Abbey Lane English Mild
Ribstone Creek Brewery

This beer seemed like a good choice to try for a session-able ale. Like other beers from Ribstone Creek I knew it would be good, if not great (like Great White Combine). So far I have had a 4 pack in cans and I can say that it is an excellent beer if you're looking for a classic English sipper.

The look is dark amber like a delicious looking raisin glowing in sunlight. Lots of carbonation.

Smells of nuttiness, raisins, some kind of toffee or caramel and brown sugar.

Taste is classically English mild but maybe even a little lighter. Roasted malt flavour. Perfect for a rainy day or a cold winters evening.

Feels light. I scored a little lower here because it does feel almost too light for an English ale. It would have been nice to have a nice heavy body but feel isn't that important when this beer tastes really good.

Overall, if you are looking for an Alberta made English mild I would say this is the beer to get. Abbey Lane is a beer I hope sticks around for the people who enjoy beer but can't drink the higher percentages found in many craft brews. It's a great step between non-alcoholic and high abv's found in many beers today. Thanks to Ribstone Creek for brewing this bad boy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

1L howler from Sherbrooke Liquor store - I remember when these mild English styles were impossible to find around here - the times, they are a-changin'!

This beer pours a clear, very dark orange-brick highlighted brown colour, with three fingers of puffy, rocky, and bubbly tan head, which leaves some random coral reef atoll lace around the glass as it quickly blows off.

It smells of roasted oily nuts, gritty and grainy caramel malt, bittersweet cocoa powder, a weak bruised dark orchard fruitiness, and some plain leafy, weedy, and grassy green hops. The taste is bready and doughy caramel malt, a heady free-range char, rather dry chocolate notes, a touch of cafe-au-lait, muddled black stone fruit, a hint of earthy yeastiness, and some weak leafy, musty, and dead floral verdant hoppiness.

The carbonation is average in its barely supportive frothiness, the body a decent medium weight, and generally smooth, just a suggestion of wet ashiness taking things down a peg or so here. It finishes trending dry, the roasted malt, cocoa, and coffee esters making a day of it.

Overall, this comes across as a very well made version of this often wan style - lots of big flavours abounding, so much so that one doesn't even notice the well under-par ABV. Easy to drink, and pretty enjoyable in its old-school earnestness.

I was delighted to find this on the growler bar at my local Co Op. I've heard nice things about Ribstone's latest offering, and I'm glad to verify those things. This is a nice looking beer with a lovely nose and a rich malt profile. Chocolate and toffee notes bang around, and it has a lovely creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a lovely beer, one that is certainly worthy of another try!