Welcome one and all, as we take a look at the three new Spectrum releases launching on draft today!

Without further ado... 

POLYGON  - 3.3% Extra Dry Pale Ale

The first thing to say about Polygon is that it's definitely not a brut IPA. Nope. No way. Brut IPAs have been done to death; everyone has brewed one, undoubtedly including a lot of people who had never tasted one prior. Such is the nature of fad styles - where once new beers were inspired by those tasted and enjoyed by brewers, now many are driven simply by a vague understanding of an à la mode concept, because it will probably sell.

Polygon is merely a pale ale, that happens to be extra dry and light, brewed with Hüll Melon, Galaxy and Citra. At 3.3% ABV, it's super light, easy-drinking, and packed with flavours of gooseberry, freshly cut grass, and stone fruit.  Good job, Pete!

Oh, and it's inspired by Wireframe, a previous Spectrum release. Which was a brut IPA.

TRAIL OF RED  - 5.7% Sour Cherry Red Ale

Phil's latest Spectrum release is quite something. If we could make it fit on the tap badge, we'd have given it the full title of ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Red. What its name lacks in word count though, the beer more than makes up for in flavour.

With a profile sitting somewhere between a Flanders red and an American amber, it combines rich spec malts with mellow cherry flavour and the smooth warmth of toasted oak, offset by a bright and juicy acidity. There's just enough sweetness to balance the tannins, a low enough bitterness that it doesn't clash with the sour character, and enough complexity to engage the senses without becoming overpowering. 

FIRE DOWN BELOW  - 11.5% Islay Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

Our next beer is not only the third part of this month's Spectrum series, but also the third part of a different trio - three big beers that spent time maturing alongside each other, in three individual casks. Our beers were named for Golding's To Ends of the Earth trilogy; an exploration of the effects of isolation upon a crew confined aboard a wooden vessel...

With Fire Down Below, Josh showcases the potency of Islay malt whisky barrels when it comes to imparting flavour. By far the most intensely flavoured of our three recent barrel-aged beers, it took the longest in cask for the flavours to mellow and mature by a long margin. Where bourbon barrels rapidly impart vanilla and oaky warmth, and a sense of cosy contentedness, Islay whisky casks conjure up smoke and tar; salty, chewy, briny flavours that evoke untameable seas and spitting fires. 18 months in cask has softened these characteristics, and the beer locked within has developed into a majestic symphony of roasty, fruity and smoky flavours.

All three beers are pouring now, at 85 Drygate, Glasgow, and a few select other venues - be sure to grab them while you can!

BONUS CONTENT:

We missed out a Spectrum blog last month, so to make up for it, here's the scoop on August's three releases. Together they form a brilliant set of beers brewed using traditional techniques and ingredients, showing that modern styles are, as ever, far from the be-all and end-all of craft brewing.

AMHUINNSUIDHE  - 3.1% Crofthouse Ale

At some point during the creation of this beer, Marc coined the term "Crofthouse Ale". In the vein of farmhouse ales, we brewed Amhuinnsuidhe (Ah-vunn-soo-yeh) with Scottish botanicals foraged in partnership with the wonderful Hipsters and Hobos. Combining foraged spruce tips in the lauter, larch roses in the whirlpool, and heather in the FV, alongside a tiny amount of Mandarina Bavaria (this crofter happens to have a contact at Charles Faram, alright?!), Amhuinnsuidhe is a light, floral, beautifully balanced and crisp pale ale.

TMAVY PIVO 12°  - Czech-Style Dark Lager

Phil's series of dark beers thunders on; this Czech-style lager brewed in the vein of U Fleků features dark malts and Saaz hops. It even incorporated our own version of a decoction mash, bringing a fuller, caramel note to the warm, toasty malt profile.

DOWNTOWN LIGHTS - 5.4% Bière Blanche

Josh's latest concept is a bière blanche. The original aim was to use the first runnings of a mash to brew a brune, with the middle part of the collection being used to produce something very akin to a witbier. The concept was based on a historical French brewing technique. The brune didn't work out, but luckily for us, the blanche worked (more than) just fine.

Orange peel and coriander seeds impart classic notes of spice and citrus to this fluffy and approachable wheat beer. Pouring a warm hazy orange, it features fruity and spicy aromas (courtesy of some decidedly un-traditional hops; Columbus, Citra and Chinook, alongside Saaz) and a velvet texture complete with a touch of tartness (a hallmark of a high percentage of wheat in the grist).