Urban Gold

Having had the wonderful Pit Pony in a bottle (see here) and the equally good, but less delectable for me, Bantam with my father (see here) it was a no brainer that I would pick up the Urban Gold from Urban Chicken Ale when I saw it in my local bottle shop. Furthermore, it had to be had on the Bank Holiday because it screamed Bank Holiday ale!

If you were to go to ancient Rhodes and sail into the harbour you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a giant statue that is supposed to have stood astride the channel under which triremes sailed and plied their trade. This was the Colossus and it was supposed to have been something of a sight to behold, in much the same way I suspect that the Urban Gold stands astride my Bank Holiday ales (and I had a few) in a fashion that means I have to actually get on and review it above all others.

If you'll forgive the obvious self-referential flourish, this is an epic beer. Would you like to know more?

A mighty ale on the picnic table in our garden standing proud and tall, the condensation glistening like sweat in the Bank Holiday sunshine and the heat, the yellow label reflecting the sunshine brightly and with the kind of happiness that one would imagine van Gogh getting excited about. There's a man who knew his colours. And this pours very much as you would expect, all industrial and burnished in the sun with a huge hit of cascade hops that just captures the air and turns it over and over on the nostrils. Softer than the Pit Pony, because it is golden and pale, and yet not as heavy and strong as the Bantam being just 4.5% ABV and that is evident on the nose. Good orange gold in the glass and rather more bubbles than the carbonation would actually suggest, I suspect that is mainly down to the fact that I am rather rubbish at cleaning my pint glasses.

The head actually increased after the pour and matched the brightening of the weather. The warmth brought out the cascade hops and so I took it in to Willow to see what she thought. I had to fight a bit to get it back, so I'll take that as a positive. Sure enough, there was light fruit and moderate citrus on the tongue, frothing gently like a small stream pouring over the rocks. It swirled and exploded a little on the tongue with plenty of carbonation but not over-wrought and something hoppy this way came, with some fruit as a side order. The whole thing was a lot less hefty in terms of punch than when I'd had it on draught but then that was with Centennial and this was with Cascade. I have to say, this fared much better than the Cascade I had round my grandfather's all that time ago (see this link here) and that was a positive. There were shots of the yeast through the maelstrom but the whole thing just worked well having been chilled in the warm and the heavy humidity of the day.

In case you are not clear, I liked this one! It moved to the back of the throat with an assurance that shouldn't really be warranted by a 4.5% ABV pale, and there it stood bestrode like that bronze statue from ancient times, glinting in the sun all dry and dangerous. A good bittering effect from the Cascade and then it was lingering and demanding yet another mouthful. Surprisingly smooth despite the dry edge and, as I say, well-suited to a warm and sunny Bank Holiday Sunday in the garden after a long weekend being busy with family things. The children played (and did screen stuff) and I was able to kick back a bit and relax with this brew. It was on for a bit more than the Pit Pony and Bantam had been.

Being brutal now, I think this is better than the Bantam was, it does the job of being big and heavy without actually being big and heavy. It has the dryness associated with thirst quenching without drifting into sharpness or blonde territory. However, I do not think it superior to the amazing Pit Pony and that is very much the beast it is up against. I think it suited the day well and I think that I would definitely have it again. It is a good stable mate but it pales (ha) in comparison with the Pit Pony. Like the statue at Rhodes, this is impressive and awe-inspiring as a brew but it is short lived in the memory and does not have the lovely edge of darkness and untamed wildness that I liked about the stout. I may be a little unfair here, this is a pale after all, but I do find myself comparing!

Enjoy this best on summer days in the garden with thunderstorms threatening, waiting for the freshness that follows a fall of rain. As Marius and Eponine are wont to remind us, rain will make the flowers grow. This will make you appreciate the rain more and enjoy the warm sunshine that precedes it!