One woman's ale journey

A beery boozy journey with delightful snacks along the way and a book in my hand.

Monday 28 December 2020

Black Sheep My Generation

 

A bright golden yellow, slightly hazy session pale ale, My Generation is a collaborative brew between Black Sheep and My Generation Beer Co.  As we have come to expect from Black Sheep, it has an amazing thick tight frothy head that leaves excellent lacing.

The aroma is very fruity with underlying hoppiness and a little malt.  It's definitely a citrus fragrance but seems a little sweeter more like pineapple.  The hops gives it a slightly sour aroma too.

The taste of tangy hops and citrus blended with sweet malt give a lovely fresh, bitter finish.  The bitterness is slightly metallic at first but transforms to more palatable citrus as you drink.  Although you can see bubbles, which maintain the head beautifully, it is quite softly carbonated and medium bodied.

With just the right level of citrus for me, this is an easy drinking pale ale and I'd have one again; it's a lovely refreshing beer to drink during the day in Spring/Summer.  Yet again, award winning brewers Black Sheep can do no wrong in my eyes.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire
4.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Friday 25 December 2020

Mordue Howay in a Manger


A beauty to behold, Howay in a Manger is a nutty brown colour with a HUGE frothy Mr Whippy style head.  It was quite excitable on opening and came whooshing out of the bottle but I was ready for it and didn't spill a drop.  As Yoda would say, 'Lively one, this is'. 

The aroma is deliciously malty with a hint of sweet caramel, spice, fruity orange and hops.  The smell seems to evolve as it smells of sweet malt and caramel at first, followed by a whiff of slight citrus bitterness and then another hit of malt.  I couldn't wait to dive in for a sip.

Wow!  My eyes closed in ecstasy when I took my first sip and it felt like there was a Christmas party in my mouth as flavours of malt, sweet spice, toffee and dark fruit combine to create a taste explosion.  It's quite fizzy with a decent body and has a lovely creamy mouthfeel.  This really is an amazing winter ale, and just like Wizzard, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day so I could have a pint of this delicious ale.

More malty than a bag of Maltesers, this is an outstanding winter ale with a huge malty kick and I hope Santa puts a bottle of Howay in a Manger in my stocking this Christmas.  Although, just like a puppy, Howay in a Manger isn't just for Christmas and I could happily drink this all year round.  Ale Be Seeing you Again!


Brewed by Mordue Brewery, North Shields
4.3% ABV

My rating:





My Untappd score: 4.75/5

Wednesday 23 December 2020

Leffe Biere de Noël/Kerstbier

  

Leffe Biere de Noël is a stunning beer; it's a mid-brown colour with a lovely amber hue and a bubbly cream coloured head.  The head is quite loose so it's not surprising to see it disappear but it does retain a thin foam layer. 

The aroma is so malty with a huge hit of spicy mixed fruit and a hint of smooth, sweet toffee.  It's not a terribly strong smell but it is so appealing and I knew I was in for a real treat as I leaned in for my first sip.  The taste is HEAVENLY; tangy toffee, sticky treacle, sweet malt and a slight hint of cinnamon - this is a dark ale lover's dream.

It's medium bodied and well carbonated which gives the feel of champagne bubbles bursting on the tongue, however, I would have preferred the bubbles to be a little less harsh.  It's a shame it's so fizzy as it was looking like it would score full marks across the board.

An absolutely delicious malty ale with sweet toffee notes and a pinch of festive spice, I'd be more than happy to drink a Biere de Noël again so Ale Be Seeing You!



Brewed by Leffe, Belgium
6.6% ABV

My rating:



My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Monday 21 December 2020

Uiltje F*ck The Christmas Tree Is On Fire

 

Dutch brewers, Uiltje have given their festive stout such a brilliant name I just had to grab a bottle from the fabulous online beer shop, BeerWulf.  F*ck The Christmas Tree Is On Fire is an orange and coffee oatmeal stout with a stonking 10% ABV.  Just as well it's only in a 330ml bottle or I'd have been Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

It's a stout so it's no surprise that it's a very dark brown, almost black coloured ale but the head is so disappointing.  There's almost no head at all, just a tiny bit of froth around the circumference of the beer.

