This has been an yeasty winter. What I mean is that we've lately learnt so much about the complexities in alcohol that is wrought by yeast – from Saké-tasting Yoichi single malt whisky to a Dornoch Scotch that has distinct notes of Japanese cucumbers.

Yeast experiments may still seem novel in the realm of whisky, but it seems that the true yeast geeks have been beer brewers all along, from Belgian brewers to the craft brewers in the American West Coast.

We'll be sipping Brewlander's recently released Pretty Strong Ale, one of the 12 surprises from the Brewlander 2022 Christmas Advent Calendar. 

Brewlander explained that this new release is inspired by the Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale - a type of fruity, complex, higher ABV beer that gets a signature note of baking spices and pepperiness from a special strain of yeast from Belgium. The Pretty Strong Ale comes in at a pretty high ABV of 7% and is made with Brewlander's proprietary yeast strain that promises to "shake the fermentation process up" by giving the brew and "subtle spiciness the likes of clove and pepper".

Well, let's give this a taste!

Brewlander Pretty Strong Ale, 7% ABV - Review

Colour: Pale amber.

Nose: Mild, refreshing and straightforward. Opens with a crisp but mild aroma of hops - with little to no bitterness. Quite a fair bit of rich maltiness and notes of cereal: toasted muesli, oats, rich tea biscuits, developing into a toasted breadiness of the sort you get in a bakery with a mild but distinct sour fermented note - the kind you might get from a sourdough starter.

Palate: Rich, surprisingly complex and approachable.

Immediately bright and refreshing with notes of honey, barley candy and rich malty notes of biscuits and sourdough country bread. 

All that rich maltiness is complimented by the "spices" that they spoke of. Dried sage and rosemary - an interesting aromatic woody-piney flavour.

Finish: The finish is clean with a gradually growing sweetness of Somersby Apple and Pear cider, followed by a mild pepperiness (similar to the bite of a lemon) and a slightly drying sensation on tip of the tongue right at the end.

My thoughts

This isn't just an "interesting" release; it's full on flavour and also really refreshing. There's richness, balance and a subtlety of flavours in the palate, beginning from the super refreshing first sip to the rich, sweet maltiness of the palate and trailing notes of pine and pepperiness in the finish.

A moreish pint to drink throughout the day, one 330 ml can wouldn't cut it. I'm also lowkey hoping Brewlander would consider turning this seasonal into a core release! 

@CharsiuCharlie