McL Best
Horseshoe, The

Tasted by half-pint at the brewpub two weeks ago, dispensed by a hand-pump. According to the manager of the pub, the beer is made with 40% Challenger and 60% Cascade hops... Well, is it attractive or is it attractive~~?? I can't wait to try!

A: golden, great clarity, a fast-retreating beer head, with micro-scopic fizziness attached tightly to the walls of the glass... All's well for a cask ale poured without a sparkler.
S: delicious... elderflowery-fragrance, a touch of salty-sweet pale malts, lychee-like juicy hops with a subtly tangy and citric edge of Round Kumquat... Overall, fragrant flowery hops dominate the nose, backed by a good tinge of citrus.
T: flowery hops hand in hand with a flow of juicy, slightly salt-hinted maltiness, laced with a soothing, citric-zesty bitterness; at the same time, a honeyish, nutty, and hayish flavour+aroma linger at the back, followed by more lingering flowery and citric-bitter hops towards the long, aromatic finish...
M&D: refreshing on the texture and soft-bodied, this beer benefits from a complex hop-theme and a healthy, secondary input of light maltiness. As I'd known the hop content before trying it, it was no surprise that my palate captured them as such... but anyway, the bold yet balanced hoppy profile makes this an extremely delicious Golden Ale/Bitter punching way above its weight (a bit like Dark Star's American Pale Ale). If one asks, can a 3.6% bitter be remotely delicious? One'd think again after trying this!!