“Brewed for our friends at Bodriggy Brewing for their Lunaverse festival, this is an easy drinking red ale which has been double dry hopped with some of our faves. The combination of Gladfield malts create the perfect red hue, and then you’re hit by the hop trio of Strata, Amarillo and El Dorado. You’ll find notes of punchy pine, ripe citrus and light passionfruit.”

Glassware: English Pint.

Appearance: It hits the glass with an attractive copper red hue and a frothy three finger head which slowly deconstructs. It leaves an absolute mess on the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: Teeming with caramelised malts but brilliantly reeled in by the piney and fruity hops. Impressive balance they’ve struck here…just as the nostrils fill up with sweet sugary caramel and maple the fresh pine needle, grapefruit, passionfruit and orange citrus are equal to the task. More obscure but equivalently delicious notes of toffee apple, honeydew and thyme also coming through.

Flavour: Once again the robust malt structure dominates but only for a fleeting second or two before the hops make their grand entrance. Not only is the hop bitterness absolutely crucial at countering the malts but they also add pine, herbals, fruit and dank notes. It displays this magnificent marriage as it finishes semi-sweet and citrusy with a lingering dryness.

Mouthfeel: Slick, inoffensive and super palate friendly. Co2 is spot on and the 5% ABV was surprisingly low but it certainly fits nicely into the beer as a whole.

Overall: Another finely executed beer from Shapeshifter. We’re really digging what they’re putting out lately. On the other hand we haven’t had much experience with Bodriggy but after this we may have to change that.