This bottle has come from MyBreweryTap yet again – and as the Winter box has turned up, I need to get my drink on. As I’ve posted before, I have a bit of a mixed relationship with Meantime. The latest one I tasted was incredible though, so I am going to go into it eyes open.
Meantime London Pale Ale (4.3%) explains that it uses Goldings and Cascades to “brew a Pale Ale that embraces London’s past as the brewing capital of the World. Not sure they had Cascades in London back then but I’m easy.
The label is really well done, it looks like a Sunday afternoon in London, people on deckchairs in the park, with the London Eye in the background.
The 330mL bottle opens with a very quiet hiss and a whoosh of aroma that I picked up while using the bottle opener. It pours gold, with brisk carbonation and a foamy white head that leaves a thick lacing as it recedes. The aroma is very nice – toasty malt coupled with peppery fruit. I don’t pick up the traditional cascades aroma that I was expecting.
The body is very thin and incredibly crisp. There’s nowhere near as much malt flavour that is hinted at by the aroma. As a matter of fact, theres not much of anything. Perhaps it’s too cold (out of the fridge) – it reminds me more of a Helles or a light Pilsener than a pale ale at this stage. A gentle, non-offensive light bitterness is somewhere around as the aftertaste, but nothing sticks out.
Letting the beer warm up, we get a little bit more. There is an initial bitter hit on tasting, but it doesn’t really carry over into an aftertaste. The malt very faintly comes into the background. Other than that there is little of note.
Rating: 2/5 (This may be ok at cleaning the palate with a spicy meal at a push, but I’m not enamoured)
found Meantime to be hit and miss myself which puts me off now because when I see them in the supermarket they’re usually one of the most expensive brands on offer, do love the IPA though. Can’t see myself rushing to try this.