Thursday 7 April 2011

Northumbrian Blonde


Finding a beer on cask that you yourself helped brew is always a worthwhile experience. It was right in the first week of my Mordue brewing adventures that the very first batch of this 4% Amarillo and New Zealand Green Bullet hop influenced golden ale was pending. Then looking at the forward orders last week I discovered this stuff's going to my local, the mighty John Bull, Alnwick.

So I stroked the two nine gallon casks goodnight and vowed to get myself down the John Bull in the following week to do some on trade quality control. Out of the conditioning tank it was nice enough, but from the handpull it's even better. The aroma brings punchy grapefuit and orange notes that protrude into a hop forward, tangy bitter palate that's balanced by a residual malt sweetness. It has that uncompromising robust Mordue house character. For a 4% golden ale it's not light or elegant but zesty and packed with hop flavour. Nicely drinkable tho.

The good news is this one alongside our seasonal release of Ginger ale, (which I myself helped brew and force the raw Ginger through a blender) Northumbrian Blonde will be available at the Newcastle Beer Festival on April 14th and at the Mordue beer festival at The Hotspur starting on the same date. Alternatively if you wanted a pre-taster you could always pop by the Mordue Brewery shop on April the 9th.


I myself will be at the Newcastle beer festival on the first day as soon as I can possibly manage to get there, It's gonna be huge.

1 comment:

Leigh said...

I like Mordue; they may be 'straight down the middle' but I like thier beers. Will keep an eye out.