I’ve been talking on and off to the guys at Kubla for over a year, patiently watching them go from idea to set up and trials and now to bottling their beer.
Was it worth the wait, worth my patience?
After all I’m not a patient man.
I’m pleased to say the answer’s yes.
Rise is Kubla Brewery’s Pale Ale and it pours a rich orange marmalade and smells of mango, oranges and just a little of farmyard straw.
The malts are classic toffee coated biscuits, but there’s some hibiscus tea in there too, a touch of tamarind and some very nice spicy white pepper.
Oh, and there are walnuts too, woody and slightly meaty.
The hops are gooseberry fresh, bitter with lime zest and a good sprinkling of fizzy sherbet, leaving a finish that’s a long drawn out sharp dryness.
If this is the shape of things to come then I’m glad I was patient.