Knickersby ’Spoons. Watery grapefruit and flat lemonade. Gentle straw, meek fruit and zero fizz. Needs more freshness, zest and hop clout..

Cask pint at The Maltings, York. Dark golden with a scummy quarter-inch white head that laces. Aroma is surprisingly malt-centric, slightly dusty but not much hop character to speak of. Taste is the other end of the spectrum: quite piney and resinously bitter, with a nice pale malt backbone. Strong and slightly harsh, rasping bitter aftertaste. Palate is thicker than most blondes, with a fine carbonation and an excellent feel on the tongue. Quite decent with a distinctive hop character.