Tuesday 30 September 2008

Beer Behaving Quite Well Really



Neil Morrisey is a TV star who has a pub and brewery in Yorkshire that will shortly be on our screens, showing how he and his business partner, Richard Fox, who is the "beer expert", went about brewing the "Perfect Ale." I am not sure if the beer below will be it, but it isn't bad at all.

The first effort on sale in bottle is Morrisey Fox Blonde Ale, a 4.2% golden beer. It tells you on the label that it is a "hybrid" beer, "somewhere between a lager and an ale." Well, spot on really, I'd say. The beer opens with a distinct whiff of flowery hops. It is clean and almost dry in palate, with up front bitterness and some herbal notes. Medium bodied with a good malt base, it is astonishly clean throughout, through to a short, clean, dry, hoppy, flowery finish. I could have drunk another couple very happily. This is a well brewed beer and worth a punt. My only criticism is that for me, it was slightly overcarbonated.

Try some. I reckon it is a very decent, well made beer with some character and if these guys are aiming for something that will attract both ale and lager drinkers, then they are not far off the mark.

This beer is also on sale on draught (whether cask or keg, I don't know) in their pub, Ye Olde Punch Bowl, in Marton cum Grafton, North Yorkshire should you fancy a day out.

8 comments:

Ale Louse said...

Try it from the cask - it seriously rocks!

Tandleman said...

Where did you have it?

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed it as well - I bought this a couple of weeks ago from Tesco along with Punk IPA coincidentally. Definitely worth a purchase.

Zak Avery said...

It's a good beer. Sadly, despite being filmed for their programme, I've ended up on the cutting room floor. But still, the beer is great.

The accompanying book is garbage though.

Anonymous said...

My only complaint is that Neil Morrisey is a twat

Zak Avery said...

He isn't really a twat at all, and I believe that he & Richard have a genuine passion for, and knowledge of, good food and good beer - the pub they've opened in North Yorks is really quite good, in a gastro sort of way. But it makes the gap between the quality of that and the accompanying book all the more baffling.

Ale Louse said...

At the Drop Inn summer Beer Fest in Elland. It was the first to run off and nearly everyone agreed it was the best stuff on. A rumour had circulated that Morrissey might turn up but it never happened! There's a piece on my blog about it back in June/July time. Ossett are reported to be doing a deal that sees them getting it regularly (and their other stuff as it comes out) at their pubs.

Ale Louse said...

PS 'Twas June 23rd post - you can even see the home-made pump-clip in the photo. It certainly is worth tracking down!