FOR a lot of people, Cheltenham means just one thing – horseracing. More specifically, the annual racing festival every March represents the pinnacle of the sport, where the best horses, jockey and trainers battle it out in the Olympics of horseracing.
Situated in the southwest of England, if it were to be associated with any kind of alcoholic drink, it would probably be cider, if you had no problem subscribing to an easy stereotype.
However, Cheltenham is also home to one of Britain’s foremost beermakers.
Deya have been churning out tasty ales since 2015 with the emphasis very much on freshness.
‘Hops die’ is often the doom-laden cry among devotees of IPAs and pale ales, acting as a plea to drink the contents of a can as soon as possible after purchase.
Deya are very much subscribers to this notion and so I snapped up a couple of their pale ales to test out the theory.
Much like their fellow southern England-based hopmeister Verdant, Deya aren’t shy about quirky names for their beers.
First up is We Are Sorry to Announce, a 4.5 per cent pale ale, which boasts some eye-catching can art, as do most of Deya’s creations.
This one pours a very light amber, almost straw, colour in the glass. The cans come in 500ml, so there’s a generous serving and it’s all topped off with a fluffy white head.
The judicious use of the Sabro contributes a fair bit to the aroma and taste of this beer. There are tropical, citrus and floral notes, but no one element overpowers the other.
You get nice juicy whiffs of pineapple and stone fruits while on the palate there is tropical fruit sweetness, with a little hint of coconut and a lemon and floral finish.
The bitterness is low-level and very much smoothed out by the tropical fruit flavours and drinking it fresh definitely means they can be enjoyed fully.
Next up is Off Street Parking, a 4 per cent pale ale. This is an enjoyable session ale which is bursting with flavour. Again, well-judged hop use is at the crux of things. The Loral hop gives it all an earthy and herbal fee while Idaho-7 brings the deep juicy and fruity vibes.
Pouring a light amber colour, the was a fair bit of carbonation in this can which accounts for the fairly sizeable head.
Once that all settles down, there are flavours of pineapple and clementine and a refreshing hit of lemon sherbet.
