There are plenty of brewers out there with their recipe books turned to winter right now, moving through red and amber ales into all things dark brown, black, rich, hearty and, often, barrel aged. But one of the final one-offs to leave Mr Banks' brewery in Seaford as autumn was drawing to a close looks to keep the sun beating down – even if it's just a mental thing.
The Venice Pils, complete with sun-dappled shot of Venice Beach on the can, is their spin on a pilsner, a spin that's taken it all the way to the West Coast of the US. Thus it's a step or three away from the spicy, herbal hop stylings of the world's original pilsners, instead serving up floral, citrus blossom aromas and a touch of pineapple – there's some honey on the nose too. Pale malt sweetness keeps perceived bitterness low, yet allows some herbal hop flavours to creep in late on, grabbing a peek at the last vestiges of sunlight before the disc disappears behind the palm trees and over the horizon.
Published June 1, 2018 2018-06-01 00:00:00
