The struggle

In early October I watched the new beers arrive on the Craft Central website and counted 17 variants on pale ale in the chronological list before there was something else. That something else was Into The Abyss, a Festbier by Whiplash. Sold! It boasts of decoction, which is a nice piece of beer nerdery, whatever you think of the process itself. 5.8% ABV is a proper feisty Festbier strength, and there's an edge of amber darkness about the colour. It smells rich and wholesome, the cake-like malt complemented by contrasting hop sharpness from Saaz and Perle. As expected, it's chewy, though doesn't lose sight of its fundamental lager crispness. This would still be drinkable in Maßkrug quantities, but only just. The foretaste is a little reticent and it takes a moment for the flavour to develop. I thought there would be more malt sweetness but the biscuit side of the picture is quite restrained. Instead, the hops use the beer's density to build gradually on the palate, starting as a dry…

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