ESBman (50), Andover, Bedfordshire, England Jan 25, 2006 Tasted by half-pint at the Ship & Mitre, a nice real ale haven in Liverpool.
It pours a pale-golden hue, clear and bright, coming with a creamy white head.
The nose has orangey hops on top of spicy floral hops (like EK Goldings), mixed with abundant fruitiness. True to its name: hop-dominated.
A citrussy-fruity palate backed with sufficient entry of chewy malts and hayish flavour, leading to a long lingering bitter-sweet aftertaste with good body of bitterness and almost lager-like toasty maltiness in the finish.
Almost full-bodied and lively on the mouthfeel, this is a quaffable pale ale in need of yet more maltiness as a balancer in order to be an IPA. A pleasant drink all the same!
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