I am a beer drinker, and by beer I mean ale, bitter, made from malted barley, hops, yeast and water. This evening we went o a simply splendid brewery trip to Otter Ales in Devon and on offer after the brilliant tour was a selection of different beers produced in their lovely establishment near Honiton. I’ve supped many pints of Otter, I didn’t fancy the Otter Head which was strong and similar to barley wine, so I started with Otter Amber. A great beer,clear and bright but not to my taste. Next I tried Otter Bitter, which again was a really fine beer which I enjoyed.
A new beer which is only available in a handful of pubs is Tarka, named after the otter in the eponymous story by Henry Williamson. Lager is a word which means store or storage and proper lager beer needs exactly that… it needs to kept. Tarka lager is kept for up to six weeks before it is ready. I don’t like lager but I felt I ought to try some so I gave it a go.
What a revelation!! A brilliant, crisp beer, full of flavour, with depth and a long taste… I didn’t just have one but I had two pits! I am not converted to lager, it’s too cold for me, but it is a sensational beer!
Thanks, Otter!
Lois Elsden 