Beer in the Evening

Purchase Location: Wetherspoons “Moon Under Water” – Cheltenham
(Part of the Wetherspoons Real Ale Festival.)

Ah, good King Alfred, known throughout history as Alfred the Cake, the king that burned the Pig farmers cakes… But, there could be no greater monument to your legacy as an Englishman than to be remembered in the present day with a beer that is named after you.

King Alfred’s pours amber in colour, almost caramel brown, there’s not much of a head on this pint - shame, it’s receded to a halo of a head by the time I’ve got back to the table. The aroma is quite hoppy, I hate saying that a beer smells ’hoppy’, to a non-beer drinker that means what exactly? With King Alfred’s it’s hard to describe it as anything other than hoppy, the smell of hops. There’s a bitter thirst quenching taste, very satisfying after a long day at the computer screen. I’ve been told that I should be able to taste the slight caramel textures in the beer complexity, but I can’t, it’s more chocolate reminiscent to me, slightly sweet, with a sourness at the back of the tongue.

A great session beer, due to its average ABV, it’s certainly worth drinking a few of these through the night as the alcohol does not take effect for a good 40 mins.

Cheers to King Alfred!

My Rating: 7/10

Hops used: Challenger, First Gold, Goldings
ABV: 3.8%
Visit Hampshire Brewery Website for more information.