King Road Brewing Co Hazy Pale Ale

Building upon their dialled in core range pedigree, King Road’s debut into the world of misty fog arrives with the same humility as its siblings: “Hey, everyone! If you’ve got time, you’re welcome to check out what’s brewing in Oldbury. Totally cool if you’re busy though.”

However, the major difference here is the 18 months of accolades and word of mouth that precede its arrival. Well, that and a furtive, yet substantial, ABV.

Zamba, El Dorado and Citra hops lure with sweet navel orange, mandarin, tinned pineapple and background mango, on an initially juicy ride which gets cleaned up by late, lengthy dryness and bitterness. This is very much a hazy IPA, not a NEIPA. Any warmth goes almost unnoticed, as King Road’s Hazy disappears with an ease akin to a Pacific ale.