Crouch Vale Amarillo

Brewed by Crouch Vale
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
South Woodham Ferrers, England

Cask conditioned at Merton Winter Beer fest 07. Orange gold with white head. I was very much looking forward to this beer and whilst it gives a good example of a single variety hop it does tend to lack the fullness of flavour I was expecting. There is a fleshy dryness to the beer with spicy hop notes, but there is also a thinness to the beer. Having said this it is still a very good beer.

Cask handpull at The Rake, Borough. Gold colour with thin off white head. Amarillo hop aroma, bit of ashtray. Frankly a bit thin in mouth to carry the hop. Peachy fruit and then aromatic hop finish. Lacks real depth. It’s 5% ABV, but it needs more body. Bit of sweetness from peachy fruit and alcohol. Good drying finish. Just needs more in the mouthfeel as the aroma and finish are good. Too watery in mouth for me. 3.4/5 Re-rate, Unicorn, Canterbury Peach/apricot aroma. Lovely condition, strong golden peachy beer that rather stunned me.

Cask at Far From The Madding Crowd Autumn Ale Festival. Just a slight haze to the warm orange pour. Small but very sticky layer of white, leaving a lacy ring of flecks down the glass. Bursting with hop goodness--grapefruit, cinnamon, a summery-fresh pollen--amazing. Citrus and fresh apricot bitterness: big, unapologetic hop flavor but without the unpleasant rind quality that sometimes goes with heavy-handed hopping. A solid underlying warm breadiness. The hops really are the star of this show, but it still manages balance. This is remarkable, wonderfully good ale. What a great introduction to Crouch Vale!

Cask@Wenlock Arms, London. Copper brown, small white head. Strong Amarillo hoppy aroma. Starts a bit honeyish sweet, then amarillos ride in. Overall sweetish, hops dominate the aftertaste.

Pint pulled at The Evening Star in Brighton, a clear light amber with a thin white head. A beautiful sweet berry and citrus aroma with a perfect tanginess. Pineapple and fruit salad flavours, a great bitterness all the way through and a good dry finish. One word - delicious!

A bright, golden to orange beer with a thickish white head. A powerful hop aroma, floral, and plenty of tropical fruits, sweet grapefruit, lemons and mangoes! The taste is very dry to begin with, then, (after a few pints!), this mellows, to allow the hoppy, floral, fruitiness to come through, Again, grapefruits and lemons, plus bananas and mangoes. Deceptively drinkable, as some of the locals would agree - hench the rendition of the Tony Christie classic! Perfect for a balmy English Summer’s eve. (Cask - The Fox & Hounds, Heacham, Norfolk).

cask pbf’05 Nice hoppy beer with fruity citrus (also from hops). Medium body, good refreshing beer to drink in the summer.

Huge floral, grapefruit hops with plenty of fruity esters. Clear, yellow-gold with low but lasting white head that leaves some lace. Complex floral hop flavours include notes of grapefruit, lemon and orange with underlying biscuity malt flavours. Medium-light body with lively carbonation. Cask at GBBF 2005.