For this year’s Big Import (after the success of it, and of the BrewDog swag this time last year, we really should make it an annual tradition worthy of Capital Letters), the Overboss scored an actual metric tonne of beer from Thornbridge, an excellent little brewery on a stately country property in Derbyshire. (Fittingly, I’m watching Antiques Roadshow as I write this one up.) Coincidentally, they’d just been featured on TV, in the (somewhat delayed) local airing of Oz and James Drink to Britain — the eponymous pair visit the brewery in the first episode, and Oz declares this ‘Jaipur’ IPA to be his favourite British beer of the moment.

That’s by no means an outrageous call, because this is pretty damn good. (And, of course, “favourite” is properly subjective; there’s never a need to get grumpy about what someone else might call their favourite.) It’s very fresh, fruity (peachy, I thought), incredibly drinkable and with a hoppy bitterness that rewardingly builds and changes as you make your way through it. One of those great, well-rounded beers that certainly deserves the accolades that zip towards it.

Verbatim: Thornbridge ‘Jaipur’ IPA 30/9/10 5.9% 500ml ÷ 2 with Peter as we nerd out on the end of the bar after work. $11 @ work; this year’s Big Import, basically. They (3 of them) were a sod to put away, but did well @ Beervana, and the brewery was just mentioned in James May’s TV Show (nice timing; must download that…). Gorgeous hazy pale orange, lovely fruity nose. Zesty and delicious, really. Quite peachy, too.