Ah, January. For many, a time of fresh starts, clean slates, and - shudder - New Years Resolutions. For some, it’s a month to dry off, following holiday overindulgence. For others, it’s a time to experiment and discover new beers. No points for guessing which group we identify with...

Having pushed our January Spectrum releases back by a week (we’re not completely heartless, we know some of you have just got out of bed for the first time this year), we are delighted to bring you four brand new beers, on draft and available from 12pm today here under the seven peaks.

KILL JESTER -  4.9% Blood Orange and Dill Sour

Brewer Josh and chef Sean combine forces, bringing an infusion of pithy blood orange and mellow dill to this offbeat, lightly sour pale ale. The aroma features light citrus and hints of herbal complexity. Soft, subtle orange juice character follows on the palate, with added depth provided by Mandarina Bavaria and Centennial in the whirlpool stage. An easy-drinking, experimental entry into our canon of beer. Even if your Spectrum adventure ended here, it’d be well worth it.

CITADEL TOWER -  7% Citra Weizenbock

Experimentation comes with the corollary that sometimes, you get unexpected results. When Pete set out to produce a Citra-hopped hefeweizen, we were excited. A 5%-ish, sessionable, fruity wheat beer, with a graceful hop character and a soft, pillowy texture? Sign us up. When he announced that it had fermented out at 7%, we were wary. Achieving the right balance of esters in a weissbier is hard enough, even without your yeast deciding "New Year New Me” and going into overdrive. Turns out, the yeast had the right idea.

This towering weizenbock has bags of banana aroma up front, with soft nutmeg and clove adding complexity. Citra comes through strong on the palate, presenting as a pithy lime-rind bitterness, providing balance but without distracting from the classic weizenbock profile. Warming alcohol and hints of caramel malt contribute to the impression of fullness, which quickly dissipates and leaves the palate ready for another draw.

BIG DUMB OBJECT -  7.3% Chocolate Rye Black IPA

Sometimes referred to as Cascadian dark ale, black IPA generally incorporates the liberal use of North American hops. This swaggering, unapologetic, and aggressive IPA is no exception, but also includes German and Australian varieties with Cascadian profiles. Designed by Pete and brewed by Josh, Big Dumb Object blends Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, Nugget and Galaxy, with additions every ten minutes throughout a ninety minute boil, all four hops in the whirlpool, and again at dry-hop.

Up-front, aromas of pitchwood and burnt pine dominate. Digging deeper reveals tinder smoke and charred lime. Hefty flavours of roast, resin, and redcurrant beat a tattoo across the palate, before the resinous, almost savoury hop character drives into the finish. Often, intensely bitter hop character is balanced with a rounded, sweet malt profile. Instead, we’ve gone for chocolate rye, crystal rye, and a touch of carafa - so expect notes of dark chocolate, spice, and a “sweetness" that’s so low it borders on sarcasm. This black IPA is, in a word, monolithic.

CLOSE QUARTERS -  11.2% Bourbon Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale

Following close on the heels of Rites of Passage, our latest barrel-aged release is now ready to pour. Having been languishing in bourbon-imbued oak since August, this chewy Scotch ale has developed into something truly joyous. The aroma evokes Amaretto, muscovado sugar, toasted marshmallow and fudge; flavours of fruitcake, malt loaf and chocolate ganache follow. Many of the hallmarks of bourbon-barrel-ageing are present, although subtle - five months is a relatively short incarceration in cask. Hints of coconut and vanilla meld with brandy warmth, leading into a rewarding, full-bodied and sweet finish.

Close Quarters is also our bottled Spectrum release this month, meaning you can take it home too - cellar it, or crack one open alongside Rites of Passage for a side-by-side tasting. Your choice, either is fine. We’ll be doing both, as there’s only one keg here on the bar - don’t hang about.

Aside from heralding several hashtags, January is also the month that sees the return of Celtic Connections, the annual festival showcasing music with Celtic roots. We’re proud to be hosting a whole series of gigs throughout the festival, including Late Night Sessions, and serving up great craft beer and soul food alongside the best of local and global Celtic sounds. Check out our event listings here.

See you soon!