Goose Island Midway

 

This session IPA is a beautiful deep golden colour with a frothy off-white head that retains a thin layer on dispersal.  It smells incredibly fruity with notes of citrus and tropical fruits bursting out of the can along with a tang of hops and a metallic bitter hint.

The citrus and tropical fruits combine beautifully to create a very refreshing beer with a big dollop of hops.  It's well carbonated and has a thin body, as you would expect for an IPA.

This is what I would call an everyday beer; it's light, easy to drink and refreshing .  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed for Goose Island Brewery, Chicago, USA
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Goose Island Brewery

Prime Time Session IPA

Prime Time brew low calorie beer that's only 95 calories per can but you really can't tell that this is a low calorie beer at all.  It's also gluten free and vegan

It pours a beautiful golden colour with a frothy, robust off-white head that disperses slowly to leave a patchy foam layer.  The aroma is quite light but I could smell citrus fruit and hops. 

The flavour is stronger than the smell and the hops/citrus balance definitely swings more towards hops.  I'm not a huge fan of too much citrus as it can be a bit too pithy so this more hoppy version of an IPA is right up my street.  It's well carbonated and has a thin body, as you would expect for an IPA.

It's a very crisp, dry and refreshing beer that's very easy to drink and you don't have to worry about the calories.  As it's heavy on the hops, it tastes more like a premium lager than an IPA to me (which is where it lost marks on my score sheet) but I liked it so Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by The Innovative Brewing Co, London
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Prime Time

Cullercoats Shuggy Boat Blonde

Shuggy Boat Blonde is a bottle conditioned blonde ale from Tyneside and there isn't much sediment in the bottle so I filled my glass with this beautiful sunny golden yellow, slightly hazy ale with a frothy and clingy cream coloured head.

It smells deliciously fruity and hoppy.  There's nothing complex in the aroma but it's so juicy, sweet and tangy that I couldn't wait to dive in.  It tastes pretty much what I would expect for a blonde ale: fruity and sweet citrus combined with tangy and dry hops.  It's very well balanced and has a lovely dry/bitter finish.  A medium body and good carbonation give a nice tingly mouthfeel.

The bitterness in the finish seems to intensify as you drink it and it was a teeny bit too harsh for me at first, although I did get used to it and I enjoyed the beer.  I would definitely have a pint of this in a beer garden in the summer so Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Cullercoats Brewery, Wallsend, Tyne & Wear
3.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Cullercoats Brewery

BrewDog Lost in Blood Orange

This is no ordinary lager from BrewDog, it contains a massive helping of blood orange citrus and it smells absolutely divine.

It pours a light golden yellow colour with a slight haze and a robust, frothy off-white head.  It has the most amazing smell of blood orange and the aroma is strong and distinct.

The flavour is more subtle with the orange citrus taking more of a back seat and letting the hops and biscuit notes shine through.  Body is thin and it's well carbonated to give it that lovely fizzy and refreshing lager mouthfeel.

It's very refreshing and zesty and it's a lovely twist on a standard lager.  It is what it says on the can and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire 
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Seven Bro7hers Hoppy Pale

This is a lovely traditional looking beer with a rich golden body and a frothy, loose off-white head that retains a thin layer and laces the glass.

It smells of tropical fruits, juicy citrus fruit, sweet caramel and malted biscuit.  The flavour profile is similar to the aroma with juicy fruit notes, biscuit and caramel except it tastes like it has been diluted as it's very light.  The thin, watery body and low, soft carbonation doesn't help as it just feels like it has been watered down.

It's an easy drinking, refreshing pale ale but I don't think it's particularly hoppy and it's just far too lightweight for me.  Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Seven Bro7hers Brewery, Manchester
3.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Find out more at Seven Bro7hers Brewery

Dubuisson Cuvée des Trolls

 

Well this is a lively beer and it burst from the bottle like a troll from beneath a bridge demanding a toll.  Admittedly, I left it a little close to the best before end date before opening it so I would advise drinking this one fresh.

It's a hazy, deep golden beer with a thick, tight and frothy cream coloured head.  It has a delicious aroma of Belgian hops, caramel, orange and banana.  Whilst it's quite hoppy which gives it the tang of a Belgian in its taste, it's quite sweet on the tongue with notes of caramel and malt, but what sets it apart is the slightly citrus finish.  

