Hello and welcome back to the Eternal Hoptimists,
“Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches Peaches………“
Let’s get one thing clear, this beer has nothing to do with Jack Black or Super Mario other than it has peaches. Yep, this one from Thornbridge is a peach IPA, hence the name Melba. I am personally a big fan of the aroma and flavour of peaches in many things and have had this beer before, but not for several years.
Let’s see if this one still has me singing Peach, you’re so cool and I love you, oh.
1. Name : Melba
2. Brewery: Thornbridge, Bakewell
3. Hops : Not specified however bottle states highly aromatic US hops
4. Grain : Barley & wheat
5. Aroma : If this one was put in front of you in a blind test you would guess straight away the aroma of peach as that dominates on the nose with a light hop cutting through.
6. Appearance : Pours a crystal clear light straw colour with a fluffy one finger white head and decent levels of carbonation.
7. Body : Light body with a pleasant mouthfeel
8. Taste : Yep, peach galore! Has the familiar characteristics of a Thornbridge brew as it’s clean, crisp with a delicate hop edge, combine this with the peach flavour this proves to be a very refreshing beer.
I started by saying how much I enjoy the aroma and flavour of peach but taking this out of the equation does it really work in a beer, and would it suit a wider audience? Overall I would have to say yes. The intense aroma and flavour of peaches might not suit all palates, and some may well take one mouthful and be like…. whoa, what on earth is this? Whereas others will enjoy what is put in front of them.
Melba is a beer that is one that has been a part of the Thornbridge portfolio for a lot of years now, so it clearly has its fans and honestly, I have to say that I too am one of those. I find the flavour profile to work well, and you can tell that behind the strong peach flavour there is a very solid base beer.
Overall, I would say that if you are looking for a refreshing beer for the summer months then Melba is well worth seeking out. Unlike several other fruit flavoured beers this one seems to have a good balance with the peach flavour never coming across as artificial. Whilst Melba might not suit everyone’s palate it certainly suits mine and as a result, I would recommend giving this one a go.
Mark’s overall rating: 3.6/ 5.0
The|Eternal|Hoptimitsts 