Golden Gate
Dark Star Brewing Company Limited

 

Hand-pulled pint in ‘The 7 Star’: Carey St London, on 28th April 2012.

Struggled to enjoy this to be honest; it looked OK, an orange hue to the light brown body with a fairly good head of off-white bubbles perched on top.

The nose was flowery and fruity with lightly baked bread yeast in the mix.

The taste was also on the flowery/fruity side with a mini-hop bitterness towards the end of each sip.

Medium bodied but lacking something: too floral for my taste buds.

Not retired, seasonal from Dark Star, cask at The Harp.

Pours a fairly dark gold. Nice cream head, finger thick before the bartender topped it up. Thick, well-marked lacings to the finish.

Citrus hops on the nose, but held back with a herbal side.

Hops are the show, but they're not particularly in your face. Certainly an English take on an American pale. Citrus and piney hops right up front, but there are subtle caramel malt flavours that keep things well balanced.

A nice drinker, though I think I'd prefer and English English beer or an American American beer, this is a bit too much of both.

This reminded me quite a bit of Southern Tier's Hop Sun... very hoppy for a generally not too hopped style.
The texture reminded me of a good, unsweetened apple cider. This wasn't especially bitter for a bitter, in the normal Bitter kind of way if that makes sense. Most of the bitterness came from the hops in an IPA kind of way... if that makes sense.
I've not had too many of this style but it strikes me as a tasty interpretation.
Needs a revisit.

Was able to try this brew on cask last evening. The brew was pulled to a golden, somewhat cloudy color with a nice slightly off colored white head that broke down relatively slowly leaving some lacing. The aromas of this brew were mostly of hops, which is quite mild while also showing malt properties that lean to a biscuty smell. Over all, the aroma from this brew is very pleasant. It has a very clean, crisp taste. It has a mild hop taste that is also very nice (according to the web site they use Amarillo and Cluster hops) while having a solid malt flavor. Also can notice a fruit like property that is probably coming from the hops? Over all this is a very good brew. One I would definitely get again!

Rated from a cask currently on sale at Spuyten Duyvil, Brooklyn, New York.

A golden (well, obviously I suppose!), hoppy, thirst quenching beer which compares very favourably with some other UK cask ales - especially the more common ones from larger breweries. Full-bodied and dangerously drinkable; nice hoppy aroma and good lacing. Quite an enticing bitter finish - exactly what a traditional British cask ale should be like. Now 4.5% ABV, by the way - it was originally 4.3%.

More please, yum!

A nice light amber hue with a nice white cap of foam. Aromas are of freshly citric and floral hops, and biscuity malts. The taste is fresh, zesty, spicy, hoppy, and nice...with just the right amount of malts to balance things out, and make this oh-so-smooth! The mouthfeel is creamy, smooth, and satisfying and the drinkability is top-notch as well