The phoenix is a creature best known for its ability to rise again from the ashes of its former self, and the annual release from Hargreaves Hill is certainly living up to its name. First released in 2010 as the business came back after the original brewery was destroyed by the Black Saturday fires, it's become a centrepiece of their calendar – brewed in limited volume and eagerly anticipated by many.
It's also something of a rarity style wise – an imperial red ale built upon myriad specialty malts and emboldened with a hearty shot of US hops (assuming they haven't changed that side of the brew). The 2020 release (so numbered as the beer is allowed to condition at the brewery for months before hitting the market) is once again out in just 500 wax-dipped 750ml bottles and a few small kegs, and feels like one you might like to hold onto in your cellar for a while before peeling and pouring.
While some past releases have come out of the blocks voluptuous and fulsome, this one feels like it still has its laces strapped up tight – it's leaner, more bitey of bitterness and with the nigh on 10 percent ABV booze more prominent than in most of its predecessors. Maybe one to crack alongside 2021 in a year's time?
James Smith
Published March 24, 2021 2021-03-24 00:00:00
