Hobgoblin Dark English Ale

Ok, so I got suckered by the marketing. I think I’ve mentioned before that this can happen to me. There I  was walking through the local megamart, which by the way is the place where beer is purchased in Virginia, (as a side note to the offshoot to the conversation, there could be a whole study as to where, when and why beer can be purchased, never mind wine and hard alcohol. It varies by state and in some cases, by county or parish. This leads to exceptionally convoluted laws regarding alcohol that makes doing business in teh alcohol almost impossible in some cases.) when i saw this creepy looking guy on the label of a bottle and the name Hobgoblin scrawled across the top. I was sold.

Hobgoblin, is from the Wychwood Brewery and is of the style Dark English Ale which in the world of beer means that the English and Ale parts are correct but the dark is relative. In reality, when I poured it into a clear pint glass, it came out a nice clear amber in color. It had a nice, thick creaky head that left only a little lacing behind. The aroma is very faint but carries the sense of malt and an earthiness or smell of cut grass from the hops. The taste is similar with a very pleasant touch of fruit and nuts added to the malt. It finishes with a bit of tartness that leaves a sense that you just tasted an apple. Quite remarkable. The mouthfeel is one of light to medium body and a light carbonation leaving on to want to drink many of these. Overall it is quite an excellent brew.