Harper's Toffee Ale (Aldi) By @SpectreUK

Toffee Ale sounds so scrumptious. Here is a pudding beer if ever I have heard of one. If you can't eat toffee anymore from fear of the dentist's wrath, then why not drink it? At 4.8% volume Harper's Brewing Company created this toffee flavoured ale for winter time at Aldi, however, I'm hoping it's still available in their stores. I seemed to have had two of these beers tucked away at the back of my beer fridge, and I found them the other day whilst rooting around in there. Toffee is one of those flavours I find amiable around autumn time rather than winter. I suppose with autumn just around the corner my sweet tooth is looking for pudding beers and sweet treats. At 230 calories per pint this Toffee Ale certainly packs a sweet punch.

On opening the bottle the sweet smell of toffee mixed with brown malt tantalised my nostrils and made me instantly lick my lips in contemplation. Actually I have to admit that this is the second bottle I've tasted, so I know what's coming… I had a rather grizzly experience with a golden ale last week, and the equally rare experience of pouring a cold one away after a few nose wrinkling swigs. I saw the other bottle of this Toffee Ale in my beer fridge and thought why not treat myself… What I have found whilst opening my second bottle is much the same as what I found whilst opening my first. Even if the surprise has been spoiled by the first bottle, this beer really does smell of sweet toffee.

Last week my mistake was to try to drink this Toffee Ale with a meal. This is a pudding beer. A beer to be enjoyed with a pudding or on its own after dinner. If I was feeling over indulgent, which unfortunately I had't contemplated during Cinabar creating our latest food order, I'd have asked for a sticky toffee pudding and custard. As I didn't think about that until right now, I'm enjoying this Toffee Ale on its own after my bath late Friday night. I'm indulging in the rich toffee and sweet brown malts that initially wash over my tastebuds, followed by a very light herbal hoppy bitterness that flows into the toffee and malt sweet aftertaste. This is a really lip smacking flavoursome sweet treat of a pudding beer, and I'm hoping it's available all year around and not just for Christmas!