Hop Back Summer Lightning

Brewed by Hop Back
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Salisbury, England

Serve in English pint, Shaker

AROMA: hay, floral APPEARANCE: golden, clear, minimal head, TASTE: light sweetness, lightly bitter PALATE: creamy, average carbonation, bitter, long finish, medium body OVERALL: refreshing and full bodied without turning too zesty.

First tasted this at the Paisley Beer Festival in March 1994. Cask, handpump dispense. Clear gold in colour with a thick white head. Strong citric fruit notes in the long aroma. Resiny mouthfeel and superb lacing throughout. Pale malt base gives a chewy digestive biscuit background laced with citric fruit notes of kiwi, lime and pineapple. Strong floral tones in the dry dusty aftertaste add a bitter bite. Finish is robust with malty elements coming through with sweet golden syrup evident. A cracking Golden Ale and one of my favourites from the Hop Back portfolio.

Bottle. Golden color with a pleasant white head. The nose is grassy and floral, fresh. Taste is moderately bright and hoppy. Thinnish body, subtle carbonation. Overall, a pretty simple, clean beer. Not bad, but pretty boring.

500ml Bottle. Hazy honey coloured beer, with some visible sediment. White cloud of a head, and good lacing. Light grassy hops on the nose, which develop on the tongue into rich spruce and mild citrus. There’s a maltiness on the tongue, which leads nicely into the bitterness and the finish is long and dry. Pleasant.

decent ’standard’ shop fare. good golden sun kissed colour. minimal head. slight taste of earthy grass. gentle malt and slightly sweet aftertaste. probably good with bbq’d corn on the cob.

Flaska 50 cl. Lätt grumlig dryck med aningen svagt skum. Mycket fläder i aromen. Detsamma samt äpple i smaken. Lagom avvägd beska.

On tap @ Thomson’s Bar, Edinburgh. Pours golden with a nice proportionate head. The nose has soap and meadowsweet. The taste has sweet pale malt and more meadowsweet. The palate is medium bodied and textured with a lovely clean finish. Overall, a good drop!

500ml bottle pours a nice golden color with a small white head and a few spots of lace. Aroma is fresh hops and light caramel. Taste is light malty sweetness with an intense hoppy bitter finish. A nicely done ale with a light to medium body and average carbonation. Moderately enjoyable brew.