Angel
Wylam Brewery

Dominated by uninteresting and flat hops.

 

 

Clear copper amber in appearance with a tiny, white lace for a head that mainly sticks to the sides of the glass.

Sweet malts and some sugar to begin, there is a touch of caramel and toffee plus a slight almond aroma and burnt sugar right at the end. There was some fruity hops and a touch of citrus in there as well.

Nice earthy malts to begin with along with some lighter hops and sugar. I could detect some caramel and then some bitterness after this with background fruits and citrus also present.

Smooth with a slightly dry feel and medium body. There was mild carbonation and a lot of earthy bitterness towards the end.

An average English bitter really, it was quite nice with dinner and had a solid, earthy taste with good character and depth but the finish was maybe just that little bit too bitter for me. A pleasant beer none the less and one that was highly drinkable and probably worth a try.

Originally brewed to celebrate the 10-year anniversary (2008) of the Angel of the North. Picked up for 2.50 pounds on Lindisfarne in Northern England.

Presentation: 500 ml attractive brown bottle with really nice label, featuring the Angel of the North, which makes me miss the Gateshead environs terribly. Best by November 2011 clearly marked.

Appearance: Attractive, bright copper brew with fairly low carbonation and a nice ivory cap which fades to a thick ring and medium film.

Smell: Angel makes use of American Cascade hops for flavor and aroma and what you get right up front is a nice, earthy and biscuity malt tone balanced by the unmistakable mild citrus aromas of Cascade. The hops are vibrant, if delicate, and balance the malts very nicely. A bit more hop aroma than traditional in the old school, strictly-traditional English Bitter style.

Taste: This is a very nice English bitter. A bit of biscuity, caramelly malt, with a light fruitiness from the English yeast and a slightly sweet, citrusy Cascade finish. Very mild earthy notes. Ends with a medium, clean bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light side of medium-bodied, nicely carbonated.

Overall: I had already bought this bottle to bring home when I saw it for sale at the lunch cafe at Beamish outside of Gateshead. I grabbed the bottle out of the cooler to go with a traditional meat-pie for lunch and it was one of the best beer/food pairings I've ever had. I originally bought this beer for the label (we were in Gateshead, after all) but the traditonal biscuity maltiness of an English bitter worked really well with the distinctive, but perfectly balanced, American hop presence. Great, easy-drinking English ale, and one of the best bitters I've yet to try.