Pale Ale Nelson Sauvignon (Vibrant Forest)

I picked this up in Fordingbridge's great little beer shop Barrel and Bottle, it's a rather exciting looking pale ale from a new brewery in the New Forest.

It pours with a fantastic head, perfect carbonation and minimal sediment. It's a beautiful clear golden in colour, bursting with aroma it's pure Nelson Sauvignon, gooseberrys and unmistakable white winey aroma. It reminds me of Punk Ipa without the rawness of dry hopping.

For a pale ale it opens with surprising malt depth, not over loaded with crystal or caramel flavours, but full of body magnifying the underlying pale malt. There is no stamp of bitterness either, just a smooth hop wash that fills the mouth with a creamy, mellow hop flavour and almost hints of white pepper. The lingering finish is one of perfect balance, glimpses of the malt sweetness still audible alongside the last eb of the hop bittering.

9/10 Simplicity is genius. This is simple and delicate in all the best possible ways. A great pale ale.