Coopers Brewery 'Sparkling Ale'

Coopers Brewery 'Sparkling Ale'. 5.8% abv. ~35 IBU. Amber honey color. Hazy. Sediment. Finger of bubbly white head. Fair retention, good lace. Nose of yeast, bread, light fruit, flowers. Front taste of honey, mild tangerine, light brown sugar, floral hops on the end. Aftertaste is bitter floral hops, slightly tangy, some citrus peel, sweet finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is cool, smooth, carby, tangy.

This is a good mild refreshing ale, a bottle-conditioned classic that finds a middle ground between lawnmower session beers and bigger bolder choices. There is a distant bitter hop taste throughout, always behind the light fruits and bready flavors. 

My bottle was over a year aged past its "best after" date, which makes me curious about the taste of a fresher bottle as well as a further aged one. Regardless, this is a classic brew that serves as a measure for others in category. While it is mild, especially compared to all the gargantuan flavors out there today, it is enjoyable, refreshing, aromatic, and flavorful. Well fecommended.

From the brewery:

"The pinnacle of the brewers’ craft. The ale by which all others should be measured. With its famous cloudy sediment and its distinctive balance of malt, hops and fruity characters, the old ‘Red Label’ is a tasty slice of Coopers history."

[source: coopers.com.au]

"Coopers Ales and Stout are brewed using the centuries old top fermentation method and natural bottle conditioning, resulting in a characteristic fine sediment forming on the base of the bottle. This sediment is completely natural and can be gently mixed before drinking or poured carefully, leaving the sediment in the bottle."

[source: bottle]