I’ve don’t think I’ve ever been this energised writing the weekly round-up of beery goings-on here at BeerSweden.

I’m not sure if it’s because the thermometer is showing plus figures for the first time in months and my ears are filled with the trickling sounds of snow melting or the fact that my beautiful Ingrid arrived at the Systembolaget earlier this week (although she didn’t stick around for long).

Whatever the reason I’m feeling more positive that a bag full of atoms right now. Looking back over the past seven days I’ve had a flop of a beer and food match followed swiftly by an amazing one, we’ve taken a hard look at the fine-dining industry in Sweden and called for more great beer to be put on the menu, seen a new batch of great beers released at the monopoly and been shown around the brewpub the people helped build in Eskilstuna.

Add to that the news I’m just hearing that one of my favourite beers of all time Amarillo Spring is looking set to earn itself a listing in the standard assortment at the Systembolaget (which means you’ll be able to buy individual bottles in store rather than right now where you have to order it by the case) and I don’t think even drinking a can of Falcon Export could wipe the smile off my face.*

To celebrate my After Work Friday beer this week is Green Flash West Coast IPA. If any beer can make the snow melt quicker it’s this aggressively hopped brew that’s laden with Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade and Columbus hops to the eye-watering tune of 95 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). It’s a classic West Coast tribute to IPA – which means it’s got loads of everything – and at 29.90SEK it’s going to be a regular feature of my fridge over the next couple of months.

But I’m not stopping there. Not today. I’m going back to the frontline of beer once again and will be heading into the evening with some home brews kindly sent to me by a couple of BeerSwedians. I don’t know much about them (although I do believe Sea Goat Black Nile Ale is one of the first beers ever brewed by Tobias Lund and Bloodbuzz – great name – is brewed by the same mysterious character who blew me away with one of his other beers on film).

Have a hoppy, happy smiley Friday everyone!

Cheers and beers!

BeerSweden Darren

* although I’m not actually going to test this theory out.

One of the best Swedish Spring beers ever produced will soon be available all year round. That’s right – Amarillo Spring, the beer I urged you to throw all the food out of your fridge for back in February this year is making a comeback under the shortened name Oppigårds Amarillo.

This seismic bit of news was casually mentioned in the brewery’s latest email newsletter and seems to have slipped under the radar of most other beer bloggers so just so we’re all clear on this AMARILLO SPRING IS SOON GOING TO BE AVAILABLE ALL YEAR ROUND!!!!

Aren’t you excited? You should be because this Swedish produced American pale ale (the 5th highest ranked APA in the world according to RateBeer) is one of the best beers to come out of this country – period! When it was released at the Systembolaget back in the spring it was only available for three months so many of you may have missed out on the opportunity to try it. Well now it seems as though you’re going to get a second chance, with the brewery informing me that it will start brewing Amarillo from next week for sale on draft in selected restaurants and then as a ‘beställningsvara’ (order product) via the monopoly.

The exact date when Amarillo will be available to order is not yet known but as soon as I find out rest assured you’ll read about it here first.

What a great bit of good news to start the week off with!

Happy Monday everyone.

Bottles from Swedish microbrewery Oppigårds are the beer equivalent of Paul Potts. From the outside they can look rather boring, a little awkward and forgettable. If you didn’t know you might even pass them by without ever giving them a try.

They may not look all that amazing from the outside, but it's what's on the inside that counts!

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But if you do give their beers a chance, if you do allow them the opportunity to open up then oh how they sing!

Rarely have I felt so elated as a beer drinker as the moment I opened my first bottle of Oppigårds’ Amarillo Spring. Just like that magical moment when Mr Potts the goofy-toothed mobile salesman from south Wales walked onto the stage and said he was going to sing opera, I had absolutely no idea what magic was coming next.

The aroma of freshly picked, green leafy hops was simply overwhelming. It stopped me in my tracks.

I can’t recall a more exhilaratingly hop nose on a Swedish beer. It reminded me of the smell of broken Dandelion stems I used to snap as a child playing outside during the summer. If every colour had its own unique aroma then this beer is how green would smell.

There’s a dash of white wine in there to, along with subtle hints of red berries and pine needles. Malt must be present too but if it is it’s not telling anyone – and quite frankly who cares.

In the mouth this maestro continues to perform beautifully, delivering a fleeting sweetness before a swell of citrus climaxes in a crescendo of lingering balanced bitterness.

Oppigårds Amarillo Spring is an outstanding example of the role hops can play in the aroma and taste of a beer. It is one of the absolute best European versions of an American Pale Ale I have ever tasted.

The beer was originally released to celebrate Oppigårds’ 7th year in business and has been renamed to fit in with the current seasonal theme at the Systembolaget. With its assertive bitterness (measuring 50 IBUs for you beer nerds) it almost strays into IPA territory, so if you like hops you’re going to love this.

But here’s a warning – the beer is only available at the Systembolaget for the next three months. I therefore urge you to go and buy it – lots of it. Then go home, throw all the food out of your fridge and fill it with bottles of this beer instead.

It’s that good.

Oppigårds Amarillo Spring

5.9% ABV

An American Pale Ale from Oppigårds Bryggeri

Systembolaget Article Number: 1440