Castle Rock Elsie Mo
Castle Rock Brewery

Castle Rock Elsie MoCastle Rock Elsie Mo
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From:
Castle Rock Brewery
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
American Blonde Ale
Ranked #178
ABV:
4.7%
Score:
84
Ranked #22,414
Avg:
3.64 | pDev: 11.81%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
17
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 07, 2023
Added:
Feb 04, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by jazzyjeff13:
Photo of jazzyjeff13
Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England

4.25/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
A 500ml bottle with a BB date of October 2010 - I picked this up from my local off-licence where it was going cheap (presumably due to being past it's date). The label mentions that it is bottle conditioned for flavour and features a picture of a pin-up girl - looks a bit like something from the 1940s.

Poured into a Sam Smith's pint glass. Pale golden-straw colour; slightly hazy with medium carbonation. I emptied the bottle but most of the yeast adhered to the bottom. Nice white head that remained for several minutes. Great aroma of floral hops and light grainy malt; smells really good.

The taste has upfront floral hop flavours with undertones of light malt. Considerable bitterness that lingers after swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth with a mild tingling sensation and some astringency. Leaves a feeling of residue coating the mouth. Slight bitter floral aftertaste.

An excellent beer; if I could get this regularly I would drink it more often. It has a light and flavoursome character - a great blonde ale which I would recommend to anyone.
Jan 16, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.8/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
May 2016: 500 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Verksgt., Stavanger. ABV is 5.0%. Hops are Challenger, Bobek and Aurora. Deep golden colour, moderate to low white head. Pleasant aroma of herbal and fruity hops, also hints of toffee. The flavour has herbal and earthy hops, also some fruity, nutty and toffee notes. Enjoyable.
Aug 07, 2023
Photo of StJamesGate
Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York

3.99/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bright gold over tight white carpet that trails. 4
Tinny grain and surprising green dank. 3.75
Crackery grain, lagery tartness, piles of grassy hops and touches of lemon and leaf. 4
Sage finish and long numbing nettle linger.
Fizzy, light, crisp. 4

Challenger, Aurora, Bobek.

Like an English ale version of a Czech lager: Snappy, quenching, and almost overloaded on Noble-type hopping - it’s gotta be 40 IBUs. The only knock is the Marris Otter gets lost. But deserves the awards. 4.25
Oct 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by meganelizabeth86 from Pennsylvania

Dec 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.8 by BobAshton from Canada (AB)

Sep 30, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by vinicole from England

Sep 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Mr_Pink_152 from England

Jan 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by jmccraney from Washington

Feb 25, 2013
Photo of wl0307
Reviewed by wl0307 from England

3.65/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
(Bottle-Conditioned Version)
BB 02/2013, served cool in a straight imperial pint glass.
A: lightly hazy golden in colour, with a thin off-white foamy head to last.
S: light honey-ish sweet fume follows the more assertive orangey-citric English hoppiness and light elderflower-cordial like scent, with a whiff of fruit esters staying behind.
T: very solid, the citric-fruity maltiness is backed up by a firm but not overpowering aftertaste of citric hop bitterness, with a tangy & tannic bite in the end. The lasting bitterness is ever so inviting, while the yeast sediments’ lightly sour-salty edge also lingers.
M&D: successfully bottle-conditioned, offering nice and soft carbonation caressing the taste buds, this medium-bodied Blonde Ale is sufficiently hoppy in terms of bitterness and less so in aroma or taste; benefiting from an overall balanced profile, it is therefore very drinkable.
May 13, 2012
Photo of CwrwAmByth
Reviewed by CwrwAmByth from England

4.17/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a light clear golden colour with a nice head dropping down to a steady film and awesome lacing.

Smells very citrusy, quite lemony in fact. Hazy grass too, overall very hoppy.

Tastes very thick and well hopped. Slight hint of very light malts that make it overall pretty balanced and not too overbearing.

