Hatherwood Beers, The Lidl Craft Beer Range

Haterwood Craft Beer Company

www.shepherdneame.co.uk/

Brewed by Shepherd Neame (For Lidl Hatherwood.)
Wimbledon, Greater London, England

Coming out of Lidl, Hatherwood Craft Beer Company, a name given to Lidl’s own branded beer, but actually brewed by Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer. Lidl trying to capitalize on the “craft beer” scene.

Review: small 330ml can of Hatherwood Plunged Orange Pale Ale: 6.0% vol.

“Punchy and refreshing with a tangy orange sharpiness” is the tagline on the can.

Have to say the can looks tiny, I don’t know what the fuck is the point of such a small can, pathetic. Its colourful though, an underwater subterranean, with a man in a deep sea water suit, nice artwork for sure, all very craft beer like.

On the pour I get a golden coloured beer, looks good, a decent sized white frothy head and some nice carbonation going on, lively on the pour. Looks good.

Getting the orange peel straight off on the nose, very strong, kind of like a Fanta, a fizzy orange, not too bad, I like it, nice.

First impressions of the taste is one of great disappointment, finding it difficult to taste all this orange I am meant to be enjoying, where is it?

The orange eventually appears after a few sips, but on the fringes.

Very hoppy, bit too much, also a bit sickly in the taste, which could be the orange flavours. Yuck. Feeling the alcohol as well, bit of a sharp zest to this alright. I guess that’s the “punchy” tag they were going with.

Still for the small can, getting a lot.

I eventually poured it into a bigger glass, giving it more respect that I had with the first can, where I poured it into a very small glass, so shocked I was with the very small can.
Worked, as in the bigger glass it filled out much more, and I started to enjoy it as time went on.

Taste got much better over time, still not as much orange taste as I would prefer, but better than the first can.
By the time I finished I had grown to liking it. Its a hoppy cheap orange soda drink, that’s the best way to describe it I think. Must try again for a better more balanced review. Overall it was ok.

Review: small 330ml can of Hatherwood Twisted Knots American IPA: 5.5% vol.

Another Lidl version of what “craft beer” is supposed to be all about. And again another tiny small can, and another cool logo, this time with a scary looking octopus covering the depths of the oceans. Stands out.

“A grapefruit aroma with note of zesty citrus fruit”, as declared on the can.

On the pour I get a decent sized white frothy head and a deep dark amber colour, looks pretty nice on the eye.

Some nice carbonation going on too, bubbling away. Its a damn pretty beer!

Good lacing left on class. Top marks for the appearance.

The smell is one typically associated with an IPA, fruity, citrusy and hoppy, malts and pine, not too bad on the nose, pleasant enough.

Typical IPA taste, slightly bitter and overly harsh with the hops. Getting citrus, sweet malts, is piney and very hoppy.

Again, like their Orange Pale Ale, getting quite a lot from the oh so small can.

Bit boring, not a whole lot happening with the flavours or tastes, a bad version of an IPA me thinks.

Over hopped on the taste, seeing from their notes they have six varieties of hops in this, no wonder! Overall making it a just above average IPA. Would do if desperate.