Nethergate – Essex Beast

ABV 6.2%

And what a beast this is!

When placed on the bar fresh from being pumped it has a terrific head which soon settles into a slightly brown froth, it is a dark pint with those rich ruby red highlights when lifted to the light. It is brewed with chocolate malt according to the Nethergate website and this can be smelt in the moreish toffee/coffee scent of the pint.

Onwards to the best bit, the taste! It is a pretty full on pint this one, packed full of flavour. One really important thing to note about this beer is the ABV which is reasonably strong but it doesn’t taste it at all. It is very drinkable, dangerously so. The toffee really does come though tempered with that bitter coffee flavour drawing it out nicely and unlike Wadworth’s 6X it doesn’t finish with a sweet toffee but a bitter toffee which makes it especially nice and warming in wintertime. Some strong tasting beers I can manage perhaps a pint and whilst really enjoying it won’t have another as it is too much, Essex Beast is different, I would more than happily drink a second. This is a fantastic beer and I certainly look forward to seeing it again.

For more information: http://www.nethergate.co.uk/