Fans of Liverpool’s Neptune brewery, asked to choose which of its cask beers should be revived to mark the company’s 1,000th brew, have prompted the return of Fugu, a 4 per cent Sorachi Ace pale ale.

The beer is described as epitomising the distinct lemon and herbal characteristics of the hop, blending with a biscuity malt base.

Head brewer and director Les O’Grady has enjoyed revisiting his old recipe six years after its initial release: “The reason I first brewed Fugu back then is that Sorachi Ace was a relatively new hop on the scene, and as it’s such a distinct and complex flavour, using it in a single-hop pale made a lot of sense.

“You don’t seem to see single-hop pales around so much these days that showcase Sorachi Ace so I was made up to see Fugu win the vote.

“I’ve adjusted the malt base slightly to offer a nice biscuity balance to the vibrant citrus hop character, which we think really works. Along with the bright and eye-catching design refresh, I hope we’ve made something that people are going to be excited to see back on the bar.”