It’s easy to get cut adrift in a constantly ebbing and flowing sea of ever changing pale ales and IPA. To make things even more confusing, a fashionable newcomer, session IPA, has been added to the mix.
Bermondsey’s Fourpure are no different - not content with already knocking out a stunningly juicy pale as well as a rich, well-defined IPA, they also produce a zingy, bitter and low in alcohol session IPA. Shame on them for giving us such a wonderful choice in hop forward beers.
The other problem I have with Fourpure’s range of pale ales and IPA, apart from them being so very delicious, is that they have a tendency to overshadow one of my favourite beers being produced in London right now. Amber ale is a style that doesn’t get enough attention and Fourpure’s Amber is no different. Sure it might not be as exciting as the latest triple IPA or yuzu and lime Berliner Weisse but it’s solid, dependable and tasty.
With its gentle, bready malt character and light snap of Willamette hops, Fourpure Amber is barely trying to get your attention. It’s inspired by New Belgium’s ubiquitous Fat Tire, the Colorado amber ale that helped teach a nation how to love Craft Beer.
If you ask a Colorado native about Fat Tire they’ll likely turn their nose up at you before sinking back into a pint of IPA. But find them a few hours later at the end of a heavy session and you can guarantee they’ll be sipping Fat Tire until it’s time to go home. Fourpure Amber has a similar quality, it’s a beer for any time that requires little thought to enjoy and always manages to satisfy.
You can find more from beer writer Matthew Curtis at his excellent beer blog, Total Ales, and Good Beer Hunting, and on Twitter @totalcurtis.