Freya, the Nordic Goddess of Love, once cried golden tears for her husband Óðr. If she'd cried an alcoholic beverage, you can bet it would be this beer.
Either way, Freya's Gold is golden nectar of a different kind which uses several malt variations to create a crisp, light and refreshing beer that is very easy drinking whilse also being delicious.
York has a big Viking heritage, it once being a Viking stronghold called Jorvik, which is where we get the name York. Brew York have capitalised on that heritage with this beer, and I for one would like to see more Nordic Gods and mythology in their beer output.
The aroma is a little sweet but, as is typical of lager, has a mainly malty and fresh smell. There is a little fruitiness in the aroma which is odd, but not unpleasant.
The pour is golden as is traditional, with a deeper gold colour that some lagers contrasting nicely with the fluffy white head that disappears quickly after a few sips. The initial flavour is very crisp which immediately hits the spot, developing into a bitterness that balances perfectly with the subtle sweetness.
The aftertaste allows more of the malt flavours to come through and is biscuity, almost bready in flavour; along with finishing quite dry and crisp to bring you back for more.
Cameras not being a thing in Viking times, along with Goddesses being mythological, means we can't tell for sure what Freya looks like. Brew York have taken a stab at it though, with the side of the can displaying her in profile with flowing, braided hair, a headdress and of course a shield and spear: those must-have deity accessories.
The light colour of the can makes her stand out even more, with a pastel mountainous region behind the beer name banner down the front, which is of course golden.
The rest of the writing and information on the can is golden which is appropriate, and there's a little beer bio to go with the crispiness rating (4 out of 5) along with the spider diagram which really helps a drinker to understand the profile.
We found this in our local bottleshop, where it was upsold to us by Beer Central, so worth checking your local. If not, you can grab a can from Beer Sniffers where it's just £3.47 a can.
