An Excellent Green Hopped Ale

I wrote a piece for my Hastings blog earlier, as, yesterday, I had finished off the 2 firkins of the excellent Dark Star Green Hopped IPA (6.5%) at the Dolphin Inn, Hastings, Rock-a-Nore Road... Well, I didn't drink the full 18 gallons, but I did have a few pints from both casks, not least the final 2 pints from the second firkin.

As you will probably be aware, a green hopped ale requires fresh hops, ideally, picked on the day of the brew. Dark Star Brewing (website) use "fresh English hops", ie Simcoe, in this very seasonal ale. Yet again, this year, this was an excellent ale, with a deep amber hue and fruity aroma, the taste is fruity, but dry, not particularly sweet, leaving a dry bitter aftertaste, exceptional, indeed, cheers!    

Drinking Ale Beasts in Hastings!

Last week I drank the superb Burning Sky Aurora, at the FILO in Hastings, and now The Rutland Beast, brewed at Oakham in Rutland by The Grainstore Brewery(website)... Seven different types of malt and wheat are used for the grist, and three different hops in the brew, though Grainstore appear to be a little shy about sharing the names of the hops used! 

Also, I didn't really find it to be a "beast", but a well-balanced ale with a deep red colour and lovely to drink. OK, it's a wee bit strong at 5.3%, but with a lovely cherry beer aroma, and fruity strong taste and plenty of body, in fact, I'd describe it as an excellent strong 'ruby mild', but what do I know? I had this very recently at the Dolphin Inn at Rock-a-Nore, and the speed of it not being on any more provides evidence of what a good beer it is/was.

So I thought I should give notice of another 'beast' of an ale, this time from an East Sussex brewer, and due to come on at the Dolphin this weekend, and that is the very seasonalDark Star Green Hopped IPA (brewery website). Seasonal, because of the use of fresh (most brewers use hops picked within 12 hours to add to their brews of this type of ale) or green hops, rather than the dried hops usually used by brewers. Very different in style, a supremely dry pale bitter with a strong aroma and taste of citrus from the Simcoe hops used, and 6.5% of strength that you may not notice, unless you drink more than one pint! 

Cheers!