Fresh Beer Alert: Oakham’s New Can Range Gets Crafty
Hailing from Oakham and then relocated to Peterborough, Oakham Ales have been brewing traditional-style cask and bottle-conditioned ales since 2006. They’ve been working hard, and picking up awards along the way. Now, they’re bringing a Craftwork series of heavily-hopped American-style ales to create a cracking new taste and get in on the craft beer action. Let's do the intros: Best Friend, the Session IPA, with an in-house favourite mix of Simcoe and Cascade; Thrill Seeker, an unashamedly New World Pale packed with South Pacific varieties of Nelson Sauvin, Vic Secret, Enigma and Pacific Jade; and Alpha Inception, a West Coast IPA with an all-American line-up of Columbus, Simcoe, Citra, Amarillo and Centennial. We were more than happy to take a closer look:
Best Friend (Session IPA, 4.2%)
Appearance: Pale, straw yellow. A lively off-white head that leaves plenty of residue on the glass.Aroma: Bright and tropical. Lemon zest, pineapple and guava play off each other nicely to give a sweet nose.Flavour: This beer tastes fresh off the line, crisp and clean. A medley of refreshing citrus and juicy tropical flavours, with a bold bitter, dry finish.A well-made beer to remind you of the summertime, drinking in the sunshine with your best friend.
Thrill Seeker (New World Pale, 4.8%)
Appearance: Light gold, with a decent frothy head that bubbles away gently.Aroma: Fresh grassy hops, lemon sherbert, blood orange and clean malt give a delicate but salivating profile.Flavour: Plenty of fresh pine from the Vic secret and gooseberries from the Nelson Sauvin, mingled with a touch of grapefruit. A dry bitterness lingers again on the finish.Oakham Ales gives us a thrill with this nicely constructed New World Pale.
Alpha Inception (West Coast IPA, 6.0%)
Appearance: A glowing orangey amber hue, with a dense creamy head.Aroma: A rounded citrus nose, succulent mandarin and sour lemon are well-balanced by some sweet malt aromas.Flavour: An unmistakable hit of citrus fruits and resinous pine, backed up by sweet grain and finished off with the telltale bitterness.Alpha Inception is true to the West Coast IPA style to the letter, no complaints here!
Not a bad little line-up here from Oakham Ales. These beers certainly pack a punch, they haven’t gone easy on their hops, but for those who like their bitter bombs, these are a choice Friday night haul.So get yourself prepared for the weekend here!And don’t forget the usual haunts: Website, Facebook , Twitter & Instagram.
