Bragdy Twt Lol – Glo In The Dark

Porter • 4.5 % ABV • Treforrest, Wales

We’ve another hot Sunday ahead of us and what better way to spend it than in doors on the Xbox, allowing a vampiric whiteness to take over the skin.

Once a month, my brothers and I like to get together on-line battling hordes of on-line players and generally making things trickier for them, so it’s the perfect day for some more relaxed ales and lagers instead of the usual crafts.

Speaking of Ales, today I’m going to try out Glo In The Dark by Bragdy Twt Lol based in Trefforest, here in Wales.
I used to call Trefforest home a few years back when I studied media production at Glamorgan University, before every merged in the area and the Media school was brought to Cardiff.
I loved my time there and It’s great to see the rolling hills of the Welsh Valleys being home to the beer industry since 2015.

Described as a dark ale, Bragdy Twt Lol have packed this ale with a range of US hops including Columbus, Centennial, Mosaic and Citra.
The body has been boosted with a range of malts as well as the additions of wheat and oats.
Bringing it all together is a US style yeast.

The hand drawn artwork on the bottle and on their website has a recognizable look about it too.
In the case of Glo In The Dark, we’re looking at a canary with a headlamp along with lumps of coal dotted around.
Reminiscent of the coal mining history surround the area here in Wales.

I’m looking forward to trying this gem out as I’ve been meaning to taste their brews for a while.

Appearance	Dark in colour from the offset but with a little help from some light, I’m making out a ruby brown colour that is beautifully clear. A lively number, producing lots of rising bubbles from the base of the glass. This helps to produce a big foamy head of light brown which sits there – The head really is going nowhere.
Aroma	On popping the cap, there was a really pleasant cocoa aroma. After pouring, I’m treated by a range of aromas starting with the vibrant and fruity hops which give elements of lemon citrus paired with a little spiciness towards the back-end, I can get more of the roast and dark malt aromas. When the hop and malts aromas come together, there is a little blackcurrant in the mix too.
Flavour	The hops play a huge part in the initial stages of the beer. Giving plenty of lemon, floral and slightly spiced notes at the beginning. Next up are the dark malts which step up to offer a big coffee roast flavour, a touch of cocoa sweetness and a malty bitterness at the end. As the temperature increases, the effect of the hops against the malts gives an almost berry like flavour before the malty bitterness works its magic.
Mouthfeel	A medium to rich mouthfeel but the carbonation helps to lighten the body somewhat. The wheat and oats aid in offering a really smooth body and in turn keep that head sat firmly at the top. A malt derived bitterness hits the back of the tongue and isn’t overkill on the sensation.
Overall	For my first taster of a beer by Bragdy Twt Lol, Glo In The Dark is a tasty dark number. There is great balance between the fruity and slightly spiced hops against the dark yet bitter malts at the end. The body is plenty rich but the beer is surprisingly light and drinkable. A gem of a beer that is perfect for lazy Sundays and has got me in the mood to get hold of more of their wares. Although perfectly delicious out of the fridge, you get far more intensity from the hops and malts when the beer warms up a little.

If you have had an opportunity to try a bottle then visit @hop_pilot and let me know what you thought of Bragdy Twt Lol’s Glo In The Dark.