It's very fizzy with prickly bubbles that burst little bombs of orange peel flavour and it has a decent medium body.  It's a tangy, tasty Belgian blonde beer with a hint of bitter mischief and Ale Be Seeing You again. 

Brewed by Dubuisson Brewery, Belgium
7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Dubuisson Brewery

Jennings Hop Commotion

 

Jennings closed their Lake District brewery in 2022 but some of their beers are still being produced by Marston's in Staffordshire.  I picked up Hop Commotion in Home Bargains for less than £1 as I've always enjoyed Jennings' beers (and of course I can't resist a bargain beer).

Hop Commotion is a strawberry flavoured blonde ale that has a lovely golden coloured body and a robust off-white head that retains a decent layer of foam.  It smells very hoppy but there is a definite hint of strawberry in the aroma.

It tastes lovely and hoppy with a dry, bitter citrus finish and a very subtle hint of strawberry.  I'm not sure I would have noticed the strawberry if I didn't know it was there though.  It's well carbonated and very fizzy with a good, medium body.

This is a lovely dry and refreshing hoppy blonde ale but the bitter finish left a strong and lingering pithy citrus aftertaste that was a little too heavy for me.  I don't think it's in production anymore so Ale not Be Seeing You again anyway.

Brewed by Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Co, Cumbria
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Jennings Brewery

Oakham JHB

 

I've always been a bitter girl and sometimes it's nice to have an old fashioned bitter so I picked up a bottle of Oakham's JHB from Home Bargains.

It's a golden yellow ale with a small, reasonably robust off-white head that dissipates to leave a thin layer.  It has very light aroma of hops, caramel and citrus.

Flavour is also quite light but I picked up notes of citrus bitterness, smooth caramel and tangy hops.  Carbonation is quite low and soft and the medium body gives it a quaffable smooth mouthfeel.

This is a very refreshing and crisp bitter.  It's nothing fancy but rather a good every day beer and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Oakham Ales, Peterborough
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Oakham Ales

Off Axis Hop the Light Fantastic

 

Off Axis Brew Co is a range of budget beers brewed exclusively for Home Bargains.  I do like a bargain beer, so I thought I'd try their pale ale, Hop the Light Fantastic, brewed with Talus, Eldorado and Citra hops and it's actually pretty good.

It's a deep golden, hazy ale with a thick, frothy cream coloured head.  It has a very fruity aroma with notes of strong, juicy citrus that smells more sweet than bitter.  As you would expect from its name, it also has a lovely whiff of fragrant hops.

The taste is quite light, which is surprising after experiencing the intense aroma.  The flavour is like a watered down version of the smell: citrus and hops.  It's not pithy at all and the citrus balance leans towards sweet.  It's quite fizzy with firm bubbles and a decent medium body.

It's a very refreshing beer and I love the hint of sweetness.  I think it's a decent budget beer and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed exclusively for TJ Morris (Home Bargains), UK 
4.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Better World Wolf Craft Lager

 

I like a lager now and again and this craft lager from Better World Brewing really impressed me.  It is a beautiful golden yellow colour with a small, loose off-white head that disappears quickly to leave a patchy layer.  As soon as you smell it, you know it's not a standard lager as the aroma of lime, orange and lemon burst out of the can when you open it. 

The taste is slightly soapy at first but it morphs into the fresh and fruity notes of lemon citrus along with some biscuit, caramel and light hops.  Unusually for a lager, it has a medium body and it's nicely carbonated to tingle your taste buds.

It's a lovely refreshing lager with a bittersweet flavour that's very tasty indeed.  Brewed with Chinook and Sorachi Ace hops, it's a lager that thinks it's a real ale and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Better World Brewing and partners, London
4.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Better World Brewing

Impossibrew Enhanced Hazy Pale

 

I’m very impressed with this hazy pale beer from Impossibrew.  Not only is it alcohol free, it also contains L-Theanine and Griffonia seed extract to calm and soothe the mind.

It’s a hazy deep golden yellow beer with a small, loose, rapidly vanishing off-white head.  It has an intensely fruity aroma of tropical fruit and citrus and I could easily identify notes of pineapple, mango and lemon.

The flavour is also very fruity and it’s well balanced between sweet and bitter with sweet pineapple and mango giving way to a slightly bitter, but not pithy, citrus finish.  It reminds me of a weak fruit squash with so many different fruity flavours tingling the taste buds.  It has a medium body and it’s very well carbonated.

