Heretic Beer (Brass Castle Brewery @BrassCastleBeer) By @SpectreUK

This is probably the poshest sounding beer I've ever written about. Heretic was brewed by the Brass Castle Brewery, in Yorkshire. Get this… Saffron and Cracked Black Pepper were used in the brewing of this Belgian Blonde beer. Saffron stigma is picked from the saffron crocus, and has long been the most expensive spice in the world. Cracked black pepper goes exceptionally well with sea salt as a crisp flavour. I rarely seem to find them, and they are probably my favourite flavour of crisps, next to Ready Salted, for going with a pint of beer and a good book or old movie.

A Belgian Blonde ale is usually light in bitterness from the hops and has an added spiciness, hence the saffron and black pepper in this 6.4% in volume beer. Heretic is certainly big on spiciness on opening. This light golden blonde ale has a deep aroma of mixed spices, herbal hops and light wheat to finish.

On taste Heretic has an initial sourness that took me back a bit. I usually hate sour beers, but the spices pounced on the sourness like a hunter on its prey. Grabbing that sourness in its spicy teeth and mauling it with a hidden fire from the black pepper and then merging with a herbal bitterness from the hops. There's a little sweetness that follows from the wheat and malted barley. Then that cowed sourness slinks off into the aftertaste with its tail firmly between its legs from a lesson well taught.

I reckon Heretic is perfect with a meaty meal, I drank it with a meat feast pizza takeaway. Heretic fights against the grain of any normal run of the mill ale, packing a sour kick, a spicy punch, and a soothing sweetness that surprises and smacks the lips, and left me wanting another mouthful after another mouthful. Heretic is a big on flavour beautiful beer. Cheers!