OK, I don’t know why the absurd category of double pale ale is so good, but I’ve had a few damn tasty entries in that category. This is one of them. (Newstead are actually calling Double Coastal an imperial pale ale, but since they’ve doubled the hops, the malt, and the ABV, I think double pale ale is also fitting.)
As well as cranking up the regular ingredients in their core range Coastal, Newstead have thrown in a bunch of Phantasm to boost those pungent aromatic compounds like it’s nobody’s business. The result is some full-on hop aroma that grabs you by the hair and shakes you around. I got a faceful of melon: an absolute wash of ripe pawpaw stank, paired with some vibrant honeydew to keep things a little bit civilised. And although it sounds weird, there was a touch of the crisp freshness of celery or watermelon rinds, too. Set it off wonderfully.
But if you thought your first sip was just going to be a melon party, you’ve got another thing coming; this is where savoury resin shows up to join in the festivities, kicking the sweetness back a bit and singing karaoke at the top of its lungs.
Double the hops. Double the malt. Double the ABV. Quadruple the flavour.
Mick Wüst
Published April 21, 2023 2023-04-21 00:00:00
