BrewDog Cold Front

To mark the recent cold spell here in the UK, I cracked open my can of BrewDog's Vienna-style lager, Cold Front.

It has a deep golden, orange hued body and a frothy, pretty robust cream coloured head that laces the glass.  The aroma is quite light as you would expect from a lager but it's quite hoppy and there are hints of zesty citrus and sweet caramel.  

The first sip really twanged my taste buds as zesty marmalade bubbles burst in my mouth.  It also has sweet biscuit notes and a lovely dry, bitter finish.  It's well carbonated but not too fizzy and it has a thin to medium body.

It's a lovely refreshing hoppy lager with a surprising zesty kick.  I enjoyed it and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Tiny Rebel Dutty

Dutty is a Vermont session IPA from Welsh brewers, Tiny Rebel.  It's a hazy golden yellow beer with a frothy, tight, off-white head that actually expands in the glass.  I couldn't believe my eyes!

From the moment you pull the ring-pull, you're hit with the mouthwatering aroma of fresh, juicy pineapple.  There's also a hint of grapefruit to add some zestiness to the sweet tropical fruit.

I was quite disappointed in the taste, it's rather weak and tastes like very diluted fruit squash.  There's not enough of any flavour to taste any bitterness or sweetness, but it is refreshing and very easy to drink.  The body is thin but not watery and it's well carbonated to maintain and expand the head.

The flavour if far too light and it's not a memorable beer so Ale not Be Seeing You again, unfortunately.

Brewed by Tiny Rebel Brewery, Newport, Wales
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Tiny Rebel Brewery

Otter Brewery Otter Bright

It says on the label that Otter Bright is a lager beer but I think it's doing itself a bit of a disservice as it's definitely more of a pale ale than a lager, in my opinion.

Looking like a very traditional pint of beer, it's a lovely golden colour with a small, loose off-white head.  The head disappears faster than I'd like resulting in just a thin foam after a few minutes before disappearing altogether.

The aroma is very hoppy with notes of honey, caramel, biscuit and just a hint of fruity citrus.  All of these smells transfer to the taste with the sweet notes of honey and caramel being followed by a mild citrus bitterness.  The citrus level is perfect for me with no hint of lemon squeezy washing up liquid to be found.  As you would expect with a pale ale, it's relatively thin-bodied but well carbonated which gives it a pleasant silky mouthfeel.  

Very crisp, dry, refreshing and so easy to drink, this is definitely a beer I'd have in my fridge for a sunny day.  Otter Bright, Ale Be Seeing You Again.

Brewed by Otter Brewery, Devon
4.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Otter Brewery

Rudgate Pale

A mixed pack from Rudgate in York was one of the first (of many) packs of beer I bought when the UK went into lockdown.  I hadn't tried any of their beers before so I thought I'd start light with their pale ale.

When I first started to pour it, I thought it was almost colourless then it appeared to have a strange pink hue.  I started to get nervous and wondered if Rudgate had bottled pink champagne instead of pale ale.  It turned out a surprisingly nice light golden colour with a small, relatively loose off white head that holds on for a while to leave a thin foam layer.  There is some sediment in the bottle so it needs a careful pour to get a clear pint.

The aroma is deliciously hoppy with hints of honey and caramel along with zesty citrus and tropical fruits.  The flavour, however, is disappointingly weak with very little taste.  The initial taste is predominantly hops, honey and straw but it does develop slightly over time to become more fruity.  There is a slight citrus bitterness to the aftertaste and, as I'm not much of a fan of pithy citrus, the citrus flavour is subtle enough to be palatable for me.

Although it has decent carbonation, it has a very thin and watery mouthfeel but then again it's quite a light beer at 3.8%.  It's not terribly tasty but it's very light, clean and refreshing; it's what I would call a nice summery day beer - it'll quench your thirst without having you dancing on the tables.

Brewed by Rudgate Brewery, York
3.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Rudgate Brewery