Craftworks American Pale
Oakham Ales / The Brewery Tap

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Sept 2018. Purchased a little while back from Morrisons as part of their beer festival. Now simply called 'American Pale'. Four US hop varieties are used in this brew: Chinook, Summit, Columbus and Cascade.

A: Poured into a tulip pint glass. A rich amber hue with good clarity and moderate carbonation. Produces a decent head of creamy white foam that lasts for a minute or two before subsiding to a patchy surface layer. Slight lacing.

S: Aroma of seriously fruity hops with hints of citrus, mild clementine, gooseberries, delicate white grape, grass/hay, ale yeast, subtle caramel malt and a twinge of stewed husks. A tad understated by American standards but rather nice.

T: Tastes of intensely fruity hops with notes of grapefruit, citrus, peel, mild gooseberries, herb, grass/hay, ale yeast, caramel malt and stewed hops. Pretty dry, followed by a strident hop-driven bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with lively carbonation and decent body for the strength. Hop oils stimulate the palate. Aftertaste of bitter aromatic hops, citrus, herbs, caramel malt and ale yeast.

O: Very tasty - a solid APA with plenty of hop character. Looks OK, while the aroma and flavour are a blend of intense aromatic hops underpinned by subtle malt and yeast. Nice body. The hops aren't as resinous as might be expected for a typical American pale ale, but showcase plenty of bitterness nonetheless. Goes down a treat; worth sampling if it makes a reappearance.

 

Re-branded as part of the Morrison's beer festival.
Bottle. Light amber. Dense frothy head. Good lacing.
Mild citrus aroma. Mainly tangerine.
Hops to the fore but balanced by a background taste of caramel.
Smooth. Light carbonation.
An improvement upon most English versions of the style.