>>consumers and buyers give their views on the latest product launches

Product: Atlantic IPA
(indian pale ale)
Company: SHARP'S BREWERY
Atlantic IPA is a modern version of the 19th century ale that was preserved by high
alcohol and strong hops in order to survive the long and hot journey under sail to India
Price: £1.69-£1.79 per bottle

consumer's verdict
expert's verdict
Bam Coe, Insurance advisor, 30, addlestone, surrey The packaging and design of Atlantic IPA were nice and quite appealing. The colour of the ale seemed quite light and gave the impression of a clean, crisp beer.With its 4.7% abv it tasted weaker than expected but with a distinct medium aftertaste. The smell, however, was strong and not overly appealing. Although the price seems quite fair, I would almost certainly stay loyal to my preferred bottled brands. However, I might be persuaded to buy if I saw it on special offer.Each purchase of this means a donation to the RNLI and I'm happy about that as you never know when you might need them. Score: 17/25
Jonathan Butt, head of global sourcing, thresher groupA different take on 'normal' ale packaging, and in a cleaner, more modern style. But is this what the average ale drinker is looking for? It looks too much like a mass-produced branded lager and unlikely to appeal to traditional ale drinkers. Maybe they are aiming at capturing sales from the lager drinkers?And how much is donated to the RNLI? 0.0001% for all I know!The ale itself is fairly simple and inoffensive and I'm sure would quickly disappear at a summer BBQ. If the ale showed real quality, it would be an ideal drink to kick back while knowing that I was supporting the RNLI at the same time. Score: 15/2

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