Dorset Brewing Company Chesil

Good evening all. I was intending to wake up early and start revision today, but after being roused from my sleep at 11.30am, I opted to watch True Lies and listen to Frank Zappa. There's always tomorrow of course! Even though my activities were hardly physically draining, I was looking for something thirst-quenching and light when I opened the fridge. Despite what the last few posts might have led you to believe- one stout after the other in the build up to Christmas- I am a fan of lighter beer styles. Except for average golden ales of course, they can remain on the shelf where they belong. My sister got me a selection of beers for Christmas from the counties of Hampshire and Dorset (local to her for the majority of the year), so I decided to have one of those this evening. Therefore, read on for a review of Chesil by Dorset Beer Company....

Chesil (4.1% ABV) is a pilsner brewed with Sovereign and Lubelski hops, seemingly with the intention of combining UK and Polish noble-type hops to create a recognisable beer but with a unique twist. The beer pours a pale straw colour with a wispy white head that quickly dissolves to a halo around the inside of the glass. Swirling the glass does bring up a lot of carbonation and a thicker head. The aroma is composed of light malt with a subtle bittering hop aroma- no floral or citrus notes, more crisp and reminiscent of noble-hops like Tettnang. The taste is malty with a slight bitterness during tasting, but this doesn't translate into the finish. The hops are well-balanced with the malt so neither is taking precedence during drinking. The mouthfeel is light and reasonably carbonated. Overall, a good beer in the pilsner style with a pleasing malt backbone and a subdued noble hop flavour. If I had to make one alteration, I would have added hops with higher alpha acid percentages to get a bigger bite in the finish, but that's purely a personal preference. If you're a fan of BrewDog 77 Lager, Meantime London Lager or Windsor and Eton Republika, then give this beer a try. You won't be disappointed!

Until next time....