By Jeff Evans, chair of the International Beer Challenge

GREENE KING OLD MIDNIGHT HEN, 4.2%

The latest Old Speckled Hen brand extension sees Greene King turn to the dark side. It seems an odd time of year to launch a stout perhaps, but a clue to the reasoning can be found in the words “enjoy chilled” on the bottle. Those of us with long memories can recall how ice-cold bottled Guinness was surprisingly successful during the hot summer of 1976, proving that stout, with its bold flavours, can survive being served cold and be rather refreshing. This new beer is almost black in colour and offers aromas and flavours of coffee, dark chocolate and a little liquorice. The tartness of roasted grains gives the beer dryness and a good bite, but these are offset by plenty of sweetness from the paler malt content. Greene King has not exactly pushed the envelope here but there’s a lot to like about this easy drinking stout

POWDERKEG HARMONY HELLES LAGER, 4.2%

The first of three new lagers in the beer review this time around, which sort of makes sense given that summer is now upon us. Award-winning Powderkeg, established in south Devon 10 years ago, has come up with a fairly dry and bitter take on the German helles style that has been promoted out of the brewery’s seasonal range and into the regular core output. It tempts the drinker with its bright, golden appearance and has a bold hop edge from the start, with sappy and tangy resins just outpointing smooth, sweet malt and floral notes. The finish is bitter, grassy and very dry, with Saaz hops lingering long on the palate. If, like me, you prefer your session lager to have plenty of flavour and a good bite, this will work for you. It’s gluten-free and vegan, too.

ADNAMS/UTOPIANBEACH BREAK,4.2%

Collaborations between two top breweries are always something to look forward to and this unfiltered keller lager is typically intriguing. Utopian is known for its lager production and Adnams has good form there, too. Together they have come up with a vegan-friendly, German inspired beer with Utopian’s trademark twist of using British hops rather than continental – in this case the varieties are Fuggle and Godiva. The beer pours a clear golden colour, not hazy as perhaps might be expected from a keller lager. It’s a refreshing, spritzy drink that falls just on the bitter side of bittersweet and delivers flavours of pear drop, lemon and grassy herbs, with lots of body for the strength. More lemon notes follow on the swallow before a long, very dry, increasingly bitter finish with yet more grassy hops. Another session lager with plenty of substance

PILLARS NEW ZEALAND PILS, 4.8%

Completing our collection of new lagers is this dangerously quaffable, rather lovely beer from a Walthamstow brewery that has been purpose-built for lager production. Pillars already has a pilsner, helles and bocks – among other beers – in its selection and now here’s a pils that showcases New Zealand hops. Greenish-golden in the glass, it tastes crisp yet on the sweet side with tangy herbal hops, soft tropical fruit, a squeeze of lemon and some floral notes. The foundation of a good lager is a quality pilsner malt base and that’s well in evidence here, laying down the essential sweetness and allowing the fragrant hops to generate exotic southern hemisphere flavours on top. The addition of malted oats to the mash also helps the smoothness. The finish is appropriately dry, clean and increasingly bitter, with lingering floral notes. It’s served in a stubby bottle rather than a can and once again caters for vegan drinkers.