I popped into Asda recently, for the first time since University actually, to have a little nosey at what their craft beer range was and see if they’d been keeping up with the other supermarkets. They have a decent selection of beers from other breweries but also have a range brewed exclusively for them. The folks behind this range are Yorkshire based BAD Co (short for Brewing and Distilling Company). The first beer I’ve decided to try is this West Coast Pale at 5.6% ABV.

Visually the beer has a burnt orange/brown colour to it. It has a slight haze to it but on the whole it is a fairly clear beer. The aroma of the beer is incredibly sweet, in particular a malty sweetness. The flavour matches the smell in terms of sweetness. However, there is a also a degree of bitterness to the brew, which is to be expected considering it is a west coast style pale. That said there is almost no actual flavour at all which is rather dissapointing.

A quick note on the can art: I really like the design of the wrap. Having had the privilege to see the Golden Gate Bridge in the day time I can imagine it is even more impressive at sunrise. The can captures that to a degree.

On the whole I’d say this is a below average beer. There really is no depth of flavour for my personal tastes. You get sweet and you get bitter. If I was stretching I could argue there are notes of grapefruit. The beer drinks absolutely fine however, it’s just not very exciting at all. I think brewing a good West Coast beer is hard with the current trends in craft beer, so I imagine doing it on a low budget to hit the supermarket price point, is even more challenging.

Score: 4/10

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Additional Information:

• Hops: Not Available
• Malt: Not Available
• IBU: Not Available
• ABV: 5.6%
• Gluten Free: No
• Vegan: Yes
• Purchase Location: Asda
• Purchase Price: £1.25