Shepherd Neame & Co India Pale Ale (Waitrose) By @SpectreUK

It's been a hot day today. I've been told the latest Royal Wedding went very well, so best wishes to the happy couple. Personally I was at the gym, which is my usual Saturday morning jaunt. They were having a Royal Wedding party there too, but I stuck to my guns and did my usual weights routine with added cycling, cross trainer, boxing, followed by a long swim and a good hour or two in the spa area. I do enjoy my huge lunch and a beer to blog about on the evening. And it's a hot evening that's begging for a refreshing pint of India Pale Ale.

This 6.1% volume India Pale Ale was brewed by Shepherd Neame & Co at the Faversham Brewery. They've been brewing beer since 1698, so they must know what they're doing by now. As with many people who watched and visited the Royal Wedding from far away lands, this IPA was generously hopped with Kentish Fuggles hops in the past to survive long journeys to distant countries. On opening this IPA there was a strong fruity hoppy aroma with a touch of spice and malt in the background. Deep golden in colour this beer has a warming quality to its taste. Less of the usual punchy pale malt flavour that begs for sausages on a barbecue, more the bitter rich fruity flavours from the Fuggles hops, followed by that hint of spice and sweetness from the malts to finish. This is a flavoursome IPA, well travelled through the years and continents of the world. And a perfectly splendid surprise on a hot sticky night. Maybe not as refreshing as I assumed it would be, but I'll definitely store another bottle for a dark stormy night.