Man Vs. Beer
Arbor Ales

A 500ml bottle with a BB of July 2013. Purchased a little while back from Trembling Madness in York. Described on the label as a 'natural' pale ale - bottled straight from the fermentation tank without filtering, giving it a cloudy appearance.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A very hazy amber hue with ultra-fine sediment and medium carbonation. Produces a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before reducing to a surface layer. Some lacing. Aroma of intensely pungent hops with notes of grapefruit, orange peel, citrus, white fruits, grass/hay and faint pine. Underpinned by earthy yeast, caramel malt and stewed hops. Delicious.

Tastes of overwhelming aromatic hops with a dry, bitter finish. Notes of grapefruit, orange peel, lime, citrus, grass/hay, white grape, faint melon, a hint of pine, earthy yeast, caramel malt and stewed hops. A touch of alcohol in the background. Highly attenuated and slightly spicy, followed by a herbal bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and bone-dry, with a yeasty texture. Spice on the tongue, accompanied by pleasant carbonation and good body. Somewhat astringent, with an aftertaste of bitter aromatic hops, fruitiness and earthy yeast.

Tasty - the hops hit you as soon as you crack the cap. Intensely aromatic. It looks cloudy, as you'd expect for an unfiltered beer - but I've always considered haze to be a sign of depth. The aroma is powerfully hopped, with leafy, fruity notes dominating the experience, while the flavour is similarly hoppy but just a shade more balanced. Yeast is also a noticible component. Good body; dry and prickly. Yet another top-notch effort from Arbor - the lack of filtration really seems to make the flavour that much more vibrant. Excellent; a hop-head's delight. Well worth sampling if you have the chance.

Another straight from the fermentation vessel beer from Arbor, this time with some more American hops and a bigger abv. Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a very cloudy pale golden colour, with a decent, long lasting white head.

Pungent aroma of hops.

Taste is again hops, strong and fairly fresh but also very tangy and citrusy from the US hops. Decent mouthfeel.

Overall a pretty good pale ale, hoppy and dry.