Little Creatures Pale Ale - Wineaux

When I recently met Barry McCaughley of Wineaux and, also more latterly, Barry James Wines, as well as chatting wine and business, we also talked beer and he gave me a bottle of Australian brewer Little Creatures Pale Ale to take away.

According to its website, selected malts are kilned in small batches and are used exclusively in our pale ale. Two different yeasts are used to both ferment and bottle condition the beer ... From brewing to release, a batch of pale ale takes about six weeks, allowing for two weeks conditioning in the bottle after packaging. No artificial preservatives or additives are included, just great ingredients.

Opening it up the other night with a fish and chip supper, it was amber in the glass with elegantly aromatic elderflower and grapefruit.

At 5.2%, it is a grown-up beer, but feels refreshing, crisp and malty with hoppy flavours - apparently Cascade and Galaxy whole hop flowers are used, but in any case Barry tells me it's one of his favourites and a best-seller on his site.

It also proved an inspired match with the food.

£39.99 for a case of 24 33cl bottles, provided for review.

Links

Wineaux - http://www.wineaux.co.uk/
Barry James Wines - http://barryjameswines.com/
Little Creatures - http://www.wineaux.co.uk/