Citra
Oakham Ales / The Brewery Tap

CitraCitra
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Oakham Ales / The Brewery Tap
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
American Pale Ale
Ranked #531
ABV:
4.6%
Score:
87
Ranked #16,418
Avg:
3.88 | pDev: 9.54%
Reviews:
66
Ratings:
197
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 03, 2023
Added:
Jun 05, 2011
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  27
In 2009 on his annual hop sourcing visit to the USA, Oakham's Brewing Director John Bryan discovered an exceptional new hop variety - Citra. He rushed it to the UK, ensuring that Oakham Ales were the first UK brewery to brew a beer with 100% Citra hops and maintaining Oakham's reputation for pioneering innovation.

Light gold in colour, bursting with citrus and tropical hop flavours and sensationally refreshing. The original UK Citra.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by biegaman:
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

4.07/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Hops can't affect a beer's colour but Citra shares a resemblance to lemon fruit in its appearance just as the hops for which it's named and brewed exclusively with do in aroma and taste. A happy and simple looking pale ale, it is so clean you'd think it was just sterilized and then polished. There's not much head but there's some.

The bouquet of this beer - in all seriousness - provides the same guava, gooseberry, and lychee aromas of a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. It smells vividly like tropical and citrus fruits. In addition to the above three there's also an abundance of grapefruit, peach, lemon, and cantaloupe flavours - it's as if the glass were hosting a summit of the world's fruits.

What makes Citra so delicious is simple: it uses an absurd amount of deliciously fruity Citra hops. Part and parcel with that, however, is the fact the brewery also opted to use the cleanest, lightest possible malt bill, allowing all these citric and tropical flavours to be properly showcased without the interruption of anything obstructively sweet or toasty.

The only peep from the grain is a small amount of (very pleasant) biscuity flavour, and it's mostly confined to the aftertaste. Besides that, there's enough imitation of citrusy tartness, pithiness, zest, and acidity that few will notice. Notwithstanding, the body is there; this has the fruity qualities to refresh but also the maltiness to replenishing on a hot summer day.

When confronted with those (specifically woman and wine drinkers) who claim they "just don't like beer" most good-intentioned beer advocates point to sweet fruit beers. No. A super quenching, light-bodied ale virtually free of bitterness and over-the-top brimming with *suggestive* tropical fruitiness like this one is just the key. I guarantee a better conversion rate.

Oakham Ales has every right to put a giant hop cone as the face of this beer - hops are, after all, in the aroma, taste, feel, and name of it. But where does this small Cambridgeshire brewery get off breaking with tradition? Who do they think they are making a forwardly hoppy pale ale reminiscent of ripe citrus and tropical fruits? I'll tell you what I think they are: bloody brilliant!
Mar 20, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.15 by KeithGreatNorth from Canada (BC)

Dec 03, 2023
Photo of JohRvs
Rated by JohRvs from England

3.42/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Light in colour and citrus zest on the tongue, leaving a hoppy after taste.
Jul 14, 2023
 
Rated: 3.89 by shelby415 from Oregon

Jun 26, 2023
Photo of mpk2020
Rated by mpk2020 from Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cask on Baker's street. Alot of grapefruit. Tasty!
Jul 26, 2022
Photo of 2beerdogs
Reviewed by 2beerdogs from California

3.76/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Rating this as a session IPA because that’s how it’s labeled.
Clear golden hue, slight white head with scattered lacing. Light on the retention.
Aroma starts with zesty grapefruit pith and lemon, then pivots toward piney. Gentle malt base.
Flavor is more of a balance of pithy grapefruit and pine resin. Pretty nicely balanced but perhaps not as citrusy as expected.
Mouthfeel is spot on for an IPA which means it’s a bit chewy for a session IPA. That’s a bonus.
Overall, a very nice (opposite of thin) take on the sub style.
Jun 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.55 by igl from Russian Federation

Jan 10, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by Dentist666 from Russian Federation

Jun 25, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.72/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
500 ml bottle, will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.6%. Golden colour, moderate to low white head. Strong aroma of Citra hops, notes of citrus fruits and gooseberries, hints of tropical fruits. Distinctly hoppy flavour on a tolerable malty base, notes of citrus, gooseberries and tropical fruits again, grapefruity and wormwoodlike bitterness in the dry finish. Long, bitter and rather sharp aftertaste.
May 03, 2021
Photo of James94
Reviewed by James94 from England

4.44/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
L: Clear golden colour, good lacing
S: Grapefruit, mango, passion fruit, orange, lemon, lime
T: Pineiness, zestiness, grapefruit, herbs
F: Medium-bodied, fairly balanced carbonation

O: 4.5
May 03, 2021
 
Rated: 3.01 by stephenlee93 from England

Dec 04, 2020
Photo of Steve555
Reviewed by Steve555 from Wales

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 500ml bottle. Light brown gold in appearance A creamy head that dissipates quickly. Smells of fruits, pineapple and grapefruit. Taste is a citrus hop bomb with hints of pine and grapefruit, powerful stuff for the abv. Quite a creamy lingering bitterness in the mouthfeel with good carbonation. This is a class beer for a session IPA, not sure if you can down too many in quick time though, it would need to be a long session.
Aug 15, 2020
 
Rated: 3.77 by Dave1999 from North Carolina

Jan 17, 2020
 
Rated: 3.25 by Hayley_86 from Netherlands

Mar 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Mattias from Sweden

Sep 29, 2018
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

2.82/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
L Pale gold. Pours with decent white head and holds it well
S Fresh citrus fragrance
T Citrus, orange/lemon zest. Dry hoppy end.
M Fresh clean, nice if you're on for the prominent citrus angles here.
O Citra by name, citrus by nature. 'You have been warned'.
Bought from waitrose London. 500ml bottle. BB 31/1/19
Aug 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.85 by TheCrowsEye from California

Dec 18, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by shu_420 from Romania

May 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.14 by Treefig33 from England

May 06, 2017
 
Rated: 3.85 by tappangordo from New York

Apr 15, 2017
Citra from Oakham Ales / The Brewery Tap
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 197 ratings