It has been an exciting week in my own personal world of beer. A brewery visit, two excellent tastings and the first huge delivery of the year meant I was spoilt for choice when it came to choosing five recommendations for you.

Come in and say hello if you would like a few more suggestions, because these are just the tip of the icebe(e)rg.

Beerbliotek/All In Brewing Whoop Ass (£3.70/3.5%/330ml)

Regular readers will be more than aware of my fondness for a Berlinner and if you share a similar fondness for that particular type of refreshment then this dry hopped offering from Sweden (a Gothenburgerweisse?) is worthy of your attention at your earliest convenience. Packing a lot of flavour for such a low ABV, this has lemon and lime zest in abundance, a little juicy orange – or maybe clementine or similar soft citrus is closer to the mark – and just enough sour in there to cleanse the palate and clear the mind.

Arbor Tea Thyme Saison (£4.40/6.0%/568ml)

I threw this into a tasting at the weekend as I love saisons, and I love Lemon Verbena tea – very relaxing, seek it out – but I expected it to be a bit of a curveball and at best an opinion splitter. As it was this was the beer of the day and was almost universally enjoyed. I hate it when a beer advertises an ingredient and then doesn’t really seem to deliver but that certainly doesn’t happen here, this is big on the tea and on the lemon thyme. Incredibly delicious, with slight floral notes and some spice from the saison yeast, I reckon this would make a great accompaniment to food but works just as well on its own.

Tempest Modern Helles (£4.80/4.1%/660ml)

There are reasons lager is still the best-selling beer style in the world. The main being is it’s an easy option for the biggest names to make badly, pile high and sell cheap. But another important thing to remember is that when it’s done well it’s the perfect Friday night refresher with friends. This definitely falls into the latter category, a beautiful balance of soft citrus zest and earthy hop character on a classic bready malt base in a size perfect for sharing or for a little extra refreshment of your own.

Northern Monk Bombay Dazzler (£2.60/4.8%/330ml)

A modern take on a classic Belgian Wit, with the spices picked to match dishes at Leeds’ excellent Veggie Indian eaterie Bundobust. If you’re ever on your way to that neck of the woods then eschew the train buffet car or a service station hot dog and save yourself for a treat there on your arrival. Even if you’re not Leeds bound then I reckon this a great match for some fresh pakora or a curry closer to home. Orange and Lemon zest combine with a big hit of cardamom and a little coriander on the nose, the palate is creamy and refreshing, with classic Wit citrus notes and the return of those spice notes on the slightly off-dry finish.

Northern Alchemy Lemon & Vanilla Stout (£3.70/6.0%/330ml)

This Newcastle-based brewery, operating out of a shipping container at the back of a pub, first turned my head with their slightly oddball brews at the Craft Beer Rising event that I mentioned a few months ago and I’m delighted some bottles are finally on our shelves. This is a classic stout that has then been conditioned on vanilla pods and lemon zest, putting me in mind of all of my favourite corners of the dessert trolley at once. Zesty and spicy on the nose, with ginger and milky chai tea notes, the vanilla is more obvious in the flavour and there’s a classic cocoa note alongside all that the aroma promised.