A Left Beer Turn and I'm in Ruddles CountyApr 24 '03 (Updated May 07 '03) Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Spirits and Beers
The Bottom Line Ruddles County is best suited for fans of the traditional English Ale style only, one with subdued malt characteristics and a dry hoppy finish.
I have come to Ruddles County by way of a left turn. At the beer cooler that is. In his book Beer Companion (1993, Running Press) Michael Jackson devotes an entire section to discussing the beer style known as “Bitter” and it’s clear from his discussion that this beer style is the one most Englishmen prefer to cry over. In short, bitter means “a well hopped ale,” one that that is solidly in the dry tinges on the taste spectrum but also an ale that allows for social drinking experience with a round or two. Ruddles County, brewed at Ruddles Brewing in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk has only recently shown up in the beer coolers that I frequent. At $3.75 for a clear glass wide-mouthed pull tab bottle (16.9 oz ) it was an experiment. With 4.7 alcohol by volume (ABV) rating, it falls in the middle range of the ale category. They also make Ruddles Best Bitter (3.7 ABV) and a Ruddles Organic Ale (5.1 ABV). Note: Clear glass bottles are notoriously bad for shipping and storing beer as “skunking” can occur at will. Clear bottles (also green bottles) allow light to filter into stored beer which in turn can cause a photochemical reaction when the light meets the compounds present in the hops of the beer. The result is often an unpleasant smell/bitter taste and unsatisfying beer drinking experience. [See The Good Beer Book by Timothy Harper and Garret Oliver (Berkley Books, 1997) for a more thorough discussion of the handling and storage concerns associated with beer.] Ruddles has been making their brand of “World Famous English Ale” since the 1800s. Ruddles Web site (www.ruddles.co.uk) describes their flagship beer as: ”…famed for its dry, bitter flavour, which comes from using the rare Bramling Cross hops. … the ultimate bitter-lovers' bitter.” The site also boasts about the beer’s ” light, inviting aroma of soft fruits and hops….” Ruddles County pours out to an amber gold color with a head that is fragrant as promised. A good whiff of floral notes are present. The taste is an immediate kick of dryness, with a little bit of an oily even acidic aftertaste in spots. There is some sweetness but the most present taste is a dry tone throughout. This is a dry tasting beer. This is not an overwhelming beer by any means (in the two/three star range) and I could see it being a session beer. I'm not totally impressed with it, nor am I entirely displeased either. It's a basic beer. The dry qualities kind of force one to sip it and I find that my 90 minute commute helps the beer experience. As the beer warms up the malt tends to help balance it out a bit more and what you have is a “tasting ale,” not a quaffing beer. If you like the taste of a traditional English Ale, one with subdued malt characteristics and a dry hoppy finish then I could give a modest recommendation that you try Ruddles County. Otherwise, I would not recommend it.  |
| Read all comments (3)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
