Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbodys Country Ale

Brewed by Wye Valley
Style: English Strong Ale
Hereford, England

What makes Our Glass a very interesting beer, is this beer is not available in the UK. Our Glass is an English "Strong" Ale by style, brewed for the export market in the United States. Coming in at 6% abv, which is no means "strong" by American microbrew standards, this beer is a rich, delicious, complex real ale, with lots of flavor and character. It is brewed with Amber, Pale, Crystal, and Wheat malts, and hopped with a very UK hop variety called Bramling Cross. Marketed in beautiful brown Imperial pint bottles with a picture of the beautiful Dorothy sitting in a field with a green dress, this beer would make any beer lover drool. Dorothy Goodbody’s Our Glass pours to a beautiful, bright, ruby red color with a slight white head that fades and a soft carbonation. It is important to note, with real ale, you must pour carefully. For this beer to pour bright, you must leave the dregs in the bottle or the beer will pour hazy. My suggestion is leave the last bit of beer in the bottle. You can drink it(I do) or you can just discard it. If you do drink it, clear your palate with some water, and enjoy this beer without any chance of the flavors being muddled. The nose on this beer has a wonderfully malty and fruity aroma, with some nice flowery hop aromas, to balance out the sweet malty and fruity aromas. The palate is very soft on the tongue with lots of really good pale and sweet malt flavors paired with estery, juicy fruity flavors. There is also, as Garrett Oliver(brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery) likes to say, a back drop of flinty flavor, often found in British ales. What is flinty? You really have to taste it to understand what it means, but it is there in this beer. Our Glass finishes with more of those great malty and fruity flavors, then ends with some nice flowery/slightly herbal bitterness that lingers on the tongue. This is yet another very impressive beer, from a very impressive British brewery. I could see my self losing a whole day in a pub drinking pint after pint of this beer. It has so much flavor, yet it is so soft and drinkable

Nice, clean and very enjoyable. Copper in color. Very good ale. Big malt flavor with a slight presence of hops.

Dark brown-red with beige head. Malty aroma with molasses, licorice and alcohol. Bitter flavor with alcoholic tones. Licorice, molasses, syrup and spices as well. Roasted. Fat and velvety palate.

(Bottled Our Glass)Ruby red with thin head. Strong woody/fruity nose. Sweet with a cascade of malts and fruits on the tounge turns to a curly hop finish. A very fine English ale. I could drink many but the 6% shows itself quickly!

Crystal clear brown with a small (expected) light tan head. Initial earthy and toasty malt aromas which tend to get a bit more fruity as it warms. Hints of spicy hops and light licorice. Smooth, thin and slick in feel. Light dry sweetness in the start balance well by the darker malts and hops. Light medicinal pepper and mild fruit finish. This is one of those that makes you sit back and ponder the brew and its complexities. Is it world class, with its slight, conspicuous nuances; or just good, with its lack of grap you by the nose and throat qualities. To me it is one of those beers that bring you back to the realm of traditional brewing - Flavorful, relaxing, simply complex and balance. Ah, it's gone! What the hell am I taking about?

The aroma is roasted and nutty with a touch of licourice. Looks pretty good too - a very dark ruby coloured beer. Tastes of winter fruits and licourice with roast character. Quite juicy and mouthfilling on the palate. Good long finish too. Good beer.

A very good ale, that reminds me slightly of 1845, but a little bit spicier. Pours a dark amber color with a faslty fading head, that has some nice clingy lacing. A bitter and dry finish. Very easy to drink.

Nice, clean malty aroma. Copper color. Big malt flavor with a strong hop presence. Enjoyable brew.