New Year Ales!

I have had some excellent pale, dry and bitter ales over the past week, notably the excellent 4.8% Oakham Frozen Fresh Hop Citra, a delight, and a variation on a green-hopped ale, where fresh hops, usually used on the day they are picked, are used in the brew. In this instance, the U.S. Citra hops used were 'flash frozen' within a few hours of being picked and arrived at the brewery in the middle of November, when they were thawed out and used a day later for this brew. I can only repeat what I wrote in my notes: very pale with a BIG fruity citrus aroma, bl**dy good with a clean dry bitter finish, and I added 3 ticks, which I don't often go that far, exceptional!

Since that 'Citra' ran out, I have been drinking the more regular 4.2% 'Session IPA' Oakham Citra which they describe as 'feisty, hoppy, citrus' and, in this instance, they are very correct, it does what it says on the label. More easily available dried Citra hops are used, but they still produce a big citrus aroma and flavour, also pale dry and bitter, and very good indeed!

You may take it from this blog I have been drinking plenty of Oakham Ales (website) beers recently, one of my favourite brewers, including their superb 4.6% Bishops Farwell. I have also been drinking other excellent pale dry bitter ales from another of my favourite brewers, Kent Brewery (website), just sneaking into the photograph immediately above is their 5% Brewers Reserve, but also other quality pale bitters, including their own 4.5% Citra (there's a lot of it about 😉), the 4.2% The Quiet American, with a more subtle use of hops from the U.S.A., the 4.9% Tropic Ale, and the excellent 4.8% Prohibition, quality, and with its own 'fan club' of drinkers who follow the beer around Kent and East Sussex to grab a few pints of Prohibition!

I have also sampled some other fine paler ales from nearby and further afield, and for my next blog I will write about some darker ales I have enjoyed, cheers and a Happy New Year!