Hambledon Bitter
Itchen Valley Brewery Ltd

Bottle-conditioned, 4.5%abv. now. BB March 2009, served cool in a straight imperial pint glass. Brewed with Elderflower and Honey, the label specifies.

A: bright orangey golden in colour, coming with a fairly thick and pillowy white froth and restrained carbonation. Looking fresh.
S: gristy pale malts with a raw-ish touch of crushed barley, honey with a delicate sour and stinky edge, lightly peachy fruits, and a prevalent floral scent (obviously from Elderflower, then!). Very pleasant!
T: sour salty-sweet pale malts and honey upfront are soon overwhelmed by an immediately expanding bitterness and a floral taste, leaving a surprisingly high-level bitterness to roam free... The aftertaste and mouthfeel are almost like that of chewing tannic green tea leaves, dried grapefruit peel, and herbs - a little toasty-aromatic, dry, chewy, with a touch of phenol.
M&D: very well bottle-conditioned, providing necessary carbonation to lift up the superbly lingering and 3-D bitter aftertaste a little... A very different, complex, and beautifully bitter ale well worth a try!

Appearance: light brown, quite hazy, voluminous layer of off-white suds, good head retention

Aroma: floral hops and honey, touch of elder flowers, light malt, very delicate and luscious

Flavor: mild maltiness with a pronounced acidity, edge of fermented honey, fresh leaves, finishes dryish with an herbally aftertaste

Mouthfeel: medium-light body, lively carbonation (for an English ale), soft texture

Other comments: Is this England's answer to Fraoch Heather Ale? I really enjoy Fraoch and this one is definitely an equal match. Very balanced flavors and a refreshing acidity. I sort of wonder about the acidity, though. Is this an infected batch or a bottle that has gone off? When I popped the cap, it started gushing a bit.