Munton's Flagship range - American Pale Ale: review

[cwrw gwent]

Bottled my Muntons Flagship range American Pale Ale on 23rd January after 14 days in the bin and it’s turned out rather well. It’s dark golden with plenty of carbonation and a good head. Not strictly my type of beer as it’s fairly heavily hopped but it improves with age and after a month is very drinkable. I look forward to drinking the rest over the next two months or so.

TECHNICAL NOTES
This is a two can kit with lots of supporting information. At about £28 for each 35 pint kit the Flagship range is not cheap, but good value for money given the quality of the product. According to the notes, the two cans contain “different extract to create the perfect flavour profile”. This particular kit contains 11.5 grams of Fermentis US-05 American ale yeast as well as 30 grams of Amarillo and 30 grams of Cascade which are added on day 10 of primary fermentation. The recommended primary fermentation time is 14 days (more realistic than the four to six days many kits suggest) and the secondary fermentation time is also 14 days. Bitterness is 25-45 IBU, colour is 15-25 EBC and the expected ABV is 4.5%.
The Flagship range was launched last year and also includes Hazy IPA, West Coast IPA, American Amber Ale and Milk Stout. Personally, I’d like to see Muntons offer something akin to Draught Bass or a session bitter like Youngs or Butcombe.

[MashBag]

Nice review. Thanks. I do think kits have come on tremendously.

But @ £28 that's almost 2 sacks of pale malt for me.

[cwrw gwent]

Yes, that's an eye-watering 80 pence a pint! Mind you, the last time I paid that in a pub was 1989.
The Geordie Yorkshire Bitter I normally brew works out at 47 pence a pint - that includes the kit, 500 grams spraymalt, sugar, 40 crown corks and sundries like steriliser and boiling a few kettles.

[guypettigrew]

Bottled my Muntons Flagship range American Pale Ale on 23rd January after 14 days in the bin and it’s turned out rather well. It’s dark golden with plenty of carbonation and a good head. Not strictly my type of beer as it’s fairly heavily hopped but it improves with age and after a month is very drinkable. I look forward to drinking the rest over the next two months or so.

I must have done something wrong when I tried this kit. I found it to be extremely uninteresting and certainly not a pleasure to drink.
The last gallon or so went down the drain.

Guy

[cwrw gwent]

Bottled my Muntons Flagship range American Pale Ale on 23rd January after 14 days in the bin and it’s turned out rather well. It’s dark golden with plenty of carbonation and a good head. Not strictly my type of beer as it’s fairly heavily hopped but it improves with age and after a month is very drinkable. I look forward to drinking the rest over the next two months or so.

I must have done something wrong when I tried this kit. I found it to be extremely uninteresting and certainly not a pleasure to drink.
The last gallon or so went down the drain.

Guy

Hi Guy - are you mistaking this kit for the Youngs American Pale Ale which was the subject of your post on 5th November?

[guypettigrew]

Oh, yes!! Stupid me!

Perhaps I should try the Muntons one.

Have you tried the Young's APA?

Guy

[cwrw gwent]

No - and reading your post on the subject I think I'll stay well clear!