Tuesday, 22 April 2014

Bank Holiday Special: Part 1 - Pale Ale Special

What is a bank holiday for, if not for sampling the finest ales within a short radius of your flat? Well, that was exactly what this Easter Bank Holiday consisted of for me, that, and some superb food, but more on the latter later. You may have noticed so far that the ales I have reviewed have been solely of the darker nature and that is predominantly because I prefer them to their paler counterparts, but also because the colder months call for darker, heavier, more comforting ales. Having said that, when the sun comes out (as it did in abundance this weekend here in Edinburgh) there is nothing more refreshing than a good Pale Ale.

Tempest – Long White Cloud (5.6% ABV)
I’ve wanted to try this one for a while after being recommended it by the awesome staff at the Red Squirrel plus I’ve enjoyed every other Tempest Ale I’ve sampled so far! This is an extra pale ale that is white gold in colour. It smells of tropical fruit and citrus and tastes similar with a honey and hop undertone and a grassy citrus finish. Overall, very refreshing and perfect for an outdoor sunny day!

The wee Drunken Chef Rating: 9/10

Cromarty – Rogue Wave (5.7% ABV)
Yet another superb ale from the guys at Cromarty here. This is an extra pale ale with a powerful hoppy kick to it. It is a slightly orange golden colour and smells strongly of hops with some pine, citrus and a hint of grapefruit. The taste is very hoppy with a slightly malt bitter finish combined with the subtlety of the grapefruit and citrus. The medium body of the ale gives it a very smooth finish and so it is frighteningly easy to drink.

The wee Drunken Chef Rating: 8/10

Fyne Ales – Hurricane Jack (4.5% ABV)
The grand finale of this epic trilogy comes in the shape of Fyne Ale’s sessional Hurricane Jack. This pale golden ale smells of sweet malt, citrus fruit and plenty of hops! The citrus flavour continues throughout accompanied by more hops and a lemon kick to finish. There is just the right amount of bitterness to make this a truly refreshing summer ale.

The wee Drunken Chef Rating: 8/10

So there you have it – a wonderful selection of pale ales to get you in the mood for the warmer weather, if it ever re-appears of course. Cheers!

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