Can a comeback tour ever come too soon? Gage Roads don’t think so.
Given it brought in ample awards bling and lasting punter adoration, it's easy to wonder why Little Dove was retired in the first place. Yet, as the beer world whirs and spins in and out of focus, and even a short absence, like this one, may make the heart fonder. And so, here we are with fresh Little Dove cans, and big ones too!
In the glass, the former AIBA Champion beer is fresh as ever. There’re grapefruit, peachy stone fruit and a little resinous draw; none of which push hard. Nor does bitterness. The clear caramel malt base directs proceedings, but even then this isn’t full tilt Crystal malt leaning of the era that led to Little Dove’s debut – a watershed moment for the brewery.
If anything, it’s the clarity of intent that stirs the mind through the glass; this could have been hoppier, or with ramped-up bitterness, but it’s still very much an amplified pale ale; clean, dry and moreish. Pintable if it wasn’t for the pesky IPA-ish ABV.
This is likely what found favour with judges and drinkers over its seven-year tenure, and its return is well-timed for fireside sips at Gage Freo as squalls whip the eponymous shipping lane outside, screaming at your favourite team from the sofa at home, or just drinking in the nostalgia of a beer that changed Gage Roads.
Guy Southern
Published June 7, 2024 2024-06-07 00:00:00
