Brakspear Oxford Gold (Cask)

[On cask at the Rising Sun, Reading] I never really liked the Brakspear flavour, even when they were independent (we used to refer to them as BreakWind as their beers could be a little sulphurous!). The takeovers by Wychwood and subsequently Marstons seem to have managed to keep Brakspears surprisingly true to its original taste - which unfortunatley, means I still don’t think much of it. This beer is undoubtedly citrus-y, but unfortunately the citrus aspect they’ve chosen to highlight is a horrible sour aftertaste. Rather dry and watery, there’s not a lot to redeem this. It’s a shame, for there are some excellent organic beers out there (eg Shep’s Whitstable Bay) and beers like this will do the organic movement no favours at all.

Cask. Golden light orange colour. Hardly any head. Aroma is fruity, hoppy with some caramel and malt. Flavour is soft, dry and fruity with caramel and malt. Hoppy bitter finish.

Cask at The Holly Bush, Hampstead 28 Apr 08. Golden colored. A filmy head. Modest fruity aroma. Paperish flavor with a similar dry finish. Some dry bitterness.

Cask in Blackfriars. Aroma is slightly sulphurus but a good pale malt backing and orangy fruity character makes it appealing. The taste has no sulphur, just fruity orangy tangarine character that i love about brakspear beers. Perhaps lacking in depth though.

Half pint on cask at White Horse in Oxford. Dark amber body with brilliant clarity, missing head and fragile lacing on the glass. Malty aroma. Some degrees of sweet malty fruits in taste and bitter aftertones. Ordinary, but a decent bitter (17.03.2008)