As well as being a local newspaper editor, I am (believe it or not) also a professionally qualified brewer, so for this review I should actually know what I am talking about.

Local nano-brewery BRUBL recently took delivery of a new canning machine, and is now selling its beer beyond its taproom in Leamington's Old Town Railway Arches through a new website.

Owner and brewer Nathan Barnes is also hoping to get his brews into more local pubs and venues. Having now tried some of his range myself, I for one will not be surprised to see his beers on sale in more and more places across the area.

I was sent a case of six beers to try, and the range I was given showed perfectly how Nathan has added his own twist to some traditional styles - providing something new for the beer enthusiast but not putting off your average drinker. 

First impressions on opening the box were very good.

With more and more craft breweries opening across the country, producers need to stand out on the shelves to attract punters' attention. And Nathan's blend of bold colours and unique artwork on the sleeves will certainly make sure his beers do not just blend in with their competitors.

First I tried the 'Hoppy Fairy' - a pilsner at 5% which was crisp, sweet and unexpectedly packed with smokey malt flavour.

Not your usual pilsner, but definitely worth trying! Balanced with the zesty Idaho 7 hops, the smokiness was not overpowering, but a really interesting addition.

Next came the 'Highway to Hop', a 4.3% English IPA and perhaps my favourite of the case - a bonus given I was sent two of these.

Perhaps slightly thinner than your traditional IPA, it was incredibly drinkable and I could see myself easily knocking back a few on a hot summer's day.

Packed with lots of hop bitterness, followed by the sweetness from the malt, it was an instant hit.

Kicking up the strength I then tried the 'Hazy in Love' NEIPA at 6%.

A big favourite with me, the malt bill was clearly filled with oats and caramelised malts, providing rich and creamy texture with plenty of mouthfeel.

Dry hopping provided a big hit of citrus with the right amount of bitterness taking the edge off. A close second behind the Highway to Hop.

The strongest of the beers I tried was the 'Baltic Smoked Porter' at 7.6%. With this one I was obviously expecting the smoked quality, which paired with the sweetness of the malt masked how strong the brew was.

Rich, coffee tones also made this a big hit, making sure the overtly alcoholic and off-putting taste that some high-ABV beers have was not present.

And finally I had the 'Big Beernana' 6.5% IPA. If I hadn't seen the label I would have assumed this was a hefeweizen (wheat beer), with the huge estery hit of banana coating the pallet to start with.

But paired with El Dorado, Amarillo and Ekuanot hops the beer has a lot more subtlety than that, with citrus notes and some delicate hop bitterness also coming through. The silky mouthfeel also made this a thoroughly enjoyable beer.

So if you fancy trying some of BRUBL's beers, head to the tap room on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6-11pm. 

Or visit the website here!

Nathan first launched the business in his garden shed - the 'Crammed Inn' (image supplied)