Hello and welcome back to the Eternal Hoptimists Love is in the air, Valentines special week!
Yes, yes, I know this is far from a new beer so why has it taken so long for us to review it? Well, the name ties it in nicely to our Valentines week specials but also as this one has been in the supermarkets for almost five years it must still be doing something right.
Back in October 2018 when I first tried this I was simply blown away that a beer as good as this was available in major supermarkets and it is fair to say that it probably opened doors to many other breweries to release quality brews on the supermarket shelves. So five years on, does Love & Hate still stand up well? Read on to find out.
Name : Love & Hate
2. Brewery: Vocation (Hebden Bridge, England)
3. Hops : Citra & Galaxy
4. Grain : Barley, Wheat & Oats
5. Aroma : Juicy tropical fruit nose with hints of pineapple
6. Appearance : Pours an extremely hazy straw colour with a dissipating one finger fluffy white head
7. Body : Nice full body with a lovely soft, pillowy mouthfeel
8. Taste : Packed with juicy tropical fruit flavours this one is still extremely drinkable five years after it first hit the supermarket shelves
In answer to my earlier question this ground-breaking NEIPA certainly has stood the test of time and is still extremely palatable. Whilst there may be several other beers that have surpassed this that are readily available one cannot forget the impact that Vocation had when they released Love & Hate.
In all honesty I can see why this is one of the only beers from the supermarket craft beer explosion that is still available today as it is still a quality brew. Hats off to Vocation for their consistency with Love & Hate as it could have been easy for them to think that as the cost of producing beers has increased, they could cut a few corners knowing the legion of fans for this beer, but no, they are still brewing this to be as good as ever.
Whilst it might no longer be the first beer that I find in my shopping basket anymore there is no doubt how much I still enjoy it and how happy I am to pick one up whenever I fancy something that I know will be ever reliable and one that I will certainly enjoy. Still a good beer and still excellent value at around £3 a can.
Mark’s overall rating: 3.7/ 5.0
The|Eternal|Hoptimitsts 