Tipples Beer Review #89 - Dark Sister (Bel) and Guava Bibre (USA)

These two beers have nothing in common, other than the fact I drank them both on Saturday night and that's a good enough reason to group them together.

They couldn't be more different styles if they tried. The first is a Belgian Black IPA the second is a fruit spiked cream ale from the good ol USA

Dark Sister is the black IPA from a brewery called the Brussels Beer Project. Now I generally think of Belgian beers being all traditional and what not but this feel very innovative and very craft. Firstly it weighs in at a demonic 6.66%, which is classic craft beer marketing. It's more dark brown than black, with a solid tan colour head, also in meshes styles together it's a black IPA but then uses a Belgian saison yeast.

It's an interesting brew that drinks stronger than the alcohol volume suggests (maybe the 6.66% is a gimmick). It's a tad bready, maybe from the saison yeast. Body a smidge thin, but still very good, somehow manages to showcase the holy trinity of beer yeast, malt and hops in a balanced beauty.

Next up is Guava Libre from a US brewery called The Bruery. In fact it's a collaboration brew with Funky Buddha from Florida, which @isteemhard writes about a bit. I had high hopes for this beer as The Bruery normally do great things. But this was a little disappointing. It was a very hazy brew, a camel colour. Huge fluffy white head, a touch of fruit in the smell, quite sweet flavour, creamy and you can tell the lactose. Not really getting the guava, really is a tad sweet and a bit gimmicky for me.

Oh and this will be in Beer Saturday when @detlev posts the weekly post, I'll put a link in the comments.

Til then drink on people.