Beer Molly Rose Brewing When Life Gives You Lemons

Many beers can give a drinker lemons, whether it's the citric tang of some kettle sours or hop-derived. Not too many come loaded with actual lemons, however. Or, to be more accurate in the case of this Molly Rose beer, "dry-lemoned".

But that's one of the steps Nic Sandery took with this farmhouse ale, one that features a colourful hop combo (Loral, Cascade, Amarillo, Centennial and Ahtanum) plus some specialty malts, with the aim of creating a lemon slice like character.

You'll not be surprised to hear this very pale yellow drop fires off as lemony an aroma as you could imagine, albeit one with a building herbal underbelly. Indeed, the more "farmhouse" elements – peppery spice and complex herbs – come increasing to the fore over time before things finish nice and dry. Well, I say: "finish", but if you're a believer in the importance of the Belch Test, here it's one that brings the lemon back with a vengeance.

James Smith