William Brothers Klute West Coast IPA Beer Review

I think at this point I may have reviewed more William Bros beers than any other brewery, although Titanic and Wychwood are probably running them close. In the case of William Brothers this is another cheap offering from budget supermarket ALDI. So far I've been genuinely impressed by the Alloa brewery, and they have been responsible for some of my favourite lighter drinks. Given that I hadn't heard much about them before picking up a couple of their beers in the LIDL beer festival they've really grown on me quickly. 

Klute West Coast IPA comes in a fairly stylish white 330ml can and boasts a pretty hefty 5.6% alcohol, which for the budget market is great value almost regardless of the taste. I'm slightly perturbed by the description which promises a 'citrus burst of blended hops' though. It's not that I don't like citrus beers, it's just that they seems to be everywhere at the moment, and I like variety. Klute pours really nicely, and a little more golden than I expected. The head is decent, but sadly doesn't last long. It's not a bad looking beer. 

The aroma is certainly hoppy and full of citrus, so the description doesn't seem to be lying at all, which is good, I like a beer that does what it says in the can. There's certainly some grapefruit lurking in the smell, and it actually smells a little malty, so there's a fair amount going on in there. The texture is a little fuller than I expected, I was really expecting a very light, refreshing first taste, but there seems to be a little more going on.

The taste is actually slightly odd, not like most IPA's. I think there's just a hint of chocolate fighting among the malts, hops, citrus, and bitterness. I certainly wouldn't describe Klute as having a citrus burst, more of a whimper. I'm not really sure I like the taste, it just doesn't feel like it's blended together quite right for me, but on the other hand it's a bit different, and I like that. On balance I'm going to give Klute West Coast IPA from William Brothers 6 out of 10. I think it's one you almost have to try and make your own mind up with as I'm sure there's someone out there who'll really like it, that person just isn't me.