Ilkley - Virgin Mary Pale Ale

The West Yorkshire brewery has recently turned ten years old and brews just the one alcohol free beer, a burnished gold coloured ale which tries, and mostly fails, to sustain a head. The ingredients are plentiful - five types of malt and five types of hop; a mix from America, New Zealand and the UK. The hops are some less common ones: Calypso, Azacca, Independence, Ahtanum and Taiheke. The aroma is mainly one of citrus, with a touch of caramel. In this regard, the beer is more traditional than many other pale beers in so far as the aroma is not "in your face"; in fact it is quite subdued in comparison. The taste is a nice blend of sweet apple and pear with a sharper grapefruit alongside. It leaves a slightly sweet impression. All in all, a good effort.

3/5