East London Brewing Company - Pale Ale and Orchid.

When Brad at ilovefreebeer asked me to review this brewery my response was: "Say who now?" I'd never so much as heard of East London Brewing Co before last week - much less tried their beers. Which I'm actually quite pleased about going into this review. Nice and impartial. Like Paxman.

East London brewing have been brewing commercially since December 2012 and comprise a husband and wife team of Stuart Lascelles and Claire Ashbridge-Thomlinson. This is literally all I know and I got it from stalking them on twitter. I do that to people.

EAST LONDON BREWING - PALE ALE 4%

Its a Pale Ale. A friend of mine recently drank it in her hairdressers. Maybe I should get my haircut*

Looks

Branding wise I think they've played a blinder with this range. Its exactly the style of label I want to pick up and coo over and would easily fit into the range at The Beer Boutique. Modern looking but also classic. Best of both worlds. On pouring: a promising cloudy orange with an energetic but sparse head that doesn't hang around for long. 

Aroma

The hops are incredibly floral, the malts are subdued. Lasting impression is certainly the perfumed aspect with hints of very light citrus and a generous hit of Elderflower. 

Taste

A biscuit malt with hints of buttery syrup remind me faintly of cheesecake while the hops that were floral in the aroma become more citric and fruity. Orange and lime bitters, rosewater and that malty background all combine to make marmalade on toast. I hate marmalade on toast but I'd happily wake up to this every morning. The floral hops come back into play in a textbook long bitter finish that you'd want in any pale ale be it 4% or 6%. Can't wait for my next sip. 

EAST LONDON BREWING - ORCHID 3.6%

Its a Mild. Brewed with vanilla. From Madagascan orchids. Madagascar is far away. 

Looks

Nearly black with lighter hues of brown and red thrown in. A rocky and fast diminishing beige head. This glass is absolutely awful.

Aroma

Certainly getting the vanilla! Its gentle though with a slight spice and huge chocolatey base from the malt. Very promising. 

Taste

Chocolate with hints of coffee and more of that vanilla. In short pretty much everything you'd want. A little more viscous than I was expecting for 3.6% and certainly much more flavour than I'd bargained for. The finish is long, creamy and brings back more vanilla with hints of lactose and very little bitterness. All sweet and all good!

The Verdict

Awesome stuff. The Pale Ale does exactly what the branding does - combines all the best of the old and the new. Floral, aromatic hoppiness and biscuity malts but in perfect balance - for my palate at least. Not trying to out bitter anyone. There's a similar story with the lower ABV Mild. There's everything you want in a Mild (chocolate, coffee, roasted flavours) but with that great twist of vanilla to give it that extra something. Super nice beer and looking forward to drinking it at Urban Sessions. Or the hairdressers. Whichever I manage to get to first.

*Beer aside. I probably should.