Crail Ale
St Andrews Brewing Company

i think after a round of golf you like play at crail, historic, scenic, iconic, once in a lifetime, with family, that even a mediocre beer would be pretty wonderful, in the clubhouse, overlooking the course, the sea, i mean, come on, but when that beer actually is excellent, its even more awesome, and thats what this is, a real nice pint after a memorable round to say the least. a lightly cloudy low alcohol pale ale, frothy headed and balanced, with a pretty peppy hop profile compared to what seemed to be the scottish standard where more malt was common, this one has some neat apricot and peach and even marmalade notes in both aroma and flavor, but isnt sweet past the midway point, and its got fresh toasty grain in support, a nice tidy ferment, and rushing carbonation that makes it real easy to drink, still some european type hop personality too, grassy and maybe faintly spicy as it warms, a little linger bit this isnt bitter. smooth and with some heartiness that doesnt slow it down, uniquely fruity to me, even a melon note, clover honey, distinctive and then quenching. great with fish and chips, and just sort of built for post golf camaraderie, interesting enough to not be mindless swill. vastly more character than a yellow lager, but also mild in the right places where it drinks quick and refreshing too. context played a role for me this, but i liked it a lot, my favorite of the after golf pints we ripped at crail, what a wonderful place that is!

 

A really crisp thirst slating ale, some light citrus flavours balanced against biscuity malt leading to a clean bitter finish, not ground breaking but tasty enough.

 

 

500 mL bottle with freshness date. Poured into a shaker with a nice cap of white head, pretty good retention, and leaves a nice lacing. Colour is an amber gold, with a nice carbonation.

Smell has plenty of fresh grapefruit and citrus notes. Juicy and slightly sweet. Some bready malt comes through also. Floral aromas, and some nice lively intricacies. Really nice.

Taste has a real balance throughout. Grapefruit and fresh mild hoppiness, lemon and lot of lime. Fresh, some mild grassiness. Malt is bready and fairly toned-down but gives the beer a nice solid body. No flavours overly dominate this beer, making it a really nice tasty and full-bodied session ale. Finish is dry, citrus hoppy, slightly grainy.

Mouthfeel is moderate-light body. Maybe a bit high on carbonation but it is highly refreshing and sessionable, a nice dryness comes on the end.

Really enjoying this ale. Has a really nice balance, with an interesting array of flavours. The Columbus hops are really flavourful but don't overpower the maltiness of the beer. A really solid local beer that has a lot of things going for it. Worth trying.