Tinned Swede

I picked up this random can of pale ale from Stockholm's Södra Maltfabriken the last time I was in Belgium.

Almighty is 4.3% ABV and quite a dark amber colour. Not much of a smell from it: a little citrus, a little biscuit but nothing major stands out. And the same kinda goes for the flavour as well: there's a little mandarin up front and a vaguely soapy bitterness on the finish.

Redemption comes from the malt, which is not a phrase you see very often, for no good reason. For one thing the texture is lovely: full and smooth like a quality cask bitter. And then there's a chewy cereal bar centre to munch through. Maybe a bit more hops for balance would be good, but it's enjoyable, if not exciting, as-is.