Redchurch Great Eastern IPA

I knew I wanted to end this little collection of beers with something spectacular, so it was with considerable pleasure that I found a couple of bottles of Redchurch lurking in the back of the cupboard.

I've been a fan of their beers - and today's in particular - for a long time. They've featured in a Tour-At-Home here and they remain one of those breweries I can't resist whenever I come across them. They're also another growing London brewery, with a successful crowdfunding campaign currently running to support their growth (if you're looking for somewhere to put all your Camden Brewery loot...!)

Great Eastern IPA is a magnificent beer; so much so that the last time I got around to doing a Golden Pints post, it ranked as my bottled beer of the year.

The aroma is a fruit explosion that I can smell from halfway across the room. Sweet peaches, pineapple and pine resin - to quote my own 'Tour At Home' notes, it's like sticking your head inside a big sack of hops.

It's just as full of hops in the mouth; an initial burst of overripe tropical fruit is swiftly overwhelmed by a huge bitter, resinous hop blast. Intensely floral, with a slightly sticky caramel undercurrent that is buried under a wonderfully lingering bitterness that builds and builds into the finish.

There's a gentle alcohol warmth, but it's eclipsed by everything else and it's easy to forget this is a 7.4% ABV beer.

Definitely one to order by the crate, is this still the best bottled beer? I'm struggling to think of any better - 5 stars.

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This review was originally published 5th January, 2016. It was last updated 1st June, 2023.