DROP ANCHOR IN PALE ALE BAY

MY SHOUT WORDS: SIMON IRWIN

Last Saturday I was having my regular prowl around the craft beer shelves of my local Chapel of St Dan’s (Yes dear, it is for work – it’s not like I enjoy it ...) when I realised there are not a whole heap left that Hugh the Neighbour and I haven’t tried.

We have always tried to taste beers that are fairly easily available in the places where you are reading this column.

It is fine to write about a lovely little craft pale ale from a nano-brewery in the back streets of Kyoto, but not that much use to you the reader, unless you are planning a trip to Japan.

So for this week’s column, I grabbed a beer that I have often walked past – for no other reason that I know it is a Woolworths house brand in a crafty wrapper – the Sail and Anchor Pale Ale.

A 4.2 per cent ABV mild American-style pale ale, it pours a deep amber in the glass with a nice amount of white head that did last in the glass.

If you are looking for the whack you usually get from US West Coast pale ales, you will be disappointed, however it does deliver some citrus notes on the nose and you do get a backbone of hops.

The finish is not overly bitter without being bland, and it doesn’t taste watery as some house-brand lagers can (thinking XXXX Gold Pale Ale here).

HTN probably summed it up when he said it was non-offensive and pleasant enough on a hot day.

I reckon this is a beer that would be a good introduction to beers other than lager – it is tasty enough but won’t frighten people off from their craft beer journey.