The aroma is exactly what it says on the label: coffee and orange but there's also a hint of spice and a sprinkling of chocolate.  The orange smell is beautiful, it's more like freshly squeezed sweet orange juice than zesty bitter orange peel.

It's a lovely flavoured stout, predominantly coffee and chocolate but the added orange gives a hint of sweetness that balances the bitterness perfectly.  The bitterness comes full circle with a slightly bitter chocolate/coffee finish.  There is also no mistaking the 10% ABV with a hint of raw alcohol in the aftertaste.

With no head from the start, it's has a surprisingly fizzy mouthfeel and it gave my tongue a good tingling.  It has a medium to full body and the oatmeal gives it a creaminess that makes it a little too easy to drink (remember that high ABV!).

It's a very unusual stout; I loved the addition of orange which takes a lot of the bitterness off the coffee and the oatmeal smoothly blends the different flavours.  It's a shame there was no head as the appearance is quite off-putting and although I wouldn't have one again, I'd definitely give it a try if you're a stout lover.


Brewed by Uiltje Brewing Co, Haarlem, the Netherlands
10% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Saturday 19 December 2020

Black Sheep Blitzen

 

I LOVE Black Sheep beers and ruby is my favourite ale so I was over the moon to get my hands on a bottle of Blitzen, a ruby Christmas ale from my favourite North Yorkshire brewery.

It's a dark ruby coloured ale with the thick, tight beige head that we know and love from Black Sheep.  The aroma is AMAZING, it's very fruitcake-like with treacle, dark fruit and malts combining to create a mouth-watering smell.

My first sip took me to beer heaven.  It is so malty with a hint of sweet treacle at first then there was a layer of liquorice and caramel followed by a dark chocolate and zesty bitter orange finish.  It is exactly like biting into a Christmas cake as each layer of flavour hits your taste buds.

With a medium body, it's so very smooth to drink and I would have guessed it was a Black Sheep ale if I'd drank it with my eyes closed.  The trademark Black Sheep head was even more robust than usual as it clung to my lip and left me with a frothy moustache.

Blitzen is a lovely ruby ale that you could drink all year round as it's not a spicy Christmas ale, it's just a lovely fruity ruby.  I loved it and I can most definitely say Ale Be Seeing You again, Blitzen.


Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Thursday 17 December 2020

Greene King Festive Pudding Ale

  

Festive Pudding Ale from Greene King comes in a clear bottle so you can see the amazing ruby coloured ale inside and it was colour that sold it to me immediately.  It has to be the most perfect ruby coloured ale, although the head is very disappointing; only briefly forming a thin loose layer before rapidly disappearing and leaving a flat headless pint.

The aroma isn't strong but it's malty and fruity; it's not looking bad at all up to this point so I had reasonably high hopes for the taste test.  First sip isn't bad with a sweet malty flavour and a slight hint of treacle but then it has the weirdest aftertaste: Is it biscuit? Perhaps grapefruit? Possibly cardboard?  Maybe even dirty water?  Certainly no taste at all reminiscent of Christmas, never mind Christmas pudding.

The mouthfeel is just as weird; it's thin-medium bodied with decent carbonation but the bubbles are so harsh that my tongue felt like it had been rubbed with wire wool.  My tongue was tingling for ages after drinking it.  Supposedly 6% ABV, it doesn't feel anything like that strong and I would have put it more at around half that.

Apart from the name, there's nothing festive about Greene King's Festive Pudding Ale and other than the perfect ruby colour, it doesn't have much going for it.  I still drank it all, of course!  

I wouldn't recommend this one so Ale not Be Seeing You again, Festive Pudding Ale.


Brewed by Greene King, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
6% ABV

My rating:


My Untappd score: 3/5

Tuesday 15 December 2020

BrewDog Santa Paws

 

Way back in 2016, I was delighted to find a deliciously dark ruby tinged ale inside the bottle of Santa Paws, BrewDog's Christmas Scotch ale.  It has a large frothy beige head that is quite loose but does leave a thin foam layer when it disperses.

The aroma has a lovely cinnamon spiciness to it that reminded me of Coca Cola and it's a lovely blend of malt, dark fruit and caramel with a hint of winter spice.  The aroma transfers to the flavour and it's a delicious blend of chocolate, malt and coffee with a treacle or slightly burnt toffee aftertaste, perhaps from the heather honey that is included in the brew.  