It’s fruity, refreshing and enjoyable to drink.  Whilst I can’t confirm the calming and soothing effect of the botanicals, I couldn’t tell that it was alcohol-free and I felt as if I was drinking a beer with a decent 4% or 5% ABV.

I’m pretty impressed with this Impossibrew hazy pale and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Impossibrew, London
0.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Impossibrew

Impossibrew Enhanced Lager

 

Impossibrew Enhanced Lager is an alcohol-free beer with a difference: it contains mood enhancing L-Theanine and Griffonia seed extract to calm and soothe the mind.

It’s a lovely light golden yellow lager with a frothy off-white head that retains a decent, albeit patchy, layer as you drink it.  Although it has quite a light aroma, it has a traditional lager smell but slightly more hoppy I think.  

The taste of dry hops continues into the taste as well as a slightly bitter hint that lingers in the finish.  It’s not an overly complex flavour profile but it’s clean and refreshing, which is what I’d be looking for in a lager.  It’s well carbonated and fizzy with a thin but not watery body.

I loved the hoppiness of this lager and the slight citrus tang in the finish.  I wouldn’t have guessed that it was alcohol-free if I was doing a blind taste test.  I think the mood enhancement works too as this lager had a similar effect to CBD drinks.  I felt calmer and more relaxed but of course I had a beer in my hand so I was already in my happy place.

I’m pretty impressed with this Impossibrew lager and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Impossibrew, London
0.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Impossibrew

Evan Evans Fire Island Oahu

This exotic golden beer is brewed in Wales and the label design is perfect as the beer looks like a beautiful setting sun in a glass when it's poured.

It's a deep golden/light amber colour with a frothy beige head that lasts and laces.  It doesn't have much of a smell, I had to have a really good sniff to get notes of hops and caramel but I didn't pick up any fruitiness at all.

The taste is much like the smell: hops and caramel with added citrus.  It has a very pithy aftertaste and it tastes more like an IPA than a golden beer.  It has a thin body and looks really fizzy in the glass (which helps to maintains the head) but carbonation is surprisingly soft and low, which gives it a lovely smooth mouthfeel.

It's easy to drink and quite refreshing but it's a little too pithy for me.  It's good that it's vegan and gluten free but Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Evan Evans Brewery, Llandeilo, Wales
4.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Evan Evans Brewery

Brass Castle Gayle

 

Gayle craft ale is a very easy drinking ale that reminded me more of an IPA than a golden ale.  It was created to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and it’s brewed using an Australian recipe by Brass Castle Brewery in Malton, North Yorkshire.

It’s bright golden in colour with a slight haze to it as there was a bit of sediment in the can.  The off-white head holds well and laces the glass.  It smells very fruity with notes of citrus and tropical fruit over a base of caramel, biscuit and malt.

The taste is lightly fruity, like lemon and passionfruit squash, with some sweet notes of caramel, malt and a tang of hops.  There is a slight bitterness to the finish but there’s nothing at all bitter about the taste.  It’s nicely carbonated to give a good tickle of the tongue and it has a thin but not watery body.  ABV is a decent 4.5%.

It’s a very refreshing, vivacious beer that I really enjoyed.  It scored a very respectable 38/50 on my beer score sheet and it’s one I would happily recommend, especially to anyone new to real ale.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Brass Castle Brewery, Malton, North Yorkshire
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Gayle

Darwin Beagle Blonde

I have been very impressed with Darwin Brewery's core range and Beagle Blonde is no exception.  It's nothing fancy and sometimes you just want to drink something more traditional, so this easy drinking and refreshing golden coloured pale ale fits the bill.

It's a lovely golden coloured ale with a pretty tight off-white head that lasts and thickly laces.  It has a deliciously crisp and light aroma of hops, citrus, biscuit and caramel.

It's a hoppy tasting beer with a hint of mild citrus and sweet caramel and a lovely dry finish.  It has a thin to medium body and good, strong carbonation that retains the head right until the last drop.

The lovely sweet/dry balance makes this the perfect sunny day beer.  It's very light, refreshing and easy to drink and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Darwin Brewery, Sunderland
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Darwin Brewery

Camerons Motörhead Röad Crew

I love Camerons beers so when I saw this American pale ale, brewed in collaboration with British rock band Motörhead, I just had to try it and I was pretty impressed.

