Ossett Pale Gold
Ossett Brewing Company

 

Tasted by half-pint recently at the Penderel's Oak, a JDW pub nr. Holborn tube station, London.

A: dark straw hue, great clarity, thin white beer head lasts well and leaves tight lacing along the way; very low carbonated.
S: flowery and spicy hoppyness (I suspect American hops are used?), backed by a light but lingering malty base with a sulphury touch; overall, refreshingly hoppy, and moderate.
T: a mouthful of lychee-fruits (on skins), plus a mildly flowery and semi-sweet flavour like elderflower codial; quickly leading towards a very dry, zesty, tangy bitter aftertaste with a dash of floral hoppyness firmly at the back. The soothingly bitter finish, like chewy grapefruit peels, just overwhelms the whole palate...
M&D: in line with Ossett's other pale ales, the mouthfeel is tangy, refreshing, with just about right hoppy input to keep a dryish palate for an utterly quaffable Blond Ale.

Presentation: Having arrived back in England on Friday 18th April for my annual 2 week vacation only hours earlier, as soon as I had my Suitcase safely dropped off at my Parents house [and as they were both at a Funeral] it was time to head to one of my favorite licensed establishments in Wakefield for some afternoon respite…..and of course a few (much dreamed of) Cask brews.

It just turned midday on the Friday lunchtime when I got to the Wakefield Labour Club, a.k.a. “The Red Shed”. I was the first in, and Eric the Barman was still setting up and pulling the lines through.

I know Eric well, and my request to pull my own first Pint of Real Ale in England for a year was granted with little more than a flick of the head and a wink of the eye.

Appearance: Oozed from the Handpump with a golden body that agitated into a white milky mass at the base of my oversized 22 ounce Pint glass. Proudly pulled to perfection if I say so myself, once on the Bar it shimmered with a clear pale yellow body. Pure white ½” head that looked perfect above the pale golden body.

Nose: I actually took my first sip of this brew before I inhaled the aromas. Light feel but ironically I noticed the pronounced American Hop Aroma more this year than when I used to live in Ossett and drink this one regularly.

Taste: Solid light Session Ale. Refreshing, and a thirst slaking first Pint for a years absence! Light character, mild grain feel with a soft spicy floral after-taste. The American Hops are middling in stature, they just do enough to add a mild Bitter dimension. The spicy feel comes through in the finish on the tongue.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied for sure, nothing that would suggest that it is even 3.8%, it has the feel of a 3.4% Light Bitter, but it doesn’t disappoint when pulled through a Handpump with a Sparkler in true Northern Style – as I would recommend it should be.

Drinkability: A true, very easy drinking, Light Pale Ale that just slips down, I could have managed another but there were 3 other beers to try in the Red Shed before I headed back to meet my Parents. I would however sup several more of these during my 2-week stay in England.

Overall: I used to live in Ossett, and regardless of the similarity in locale, Ossett Brewery is a favorite of mine for it brews some fine Pale Ales. The Pale Gold is one of their Lightest Pale Ales I find, but it’s a damn good easy going Session Beer, popular with workers that have to return to work after a lunchtime spent in the Pub!!!

I promised that during this years [2005] vacation, I would take some notes of the Cask Conditioned Real Ales that I managed to imbibe and add them to BA to bolster the small number of UK Cask Reviews.…so this would be the first of many, good job I had a new pocket notepad, but it is hard to get time to write even limited notes when a Session Pale Ale is this good, I can’t drink and write at the same time!!

Pretty run of the mill light blond ale, with some hops aromatics (it says they use American hops, as to which ones, i don't know), light, grainy malts, some citric aromatic hops, some bitterness aswell, easy to drink. Very uncomplex and watery mouthfeel, thin and light.