Well carbonated, it gives my tongue a good tingling but the body is rather thin.  It's only 4.5% and it feels quite light to drink so it goes down very nicely indeed.

I do like a scotch ale now and again as a lighter alternative to stout or porter, and Santa Paws is a lovely subtle, easy drinking scotch ale.  If it's brewed again, Ale Be Seeing You!


Brewed by BrewDog Brewery, Ellon, Aberdeenshire
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Sunday 13 December 2020

Wychwood Brewdolph


Looking more like a traditional beer than a Christmas beer, Wychwood's Brewdolph is a deep golden colour with a huge frothy off-white head.  The head is quite robust, lasting for a while before dispersing to a patchy foam and leaving some lacing on the glass.

The aroma is distinctly hoppy with a hint of caramel and some sweet fruit; it's quite a basic, traditional aroma and it doesn't remind me at all of Christmas.  To tick the Christmas box, there is supposed to be an aroma of pine but I couldn't detect any at all.

On to the taste which is very hoppy with notes of caramel, biscuit and perhaps a tiny hint of citrus fruit.  It has a lovely dry finish as well as a slight citrus bitterness in the aftertaste but it's very thin bodied, to the point of being almost watery.  There's absolutely nothing in the taste that can be described as Christmassy.

Brewdolph falls short as a Christmas ale, but it's a real thirst quencher with a lovely dry finish so would do better rebranded as an everyday beer.  Not one Ale Be Seeing again, unless it is brought out under a different guise.


Brewed by Wychwood Brewery, Oxfordshire
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Friday 11 December 2020

Otter Brewery Otter Claus


I love the otter wearing a Santa hat on the label of Otter Claus, a winter ale from Otter Brewery in Devon; as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to grab a couple of bottles.  Of course, it's what's inside the bottle that counts and this ale is a beautiful deep ruby colour with a very loose, rapidly vanishing cream coloured head.  This definitely looks like my kind of beer!

The aroma is malt, dark fruits, biscuit and toffee with a hint of spiciness and a slight metallic bitterness.  Flavour is malt, toffee, dark fruits and hops followed by a warming spice and a slight bitter finish that builds up as you drink.  As the flavour develops, it's like a liquid Christmas cake as the taste of raisins and warming spice become more noticeable.

It's medium bodied with soft carbonation that gives it a rather flat appearance when the head vanishes, however, it feels very smooth in the mouth and is so easy to drink that it goes down far too quickly.

A lovely winter ale and an absolute steal at a current price of only £2.63 per 500ml bottle direct from Otter Brewery's Online Shop.  I'd be more than happy to drink Otter Claus all year round and Ale definitely Be Seeing You again.


Brewed by Otter Brewery, Devon
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Wednesday 9 December 2020

Grimbergen Brassin de Noël

 

This is a little beauty, with only 250ml in the bottle it pours a mid-mahogany brown with a beige frothy head that only disperses a little to leave a good layer of tight creamy foam.

Wow the aroma is Christmas cake in a glass: malt, dark fruits, caramel, a sprinkling of sugar and a hint of spice.  Grimbergen should recreate this smell in a scented candle as it really is a delicious Christmas brew (which is the translation of Brassin de Noël).  I could sniff this for hours but I couldn't wait to find out what it tasted like.

Oh hallelujah!  This is perfection in a glass: dark fruits, sweet malts, a hint of liquorice and spice are combined perfectly to produce an outstanding, intensely malty ale.  It has quite a complex aftertaste, what starts as slightly sour and hoppy evolves into more of a spicy and mixed peel bitterness.  It is perfectly carbonated and full bodied and appears to lovingly caress the tongue with every mouthful.

What a little gem!  It might be in a small bottle but it's definitely a case of quality over quantity as Grimbergen Brassin de Noël scored full marks in every category: appearance, aroma, flavour, mouthfeel and overall.  It's far too nice to keep just for Christmas so Ale Be Seeing You whenever I can get my hands on you, Brassin de Noël, and I'll definitely be looking out for the 330ml and the heavenly 750ml bottles.


Brewed by Grimbergen Abbey Brewery, Belgium
6.5% ABV

My rating:





My Untappd score: 5/5

Monday 7 December 2020

Three Brothers Gingerbread


Now that December is upon us, I'm reviewing all of the Christmas beers I have in my review queue and I'll be posting every other day up to and including Christmas Day.  So keep popping by to check out some great (and not so great) festive brews. 

