FABPOW! Black Isle Yellow Hammer with a Summer Supper

A golden summer ale with a fluffy white foam, this beer bursts with a lively balance of citrus zest and floral freshness from the Cascade hops. It’s incredibly clean in the flavour with the hops shining bright and vibrant rather than muted or squished together anonymously (you know how sometimes hops in beer just become a white noise of bitterness, lacking any clarity in their flavour? This is the opposite of that). The mouthfeel and body are that of a just-pulled pint of cask ale, with a soft carbonation. Combine that with the sort of bitterness that exemplifies the dictionary definition of balance and drinkability and this is a cracking beer for the sunshine.

For dinner I had fresh lemon sole, baked potatoes and salad. A simple summer supper, something I'll cook most weeks, something light and healthy and fresh. The lemony, zesty quality in the beer chimes with the lemon in the fish and the dressing on the salad (usually just oil and lemon) while the creamy, starchy potato is lifted by the body of the beer.

Black Isle's Yellow Hammer is a bottle to open in the garden with a dinner that wants a light burst of freshness to bring out the fresh flavours in the food. Make sure you've got a couple of bottles though as you'll drink the first one fast.