Hop Back Summer Lightning

Brewed by Hop Back
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Salisbury, England

Cask at the Sultan, London SW19 on 4th December 2009. Gold with very little head. Citric and grassy hop rounded by a pleasant not oversweet malt aroma and a satisfying dry finish on a smooth to light mouthfeel. A very flavoursome, very balanced premium ale, easy to drink for its strength.

Cask @ Waterloo Arms, Southampton. Pours a golden color with a small white head. Has a fruity malty hoppy aroma with hints of citrus. Fruity malty hoppy caramel flavor with hints of citrus. Has a fruity malty caramel finish with some hoppy aftertaste.

500ml bottle. Pale gold body, bit of hazy, small creamy white head. Light aroma; pale malts, cereals, grassy hops, bit of minerally bread quality. Lean body, decent carbonation, bit of husky dryness adds a somewhat refreshing element to it. Hops come through on the body; lemony, grassy, spicy, decent citric bitter note, some subtle pale malt flavours in the background but nothing prominant. Finish is dry. Refreshing English golden ale, could probably drink quite a few of these.

500ml bottle, light hazy yellow gold color, with some small floaties of lee swirling around, with an off-white head, light cut staw, honeyed pale malt nose, with a hint of floral hop citrusy, grassy, leafy accent in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a yeasty, earthy mild grainy pale malt character, with a flowery hop citrusy, grassy accent, and a hint of honey sweetness, leading towards a faint fruity, citrusy, hop dry bitterness finish.

500 ml bottle from LCBO. Pours a cloudy yellow-gold with moderate white head. Bready nose with a slight, flowery sweetness. Taste of bread and almost a touch of honey. Light floral hops also present giving a light bitterness in finish. Solid but unspectacular.

500 mL bottle from Peace Street Market in Raleigh, NC. Pours a hazy lemon yellow color with a large frothy white head. Good head retention and lacing. A thin layer of sediment that looks like sand at the bottom of the glass. Fruity, floral citrus hop aroma. Some grain and faint stone fruit notes. Taste is caramel, stone fruits, grain. Smooth, a bit chalky, medium bodied. Decent beer.

oro pallido con un piccolo cappello di schiuma,aroma e sapore decisamente agrumata e leggermente luppolata,con una giusta finitura amara. non una grande birra ma sicuramente,molto beverina!

500ml Bottle: Pours hazy, light yellow, almost weiss light. No head at all for me, not sure why, a few straggling white bubbles. Nose is pretty light and unappealing, acidic apple juice, lemon, skunked hops. This isn’t starting so hot. Taste is initially skunky, lightly bittering hops, straw.. seriously, how is this rated so high? I wouldn’t call it bad but it’s vastly overrated.