Nirvana Traditional Pale Ale

Fans of malt and roasted barley will enjoy this – so malty, just uncapping it brought to mind the heady whiff of decades-ago roasting days at the Guinness brewery in  Dublin.  Beneath that first burst of malt and barley, the pour is surprisingly fizzy and big bubbled, though it settles quickly enough with a lingering head. Here, the flavours are mostly towards the back of the mouth, with a surprisingly light touch for something that smells so malty. That said, there’s a definite tang of blow-torched creme-caramel hop initially, before the whack of malt hits the back of the throat, lingering like a twist of crusty sourdough long into the earthy finish. Overall: this not-so-pale ale will, perhaps, be best appreciated in the winter months when a log fire, a blanket and a book on something medieval would complement the smoky dark notes of what is a fascinating, highly flavoursome beer that reeks of times past. Extraordinary really, for a beer that contains not one whit of alcohol and comes in at a mere 49 calories per bottle.