There are some opportunities in life you just have to grab with both hands.
So when an email popped into our inbox at Candid Beer HQ with the offer to purchase 8 beers from a brewery we’ve had in our periphery for several years now, but rarely had the opportunity to try beers from - let alone buy from - we simply had to go for it.
Periphery, why? Well, because this brewery isn’t a UK brewery. It’s not even a US brewery, where we’re seeing a lot more entries into the UK market.
No, this brewery hails from the Basque Country of Spain.
Basqueland started their brewing journey back in 2015, located in Hernani - about an hours drive East of Bilbao in the very Northern-Eastern tip of Spain.
The brewery positions itself as making beer on par with the Basque culinary experience, and they are proud global ambassadors for the Basque community.
In the relatively short time they have been in existence, they have already won a host of national brewing awards in Spain - including numerous ‘best-in-category’ gongs.
Basqueland beers are by no means strangers to UK shores - or indeed Candid’s fridges - as they have regularly collaborated with some of the biggest names in the UK brewing scene.
Perhaps most memorably for us was ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ brewed with Cloudwater.
But this has been the first time - certainly for us - to be able to get our hands on a wide range of their beers brewed at source.
And what a lineup it is! We are super excited.
Read on for the full list and how to buy them.
The Rooster Knows - DDH IPA
6% ABV, hopped with Citra, Galaxy, Rakau
Instant classic DDH IPA: Rich in oats and malted wheat for a silky mouth-feel with a mix of Citra and Mosaic hops in the whirlpool with a generous double dry hop addition of Citra, Galaxy, & Rakau later. Ripe tropical notes, stone fruit, pineapple, and cantaloupe. Crest quivering stuff at the crown of dawn. Cockadoodledoo amigos.
The Wedge - West Coast IPA
6.5% ABV, hopped with Simcoe, Columbus Cryo, Amarillo
A perfect day on the West Coast: grab your board and surf the Wedge. It’s a salad and a wave. Far out! Classic IPA has well-balanced maltiness with pine needle, spice, and grapefruit aromas.
Zumo - Hazy IPA
6% ABV, hopped with Mosaic, Citra, Vic Secret
Freshly squeezed juicy IPA with a ton of tropical aromas thanks to a generous amount of hops added in dry-hop.
Imparable - West Coast IPA
6.8% ABV, hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe
Imparable IPA is a West Coast India Pale Ale type beer. Medium bodied, fresh and balanced, with a fruity hoppy flavour. The most unstoppable of our classics.
Taranaki - New Zealand West Coast (collab with Three Sisters Brewery)
6.8% ABV, hopped with NZ Cascade, Waimea, Wakatu
Taking inspiration from the west coast of New Zealand, this is a super drinkable IPA with balanced bitterness. Each of the 3 Sister Rock formations represented by the NZ Cascade, Waimea, and Wakatu hops shine with delightful aromas of citrus pith, papaya, and a touch of pine sap.
7th Anniversary Beers
Double Down - Double IPA (collab with Verdant Brewing Co)
8% ABV, hopped with HBC586, El Dorado, Citra
A dense, hazy, and full-bodied IPA with experimental HBC585 hops. Pineapple, stonefruit, and clementine abound.
The Great Beyond - Triple IPA (collab with Garage Beer Co)
10% ABV, hopped with Citra, Strata, Galaxy
Smooth mouthfeel, creamy foam, and tropical cocktail flavors! Aromas of ripened pineapple, passion fruit, berries, and fruit candy.
Finest Hour - New Zealand DDH IPA (collab with Cloudwater)
6.2% ABV, hopped with Waimea, Nelson, Rakau, Pacifica
Sharp and intense aromas of orange, gooseberry, grape, and peach arise from a base of extra pale, malted, and flaked oats.
Chocomel Caralate - Imperial Pastry Stout (collab with Põhjala)
11.5% ABV, with cocoa nibs, salt, caramel, vanilla
Cocoa, chocolate, and vanilla have been infused at different times during the preparation, both hot and cold, to achieve a wide and delicious range of aromas.