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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