We always love a good surprise and our trip to Willie’s last weekend provided us with one as this Golden ale was, for us, one of our favourite beers of the afternoon.
Served in a shaker glass the deep amber pour reveals some attractive copper highlights when held to the light. A loosely held finger and a half of beige foam defied quite well but eventually shrunk down to a fine covering on top. Reasonable lacing. One of the best things we remember about this ale was it’s firmly hopped aroma and the second we take a whiff we know why we liked it so much. Big, herbal and resinous with hints of peppery spice, citrus, stonefruits and earth come forth initially. Quite vinous too with this fresh, leafy character coming though. The malts take a bit of a back seat here but some sweet hints of caramelised toffee and toast are there to enjoyed. Brilliant aroma. Well rounded in the mouth with a silky smooth texture. The front palate picks up a nice toastiness with a light splash of citrus and an assertive hop bitterness that cuts right through. Nutty malts begin to open up through the mid leading to a sweet and dry finish with a lingering bitterness in the tail. To offer this much flavour and depth with a 4.5% ABV has to be admired. Hats off to Pat & Nick for this excellent Golden ale. So untrue to style but executing it perfectly. Good work lads.