Brewery: Vocation | Find them: Vocation Brewery
Vocation started out in Cragg Vale, brewing their beers from the top of a hill. They now have bars in Hebden Bridge, Halifax, Sheffield and Manchester.
We’ve tried a fair few Vocation beers over the years including a selection from their core range, so we decided to treat ourselves to some more. We started with five, but then Alex came across a couple more in the supermarkets, so the selection expanded.
Eight beers is a bit much for a Thursday night (even when we’re splitting them), so we spread these over three nights, with a separate night for each style.
Battle 1: Sours
The first of our Vocation new brew sessions was made up of three sours. I recommend these if you like sours and are partial to cocktails.
All very good beers – not as sour as some sours we’ve had. The flavours in all three were very well-balanced, with the Daquiri and Margarita beers tasting like the cocktails they were based on (without tasting weird). The cherry was not too sweet, not too sour, with a thicker mouthfeel than some sours.
Of the three, the Death by Margarita was my favourite. Lots of lime flavour coming through with a saltiness on the finish.
Death by Margarita: Salted lime sour (4.5%)
Brewer’s note: A bright, zesty, and sour beer inspired by the classic Mexican cocktail with bright citrus lime sourness balanced by agave’s subtle Smokey sweetness and flaky sea-salt finish.
Death by Cherries (4.5%)
Brewer’s note: Only the brave can handle this intense mix of sweet and sour cherries. Its bold flavours will leave even the biggest adrenaline junkie wanting more. A mouth-watering jammy sour, with an intense cherry overload. As vibrant in flavour as it is in colour.
Death by Daquiri: Strawberry & Lime Daiquiri Sour (4.5%)
Brewer’s note: Inspired by the classic Cuban cocktail, this syrupy sweet and slightly tart fruited sour beer, balances a tantalising infusion of fragrant, juicy strawberry with bright, zesty lime.
Battle 2: DDH IPAs
Both these double dry-hopped IPAs were excellent. So good, in fact, that we couldn’t pick a winner. Alex said the Toucan Tropical had the edge, while I was leaning more towards the Doppelgänger.
The Toucan Tropical was lighter, sweeter and fizzier with tropical flavours while the Doppelgänger had a deep stone-fruit flavour and a longer finish. As I say, both excellent beers.
Toucan Tropic (6.7%)
Brewer’s note: Punchy fruit flavour and heavy hop aromas? Toucan play that game. This tropical Double Dry Hopped IPA is brewed with twice the flavour, creating a bold intensely juicy character. Plunge into a pool of tropical flavours, with vibrant notes of mango, citrus and pine.
Doppelgänger (6.7%)
Brewer’s note: A bold and intense brew, double dry hopped to release an ever-increasing cascade of fruity aromas, with a delicate sweetness and a balancing earthy undertone. Double the hops, double the flavour – a single can will certainly not be enough. Strong aromas of sweet mango & stone fruit are balanced with a zesty citrus bitterness and a piney resinous finish.
Battle 3: Stouts
We’ve tried the Naughty & Nice chocolate stout, so we thought we’d give two of the ‘versions’ beers ago given how good it was. We also treated ourselves to a special edition Latte stout.
These were the last beers of the month and they were worth the wait. The Chocolate Caramel Cookie was thick, creamy and sweet. The Double Tonka Frappe had a more complex flavour and thicker mouthfeel.
But the standout beer of the night (and our beer of the month) was the Double Dipped Coconut Macaroon. Delicious.
Double Tonka Frappe: Tonka Latte Stout (8%)
Brewer’s note: A rich full-bodied stout infused with Tonka Beans that add a complex sweetness and depth of flavour, with notes of coffee, vanilla, caramel, and chocolate.
Naughty & Nice: Chocolate Caramel Cookie (8%)
Brewer’s note: Smooth caramel and cookie flavours draped in a silky milk chocolate stout.Medium-bodied stout with a sweet and creamy mouthfeel from lactose, and biscuity, bittersweet chocolate malt profile. Milk chocolate aromas and a lingering salted caramel finish.
Naughty & Nice: Double-Dipped Coconut Macaroon (6%)
We’ve tried a lot of excellent stouts. Some of our top-scoring beers have been imperial stouts with ABVs of 9,10,11% or more. In contrast, this stout was only 6%, but it was excellent.
It was thick and creamy with lovely dark chocolate flavours upfront and a beautiful coconut finish. Definitely worthy of our beer of the month for February.
Brewer’s note: Toasted coconut macaroon, dipped and drizzled in our signature Chocolate Stout, Naughty & Nice. Medium-bodied stout with sweet, toasty coconut aromas rounding out into milk & dark chocolate with a hint of roast coffee.
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