Houston, come in Houston

I'm way behind on my reviews.

I haven't done the one for the US tinned beer I had up Ben A'an with two of my best mates after an afternoon of climbing. 

I haven't done the Traquihairymairy one I had when I was pished with my brother and his woman. 

I haven't done the shitey cheapo Tesco wans I had the night we played the Game of Thrones game. 

And I haven't done the Profanity Stout one I had outside Stravaigin with my mate Fulton who's leaving newspapers to emigrate to Ireland to become a novelist.

But I have done one for Houston Crystal.

First, the preamble.

Got some really fucking grim news today. But not, in the grand scale of things, that grim. I'm not dying. My family aren't dying. My friends are dying. But still, it was bad news.

So, Houston Crystal.

Houston pale ale is made and sold on or near the premises of the Fox and the Hounds pub in Houston. The beer's good, and I'm sure the pub is tiptop, but they have one of the worst brewery websites I've clicked upon in quite a while. And it's had a recent makeover, too.

Still, the beer's good, and that's what really counts, no?

It poured amber, rich and inviting, with a bold fast heavy head that lasted for about 30 seconds. The mad wee bubbles were pure radge and kept their ferocious assault going until about the halfway line. I got a bit hypnotised by them for a moment.  

Nose, I got a tang of yeast and a summery fresh aroma. Then on the taste a zesty malt flavour with a hoppy presence and a bitter finish that was rounded on the palette as it went down. Wafts of flowers/spices but neither in your face nor too light. Sweet burnt toffee coming through off the crystal malts. 

It was a good beer. Well balanced in all. A beer you could drink pints of. But, I felt, with the exception of its radge head, this beer lacked excitement. Or maybe that's just me.

Anyhow, would hoppily have again.