Dark Star Hophead

This brewery has good things, I am not in a bitter club but although its classification, it had a nice bitter taste.

Cask @ Volunteer Arms, GBBF 2006. Pours a clear golden colour with a longlasting white head. Fruity hoppy citrus aroma. Malty fruity and very hoppy flavor with some hints of citrus. Long hoppy bitter aftertaste.

and yet another rating and sample at the GBBF. very nice beer. it was actually the last one we had, which was a good finale.

NERAX 2005 Golden in color with no head. Aroma and flavor of mild bready malt and citrus hops.

(Cask at Oliver Twist, Stockholm, 9 July) Colour is golden with notes of orange, frothy head. Nose is fruity and hoppy with notes of citrus (grapefruit, orange peel), very fresh hop aroma. Taste is hoppy and fruity with notes of grapefruit and a fresh, hoppy finish. Very refreshing.

A Mes rate: Cask at the Head of Steam in Euston. Standard English tobacco nose (I’m sure that’s a song by Edgar Winter!) Crap appearance. Looks just like lager. No head but leaves a surprising amount of lace. Very citric and also very hoppy as the name suggests. Off milk in the nose, watery palate but somehow it is reasonably satisfying. Finish is all bitter hops which gradually fade and then the malt makes an unexpected appearance. A most unusual finish and one which totally makes the beer. However I get the feeling this should be a lot better.

On tap in the Evening Star in Brighton. Light in colour with no head. Again a flat looking ale with no character. However a nice beer. Smooth and a little flavour of hops. Leaves no distinguished taste, quite sweet also.

Cask @ dba. Very pale golden, topped by a creamy white head. Nose of clean maris otter malts, orangey hops and some light resinousness. Fairly simple aroma. Falvour is also simple, UK malts, pale malt, light orange hops, some resin and an unpleasant soapy astringency that I don’t care for. Meh.