Robe Town Brewery, Bonnie Owl, Session Ale

I wanted something weak and wet to cleanse the pallet after a particularly good meal. This one looked like it would fulfil that function, so I poured myself a glass and settled down on the sofa for a post dinner drink.

It looked a bit muddy and smelt of bread, I took this as a good sign as bread and beer require yeast. I couldn’t think of a way to justify the muddiness. Maybe taking a sip or two would give me inspiration.

Taking that sip was the wrong thing to do. This drink was a thin and pleasant fruity drink that was only a distant relation, possibly third or fourth cousin, to beer. I finished it but won’t be having another

Forktree Brewing, Seabreeze Ale, Session Ale,

Friday night had taken a long time to come round this week and to add insult I’d been very busy during the day. This all made me hanker for a serine evening with a beer in one hand and a bowl of salty snacks in the other. I felt that the first beer of the evening should be something light as I knew one would not be enough. This was the time for a session ale.

I poured the Forktree Seabreeze session ale into a glass and gazed upon the clear golden beer. I’ve got used to cloudy beers recently and clear beers always remind me of the mass-produced stuff of my youth. One sniff told me that it wasn’t one of those, they didn’t have a slightly fruity aroma with a whiff of elderflower. No, they just smelt of sweaty pubs and stale beer.

I approached it like you should any session ale, by taking a big gulp. There is no point trying to sip a session ale, they are not designed for that. I found it to be a thin beer that was nicely bitter and very refreshing. This was the sort of beer I could drink in quantity, which is what I think, should be the main quality of a session ale.

Loophole, Quick Hare, Cape Ale

This evening I had been to swimming training and the coach had not been kind. He had devised a brutal session that left me a pale shadow of my former self. I got home feeling exhausted, drained and in need of refreshment. I found a cape ale in the fridge. I wasn’t sure what a cape ale was, but I liked the picture on the can, so I felt that it would help my current predicament.

I put the clear, golden fizzy liquid into a glass and took a sip. This was the beer for this moment, the fresh almost citrus aroma converted itself into a crisp, bitter and solidly uncomplicated beer. As it said on the can it was full flavoured, and it was not so strong as to knock me over in my depleted state.

I Liked this beer; it did the job it was required to do, and I could see it doing the same job again and again.

South Coast Brewing Company, Southern Session ale

I had just had a very disappointing beer; it had left me feeling a little empty and disappointed. I felt that I needed something to hide the disappointment. The thought of another beer to take the taste of disappointment away formed. I didn’t want anything too strong as I had things to do, so this session ale looked like it would be just the thing.

I cracked open the bottle and the bottle exploded with a volcano of froth. This disappointed me as it was sign of another potential disappointment. After clearing up the mess I got remainder of the beer into a glass. This was starting to prove a little too much effort for a cheeky beer. Once in the glass it looked clear and fizzy, almost lager like. There was a faint hint of yeast as I brought the beer to my nose.

I took a sip of the pleasant, fruity, watery nondescript beer that was not memorable in anyway. I may drink it again, but I doubt I’ll remember that I’ve had it before.

Uraidla Brewing, Half Moon Session Ale

I was having an evening in with a selection of films that I’d seen before. I had a small bowl of nuts beside me just in case I was suddenly protein deficient, but my evening lacked something. The cup of tea didn’t seem to be the right drink for the occasion, a beer seemed much more appropriate. I didn’t want anything heavy, so a session ale fitted the bill nicely.

Before long, a glass of bright golden almost iridescent beer sat on the small table next to me. I could smell the citrus aroma from where I was sitting. I took a few sips as the film progressed to one of many action scenes and was assailed by the sharp taste of grapefruit with a tail end of acidity.

It was a pleasantly refreshing beer but a little too acidic for my tastes.

Beer Garden Brewing, Salty Session Ale

It had been a sunny afternoon, so we had met up with friends and sat by the seaside for a few drinks and some convivial conversation. As the designated driver I had stuck to soda water, bitters and lime whilst everyone else had taken full advantage of the range of wines, beers and spirits that the publican offered. Once we got home, I felt that my dedication to not losing my driving license and to road safety deserved a reward. I felt a session ale would be just right.

I poured the salty session ale into a glass and knew I was in for a treat. I could see lots of bubbles making their way to the top of the clear and pale amber liquid which emanated a pleasant citrus aroma with a hint of sweet summer fruits It was a little thin and watery but what it lacked in body it made up for in taste. This was one of those fruity session ales that are perfect for long hot days in the sun.

This was the perfect sunny day beer, and I would have happily spent the afternoon drinking it if I hadn’t had to drive.

Little Creatures, Dog days Session Ale

Some evenings are full of cooking, tonight I was making all kinds of jams and preserves as one of the fruit trees had declared itself ripe and it was only a matter of time before all the birds of the neighbourhood took advantage. I’d got home from work, relived the tree of most of its fruit, leaving some for the birds and insects and then got to work with pots, pan, vats and bottles. The whole house smelt of the fruit and having sweated over cauldrons of bubbling mixtures, I felt thirsty. I had a few cans of dog days nestling in the fridge, cans that I’d bought purely as they were made by little creatures and I’d yet to taste this particular brew.

It was billed as a session ale so I was expecting something light and fruity that would quench my thirst after the hard labour of fruit preservation. I was not disappointed the aroma of flowers with a hint of stone fruit came from a glass of clear bronze coloured beer. I took a sip and it tasted as it smelt, fruity and flowery. There was nothing challenging about this beer and that was good for drinking in quantity. I would have happily had a few more if it wasn’t for the backlog of fruit that needed peeling.

Bridge Road, Little Bling Session IPA

I’d had a large and satisfying meal and felt that a nice beer would round off the meal nicely. I found a session IPA in the fridge and felt that that would do the job well.

I poured the fridge cold beer straight into a glass, this resulted in a dark amber beer with a thin head. I could hear the bubbles but couldn’t see them. The strong smell of hops with a hint of lime hung over the glass. It made my mouth water.

I took a gulp, this was a session ale after all, it had a nicely bitter taste that cut through the debris of the meal and replaced it with a coating of niceness, the rest of the six pack was destined for a very short life.

BrewBoys Jog On Gypsy Session Ale

Yet again I’d got to that part of the day that just screams “drink a beer”. Far be it for me to ignore my inner monologue. I delved into the fridge to see what else was hidden in my BrewBoys collection. I selected this one as I’d recently taken to session ales so I felt it was worth giving this one a go. I wasn’t overly impressed with the name; it would be seen as rather insulting in other parts of the world.

I poured the yellowy brown beer into the glass and thought that it looked very muddy. I assume the mud was to grow the flowers that give the fresh flowery smell.

I took a big swing and was rewarded with a very soft and unchallenging beer. It tasted slightly of malt with a hint of bitterness in the after taste. It was a thoroughly pleasant beer that I would be happy to consume in quantity, which is exactly what a session ale should be.