“As it matures in the bottle, St Cuthbert becomes drier, allowing bitterness and alcoholic strength to come to the fore. A heady floral aroma is immediately apparent on pouring. Peachy fruit notes and a moderate bitterness linger on the palate long after enjoying a draught.”

Glassware: English Pint.

Appearance: Amber to orange with a moderate haze. It holds a thumb of super creamy and well retained head which works a wavy lace down the glass.

Aroma: Definitely has the classic English IPA nose. Orange citrus, lychee, peach, strong florals and earthy-ness encapsulated in a semi sweet, bready/toasty malt profile. Pronounced caramel sweetness coming through too. It all seems a little tired though. And whaddya know we found the best before date…31/12/20!

Flavour: Tell ya what they’re lucky (we’re referring to the bottle shop here) English IPA’s are mostly malt driven coz it still presents nicely. Plenty of sweet orange citrus, florals and bready malts to start. Caramels, marmalade, earthy apricot and mild herbals in to a soft fruity finish with decent length.

Mouthfeel: Kinda creamy, smooth, medium bodied. Gentle bitterness post swallow. Co2 is spot on.

Overall: The fact that it’s almost 1 year old and still drinking this well is a testament to the brewers. Pretty pissed off at the bottle shop though. Would love to re-try fresh.