Launching into Tesco stores this month (March), Hobgoblin Amber has been described by the brewer as having floral and citrus notes on the nose, complemented by earthy, malted undertones and a zesty fruit finish on the palate.
The beer will be available in four packs of 568ml (pint) cans (RRP £6.20) and single 500ml bottles (RRP £1.75). It will be available in other retail outlets as well as in cask format in the On Trade in the coming months.
‘Perfect for spring’
Jo Marshall, director of marketing for ales and craft at Hobgoblin owner Carlsberg Britvic, said: “Hobgoblin Amber is a refreshing and tasty ale which offers drinkers a new flavour experience, perfect for Spring. We know that when people shop for ales, they shop by either brand or style of beer, so we wanted to give them everything they are looking for with Hobgoblin.
“Amber is the best performing ale style in the market and Hobgoblin is the best performing premium ale brand with our market share having increased from 10% of total premium ale to a whopping 12.17% (Nielsen) in the past year.”
Hobgoblin has outpaced the premium ale market with a rise in value sales of 13.9% in the past year – compared with a 6.4% drop for the total market. Lead product in the range Hobgoblin Gold has seen 20% volume growth and 21.7% value growth over the same period.
New look
This new launch follows a rebrand of Hobgoblin by Carlsberg Britvic in September last year.
The updated visual identity put the Hobgoblin character front and centre across the brand’s packaging and marketing, and has received “overwhelmingly positive” feedback from ale drinkers that it has been tested on.
Meanwhile, Budweiser brewer AB InBev is to trial a refillable bottle scheme in Newport, Wales ahead of a potential £100m investment.
