Dad’s Delight (Master Brewer’s Choice)
Shepherd Neame Ltd

Purchased at the Lidl supermarket, coming in a clear 500ml bottle, BB 05/2014, served cool in a straight imperial pint glass. Notes: The front label says it all "Celebrate Father's Day with Dad's Delight Ale, He deserves it!"

Appearance: pours a dark reddish amber colour, coming with abundant and lively fizziness, topped with a well-lasting creamy beige head.
Smell: despite the initial attack of skunky smell, the aroma comes quite pronounced, with a balance reached between the bitter oranges, dried lemon peels, caramely pale malts and a touch of cream on the side.
Taste: light-bodied swallow of aromatic pale malts, roast malts and bitter sweet gristy notes precedes a lightly tannic and zingy hop bitterness which gathers strength and expands deep down the both sides of the tongue, finished with an interestingly oily and caramely malt undertone and more chewy bitterness. As the flavour is well attenuated, the finishing touch is a tad dry as well.
Mouthfeel & Overall: the carbonation comes slightly more lively for my taste, but not quite to the point of being sharp, this light-bodied ale delivers nicely what is expected of a more traditional, low gravity English Bitter, that a malt balance is reached in support of a pronounced presence of bitterness and a good level of attenuation, while benefiting from the (I assume) roast malts in gaining a bit more depth and a dry-ish palate. Thirst-quenching, easy-drinking, although not exactly very interesting to keep one going for the whole night. Not bad though, compared with many other low gravity bottled ales by the same brewery. Happy Father’s Day!