For me, the smell of Christmas is sweet mince pies and gingerbread so first up is a Gingerbread milk stout from North East brewers, Three Brothers Brewing Co that I bought from the North Tyneside Christmas market in 2018.

It pours a lovely black colour with a ruby tinge and a small, loose beige head that disappears quickly to a thin foam layer.  I have to say that the aroma is AMAZING with mouthwatering notes of treacle, malt, dark chocolate and a definite whiff of ginger spice (the actual ground spice not the Spice Girl, thankfully).

The ginger in the flavour is quite subtle with malt and chocolate flavours being more dominant.  It does have a hint of ginger but before I'd fully experienced it I was hit with a slightly bitter, chocolate aftertaste.  It's quite lightly carbonated and a little on the thin side for a stout, but this gives it a lovely smooth mouthfeel.

Overall, it's a lovely malty stout with a hint of warming ginger spice but I would have preferred a bit more ginger.


Brewed by Three Brothers Brewing Company, Teesside
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Monday 30 November 2020

Bear Republic Grand-Am

 

With a fabulous chequered flag on the label, this looks like the perfect beer to drink while watching Formula 1, although it's quite strong at 6% so I wouldn't like to drink too many of them.  

It's a deep golden beer that's so bubbly and lively it produces a huge off-white head.  I didn't think I was going to get it all in the glass!  

It has a lovely aroma of sweet juicy mango and pithy grapefruit with a hint of caramel and hops.  The flavours all transfer into the taste and it's a rather nice blend of tropical fruit, citrus fruit, caramel and malt with a slight floral hint.  The citrus aftertaste is quite strong but isn't so pithy that it's unpleasant, it just lingers a little bit too long for my liking.

It doesn't feel like a strong beer when you're drinking it, but I got a bit of a flushed face so I knew it was a strong one.  It's quite fizzy and harshly carbonated that it gives the tongue a good tingling and maintains the head right through, leaving thick lacing on the glass.

Not bad at all, I really liked the tropical fruit flavour that took the edge off the citrus.  A very pleasant American Pale Ale and I'd definitely have another one if I saw it again.  Ale Be Seeing You!

Brewed by Bear Republic Brewing Company, California, USA
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Monday 23 November 2020

Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet


This is one of the lightest Belgian tripels I have ever seen, but it does look beautiful in the glass.  It's a deep golden yellow ale with a thick, frothy white head and looks very lively and bubbly in the glass.  There is some sediment so it does require a careful pour to get a clear beer, but you can add the yeast if that's to your taste.

With wafts of honey, hops, peach, banana and a hint of herbal spiciness, the aroma is complex and so very appealing.  The taste is absolutely sublime; it's a lovely blend of malt and hops with a fruity undertone.  I could taste juicy peaches drizzled in honey with a hint of lemon drizzle cake to give a bitter/sweet finish.  There is also a hint of raw alcohol in the taste, which is unsurprising as it's a stonking 8.4% ABV.

It's certainly one to savour rather than glug and the intense fizziness and harsh carbonation ensures you don't drink it too quickly.  Even though I took my time drinking it, the amazing head lasted until the very last drop.  Don't be fooled by the light appearance, this is a tripel that packs a punch and one Ale Be Seeing again. 

Brewed by Bosteels Brewery, Belgium
8.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Monday 16 November 2020

Hatherwood Winter Warmer

 

As the nights get darker, so does my beer and I love to see all of the spiced ales hitting supermarket shelves in time for the festive season.  Although I find Hatherwood beers a bit hit and miss, it doesn't stop me from trying them!  I guess you get what you pay for and sometimes you get a nice surprise, which is the case with Winter Warmer, brewed for Lidl by Surrey brewers Hogs Back.

This is a lovely dark ale with a red hue and resembles a glass of coke when the head disappears.  It initially has a large frothy beige coloured head which disappears to a thin foam.

The aroma is absolutely superb.  Sweet treacle and spicy cinnamon combine to produce a mouthwatering aroma that again reminds me of coke because of the cinnamon.  I started to wonder if Lidl had ripped me off and sold me a coke in a beer bottle.

