Here’s a brewery I’d not heard of previously – Crouch Vale, from Chelmsford in Essex. Once more, I came across it and its lovely golden ale Amarillo at The Cask in Pimlico, London, and I presume it’s named after the rare and delightful Amarillo aromatic hop from the USA.
It’s a fairly regulation golden ale colour, but the aroma stands out in this one: grapefruit and lychee dominate a light nose but definitely come through in the taste. It’s got a good bitter-sweet balance and is fairly light bodied and refreshing.
That exotic fruit taste lingers at the back of the tongue for a fair while and I must admit it repeats well!
It’s a really sessionable golden, without question.
The essentials:
ABV: 5%
Colour: Golden
Nose: Light exotic fruits
Taste: Lychee and grapefruit – lingers for ages
Our verdict: Really quaffable and tasty golden
Website: http://www.crouchvale.co.uk/?page_id=24
