy pine all coming together in a mouthwatering combination. For such a powerfully hopped-up aroma, one sip gives way to a mind-blowingly mellow and clean taste. Distortion is the word!

Along with all its tropical notes, an added touch of zest, as well as perfumey and floral qualities, come through in every juicy gulp. Being lightly carbonated and smooth on the palate whilst so jam-packed full of flavour, this is a very drinkable and quenching brew. 

Rather than the punchy North American hop flavours I'd possibly been conditioned to expect from anything with the word "hop" on the can, this brew is all about the laid-back character from Down Under. 

While revolution 007 has run its course, the prospect of a different variation every 90 days is extremely exciting. Grab 009 while you can!

Appearance 5/5

Aroma 5/5

Flavour 4/5

Mouthfeel 4/5

Overall 9/10

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The brewery:
Website here
Facebook page here

Ilúnica Pale Ale (6.1%) - Cervezas Ilúnica, Castile-La Mancha, Spain

The clocks have sprung forward and the sun has started beating down with quite some vigour on my corner of southeast Spain. We all know there's only one way to adequately refresh yourself on such increasingly warm and sunny days, and what perfect timing it was for my local craft beer shop, Beer Shooter Murcia, to host a beer presentation and meet the brewers session on a splendidly sunlit Friday after work.

Hellín's province of Albacete
within Spain

On offer was a pale ale born in December 2016 that goes by the name of Ilúnica, the very first craft beer to hail from the small central Spanish town of Hellín - another little guy rising up in the face of the all-too-common mass-produced tastelessness that surrounds us all, with the mission of bringing character and flavour to people's beer glasses.

The label features a mystical red-haired female adorned with beer ingredients with the backdrop of a moonlit night sky - a nod to the town's ancient history as the Spanish word for "moon" and the town's name both share the same root. How romantic! 

My 2€ golden amber half-pint poured fresh from the barrel immediately showed signs of promise with fragrant, tropical notes on the nose which had my chops watering before the beer came anywhere near them.

Juan Carlos and Armentario started brewing
at home a few years ago before becoming
fully-fledged master brewers 

Using four different hop varieties it imparts juicy, tropical New World flavours of mango and pineapple along with some pine resin and a hint of citrus, complemented by a clean malty base. While it's packed mainly with New World hops it manages to remain easy-going, something that's well suited to the Spanish climate by being clean and refreshing but at the same time brimming with flavour and depth. 

Tapas prepared by David López Carreño

In fact, Ilúnica's quenching but laid-back character make it very drinkable despite its high ABV, which I only realised a number of glasses in when my legs were slightly wobblier than expected. As the brewers themselves noted endearingly on the night, we Brits like to drink a lot of low-strength beer - and fast - but it was hard not to knock these juicy 6.1% cañas back. 

Luckily on hand to soak up some liquid, in true Spanish style, was a selection of gourmet tapas prepared on site which were a source of intrigue in their own right for me: mince and broccoli pâté tartlets, couscous with cream cheese and crushed cashews, and toasted bread topped with salmon tartare and a drizzle of squid ink and mustard mayonnaise. That's how these guys roll.

Ilúnica pale ale is the first and so far only brew of these two Hellineros that's available, but I'm told they have a number of exciting ideas in the pipeline. Watch this space!

Cervezas Ilúnica on Facebook