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Imperial Jakehead from Wylam Brewery my Beer of the Year 2024

Imperial Jakehead
Every year, I taste my way through an impressive lineup of beers; some great, some forgettable, and a few that leave a lasting impression. But every so often, a beer comes along that makes me stop, sit up, and say, "This is the one."

Imperial Jakehead from Wylam Brewery in Newcastle that that beer in 2024.

This is a beer than I fell in love with from the very first sip on New Years Day in 2024. Such a delicious beer, well I call it a beer it’s an Imperial IPA, and coming in at 10% ABV, it’s a bit of a beast.

The can design alone suggests that something special is waiting for you, all gold and shiny with a dangerous looking snakeskin design.

Now, Wylam is no stranger to excellence. The Newcastle based brewery has been turning out world class beers for years, and their original Jakehead IPA is already a legend in its own right, a bold, punchy, hoppy beast that never disappoints. But with Imperial Jakehead, Wylam has taken things to a whole new level. It’s bigger, bolder, and is, even better. It’s an IPA cranked all the way up to Number 11!

Here’s why Imperial Jakehead has earned its place as my Beer of the Year 2024.

From the very first sip, Imperial Jakehead grabs you and doesn’t let go. This imperial IPA takes everything great about the original and dials it up to 11. At 10% ABV, you expect a boozy kick, but what you get instead is a beautifully balanced glass of flavour.

The Aroma:
Sweet (not too sweet) and fruity. Lovely citrus and tropical aromas; it’s really easy to pick out the orange and mango, and right at the end a little stoned fruit emerges.

The Flavour:
Beautiful citrus and tropical aromas and flavours ooze from this beer, a sweet orange, mango and peach dominate the flavours, but there is also a lovely piney note in there too.

It doesn’t stop there, there is also a flavour that might be hard to place, some pick it out as a green tea, to some (me included), it reminds me of the taste of vegetables, it has the slight taste of cooked cabbage or broccoli, I know that doesn’t sound great in beer … maybe I’ll stat taking about it as green tea, that seems much more palatable!

Overall:
One of the biggest things about this beer is just how drinkable it is, it is so silky smooth. At 10% ABV, I’d find it just about acceptable to be thick and heavy, but no .. it’s incredibly morish, which does make it a dangerous drink.

It coats the palate just enough to let the flavours linger, but it never feels cloying.

This is the kind of beer that makes you forget you’re drinking something so strong.

Why It Stands Out in 2024
There’s no shortage of big IPAs on the market, the annual outing of Putty by Verdant is testament to that, but for me Imperial Jakehead is just so incredibly well brewed, and Head Brewer, Lee Howourth masterfully balances the beers potentially aggressive nature with a solid refinement.

For me, a beer like this also shows that British craft breweries can go toe-to-toe with the best American brewers when it comes to making high ABV, hop-forward beers, ad make them well. This is the kind of IPA that would make an East Coast brewer nod in approval.

The Verdict – An Instant Classic
Imperial Jakehead is not just my Beer of the Year for 2024—it’s one of the finest imperial IPAs I’ve had in a long time. It takes everything I love about IPAs and turns it into something truly special.

It’s big without being overwhelming, bitter without being harsh, and strong without being boozy. In short, it’s a masterclass in IPA brewing.

If you haven’t tried it yet, get your hands on a can while you can. Because trust me; this is one you don’t want to miss.

Here’s to another year of great beer; cheers

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