It has a traditional beery appearance; a deep golden clear ale with a small, loose, off-white head that retains a thin layer.  It smells incredibly hoppy with some fruit notes and a hint of (heavy) metal.

The taste is really nice and very well balanced.  Tangy hops combine with sweet caramel to tingle your taste buds and a citrus bitterness provides the big finish.  It has a medium body and it's very fizzy.

It's a very tasty, tangy and refreshing APA with a bitter kick.  I don't drink APAs very often but next time I fancy one, Ale Be Seeing Röad Crew again.

Brewed by Camerons Brewery, Hartlepool
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Camerons Brewery

Loch Lomond Bravehop

 

This is a hazy, golden orange-hued IPA with a tight, frothy, cream coloured head that lasts and laces.  There's an amazing smell of marmalade and pine as soon as you open the can as well as citrus notes of lemon, orange and grapefruit.

The flavour is really unusual (in a good way); it tastes of citrus and honey at first but then apricot and caramel flavours develop.  The floral, fruitiness of the apricot is lovely and it adds a nice sweetness to the bitter citrus flavour.  It has a medium body and is well carbonated with fizzy, tingly bubbles.

It's a different take on an IPA with pine and apricot taking the edge off the bitterness of the citrus flavour.  It's fruity, sweet and bitter and I really liked it.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Loch Lomond Brewery, Dumbarton, Scotland
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Loch Lomond Brewery

Siren Lumina

Lumina is a vegan, gluten free session IPA from Siren Craft Brew and for once I have the actual branded glass to match the beer.

It pours a slightly hazy golden yellow colour with a small, loose cream coloured head that disperses to leave a thin layer and even laces a little.  It is very lightly fragranced so I had to have a good sniff to pick up notes of citrus and tropical fruit.

The flavour is also quite weak, although it is stronger than the aroma.  The citrus and tropical fruit flavour is nice and easy to drink, although it reminded me of diluted fruit squash.  The body is thin but it is well carbonated.

It's a very refreshing and delicate session IPA, it's not overly bitter and it almost tastes like a watered down IPA so it would be a good one to try for someone new to craft beer.  It's all a little too weak for me so Ale not Be Seeing You again.  

Brewed by Siren Craft Brew, Wokingham
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Siren Craft Brew

Fourpure Juicebox

I was drawn to Juicebox, Fourpure's citrus IPA, by the striking can - it's certainly very eye-catching and I wanted to see just how orangey it is.

It's a lovely clear golden beer with a small, loose, off-white head that leaves behind a small layer on dispersal.  It smells SO fruity - oranges (of course) as well as mango.  It's more of a sweet fruit aroma rather than bitter citrus.

The flavour is predominantly citrus but it has a slight floral note from the papaya and a sweetness from the mango.  The orange citrus is not pithy at all and more sweet than bitter.  It's quite a thin bodied beer with low, tingly carbonation.

Juicebox is a very refreshing citrus IPA and it feels like a very summery beer.  It's not as fruity as I expected as it has more of a balanced flavour from the mixture of orange, mango and papaya.  I'm glad I tried it, but Ale not Be Seeing You again. 

Brewed by Fourpure Brewing Co., London
5.9% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Fourpure Brewing Co.

BrewDog Quench Quake

Although I'm not sure they should be considered a beer, I keep being drawn to fruity, refreshing sours - the more lip-puckering the better.  So, I thought I'd try Quench Quake, BrewDog's grapefruit and tangerine sour but I was a little disappointed to be honest.

It's a lovely bright golden colour with a small, rapidly disappearing off-white head.  Once the head has gone, it looks like a glass of cider.  I leaned in for a sniff and was very disappointed; it smells just like a lager and lime!  

There was no lip puckering in the taste, although the zingy grapefruit citrus had a good attempt at pinging my tastebuds.  It does have a sour taste but it's not overly so, it's like it can't quite make its mind up what to be between a lager and a sour.  Body is unsurprisingly thin and watery and carbonation is low and soft.

Whilst it's tasty and fruity, it's nothing exciting.  There's not even any lime in it, but to me it just tasted like a lager and lime with far too much lime in.  It's maybe one for those who like alcopops, which isn't me, so Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by BrewDog Brewery, Ellon, Aberdeenshire
4.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery