Yorkshire Dales Brewing Co.

If that's not an evocative name for a brewery, then I don't know what is. Rolling hills, glowering skies and no-nonsense brewing. That's what I think of when I think of 'Yorkshire' and in a lot of ways that's what the two beers I've just enjoyed from the Yorkshire Dales Brewing Co are.

First up is Great Shunner (4.2% abv). A dark amber-hued beer, the aroma is mostly cola, with a sweet malt and a hint of biscuit. Quite dark for a 'session bitter'. it turns out to be fairly thin in body but with a nice, late, bitterness. The head stays around for a while, and its an easy pint to drink.

Much more complex, but strangely lighter in alcohol, is the Darrowby Dark (3.7%abv). The first thing you notice is the smoky aroma, which does carry through to the taste. Hopped milder, this beer is firmly pitched at the Dark Mild clan, and does a respectable job. There's a slight hint of bitter chocolate in the body, aloing with a late cherry/red fruit hit, but the lively carbonation again renders the mouthfeel a little thin - when in this case it could be more strong.

Both beers are decent enough, and I would certainly make a beeline for their cask counterparts - there's a lot going on in these beers, flavour-wise, but the bottle-conditioning gives them both a lively feel that doesn't quite do them justice. YDBC have a decent array of bottle-conditioned brews, and I'll buy more in the future.