Being a beer blogger has it's perks, although rarely (a little too rare for my liking) on the odd occasion I get sent a beer or two from a brewery (hint, hint). I'm feeling pretty honoured at the moment I must say, as I have been sent two bottles from Greene King's new limited edition Heritage Series. Now folks these are limited edition, not because they're only making a few bottles for the sake of it. Greene King have produced three fields of the near extinct Chevalier barley from a seed bank deep in the vaults. I have no idea what Chevalier malted barley tastes like and not many people in the last hundred or so years do either. Greene King have produced two beers, a Suffolk Pale Ale (I'll try next week), and this Vintage Fine Ale…
Vintage Fine Ale is a mixture of Chevalier malted barley and amber malt, with English hops of Fuggle, Bramling Cross, and Goldings. It certainly sounds like a treat from a classic brewer. From this 6.5% volume ale I'm expecting a rich flavour with hints of biscuit and caramel from the malts and spicy floral fruitiness from the hops. On opening the 568ml bottle there was the biscuity sweet fragrance from the malts merged with the slightly stronger floral hops aroma than the spices and fruitiness at the back of the smell. Wow! On taste this amber ale really has a flavoursome kick. They liked their ale strong in 1825 I can tell you. There is certainly a caramel sweetness to the biscuit amber malt to begin with, then the Chevalier malted barley complements the powerful spice from the hops, mixed with floral hops and undertones of soft fruits. If you like your beer strong this is for you. If you'd like your tastebuds to travel back in time this is for you. If you'd like to drink a beer that you may only see once a blue moon this is for you. Personally I reckon I was born in the wrong century…
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