We’re reviewing the entire Northern Powerhouse Brew Series – this is beer five, after 008, 006, 007 and 001.
I had very high expectations, and that’s a sign of how much I love Cloudwater and Wylam but this was my first slight disappointment of the series. From the can, it poured a viscous brown and there was an instant hit of big sweet smells spilling out of the glass.
On tasting, the sweetness came across as much more astringent than I was expecting and almost artificial. Admittedly, brown ales aren’t usually a style I would gravitate towards but, being objective, I felt the overall experience was lacking. The rich flavours I was expecting failed to completely break through the cloying nature of the beer.
Cloudwater regularly wow me with their consistently brilliant pale ales and their tap room is a phenomenal space. I’d recommend it to anyone to experience their beers at their freshest when you’re in Manchester. Check out Yandaro, their current Imperial Brown Ale to see how Cloudwater can knock out belting brown ales.
