There are many worthwhile beers on our shelves that are passed over, for one reason or another. The other night I took home Dorothy Goodbody's Our Glass, an English Strong Ale from Wye Valley Brewery in Herefordshire, England.
I'm actually surprised that this one was overlooked, because the label art gets your attention--a smiling blond bombshell showing some leg. The lady is Dorothy Goodbody, a character that Wye Valley created to move beer. (Check out Dorothy's backstory [complete with cheesy double entendres] on the Wye Valley site--you really don't wanna miss the one called Dorothy Catches Crabs.)
So what about the beer? Well, it's pretty good. Like a lot of English beers, Our Glass has subtle flavors. There's a nice balance between the initial caramel-like sweetness of the malt and the dry, bitter hop finish. You also get a bite of alcohol in there, but nothing harsh. And at 6% ABV, this may be a Strong Ale by English standards, but it's almost sessionable for American craft beer drinkers.
Dorothy Goodbody's Our Glass is interesting and complex enough to be worth trying. So if you see Dorothy beckoning you from her lonely English quarter, give in to temptation and take her home tonight.