Overall a very nice hoppy summer ale.
Mar 17, 2012
Photo of MatJones
Reviewed by MatJones from England

3.35/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured into my anchor steam half pint glass March 12'

Looks like flat fosters with a very quick to disappear head.

This is I thought very much in the style of summer lightning. All the usual ipa citrus flavours but obviously not as hoppy or pronounced. Noticed a slight lagery finish.

I put the half bottle I had left and put in the fridge for 30 mins and have to say I enjoyed it a little more a few degrees colder.

Overall this is a cracking little summer beer which I will be putting on my summer sitting on the beach beers list.
Mar 11, 2012
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

3.35/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
500ml Bottle conditioned, best before the end of June 2012: poured into my Abbot Ale glass tankard during March 2012. My bottle claims 5.0%ABV (as the premium strenght bootled variety).

Exceedingly pale for a British beer, urine straw coloured in fact: on top a pure white head.

Hop aroma, no room for anything else.

The taste was also all hops, citrus, piney and hoppy: the Maris Otter malts are there for the colour not the taste and they give very little to the overall flavour of the beer.

This is a fine summer beer and easy to drink, refreshing and thirst quenching, a bit too hop heavy for my normal choice but enjoyable non the less.
Mar 07, 2012
Photo of EmperorBevis
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England

3.73/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle conditioned, well that's a good start

straw/ lemon/piss gold body with a thick white head that drops to wispy clouds.

Aroma of cut grass, hops grains and B.O.

Nice slicing taste of hops cut through with a citrus zing with a slightly peppered mellow bitter finish, something is slightly missing though I can't place my finger on it

Great carbonation slightly thin mouthfeel.

Far better than I recall a fairly competent ale.
Jan 06, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Jasba from England

Dec 16, 2011
Photo of seanyfo
Reviewed by seanyfo from Scotland

2.42/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
1/2 pint served by handpump into imperial pint glass at the Cloister Bar in Edinburgh

A- Very pale blonde gold body. Solid head giving good lacing and retention.

S- For me, the whole event was very subdued. Looking at the previous reviews its hard to believe this is the same beer. Faint hop aroma with no real malty sweetness at all. A Bit flacid really.

T- Same goes for the taste. Certainly goes down nicely with a faint hop bite on the finish. However its so subdued with no real characteristic to mention until the finish which is over far too quickly.

M- Low carbonation, medium body.

D- Instantly forgettable for me. An easy drinking pale ale, but one of no individual character or flavour profile to note. Not great.
Mar 24, 2010
Photo of GreenCard
Reviewed by GreenCard from Maryland

4.01/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
From a CAMRA Beer Club shipment...

Appearance: pale yellowy golden blonde, good clarity, huge layer of spongey white froth with excellent head retention, lots of lace on the glass

Aroma: white grapes, fermented honey, herbally hops; a very subtle bouquet that is hard to place

Flavor: dryish malt backbone surrounded by a crisp herbally hop flavor and subtle bitterness; hints of apricot pits and lemon peel; finishes dry with a lingering hop resin bitterness

Mouthfeel: light body, perky carbonation, and crisp texture

Other comments: This beer has a Duvel quality to it (somewhat in the hop flavor, but mostly in the body and lively carbonation). It's a really drinkable, refreshing beer. Definitely in my top 5 British beers.
Jan 29, 2008
Photo of bark
Reviewed by bark from Sweden

3.82/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The colour is golden yellow; the thin and airy head is white. Except from the head, it looks just like apple juice.

The smell got a hint of smoke and some hoppy notes.

The taste is rather bitter and a bit sweet. There are hoppy notes of grape fruits, lemons and acid drops candy. The hops are mixed with some apple juice-like flavours and a spicy note (clove?). The aftertaste got a balanced flavour of bitterness and sweet apples.

The carbonation is very gentle, which suits the style fine.
Feb 04, 2006
Castle Rock Elsie Mo from Castle Rock Brewery
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 17 ratings