Ogma sounds like some kind of acronym that is only known by a select number of people, but luckily the cryptic name doesn't matter and anyone can enjoy this beer.
American Pale Ales are very similar to English amber ales, and that similarity comes through with Ogma which is very much in that vein with a lot of maltiness yet some bitterness from the modern American hop varieties.
For Ogma, Neepsend uses four of the more common American hops in Centennial, Cascade, Chinook and Citra to give a complex flavour profile that makes it an intriguing beer indeed.
A hoppy but fresh aroma that doesn't reveal much about what's inside the can, but the dark amber pour reveals more about the character of the beer inside.
It has a fair bit of depth with a lot of maltiness to the taste, with a creamy and smooth texture that make it very morish. The maltiness initially gives it more of an amber ale/bitter style flavour with that subtle sweetness, but the four hop varieties lend it a different dimension which make it a little more bitter.
The bitterness lasts right through to the aftertaste where it fades away and that malty sweetness comes back a little to give it more of a rounded, softer finish that means you can get through a can of it before you know it.
Neepsend stick to a theme with their can designs, something that we respect a lot as it brings with it a brand identity that means you can easily pick out their beers on the shelf by site.
The theme largely centres around bright colours at the top and bottom of the can with a slighter gradient into the centre where it turns white. On Ogma they have opted for bright yellow, but there are green, orange and blue variations on this theme.
The top and bottom of the can has a black banner, with the beer name featuring largely on the front in the middle. Neepsend's logo takes up most of the top half of the front, with the style and ABV taking up the bottom half.
We got this from our local bottle shop Beer Central, but you can buy it online from Craft n Berry for the bargain price of £3.43.
