Slow out of the Gate

Following the grand re-opening of the Guinness Open Gate taproom back in May, they've been a little slow to turn over new beers. That may just mean that they throw less out, which is probably for the good. By mid-August it looked like there was enough on the menu to justify a return visit and so I swung by.

It turned out there were only two I hadn't had. Liberties Lager continues the recent theme of using local placenames. This is 5% ABV and a clear sunny golden colour. It's hard to judge the head in a glass that's been heavily engineered to generate bubbles but I'm sure it's fine. It's quite a dry affair, big bodied as befits the strength but not rounded or malt-driven. Instead, the hopping is dominant: sharp and flinty, with notes of zinc, crunchy green veg and hard candle wax. Only a faint hint of apricot in the finish represents hops' softer side. This is lager for grown-ups, tasting to me like a pilsner in the north-German style, though the brewery has opted not to designate a genre for it, as is their right, of course. I appreciated that it's very well made but found it a little on the severe side for my tastes. A half was plenty; perhaps I would have acclimatised better to the bitterness if I'd had a pint.

The newest IPA is Galaxy 438. It looks quite similar to the lager, although it's slightly hazy. I assume the hop is Galaxy but have no idea what "438" signifies. For all that this place is supposed to cater for people actually interested in beer, the point-of-sale information is abysmal these days. Unsurprisingly, it has the flabby flatness of flavour that's standard on Open Gate IPAs, presumably using the inappropriate Guinness yeast. I could tell there's a bright fruit character from the hops trying to get out, but expressed only as a sort of processed jam or marmalade citrus. It's all a bit sickly and gloopy, perhaps a result of the esters produced by the yeast: there's no edge and no zing. I will grant it a certain amount of brio in the aroma, which suggests sherbet or candied lemon peel. It's a shame the flavour doesn't, can't, follow through on that promise. 

Sadly, I had just missed the brown ale that came and went remarkably quickly, so I've no dark beer for balance. Oh well, next time, maybe.