Brad and I went to a pub called the Green Man (near Smallford, Hertfordshire) and they had Deuchars IPA on tap. Well they had the tap – they were out of the ale. So we didn’t get to try it.

I haven’t been back there – but I managed to find a bottle.

Deuchars and all other Caledonian ales are brewed in Edinburgh. Deuchars IPA Cask Beer won the ‘Supreme Champion Beer of Britain’ in 2002 – so the boys from CAMRA really like it off the pump.

The bottle notes say this is “…a distinctive golden beer that’s long on refreshment. It’s dry and delicious, a brilliant blend of malt and hop with a hint of citrus”. They also say “…it leaves your tastebuds calling for more”. Extreme advertising continues with “…It’s so good that you’ll wonder why you ever drank anything else!”.

It is nice to praise your own product – but I certainly wouldn’t be so bold as to say alefinder.com was the best site for promoting ale in the UK. Not yet anyway – we are many many years behind the big boys!

And neither should Caledonian.

Is it refreshing? – very.
Is it dry? – yes this is also true.
Does it have a hint of citrus? – Definitely.
Does it leave your tastebuds calling for more? err it’s ok.
And is it so good.. blah blah blah? No. Ive had better – I refer you to my top 5!

Don’t get me wrong this is very nice and very refreshing. But it isn’t that nice! I am very curious about the cask ale mind! Incidentally, this ale comes in at 4.4% – and it is by far the best of their ales. I slated the other ones I seem to recall – I refer you to my bottom 3.