Occasionally, you come across something really very impressive. Everyone you meet is raving about how good it is, and when you encounter it yourself you can see exactly what the hype is about. Unfortunately, despite all the excitement and hype and even the quality, it just isn’t for you.
I have this feeling about ballet. Objectively great and extremely impressive, but it just doesn’t press any of my buttons.
In this respect, and no other, Merlin’s Gold is a bit like ballet.
Much to nobody’s surprise, the beer is a pale gold in colour. It somehow smells cool on the nose, not purely through the temperature it’s served at but from the aroma itself. There’s hints of malt there too though, which pique my interest, and a strong smell of citrus.
The taste, however, is all hops. It’s bitter throughout, from first contact with the tongue to three or four minutes afterwards while the aftertaste does its rounds. There might be other flavours in there, but to be honest, they’re completely dominated by that bitterness.
Some people enjoy this kind of beer – the guys I was drinking this with, for instance – and I can appreciate that. It’s a little overhopped for my taste, but I can see it’s been well made and lovingly brewed. It’s just not for me. 2/5
You can hear more from Merlin Brewing Co on their Twitter page here: https://twitter.com/MerlinBrewingCo
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