Grand Union Gold
Grand Union Brewery, The

Tried this beer by half-pint alongside Elgood’s Double Swan recently at a Wetherspoon's pub, the Cross Keys, in the City area, London.

Appearance: it pours a straw colour, with a thin but tight, off-white beerhead with rather good retention; minimum carbonation detected.
Smell: a freshly-cut hay-like hop aroma (like Fuggle) dominates the nose, but remains refreshing and not too aggressive—on balance it’s quite straight-forward hoppy but not boring.
Taste & Mouthfeel: on the palate, chewy, dark malts are present upfront, followed by a softly hoppy taste and crisp, mildly bitter finish. The hoppyness sustains well in the mouth along with a pleasant, residual nutty and grainy taste in the lingering aftertaste.
Drinkability: overall, it’s a medium-flavoured, medium-bodied, balanced hoppy golden ale which is quite thirst-quenching especially in the summer.

Pours a crystal clear white gold hue. Thick soap dish-like head that leaves loads of lace.
Aroma of strong tea-leave like hops with some underpinnings of pale malt and bread crumbs.
Flavor has some crystal and light toffee malts as a base with some wheat and floral hop components.
Mouthfeel was heavier than color and aroma would indicate, almost like a cream ale with a sharp floral bittering on the finish. Very well balanced.
Drinkability was very high. Perfect pint with a meal of bangers and mash on a 70 degree sunny day at a beautiful English country pub. Very pleasant brew.