BEER REVIEW: 351

BREWER: Strands Brewery, Cumbria, England

STYLE: Bitter

ABV: 3.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

X: #strandsbrewery

INSTAGRAM: #strandsbrewery

DATE OF POST: 28th June 2024

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Ready for takeoff? Let’s strap in and soar through the skies with Double Rotor, an IPA from Stands Brewery that’s got the hop power of a Chinook helicopter. This beer is built to lift you up, but does it keep you flying high? 

Double Rotor greets you with a grassy citrus aroma that’s quite refreshing. Imagine lying in a summer meadow, the scent of fresh-cut grass and citrus blossoms wafting up. Pretty decent scene, until a Chinook flies over!

The taste journey starts with a bitter cut grass note that quickly transitions to a summer meadow before vanishing into thin air. It’s like taking off with a powerful thrust, only to hover briefly and then descend without much of a show. Not a bad brew, but the flavours are a flash in the pan—a quick takeoff with a gentle landing.

The packaging holds its own, especially on a can (as opposed to a bottle, which the label is intended for). The label, while a bit ropey in detail, still manages to convey the strong helicopter theme. Moving to a can as the storage vessel has worked quite well, giving it a modern, rugged feel.

In summary, Double Rotor by Stands Brewery is a strong concept with a decent execution. It takes off with a promising grassy citrus nose and a striking appearance, but the flavours, while pleasant, don’t stick around long enough to make a lasting impression. It’s a beer you’d have again, but not one you’d rave about. Think of it as the workhorse of your beer fridge—reliable and ready for action, but not the star of the show. So, next time you’re looking for a beer to ever so slightly lift your spirits, hop on board the Double Rotor and enjoy the ride.

Sammy’s Rating: 58%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

The day was Monday.

The time was 06:30.

The location was the base of Scafell Pike.

The destination was the peak of Scafell Pike.

Now, it didn’t take long to work out that this was gonna be hard graft. The mountain we had scaled a year prior, Snowdon, was a little higher yes, but the route up was double the distance. So, with a bit of #quickmaths and a small debate on how to spell Pythagorean, we concluded that this hike was just gonna be up and up with potentially no respite or plateau. And we were correct. And yes, it was HARD GRAFT.

Throughout, the views were breath taking and once at the summit we took a break, had a spot of lunch, then zoomed down as guess what? Yep, we fancied a well deserved cold beer after our efforts.

Now, the closest pub on the way back to our digs believe it or not had its own microbrewery onsite! Absolute jackpot! Fresh local beer that was brewed under that very roof. Just dreamy.

I had a pint from cask of Double Rotor, the brew up for review today. I then took a little wander around the lovely traditional pub only to find in a corner that they were also selling their beer by the can. DOUBLE JACKPOT!! And in case you hadn’t realised, of course I grabbed two tins of Double Rotor to take back home for me and Sammy boi to test.

And here we are today, the canned version ready to be cracked.

Now before I report on the contents I have to comment on the name. It could not be better. A beer brewed with Chinook hops, on a site that see’s many of the large chopper of the same name go overhead every week, called Double Rotor. Hand claps all round, so so good.

Beer wise, this is a cracker too. From start to finish this is without doubt a celebration of old meets new. The nose is so traditional but with an added element of citrus coming through. The mouthfeel is sublime due to the purest of pure local water I’d imagine. And the taste is bright and crisp with plenty of bitterness and again an element of citrus clearly coming from the Chinook hops used. All coming in at a tiny 3.5% ABV.

Fantastic work Strands, keep up the good work, as one day… I will return!

Jymi’s Rating: 80%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 69%

MOB review next weekend: OREGON TRAIL by ELUSIVE BREWING

(the first of four in a row from Elusive, and all versions of Oregon Trail!)

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

Twitter: @museonbooze

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