A new beer launched by Durham Brewery is clearly hitting the spot with those who have been among the first to try it.
The new Étienne beer - a 6% Brut IPA - is described by its makers as being "as elegant and refined as a fine Champagne" and it is currently making an impression with customers and even a fellow brewery which said of it: "It's incredible".
The County Durham brewery describes its latest offering as having been created by a master of the craft, saying: "Time-served experience can be tasted in every mouthful."
And it describes Étienne as "fresh gooseberry, bergamot and ginger on the nose with a crisp finish" and adding: "As dry as a Brut Champagne with a fuller body from the pale malt base. Extremely refreshing and very different.
The beer, which comes in 500ml bottles and is suitable too for vegans, won praise from award-winning family-run ORB Micropub in Darlington which specialises in local real ale and single malt whisky.
It said on Twitter: "It’s incredible". Other praise came on beer drinkers' networking service site untappd.com where one customer, called Judith, said of the beer: " Deliciously hoppy. It's dangerously strong"; another, Andrew, said: "Nice and dry as advertised" and Geoff wrote: "Different, drinkable, dry".
The beer is available to Newcastle beer-lovers at the likes of CentrAle at Newcastle Central Station. See here for more about the newcomer.
Durham Brewery has also recently launched a new version of its rum cask-aged Russian imperial stout Diabolus which is described as having aromas of rum and treacle; hints of oak and liquorice and notes of morello cherry and damson.
It comes in at a whopping 11.5% and is a limited edition with just 600 bottles produced.
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