Oakham Ales Citra

Oakham Ales Citra
Style: Pale Ale

Alcohol Content: 4.6%

From: Peterborough, England, United Kingdom

Purchased From: Real Ale Shop, Richmond-Upon-Thames

http://www.oakhamales.com/home.html

Producing quality cask beers since 1993, Oakham Ales originally opened in Oakham, Rutland before moving production to Peterborough in 1998. In the subsequent 14 years they have dramatically increased production and opened Europe’s biggest brewpub. To keep up with demand in 2006, Oakham pulled open the shutters on a 75 barrel brew house.  The  padlock and chain was cut by John Wood, the original owner and brewer, who left Oakham Ales back in 1995. Oakham currently brew a range of five permanent ales but also produce seasonal ales such as Endless Summer.  

They have a rich pedigree, and picked up the 2009 CAMRA Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain for Attila! And they’re not one to shy away from innovation either. Oakham were the first brewer in the UK to use the Citra hop back in 2009. This drink is the result of that innovation. Last year, Citra was awarded a Gold at the International Beer Challenge. So having tried the Marks and Spencer’s version of this beer (brewed at Oakham, but badged and labelled for Marks and Spencer), I am foaming at the mouth with excitement to taste the original.

Little Green Monster?

Colour: This drinks pours a pale copper which is very reminiscent of a mass market lager. No head was present on the pour other than an extremely light dusting of foam in the glass. So far the signs are not looking good and I’m reminded of the Bad Seed South Pacific Pale Ale I reviewed two weeks ago which looked equally limp.

Aroma: Luckily, my fears are abated straight away. The nose on this beer is like fruit from the Garden of Eden. Tart gooseberry and floral elderflower notes present themselves straight away and will linger in your nostrils. As you would expect from a beer hopped with Citra, zesty lemon and lime notes are also present.

Body: There is an extremely low level of carbonation in the bottle which leads to flat drink in the glass. This makes the beer very easy to drink and tremendously refreshing. In fact, it went own far to ease in my case.

Taste: Upfront, you will get a mouth-watering sourness of gooseberries which have been steeped in sugar. These sweet and sour notes playful dance around your mouth and leave you with a mild bitter finish. As the drink warms, the beer takes on wine like qualities by introducing acidic pink grapefruit to the party. Luckily, this is not to sharp and actually enhances the flavours but diluting the sweetness. Oakham also brew this beer for Marks and Spencer’s in the UK. Having tried both, I personally prefer the Marks and Spencer's version but this one is still worth a try if you want a fresh fruity beer.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/bad-seed-brewery-south-pacific-pale-ale.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/alken-maes-judas.html

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