Ringwood Brewery (Marstons) Ringwood Fortyniner English Pale Ale at 4.9% ABV ($4.00 at Dominion Stavanger, 500ml, best before 31-Jul-2015)
Pours clear pale amber with a fat finger of light tan head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (3/5) Nose is biscuity pale and caramel malt, very faint apples and grassy hops. (5/10) Taste starts mild malty sweet, gives way to moderately strong bitter. (6/10) Medium to full body, prickly to moderate carbonation, lingering bitter astringent finish. (4/5)
Not quite the bland Marston brew I feared it would be, to be frank. Although it initially smells like a plain old typical ESB or EPA, the taste is a little surprising: a fairly well-balanced mild malty sweetness gives way fairly quickly to a little more enthusiastic bitter than I expected. The finish is bitter and astringent, with green apple tone making it a little puckering. All in all, not unpleasant, and I’d have another. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
