Brewery: Integrated Bottling Solutions
Location: Gloucestershire, England
ABV: 4.0%
Version: 500ml bottle

I like it when breweries give their beers mildly amusing names to help them stand out on the shelf and quite often there does appear to be reasons behind them. The catchily named Integrated Bottling Solutions don’t appear to have a website but research would seem to indicate they were originally known as Wessex Craft Beers and now act as a bottling agent and distributor, rather than as an actual brewer. Information does seem to be a bit sketchy so I’ll happily be corrected by anybody more knowledgeable. This particular beer is decked out with a cartoon footballer and is released to tie in with the start of the English football season, which goes some way to explain the name. However, I can think of another reason why it’s appropriate.

Pouring a light amber colour the beer gives off a light hoppy aroma. This lightness follows through in the taste, with the barest hint of a citrus fruit flavour. And that’s it. I really can’t think of anything more to say about this quite bland and uneventful ale. So as far as I’m concerned the FA doesn’t stand for football association.