Dark Star Hylder Blond

Pours golden blonde, mildly floral hoppy pint, with the elderflower coming through just before the citrusy bitter finish. The elderflower seems to go rather well, decent.

Cask at Oliver Twist, Stockholm. Pours out in a hazy golden colour with a small creamy white head. Dryish aroma of lemony hops, grass and elder with undertones of cookies. Medium to light-bodied with notes of crackers, lemon-zest, elder and orange-peels. Crisp medium-bitter finish of lemon-zest, cookies and grass.

Not much on the nose, appearance is on the dull brown side. The flavour is awful, I hate elderflower but wanted to try this as it’s darkstar and they usually make great beers. Held my palate hostage for far too long. Yuck.

Cask at the Evening Star, Brighton, 14th July 09. Clear gold with a lacy head. Very strong elderflower aroma and flavour. Definitely different and not to everyone’s taste, but I liked it. Quite a dry finish too.

Cask at The Churchill Tavern, Ramsgate: I found this one to be mildly disappointing. Fruity and refreshing with plenty of citrus going on. Elderflower is not particularly subtle. I’d like to give this one another go at some point, it was certainly interesting.

Cask at Oliver Twist, Stockholm. Clear golden. Citric nose with vanilla and elderflower. Medium sweet with light-medium body and rounded mouthfeel. The elderflower acts as a spice in the background. Together with hay and citrus it provides refreshment and some late bitterness. One of the more succesful spice beers from Dark Star.

(Cask at Oliver Twist, Stockholm) Golden yellow colour with frothy, off-white head. Fruity nose with notes of citrus, elderflowers and washing-up liquid. Fruity taste with citrus (lemon, orange), elderflowers and generous doses of fresh, citrussy, grassy hops in the finish. Nice and very refreshing.

Draught at OT. Nice Englich hop aroma and elder flower. Taste is fruity and elder-lemonade also present. Low bitterness but a very refreshing summer ale.