Brewery: Northern Monk| Location: Leeds | Find them: Northern Monk
Northern Monk is a Leeds-based brewery, and we’re big fans (not just because it’s local). We love their beers, their venues and their events (we’ve already got our Dark & Wild tickets for November).
We first tried Heathen way back in March 2021, when we were battling a range of Northern Monk beers and thought it was an excellent IPA.
We decided it was time to revisit Heathen alongside some Heathen twists, including the alcohol free version, a dark fruit, a red and a double.
Heathen: Hazy IPA 7.2%
Heathen is a great IPA. It’s dank with notes of overripe stone fruit, and it goes down a treat. Faith has always been one of my favourite Northern Monk beers, but since they changed the ABV, I’m not sure it’s as good, and I’m starting to think Heathen might actually be better.
Brewer’s note: No matter how quickly and often we brew our flagship NEIPA Heathen, we struggle to stop it disappearing from our shelves, and it’s always a bit of an occasion when it’s back. Features the classic tropical fruit riot of Citra and Mosaic, plus a touch of peppery pine from Columbus.
Holy Heathen: Alcohol Free Hazy IPA 0.5%
This is a great alcohol-free beer with lots of flavour. It tastes like a beer (unlike some AF beers) and has some of the flavours found in Heathen. As a standalone beer, it’s very good, but (as you’d expect) when you drink it alongside original Heathen, it tastes a bit thin.
Brewer’s note: Finally, some redemption for Heathens. It’s been a couple of years since Holy Heathen was last here, but here it is - an alcohol-free take on our New England IPA, with Citra and Mosaic used for a classic tropical flavour profile, and a few tricks to bring juiciness to the mouthfeel.
Dark Heathen: Dark Fruit IPA 7.2%
This one smelled like it was going to be tart, but actually wasn’t very sour at all. It wasn’t too sweet either and tasted a bit like a blackberry yoghurt.
Brewer’s note: Taking our Heathen and turning it to the darker side using blackcurrants and blackberries. Craft brewed with Northern pride and bursting with juicy, berry flavours.
Heathen Heartbreak: Hazy Red IPA 7.2%
This was a good beer, but was probably our least favourite of the selection (not including the AF beer). There was nothing wrong with it, we just didn’t think it was anything special.
Brewer’s note: Our amped up Hazy IPA won’t break your heart. Hops made for each other unite in a Red IPA version of Heathen.
Lord Heathen: Double IPA 8.4%
This was the strongest of the selection and was much hoppier than the others. We really enjoyed it and think it is just as good as the original Heathen.
Brewer’s note: Lord Heathen returns to its infernal throne. This year’s release is packed full of Citra, Columbus and Mosaic; an unholy trinity that brings big juicy and dank flavours to this haziest of Double IPAs. At 8.4%, blessed are the Heathens!
A good selection of beers - we’ll definitely be revisiting Heathen in the future and looking out for more Heathen variations.
