BREWER: Hunter’s Brewery, Devon, England
STYLE: Speciality Ale
ABV: 4%
VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle
TWITTER: @huntersbrewery
INSTAGRAM: #Huntersbrewery
DATE OF POST: 14th November 2021
JYMI SAY’S…
A concept that turned my head, maybe not in an exorcist style, but turn my head it did. See what we have here with Crispy Pig is an apple flavoured ale. Not something I particularly liked the sound of but the concept of it being brewed to be paired with a hog roast was an interesting one to say the least. And why not, apples are pretty nice and inoffensive (even if a bit cidery!) and as we all know apples and pork go together magnificently well. As does beer and hog roast. So we should be in business here. Testing, however did not take place whilst at an agriculture show chowing down on some slow cooked pork. So I can only comment on the beer itself and not the food pairing, which to be fair is what Muse on Booze is here to do, Rate beer…
… and unfortunately the beer we have here is not really up to much.
We begin with a pleasant enough apple nose and a beer that looked very good in the glass I have to say. Before sipping the brew the sight and see was actually quite appealing but as soon as the glass hit the lips dem apples came a tumbling down.
The main problem in the sip is there is a lot of fizz going on, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s over carbonated but whilst sipping it really does tingle the tongue (for want of a better term). The beer is light and appley so without this fizz up could be considered sessionable but because of it it really is not. And to be honest the taste once you’re settled into the brew is just a bit odd. It’s not a Graf. It’s not a cider. It is a beer, yes, but at points tastes like those two aforementioned styles. I am just not sure here. I think with a better end result I’d be writing I don’t care what it is, it tastes great… but it doesn’t, so we are where we are.
Jymi’s Rating: 39%
SAMMY SAY’S…
I love it when things make sense. Simple. And Hunter’s have made Crispy Pig make sense. It’s brewed with the aroma of apples to accompany a hog roast. See. It makes sense. And if you don’t believe me, well, it says it on the label.
Except it isn’t actually that simple!
Now, here’s where things get a little more complicated…
Being brewed with essences of apples, it’s hardly surprising that Crispy Pig smells like apples. And yes, you’re right, cider also smells of apples so there could be some similarities. But then when you drink CP, it doesn’t taste like cider although there’s definitely a hint of it. This makes it a strange drinking experience, and this strangeness is doubled down with a weak finish.
Look, I like to promote different things. And I love a different way to look at a beer. But CP just isn’t for me. It’s a little too odd.
Lots of ticks in terms of concept. It just falls down in the delivery for me.
Sammy’s Rating: 48%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 43.5%
MOB review next weekend: SUSSEX by HEPWORTH
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze since 2017
TWITTER : @museonbooze
INSTAGRAM : muse.on.booze
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