Copper Dragons and Riders on the Storm

Four more ales have been sampled and judged, read on if you please.

Kelham Island Brewery Riders on the Storm, 4.5%

The Kelham Island Brewery is based in Sheffield and has been open since 1990 making it the first new brewery to open in the city for 100 years.  Pours an clear amber colour, slight sweetness on the nose with a little fruit, on the palate it is dry with a light crisp malt and some hops, I’m afraid I found this a little dull, but it is inoffensive, 5.75/10.

Loch Lomond The Ale of Leven, 4.5%

This brew takes its name from the River Leven that connect Loch Lomond in Scotland with the River Clyde, the brewery sits on the site of old cloth factories which were located their due to the purity of the water, so hopefully this beer benefits from that. The beer pours a dark golden orange with a nice creamy head, spicy fruit aromas with some maltiness, similar flavours on the palate followed by a well rounded bitterness, very nice, 7/10.

Summerskills Devon Dew, 4.7%

A brewery based in Plymouth in Devon this bottle is a survivor from my West Country selection earlier in the year maybe due to its slightly uninspiring label and name, this was a mistake. A golden beer with a lovely lasting head, aromas of honey and lemon hops, and the flavour is sweet which reminded me of lemon cake with slight malt and some herbs with a refreshing mild bitter finish, really enjoyed it, 7.5/10.

Copper Dragon Black Gold, 4%

Black Gold uses a recreated recipe from 1800s records, and I must say living in the 1800s sounded fairly grim until now but if this is the kind of beer they were drinking I may have been wrong. There were aromas of toffee, caramel and bread malts, smooth texture with a lasting halo head round the edge of the glass. To taste there is creamy caramel malt with a mild bitterness, lovely creamy aftertaste as well, sort of a mild/stout hybrid, superb, 8.5/10.