For the first five years of Newstead Brewing’s existence, their core range included a pale ale and a golden ale… which is really just a kind of pale ale. There was no lager in the lineup, yet many people were constantly asking for a lager. They introduced their seasonal lagers to address this, but still the people cried for lager. And so Newstead listened to their fans and brought a lager into the core range in an interesting way: they simply fermented The Mayne Thing with a lager yeast and at a lower temperature, and left everything else the same.
The Mayne Thing is still a light gold colour, and still ridiculously clear. It’s always been easy-drinking, and slightly cleaner than its friend Out And A Bout Pale Ale, but the change in yeast has made it a drier, crisper member of the gang. This gives the Citra, El Dorado and Idaho 7 a platform to sing loudly from (I suppose, in this metaphor, the gang is from Westside Story?), with aromas of orange and passionfruit leading the way. There are no real ester flavours to speak of, but light grain notes creep in, with a touch of bitterness in the finish.
Rejoice, lager fans – Newstead Brewing now has a full strength, modern, hoppy, pale lager, all year round.
Mick Wust
Published December 14, 2018 2018-12-14 00:00:00