Phew!  It's not fizzy enough to be coke; it's very softly carbonated and actually feels a bit flat but the flavour is lovely. It's not strongly flavoured but it has a lovely sweet/bitter balance with added spice.  The taste of sweet malt with the cinnamon spice is amazing and it's followed by a slightly bitter coffee and chocolate aftertaste.

It's very easy to drink and is spot on for a winter ale.  That's one Hatherwood beer to which I can say 'Ale Be Seeing You again'.

Brewed for Lidl by Hogs Back Brewery, Surrey
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Monday 9 November 2020

Black Sheep Glug M'Glug


If you follow my blog, you'll know that I am a huge fan of Black Sheep Brewery and I still think of the original Black Sheep Ale as one of my favourite beers.  Although I don't think they can improve on perfection, the Yorkshire brewery have expanded their range and today I'm taking a look at their dark IPA, Glug M'Glug.

Oh isn't it a thing of beauty?  A dark nut brown ale with a thick, tight and creamy trademark Black Sheep head.  The head is robust and leaves amazing lacing on the glass; now that's what I call a proper Yorkshire head.

With appetising aromas of treacle, malt and citrus I couldn't wait to dive in and see if it tastes as good as it looks and smells.  Oh indeed it does!  With a massive hit of dark, tangy maltiness with a dry, bitter citrus finish, Black Sheep have got the perfect sweet/bitter balance for me.  The citrus is stronger in the aroma than in the taste and that makes it definitely more my kind of thing, as I'm often put off IPA due to the overpowering citrus flavour.

It has a thin to medium body and it isn't overly carbonated but leaves a nice tingly feeling in the mouth, along with a frothy moustache on the lips!  

I was very impressed with Glug M'Glug; it's a superbly different, perfectly balanced dark ale and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Yorkshire
6.2% ABV

My rating:





My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Monday 2 November 2020

Chimay Red

 

Chimay is one of the most well know Trappist breweries and they certainly know how to brew outstanding Trappist beer.  Chimay Red was the first Trappist beer to be brewed by monks at the Scourmont Abbey in Chimay, Belgium in 1862.  It is an amber dubbel made with water drawn from the two wells inside the monastery.

Pouring a rich mahogany colour with a tight beige head that seems to magically continue to grow, this is a beautiful red-tinged brown ale.  There is some sediment in the bottle so I poured it carefully to get a clearer ale as I'm not a fan of bits but you can of course include the yeast if that is to your taste.  

It has a mouthwatering aroma of dark fruit, particularly raisins and plums, sweet malts and a hint of spice.  Although it doesn't smell of alcohol, the aroma is so rich that you can tell it is a strong beer.  The taste is absolutely sublime: such a lovely blend of malt, treacle and fruit with a perfectly balanced citrus/metallic bitter finish.  The sweet/bitter balance is perfect and I had to remind myself of the 7% ABV to stop me glugging it down.

It's a medium bodied ale that is well carbonated, with bubbles slightly on the harsh side and they certainly left my tongue tingling.  It really is a delicious dark ale and I can definitely say that Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Chimay Brewery, Belgium
7% ABV

My rating:






My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Saturday 31 October 2020

Greene King Gangly Ghoul

 

🎃 Hoppy Halloween, beer lovers! 🎃

It's the perfect time to release my review of Gangly Ghoul, Greene King's Halloween themed beer.  This comes in a clear bottle so you can see the beautiful mahogany colour of the beer inside and it definitely looks like my kind of beer.

It really is a beautiful ruby tinged mahogany ale with a loose being head that disappears quite quickly to leave a thin patchy foam.  The aroma is so malty that it instantly had my mouth watering but there's also a definite whiff of toffee apples and a hint of orange peel.  It couldn't smell more like Halloween and I was just thinking what a great job Greene King had done, until I tasted it...

The flavour is so weak and the body is so thin that it tastes like slightly malty sparkling water.  With the appearance and aroma scoring so highly, to say I was devastated is an understatement.  I got absolutely no hint of toffee, orange peel or spice that should have been there according to the label.  So very disappointing.

It's so weakly flavoured that it's a ghost of a beer, which is surprisingly relevant for Halloween.  It's only due to the appearance and aroma that it managed to creep into the 3 pint rating with a total score of 25/50.  It's perfectly drinkable and I wouldn't have considered throwing it down the drain, but it's nothing to write home about and unfortunately I wouldn't recommend it.

