Marston’s ‘EPA’ English Pale Session Pale Ale

Rating:

“EPA stands for English Pale Ale. And the stilt walker is actually an original hop picker. In this case Cascade and Styrian hops. They give it the subtle citrus flavours and delicate bitter aftertaste. An easy drinking, refreshing, light, blonde ale. Appeals to ale and lager drinkers. And the occasional stilt walker.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Pours a lovely golden amber with a thumb of fizzy white head atop. It slowly recedes and works a wavy lace down the glass.

Aroma: Picking up a well balanced fusion of sweet caramelised malts, floral and citrusy hops and that classic earthy/woody note we get from British ale yeast. There is a nice crisp freshness to it too (even though the beer itself is a tick over 7 months old). Peppery grains, orange zest, blossom and a subtle musky-ness to boot. Not half bad.

Flavour: Again, there isn’t really one dominating feature, just a mellow fusion of zesty citrus, toasty and grainy cereal malts, light florals, a hint of candy/musk and a dry woody note in the background. It provides a fairly clean and dry finish with delicate piney notes on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Light, crisp and dry. Mild body with a vibrant carbonation. Only 3.6% ABV so it really is a stayer.

Overall: Look it’s not a terribly exciting beer but it does the job. It’s got good depth of flavour and aroma with only a small ABV. A pleasant drop.