Chris Shanahan: Beer review — Brakspear & O’Hanlon

Brakspear English Pale Ale 500ml $7.80
This lovely, mid-amber coloured ale appeals for the delicious interplay of hops, malt and fruitiness. It’s a rich, but subtle, balanced style – modest in alcohol at 4.2 per cent, yet complex and though hoppy and bitter, not overwhelmingly so. It’s brewed in England using English malted barley and Fuggles and Golding hops.

O’Hanlon’s Royal Oak Traditional Bitter 500ml $9.80
Royal Oak, a robust, pungent, bottle-conditioned brew from Devon, contrasts strongly with the subtle, aromatic Brakspear Pale Ale above. It’s deeper in colour and more aggressive in aroma and flavour. There’s an appealing malt richness and alcoholic warmth. And the hops focus is more on lingering bitterness than on aroma and flavour.