Crop Circle

Cask pint at NERAX, opening night, 5/2/07
While 2007 was a remarkably clean year for the British casks as a whole, Wednesday night, while only having six British casks, was ridiculously clean. All of these casks were imported by the Shelton brothers, not coincidentally and included 4 from Hop Back, 1 from Coniston and 1 from Dark Star. As it turned out, this one would be both my first and favorite beer of the fest.
Crop circle didn’t have the strong head retention or prominent lacing that many of the other English beers had, but this wasn’t an indication of the condition it was in. Its slightly off-white head was a finger high, receding quickly to cover then ring and providing only blotchy lacing. The beer had dropped bright and was a wonderfully clear, soft peachy-gold.
What an aroma! Soft and understated, but everything I could hope for in an English golden ale. Delightfully fruity esters are very soft and deftly combine with the light malts to give almost a peach and nectarine nose. Soft hay-like suggestions emanate from the malt and just a glimpse of the corn can be found if looked for. Hops seem to be a fresh blend of both EKG and an American variety, or perhaps some hybrid. Regardless, it has that soft, very muted floral note of EKGs, complete with the nuttiness and some light hay. But it also has a distinct, lightly bitter citric quality, perhaps like tangerines or light lemons. Of course, to take all of this in, you have to work at it and continually sniff and swirl. And the 3 full pints I had of it didnt hurt either....A slight bit of paperiness, probably some light malt tannin, exposed from the high attenuation.
The flavor is where it really gets fun. Soft pale malt sugars open things up and have a very slight graininess to them. They’re brushed across the palate by a gentle, but noticeable, and very tight carbonation. Notes of light creamed wheat appear, but are chased off by fruity hops with a slight edge of bitterness. Then the corn. It comes near the end, and is only lightly apparent, but man is it tasty. Like taking the best corn lager I’ve ever had and then giving it the characteristics of an English cask golden ale in perfect condition. Fruitiness sticks on the finish (nectarines, tangerines, peaches) with more lighthearted pale sugars. Carbonation accentuates the light bitterness one last time as the beer goes down the throat and then the flavors are gone. Light bodied, with some wateriness appropriate for the style. Exceedingly clean, and actually, that may be my biggest criticism of the beer. I’d like just a little more terroir, shall we say, from the yeast!! A ridiculous complaint, as the beer is what it is, and thinking about it, there is a nice hard water-like flavor towards the end. I don’t know, it’s hard to imagine a perfect golden ale and I feel like I’m always going to find some fault, though calling it too clean does seem kind of harsh. Anyways, this like the 18th time I’ve said this, but THIS is my new favorite session beer. Too bad I may never have it again in this shape....