Seahouses
Acton Ales (Gundog Brewery)

Pours clear golden amber into a pint glass. Off-white, moderately foamy, creamy head is two fingers high, fading moderately quickly, leaves medium lacing on the glass. Cider coloured in the shade.

Aroma kicks off with mellow grapefruit, sweet malts, and caramel. There's an easy transition to hoppy notes and a slight undertone of vanilla and cream which breathes through the profile. In the finish you can almost detect a bitter aroma which has a bit of a bite to it.

Taste is, like the Bamburgh, similar to the aromas with an initial grapefruit and hints of dark fruit on the sip, leading into a hoppy, biscuity flavour on the draw which lingers well into the aftertaste, and soon joined by subtle floral notes. There's more pronounced flavours to this ale than other pale ales from this brewery, and a more bitter quality throughout which is enough to draw your attention, but not enough to distract from the fruit and hoppy flavours. There's a hint of vanilla cream in the undertones which blossoms more in the aftertaste than anywhere else, but is still quite subtle in the grand scheme.

Light to medium bodied, low carbonation, with a slight oilyness which ends up a little dry but not really noticeably so.

Overall it's fine, nothing stands out per se, but it works as a session beer well enough. It certainly doesn't make you halt the conversation, but it won't lose its palate after a half pint either.