Duchy Originals Organic Ale

Good colour with a slightly sticky beige head. Aroma fruity with some slightly citric hops. Smooth, sweetly malty and fairly well balanced, solid if a bit dull.

Pours a caramel color with a slight red tone to it. Smell has a barley tone to it with a mild sweet edge to it. Taste is somewhat interesting with a pronounced barley flavor to it. It has a frothy mouth to it that feels good. You could drink a lot in a sitting and it is worth trying, but I have to say I doubt this is the finest example of the style.

Cask (handpump) @ GBBF 2007, London. Unclear amber color with a small to average, fizzy, fair lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel, light to moderate yeasty, plum, butter sweet / sour. Flavor is moderate sweet with a average duration. Body is light to medium, texture is oily, carbonation is flat.

Bottle.

Pours amber with a limited head. Restrained aroma, grassy with a bit of apple. The flavor is grainy, bready, metallic, and disappointing. None of the warm malts of the better examples of the style, and not much going on here.

Orange-amber in colour, lingering but dissipating white coloured head, some lacing. The aroma is lightly sweet, wheaty, some fruit, floral hops, apples and light caramel. The flavour is agian wheaty, moderatly sweet, some caramel malts, light chocolate, bready. Moderatly bitter mouthfeel, medium body, high carbonation. Finishes with a lingering bitterness. Not bad, Hobgoblin?

500ml bottle from the LCBO in Peterborough, Ontario for $3.60.
Purchased on April 18, 2007 and opened on April 19, 2007.
Best before January 21, 2008.

I agree that this is the best from Wychwood I’ve had so far because it has a phat malty layer along with some grain flavors and a not too dry finish. The soapyness is part of the style but it does kind of ruin things a bit. I picked this up at Tommy’s wine and food emporium in Duck, NC because the traffic was a bit heavy (should of gone to Chips in Kill Devil Hills). Maybe I should have spent less than $5.99 and opten for a $3.99 Chimay.

1 pt. 0.9 fl oz (US) Bottle. Nice reddish-bronze pour but a bit cloudier than I imagined it would be. It even sounded nice pouring into the glass. Pleasing aroma of barley and hops. Heavy mouthfeel. Delightfully mild, refreshing taste with a hint of citrus but not overpowering at all. It is probably the best brew from Wychwood that I’ve been able to sample and I would definitely buy it again. My little way to help out the Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation?

50 cl. bottle. Pours a slightly hazy orange/copper. Grain and caramel malty aroma with some dusty hay, grass, and orangey hops. Light caramel malt flavor with an underlying orangey tartness. Moderate citrusy and grassy hop bitterness on the finish, which unfortunately leads into a soapy aftertaste. Kind of a weird slippery mouthfeel in this one. Not that great, but at least it’s for a good cause (I think).