‘Summer Lightning’

When applying a brand to any product, unless it’s promoted to a wider audience, consumer choice is inevitably based on the actual item, in this case a Golden Ale at 5% ABV, and the image it conveys or feelings it evokes, therefore ‘Hop Back Breweries’ Summer Lightning had to be the perfect choice, given our recent abysmal summer weather!

The 'Brewery based on the outskirts of Salisbury, has from humble beginnings in the backyard of a pub, grown into one the bigger players in the ’Real Ale’ market, with it’s own tied Pub Estate, leading to a recent floatation on the Stock Market. Summer Lightning remains its flagship ale, in both Cask Conditioned and bottled formats - its chance encounter in my local ‘Morrison’s’ (£1.75/500ml - or 4 for £5.50), for the aforementioned reasons made it a ’no brainer’ as to tonight’s choice.

Pouring a rich golden hue and taking care not to disturb its heavy sediment, a light frothy head topped off the glass, with noticeable sparkle keeping it more or less in place for the duration, with a hoppy freshness on the nose. The palate however proved a tad thin, despite its heady ABV, yet its balanced malt/fruit flavours held to a lingering bitter finish. Not for me one of the finest bottled beers I’ve encountered, but drinkable all the same. Sadly, like its multiple awards emblazoned on the bottle back-label, they like memories of summers past are seemingly long gone!