Brewed by Greene King Brewery, Suffolk
4.2% ABV

My rating:



My Untappd score: 2.5/5

Monday 26 October 2020

Andwell Gold Muddler

 

This is a dinky 275ml bottle of Andwell's Gold Muddler and it's certainly gold by name and gold by nature.  It's a deep golden blonde ale with a crisp, white and frothy head; it's a pretty lively one as it almost exploded out of the bottle.

It has a lovely hoppy, sweet and slightly citrus aroma; what I would refer to as a traditional beery smell.  The notes in the aroma are replicated in the flavour resulting in a lovely hoppy ale with a subtle citrus bitter finish.  It's a very traditional tasting beer and it actually reminded me of watered down Stones Bitter.

Very softly carbonated and a bit watery in body, it's a crisp, dry and refreshing blonde ale.  The liveliness experienced on opening results in some excellent lacing as that robust head clings on to the side of the glass.  At only 3.9% ABV, it's not a strongly flavoured ale but it's a very good thirst quencher that will appeal to many palates, especially those just starting their real ale journey.

Brewed by Andwell Brewery, Hampshire
3.9% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Monday 19 October 2020

Rudgate Ruby

 

As the nights are drawing in, it's definitely time to get back to the dark side.  Ruby is one of my favourite styles of ale so I was very excited to try Rudgate's Ruby mild ale.  What a beauty it is when it's poured into a glass.  It's a beautiful deep mahogany red ale with a thick, tight beige head that lasts really well and clings to the side of the glass.  It is well named as it shimmers like a ruby when it's held in front of the light of the window.

Oh the aroma is so malty it made my mouth water.  There is also some sweet caramel and dark fruits coming through like raisins, sultanas and possibly cherries.  It's a mouthwatering mix of smells and so very inviting that I dived right in.

My first sip left a huge smile on my face; this delicious ale is definitely my kind of thing.  With flavours of sweet malt, dark fruits, treacle toffee, smooth caramel and a hint of nuts this ticks all the boxes and scores top marks for flavour.  With an initial sweetness followed by a slight bitter finish, it's a delicious well balanced ruby with a medium body and decent carbonation that provides a nice bit of fizz without being too harsh.

This is a beer I'd be more than happy to buy a case of and at £28.75 delivered for a 12 pack direct from Rudgate's online shop, it's an absolute bargain.  If you want a bit more variety, you can also get Ruby in a mixed pack of 12 for the same price of £28.75 including delivery.

Ruby is an absolute gem.  Dark, malty and delicious, Rudgate show just how a ruby should be done and I'm not surprised to learn that Rudgate Ruby has been winning awards since 2002.  It gets a big gold star from me and Ale Be Seeing You again.  

Brewed by Rudgate Brewery, York

4.4% ABV

My rating:





My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Monday 12 October 2020

S43 - Green Stone

 

I would usually start my review with appearance but the smell of Green Stone, a NZ IPA from Durham brewers S43, is so amazing that I thought it deserved the first mention.  It is so fruity that it wafts out of the can the second it is opened and continues to fill the air with a fruity and pine aroma while it sits in the glass.  It's like having a scented candle in the room with notes of grapefruit, peach and pine.

I'm not a huge fan of beers with a hazy appearance as they look too much like fruit juice, as does Green Stone.  With the small cream coloured head doing a rapid disappearing act, I was left with what looks like a glass of orange squash.  Although there is some sediment in the can, I expected there to be a lot more so with a careful pour I got a decent glass full.

On to the all important taste and what a lovely surprise this is.  Initially fruity and hoppy with a pinch of pine, it has a lovely sweet/bitter balance followed by an amazing dry finish.  It's full bodied and perfectly carbonated, providing a decent amount of fizz without being harsh.  The taste is so very different to anything I have tried before; I didn't expect to love the pine as much as I did.  The pine complements the bitter grapefruit and the addition of peach adds some sweetness to give a very well balanced ale.

So tasty and very refreshing, you have to remember not to guzzle this one as it packs a punch at 6.8%.  Not being a citrus lover, I'm very surprised to say that Ale Be Seeing You again to Green Stone.  

Brewed by S43 Brewery, Durham

6.8% ABV

My rating:





My Untappd score: 4.5/5