Ales - Pale Ale, Finlandia or something darker?

Lugh Ildanach

I'm not that fussed on any Ales that i've drank in pubs, and wouldn't be my first choice to brew although i'm brewing as part of a collective and the others have requested the next batch to be an Ale.

My idea of an Ale is something slightly dark, maybe amber, although I see these Pale Ales seem to be very popular with the homebrew community. They look pretty much like a lager and I can't imagine that Ale drinkers would be particularly keen on them.

I've also seen the Finlandia ale kits on offer. Have any Ale lovers out there tried these ones? Or can anyone recommend a non-pale Ale kit, or perhaps I've misjudged these Pale Ales and should really give them a chance!!! I imagine that since i'll be making them myself that it won't be hard to brew them to my own (and our collective) taste

bc_lk

have brewed two Finlandia kits the dark and traditional ale (16Ltr), the dark is better but both lack hop flavour and bitterness no real head retention, not really impressed.

Coopers Dark and Hambeldon Bard dry kits aint bad but you need to leave it both at least a month or so to mature, they really do improve with time.

have a Coopers English bitter on the Go at the moment so will see how that turns out

best so far for me has been the coopers sparkling ale

poitinstill

i did the finlandia bitter too ...bland enough. clean flavour alright ... along the lines of a bud but dark