I’m a fan of Wye Valley’s bottle-conditioned beers.

Butty Bach is a tasty, floral, bittersweet best bitter, Dorothy Goodbody’s Golden Ale is a fine summer drink with marmalade orange notes, and Dorothy’s Country Ale is a big, satisfying, fruity strong beer. Dorothy’s Wholesome Stout, with its bitter coffee character, I would rate even more highly. It’s a world classic.

Naturally, then, the news of another beer joining the Wye Valley range excited me. The beer they’ve chosen to launch in bottle as part of the brewery’s 25th anniversary celebrations is HPA.

Hereford Pale Ale, to give it its full name, first appeared in cask form in 1989. At 4%, it’s absolutely perfect for quaffing on draught in The Barrels pub in Hereford, or in another Wye Valley outlet. However, would it be robust enough to handle the bottling process? There was only one way to find out.

The packaging of Wye Valley’s bottles is top drawer. Film-printed labels bring a touch of class to the front, while a more conventional paper label adds detail on the back. But I was a bit disappointed at the level of information on this particular bottle.

The basic ingredients are there – pale and wheat malts; Styrian Golding hops – and there are Cyclops tasting notes, although there’s nothing about the history of the brewery, which is odd considering this is a birthday bottling.

The beer pours a very pale straw colour, with a clean, fluffy, white head. A good level of carbonation lifts the aroma that features suggestions of honey and light caramel behind delicate citrus fruit. Put together, they are reminiscent of lemon toffee.

Delicacy is the name of the game for this beer. The very light malts could easily be overpowered in the taste by the wrong choice of hops, but using Styrian Goldings on their own cleverly delivers a subtle bitterness, topped by restrained floral and fruity notes.

At the heart of it all is a slick, honeyed malt character, with the edge just taken off the sweetness that this brings by a smooth, rounded bitterness. The nuances of the hop – gentle lemon and a fresh flowery note – then sit on top.

Very often bottle-conditioned beers of 4% and below tend to be very dry, especially in the finish, but the dryness here is just enough to make the beer ‘moreish’ without being harsh. Bitterness slowly increases but the hallmark honeyed malt and floral notes are still there to be savoured as the beer slowly fades away.

Wye Valley have promised a (presumably stronger) dedicated anniversary ale for later this year. That will be something to look forward to but, while you’re waiting, give HPA a go. It’s a fine, quenching, easy-drinking beer.