Celt Experience Celt Native Storm

Brewed by Celt Experience
Style: Bitter
Caerphilly, Wales

Serve in English pint

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JDW, Rochester. Mouldy leather and a dry spacious toffee accented malt. Well integrated bittering hops. A little old fashioned, but drinkable.

Best before May, 2013: Rusty peach. Thin but creamy and nicely sustained white foam. Enticingly rustic nose of blackcurranty hops, apricot jam-filled butter cookies and vague pepperiness. Faint mineral character. Tight, firm carbonation. Soft medley of earthy, curranty hop flavors merge with supple apricot esters. Spicy, woody hop notes soon accompany the subdued bitterness that develops. Malt is fairly weighty, depositing a cookielike sweetness on the tongue along with subtle tobacco. Dry nut skins and springy pecan flesh provide nice contrast to the sweetness as they link up and enhance the earthy, leafy sharpness of the hops. Pleasant dabs of forest floor/fallen leaves delicately adorn the otherwise simplistic malt-hop combo. Finishes cleanly attenuated with shortbread malt kissed with soft, spent tealeaf hop notes echoed with hints of wood and licorice. No flaws, and it is very well-balanced. Sure wish this was bottle-conditioned, as that would likely give it some extra nuance, along with improved texture and shelf life (oxidation in form of cardboard is already apparent), which this currently lacks. I could drink lots of this.

Bottle. Brilliant deep amber with thick yellow white head, webby lace, one of the nicest looking bottled English beers I’ve seen. Nutty, toasted, biscuit malts, more developed and less grainy than many of I’ve had in the style. Hops are subtle and lightly grassy and herbal, lightly floral and citrusy. Very enjoyable.

bottle. clear rust-colored body with a billowy off-white head and lasting retention. spectacularly clean nose, though restrained and somewhat mild, the biscuit and cracker pale malt and noble dry-hopping (spiced honey, green moss, flowers, light lemon) give it a brilliance that’s uncommon in bottled British beer. medium-full body with massive carbonation presence: round, firm, chewy, full in the mouth; lush texture front to back, with a crisp and smacking brightness that you typically see in lager (those that are well-made, that is), but with a bit more peach / orange / floral esters and a round chewiness expected of ale. a fresh, bright, golden, traditional English-style ale with stellar malt presence and a perfect accompaniment of English hop flavor, full, frothy, natural-feeling carbonation. this beer works very well in the bottle, I’m happy to find.

Cask handpull at County Hotel Ashford. Clear golden brown. Malty aroma. good condition in mouth. some dryness on finish. Fine

Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy, off-white, mostly lasting. Body is medium to dark amber. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted bread, cookie), lightly to moderately hoppy (herbs, old flowers, apricot), with notes of black tea, orange marmalade, light note of butter. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety/watery texture, lively carbonation. Well, the good showing of the Golden was no fluke...this one is even better. Wonderful malt character, bright characterful hops, very clean (no grain husks, no doughy raw yeast, no off notes), fluffy mouthfeel, and once again the minor note of diacetyl accentuates the cookie-and-bread-crust malt without smelling off. A quaffer’s dream but worthy of contemplative study as well. Probably the only thing keeping this out of 4+ territory is the lack of bottle conditioning magic...the nose is a little toned down compared to the best live examples of this style.

Cask by handpump at Last Post, Paisley - clear deep golden ale, good white head, fruity hop aroma, caramel malt, fruity, hint of apple, refreshing, easy to drink, good temperature, moderate carbonation

Was given this by a friend who likes pale lagers so I was surprised to taste a decent bitter with some good hoppiness in the flavour. Not a bad surprise.

Cask at The Willow Walk, JDW, London. Pours clear gold with a tight, white cream head. Crisp straw nose, hints of lemon. Light to medium sweet flavor with some spices, straw, crisp dough, dry reeds. Light to medium bodied with fine, smooth carbonation. Mild sticky finish with faintly spicy hay and leaves. Basic, aside from that spice edge.

Bottle, shared with Robbie. Bright orange amber, medium white head. Aroma is toffee, earthy grass, almost peaty but not really. Caramel flavour with dried straw nuances, grassy bitter finish. Light but flavourful, a nice bitter.