BREWER: Vibrant Forest, Hampshire, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

TWITTER: @Vibrant_Forest

INSTAGRAM: vibrantforest

DATE POSTED: 4th April 2020

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

There are things in life that are good. They fit the bill. They tick boxes and make you happy. But they could be better. They almost hit the mark; they’re close but you feel they’ve left something in the tank. And then the whole overall experience, while being ok, is just a little bit of a let down.

Pupa is like that.

It’s got lots going for it. And I like it. But it somehow just falls short. It’s light and crisp. And the nose is great. But the drinking, it’s just not packing enough of a punch. And for some beers, that works really well. But for Pupa, it feels like it stops too early. It’s got more to give but it’s held back.

I don’t want to be hard on it because Pupa is good. It could just be better. And that’s a bit of a problem for it because there are beers out that in its class that are better. A lot better.

Oh well, you can’t have everything….

Sammy’s Rating: 77%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

The New Forest, a quintessentially English region of Great Britain. It bares such quaint towns like Lyndhurst and Lymington, as well as hundreds of idyllic English villages. Relatively left alone on the south coast, if you ever have the good fortune to drive through certain areas of the New Forest, wild horses roam freely across the roads, whilst seemingly endless landscapes are in abundance. It really is just a splendid part of England’s green and pleasant land.
Now, Vibrant Forest have waltzed along with their rather multicoloured neon flag and jammed it straight in that New Forest ground. A pretty brave move. This packaging is hardly quintessentially English and I’m sure this beer isn’t going to be either.
The packaging is fantastic however! So sinister yet bright, dark yet…Vibrant. FANTASTIC!

Let’s see if the beer is…

Well it’s not fantastic, but it is very good.
It all starts with the olfactory thrill of passionfruit up the schnozz. It makes this pale alluring beyond belief. Next is that first sip… well the passionfruit does not transfer from hooter to moosh but the flavour is still good and one of citrus. Pupa is also lovely and dry which complements the flavours nicely. However, where this brew falls down, I believe, is in the body. It’s too thin for me and detracts from all the positives already mentioned. It just needs to be a bit fuller to take it up a wee notch towards greatness and beyond.

But all said, this is without doubt a good beer and if I saw it again I would happily dive into a few.

Jymi’s Rating: 80%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 78.5%

 

MOB review next weekend: 5/4 FAVOURITE by ASCOT BREWING COMPANY

We do hope whoever is out there reading this dross in the wild world we call home is well and looking after themselves and all around them who may be in need. These are bizarre and trying times. Sammy and I have a bit of a beer backlog to wade through so will hopefully see us through to the end of this and not interrupt scheduling. Meanwhile, the next MOB SQUAD offering comes in 6 weeks. Clockwork Tangerine thankfully is stocked in most UK supermarkets. So if during your next shop you happen to happen across one then grab and get involved. Drinking one and telling us your five words to describe your experience will at least pass about 10 minutes of your time!

Stay safe. See soon.

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