Something in the water

A couple of pubs have had it, but I stumbled upon this glass of Victory Headwaters Pale Ale in Farrington's a few weeks ago. Apparently, the beer celebrates the Pennsylvania brewery's water supply, though I think they've thrown a hop or two in as well. The aroma, for one thing, is strikingly sharp -- an invigorating zap of lemon rind and sherbet. It's a little calmer on tasting, not exactly jumping with hops but with a pleasant blend of grapefruit and blood orange flavours, fully realised in the manner of the posher brands of breakfast juices.

Above all, this 5.1%-er is simple fun, even though plenty of Irish breweries have shown themselves capable of making beer of this quality at more sessionable strengths. Few offer as much detail on the creation of their products as this, however.