I've already opened it and poured and, as as spoiler, I just said 'wow' even though there is no one in the room to hear me. Make of that what you will. Would you like to know more?
It has been a long way, has this can, and so I was pleased to find that near perpetual chilling meant that a long journey in a hot car hadn't left it too agitated and ruined with the heat. I poured carefully, as is my wont, and tried to create a head at the end. Not too successfully, but you can tell that I have tried. It's a big orange colour with a massive cloud of aroma that comes straight out of the hissing can. Good show of force there on opening, comes out fresh and sparkling with plenty of orange and tropical mango and/or pineapple on the nose. This is laced through with something else, before reading the can I thought almost garlic, but then the can provided me with what I was searching for by suggesting cheese. Yes, there is actually a bit of something cheesy in there, a little like what you might get on a garlic pizza with cheese at a proper Italian. Not sure I can detect the sweetness of the caramel promised on the can, but I'm not going to quibble with a brewery of such renown.
First impressions are very fruity indeed, here is the big hit of the floral hops as you bring it to the nose and then diving straight into the orange and tangy tropical fruit on the tongue. Hard to really discern the different fruit influences but for the fact that they are full and juicy with a citrus undertone. This really dominates as the pint is chilled and then the bubbles, present and very much in evidence in the middle, do little to shake that, bringing only fleeting impressions of the yeast and malt backbone, and it has one, to the taste. The mouthfeel is very much supported by a strong malt base, like a good biscuit at the bottom of a cheesecake, allowing that slightly cheesecake texture to handle the fruit like it does in good desserts. Not too sweet though, mainly harsh and citrus. Mind you, no sooner have I said this than, now, as it warms up by my laptop, the caramel begins to come through on the nose and it is sticky and liquidy. Then it plays a role on the tongue and deep into the mouth, salted and sweet atop that now much sweeter cheesecake texture, topped still with citrus and tropical fruit flavours. Less juice now and much more of the almost dessert style of ale. I have to say, I am impressed, I don't think I've had a non-stout ale that is able to be a dessert style before!
And yes, the fact that the whole thing changes so much as the temperature changes so little is quite amazing. It's not like I've been sat here for that long having this one but I find myself wanting to savour it for a little longer and see if it does anything else as it sits here. In London my father suggested that red wine gets better on the second night of being open, and I think that perhaps this is slightly true of this intriguing ale too, it's sat here for a very short time and yet it has already changed character completely. It is nothing like the Some Fifty Summers that I had from them last (see here) and very much like something completely different. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest that there is a touch of Millionaire (here) about the texture and the aspect of this. It is a rich and indulgent orange murk bomb with no bits and yet a really deep and complex flavour.
I really don't know what to make of it and I'm only about halfway through the glass. There's an almost sweet toffee or chocolate feel around my lips as I lick them after each sip now, less harsh and citrusy and more sweet and fudge-like. The kind of sticky chocolate fudge that you get in restaurant desserts that you insist you don't want hot or with cream that warm up with the room temperature and barely get messy but stick in small amounts to the sides of the mouth. Why, yes, I may have taken my dessert that way, what of it? And this is a changing ale all the time. I would not have placed that at the beginning of trying it and even frowned at the description of caramel. It's more cheesecake and caramel now than it is fruit and juice. This is definitely an ale that rewards you spending time with it and develops in ways that I did not really imagine an ale doing.
It continues to develop as I get further, the caramel begins to retreat and now it's back to fruit but this time it's the sort of fruit one finds on the top of a cheesecake so it's all mashed together with sweet sauce and with a tart sort of edge to it to contrast with the sweetened cheese and biscuit, here provided by what I assume is the malt. It is safe to say that I am blown away by how this ale has changed and continues to change as I drink it. I don't think it's going to make me not have stouts or anything quite as drastic as challenge them for dominance this year but I think I can equally say that it's giving them a good run for their money. One verdict I am happy to lay down here is that this is amongst the most expensive ales that I have bought and it is worth every penny. 5.5% ABV is advertised and I honestly can't tell you how that affects the taste because I cannot single out the alcohol amongst the choir of tastes marshalled here for your delectation. I can feel the light-headedness of a lightweight trying ale (that would be me) but I cannot taste the alcohol. I'd say that was dangerous stuff but for the fact that the taste alone prevents you from trying to session this. I mean, you could have two of these, obviously, but I'd question why you need to. If you want something to get drunk then this is not for you. If you want to session then I would recommend other ales. If you want something different and bold to enjoy over an hour and nurse a bit, then this is very much the ale for you. It rewards the attention and the caution. The Crafty One still has some in as of me writing this, I may be forced to bankrupt myself more and get more in.
No comments:
Post a Comment