BEER REVIEW: 312

BREWER: Harviestoun Brewery, Clackmannanshire, Scotland

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 5%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 29th September 2023

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

A ridge is a long narrow hilltop, or even a mountain range.  These natural phenomena can be very exciting.  They can conjure up a sense of excitement and adventure and can be an allure for many a brave explorer, or indeed any outdoor type.  

I like the outdoors.  And I like ridges.  Generally, I like nature.

So, a beer named The Ridge could be quite promising.  It could be full of adventure.  There is hope it might take you on a metaphorical journey to some unknown (beer) world, linking the ordinary with the extraordinary.  

Except it does none of those things.  

While The Ridge might be inoffensive, with a light lemon nose, it doesn’t come close to lighting up my senses.  It’s a decent enough pale ale but it just doesn’t do much. It’s very much a straight narrow edge, a little like a ridge.

For those of you seeking thrills from a ridge, stick to the natural one, not this brewed up averageness.

Sammy’s Rating: 44%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I tend not to take too much notice of a brew until it is it’s turn to be reviewed. You obviously get the very instant thoughts on first visual but then it’s off to the MOB fridge/cupboard until it’s time for it to hopefully shine.

Now unfortunately for The Ridge that very brief first visual left me underwhelmed – brown bottle, green label… YAWN!!! It meant that I wasn’t particularly excited to test this one. But seriously, after so many reviews now, you would think I would have learnt to not judge a book by it’s cover. Honestly Jymi, come on man?!!

When it came to test day things turned around BIG TIME!

See, on closer inspection the packaging is quite cool. It’s not great (the green label and brown bottle thing still didn’t sit well with me), but the introduction of the seafaring Mr Mouse, I’m assuming sitting above THE RIDGE, with his nautical telescope is nothing short of fantastic! He makes an appearance on the bottle top too! Now THE RIDGE that I speak of, as our bottle tells us, is the Mid-Atlantic ridge, where America meets Scotland (slightly tenuous, I mean it could be geographically correct but I’ve no time to check, and fear it’s not). The reason this is relevant is that Harviestoun Brewery have used ingredients from both America and Scotland in this brew. Clever idea, great concept and you know what, they’ve only gone and nailed it! This is a great beer.

A crisp zesty nose leads the way followed by a first sip that is stacked with a bitter hop bite, slightly more akin to an IPA rather than a Pale but… whatever. The mouthfeel is also instantly loveable. It’s bright and it’s clean. As you move through the brew the hop bite mellows but then returns deep into the aftertaste. Further into the drinking a very subtle melon tone begins to develop. It’s so subtle that there is no way you would pick it up if you were just sipping this beer at your leisure down the Dog n Dickhead chatting with your chums. But under a strict MOB testing regime that subtle melon sneaks in. Combine this with the bitter hopping of this beer and you cannot go wrong.

Our bottle states with much confidence on the front label that The Ridge is HOPPY. REFINED. BALANCED. And let me tell you now, it most certainly is.

Jymi’s Rating: 84%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 64%

MOB review next weekend: PIRAAT by VAN STEENBERGE

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

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M O B 2023