Tasting Notes: Marble Pint, Marble Dobber, Marble Summer
After the sushi yesterday evening Jo and I headed up to one of our very favourite watering-holes - and one of the very best in Manchester - the Marble Arch. Following a recent tip on Tandleman's beer blog I was keen to try a couple of their lighter ales and my luck was in: the two I had in mind - Pint and Summer - were both available on tap.
I started with the Marble Pint which, at 3.9%, seemed like an ideal session starter. It poured a pale straw-gold colour and had a sharp, hoppy aroma, with a strong hoppiness carrying through to the flavour. There was a fresh, citrus-tang to the after-taste and all in all it was extremely drinkable and most pleasant indeed. Could have happily stayed on that one for a good while longer, but with a total of ten different ale pumps to choose from at the Marble Arch, the urge to experiment was too strong.
For the next pint I opted for Marble Dobber, a 5.9% hop-monster with a rich, hop-fruit flavour and a huge pink grapefruit after-taste. There was a slight sourness to it, although that mellowed over the course of the pint, and all-in-all it was absolutely delicious. Recommended if you've got a taste for stronger ales with a big character and plenty of bite. Absolutely delicious, but not one you could stay on all night. Not if you wanted to remember how to walk at home-time.
Time for one more before we headed off and I decided to go for the Marble Summer (another of Tandleman's recommendations). This one was another light, pleasant pale ale, once again fresh and hoppy. It was quite similar to Pint, but Summer had a dry, biscuity finish rather than the citrusy zing of Pint. Once again, another highly drinkable session beer that I'd be extremely happy to sup all night.
Three very good beers indeed. And I'm sure if I'd tried the Marble JP Best, which was also on offer (iirc) I'd have been equally impressed. Meanwhile, Jo was drinking Marble Stout (smooth, mocha-flavoured, hints of vanilla, quite delicious) and Pictish Dark (stronger coffee notes, also very tasty). Both fine beers as well, good stuff all round.
Related posts:
The mid-afternoon I spent at the Marble Arch last month was one of the finest topering sessions of the year. Lots and lots of Dobber, own-blended Chocolate Ginger, a tickling of Thornbridge Jaipur and some delicately gorgeous fish & chips.
I've just spent the afternoon lashing back Marble Summer at the Flowerpot in Derby. Loved how, even half an hour after pouring and it had gone flatter than a witches' tit, it still had hops bursting out.
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Jaipur at the Marble Arch? Damn, damn, damn. I missed the Holy Grail again. One day, I tell you, one day. Love the idea of the Chocolate Ginger, btw. That's one for the to-do list, definitely.
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