Purple Moose Brewery - High Hops
PRODUCT DETAILS
High Hops is a pale ale brewed by Purple Moose Brewery, known in Welsh as Bragdy Mws Piws, based in the harbour town of Porthmadog in Gwynedd, North Wales. Bottled at 5.4% ABV, it is a hop forward beer built around fruity, tropical hop character, brewed close to the mountains of Snowdonia by one of North Wales' established independent breweries.
Purple Moose Brewery began brewing on 14 June 2005, with its first release being a one off pale ale called No.1, brewed at 3.5% ABV. The brewery operates as a 40 barrel microbrewery and has grown into one of the best known independent brewers in North Wales, with its beers widely available across pubs, bottle shops and supermarkets in the region and further afield. Based in Porthmadog, a historic harbour town on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, the brewery draws on its local setting both for its water source and for the identity of much of its range.
High Hops pours a hazy yellow colour with a thick white head, characteristic of a modern, hop driven pale ale. The aroma is dominated by mango, while the palate carries further tropical fruit notes of pineapple and papaya, balanced by a light biscuit malt backbone that keeps the beer from becoming one dimensionally sweet. At 5.4% ABV it sits at a fuller strength than a standard session pale ale, giving it a bit more body and depth alongside its fruit forward hop character.
Its tropical, fruity hop profile makes High Hops well suited to lighter food such as grilled or barbecued chicken, spiced dishes including mild curries, or fresh seafood, where its mango and pineapple notes can complement rather than compete with the food. It also works well on its own as a warm weather beer, served cold in a tulip or pint glass to let its aroma develop as it warms slightly in the glass.
As a hop forward pale ale from an established North Wales brewery, High Hops reflects Purple Moose's position within the modern Welsh craft beer scene, built on a straightforward approach of good local water, a coastal Snowdonia setting and a focus on flavour driven, approachable beers. It is a solid example of the fruity pale ale style from a brewery with two decades of brewing history behind it.