This year for Valentines Day I was treated by my other half to a single red rose and a bottle of Raindrops on Roses from Thornbridge Brewery. Awarded winner of The Great British Homebrew 2016 by Phil Sisson, this was a lovely romantic gesture for a beer geek.
The bottle itself states that it has tasting notes of rose, lemon, chamomile and coriander. With a list like this I did wonder if it might taste like Turkish Delight. On taking my first sip I was pleasantly surprised that the flavour was more savoury than expected. I found that the rose and the coriander were the most dominant flavours for the first few mouthfuls but as my tongue grew used to the taste I noticed that the lemon and chamomile helped keep everything well balanced. The beer poured out in a light golden haze that you’d expect from a home-brew with delicate lacing on the glass. To me the mouthfeel was quite smooth with a slight creaminess which was offset by the tartness of lemon. I found that the chamomile has a soothing quality that coated my tongue which worked really well whilst I was eating spicy food.
As I settled in with this beer next to my other half I was sure that I recognised the flavours but couldn't put my finger on where I’d had them before. It was then that I realised that the savoury and floral notes reminded me of being in the Greek Islands and the ingredients used in some of my favourite dishes. With every sip I was transported back to the sun, sand and souvlaki!This evocative beer is so complex in flavour and I can see why it has been awarded the best home-brew of 2016. I recommend that you try it next time you are passing a Waitrose. I would very happily drink this again and will be adding it to the list of my favourite things.
