Beer 3 Ravens Uber Blond

It might sound like the return of Brigitte Nielsen, but this is in fact the latest release under Thornbury brewer 3 Raven's Uber range, one which sees them take their Blond (or Golden Ale, depending how you know it) as a starting point then head into strong lager territory. Looking towards Europe - in particularly Germany - it's a recreation of an altbier, albeit something of an Uber version of that (its subtitle "Sticke Alt" means secret altbier - the one you'd have to request from the publican with a nod and a wink). The recipe puts a greater emphasis on the toasty malts, which leads to rich toffee flavours, with a hint of orange, while the hops are very much in the background, only creeping up with a little bit of a spicy tickle once you're a few mouthfuls in. Higher fermentation temperatures than used with the normal Blond add some fruity esters, while a lengthy period of conditioning at 1C ensures it pours a clear copper colour.