Tasting Notes: Shepherd Neame Canterbury Jack
Brewery: Shepherd Neame
Location: Faversham, Kent, England
ABV: 4.0% ABV
Version: Bottled
Source: Courtesy of Tesco
Shepherd Neame and Tesco have joined forces to launch the first bottled version of the brewery’s Canterbury Jack draught ale and have done so in order to raise money and awareness for an extremely worthy cause: Tesco charity of the year CLIC Sargent, which helps children with cancer spend more time at home and less time in hospital.
As I don’t live in Shepherd Neame territory I haven’t had the opportunity to sample Canterbury Jack on draught myself – although I’m familiar with their better-known bottled beers, particularly Bishop’s Finger and Spitfire – so this was my first meeting with Jack (although I met its big brother, Gentleman Jack, in a four-pack of <cough> another supermarket’s own-brand ales, thanks to an Xmas present from my sister’s kids, bless ‘em).
Canterbury Jack’s label proclaims it to be a “light, refreshing, contemporary ale bursting with citrus nose and flavour” and it delivers pretty much exactly that. It’s a pleasant, light session bitter although I found it quite malty, fruity and slightly sweet – perhaps not so much citrus as cream toffee – with a light hop-touch. It is very refreshing, too, and went well with the pork burger I had for tea last Friday, so I reckon it would be an ideal barbecue beer. Maybe Tesco could repeat the campaign a little later in the year? It ought to fly off the shelves in the summer (assuming we have as summer this year, of course)*.
All in all: a good, tasty, bottled session bitter. If you’re looking to stock up the ‘share and enjoy’ section of your beer cupboard then you could do a lot worse, and you would be supporting a good cause at the same time. The bottle I tried was sent along courtesy of Tesco (cheers, Mary!), but I’ll definitely be purchasing up a few more next time I’m shopping at their place.
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