Continuing with the off the shelf supermarket
beer series
Today we have Chapel Down’s Curious Brew.
After starting life as a winery,
Chapel Down started producing some award winning
beers
and this is their lager offering.
It comes in at 4.7% ABV and available in
bottles, cans and on draft
including at Gordon Ramsay restaurants,
ooooo fancy
They say they used their wine-making techniques
to help create this beer
and the same can be said for this label.
The text and the layout it is pretty much
a carbon copy
of the one's they use on their bottles of
wine.
At the top you're treated to a gold band
around the neck of the bottle
and what says class more than
wrapping yourself with gold.
Moving further down what I do like is the
logo.
Inside an elegant golden diamond
is a golden question mark
over two golden hops.
Ooh doesn't that make you
curious.
pphhh
So if we turn to the back
it’s in the description where things get
interesting.
They describe it a modern lager
that's been re-pitched with champagne yeast
and is given a dosage of rare Nelson Sauvin
hops.
So rare in fact
that you can easily order a packet
with next day delivery from most homebrew
websites.
I think it’s safe to say that this beer
screams
elegance,
class
and wealth.
all things i’m not,
so before someone finds out and stops me
let’s crack it open.
*Whooshing sounds*
*Sexy Music*
Argh ball bags,
bloody champagne yeast
*Sexy Music*
Straight out the glass
you can see it pours a crystal clear golden
yellow
that is topped off with a large white head.
You get a subtle spicy sweet aroma
which rises out of the glass
Mmm well let’s give it a taste
Ooh
As is typical with most lagers
you’re presented with a light body
that's incredibly crisp and smooth,
there's not a lot of carbonation going on
but it’s quite refreshing.
You get an incredibly light bitterness
most likely because the only bittering hops
they use is the “rare”
nelson sauvin hop
And the flavour is very clean and crisp.
You can taste the combinations of hops
but they are very subtle as they
lightly pass over your tastebuds,
after which you then get a
very subtle champagne like aftertaste.
If you were to pick this up it’s an easy
one to transition to.
It's a familiar lager taste
but with the curious brew you’re presented
with additional subtle flavours
that you wouldn't find in your
traditional run of the mill brands.
So how about we give this one an RBR.
I’m going to give this a 75% RBR.
It a decent enough lager
but unless you’re really hunting for those
flavours
you won’t notice them too much.
The champagne yeast is a really inventive
touch
but when your marketing that alongside
‘rare’ hops
it feels like it been cobbled together
to make the beer seem more exclusive
rather than for the purpose of flavour.
All in all this beer is for the connoisseurs
out there
or if to make your friends and family think
you’re posher than you actually are.
