BREWER: Brakspear, Oxfordshire

STYLE: Golden Ale

ABV: 4.6%

VESSEL: 500ml bottle

TWITTER: N/A

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

With Oxford Gold, you know what to expect before you even enter in the realms of the inner bottle.  The outer bottle screams of good old British beer tradition.  Brakspear, as a brewer, has heritage.  Everything suggests that what we have on our hands here is a hairs on the chest, beard growing English ale.  

Note to all – this is best handled in a glass with a handle.  

Oxford Gold has the colour you’d expect from an English bitter.  And as you raise the aforementioned jug to your lips, you very soon realise that the aroma is everything you’d expect from a bitter. It’s malty and very pleasantly earthy and that’s incredibly reassuring.

In the drinking, Oxford Gold is most definitely a bitter.  It has the comfort and warmth of malt, which is balanced very skilfully on the palate.  But it does pack some surprises alongside that with its zest and lightness. Overall, this is a master-class in balanced brewing.

Oxford Gold lives up to its name; it’s a great English bitter. It would be a warm welcome at home or out and about on either an autumnal or a winter’s day.  It fights the corner for bitters with aplomb and it stands tall in the world of beer.  

Get ready to whet your whistle because if you do it with Oxford Gold, you’ll be very pleased that you did.

Sammy’s Rating: 81%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

The Brakspear Brewery in Henley on Thames has been part of my life for a long, long time. The fact it’s not there anymore (even though the signs are, as well as the memories (cue floods of nostalgic tears)) I’m just going to ignore. I know this is unprofessional and factually untrue but as far as I’m concerned the brewery lives on and that’s just the way it is.

I mean, Sammy went out with a girl who lived in Henley when we kids so we spent a stack of time in the town. Once we had finished school we took up residence at Henley College. Once the College bit was over I knew I was going to be a professional beer blogger so didn’t bother with Uni and got a job in Oxford, so drove through Henley everyday smelling that yeast fermenting morning and night. After a bit of a break from this quintessentially English Thames town, until recently, I ended up starting most of my working days there too, driving past the brewery on every single one of them. It’s fair to say Brakes is in my heart and when I stare at this Oxford Gold in front of me I trust it to deliver. I mean, it looks great and for me, reliable. I have only ever had OG from cask so was very intrigued to see if it delivered via a bottle too. I’m just praying it does, don’t go braking my heart…  

Wow!! What an absolute winner!!

Ok, Ok, Ok… trying not to sound too pretentious, this is a journey of a beer tasting experience. It really is. And the journey is a stonker!

OG starts off super smooth in ones mouth with sumptuous bursts of citrus accompanied by an elegant floral back drop. As Oxford Gold goes down ones pipe it leaves behind a sensational almost honey like coating on the inner cheek of the drinker. Most divine. As the aforementioned drinker is sitting rejoicing the honey coating, a gentle bitter after taste creeps in and finishes off the whole drinking experience perfectly.

Then it’s time for another sip!!! And then another…

Honestly Oxford Gold is a brilliant beer and will quickly become a resident in Jymi’s beer fridge.

Jymi’s Rating: 85%

 

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 83%

 

MOB review next weekend: LONDON PRIDE by FULLERS

 

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