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

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Moor Beer Company Old Freddy Walker

Moor Beer Company Old Freddy Walker

Style: Old Ale

Alcohol content: 7.4%

From: Pitney, Somerset, England

Purchased from: Cost cutters, Somerton
http://moorbeer.co.uk/

As you may be aware from reading my previous blogs, i am a big fan of the West county. My father grew up not far from Yeovil, so the culture and history of the glorious west has always been in my blood. So any time i get a chance to review a beer from there, i literally jump at the chance!

The Moor Beer Company was formed in 1996 on a small dairy farm in Somerset. They originality started brewing beers that matched the local heritage of Somerset, but soon branched out upon the arrival of Justin and Maryann Hawke. Justin is a Californian native, and brought with him a tendency of fusing real ales with more more aggressively flavored beers from the United States. This has lead to an amazingly diverse range of mind boggling creations. As i always say, change is a good thing and i can not wait to try this brew. Perhaps their most famous beer is Old Freddy Walker which won Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2004. And thats the subject of this review, will Freddy live up to these high standards, let see!

Moor Magic?

Colour: I was not sure what to expect from a drink classed as an old ale. I wrongly assumed it would be a dark brown beer. To my surprise, the drink pours a thick black with a tan leather colour head. The colour helps to remind me that here in the UK, the nights are drawing in. Could this be the beer that I need long winter nights? The head dissipates to a light dusting of foam after a few minutes. 

Aroma: The aromas of this drink oozes out of the glass. There are notes of dark treacle mixed with dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, cherries and apricots). It's almost like a cake in a glass. This is going to be very interesting.

Body: This beer pours like a stout or porter. Very thick on both the pour, and in the mouth. However, it leaves no sticky residue in the mouth or on the back of your throat. This sensation is rather surprising to me, as I was expecting a rich coating on my throat after each sip. 

Taste: The first thing that will hit you about this drink will be the alcohol. If you are not prepared for it (like me), it will feel like a slap around face. Once I get past that initial shock, this ale really comes into its own. This ale is like a rich rum soaked fruit cake that you may get around Christmas time. There are also hints of dark chocolate covered cherries. The chocolate helps to create a slight bitter aftertaste rolled into a crisp bread finish. It took me almost and hour to drink this beer as it comes in a rather sizeable 660ml bottle. This ale is a real treat, which I would highly recommend to my dad for his ever growing Christmas beer list.

Christmas Pudding in A Glass!

Simliar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/batemans-rosey-nosey.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/gaffel-kolsch.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery