Badger Harvester’s Ale
Brewery: Badger Ales (Hall and Woodhouse)
Location: Blandford St Mary, Dorset, England
ABV: 2.5%
Version: Bottled
Source: Tesco
With Harvester's Ale, Hall & Woodhouse are having a go at re-creating the sort of lower-abv ale that used to be provided for the workers in the fields at harvest time, to help the long days in the fields go by without everyone either falling into an alcoholic stupor or kicking off the sort of scythes vs pitchforks contest that nobody was likely to emerge from as a winner. Thus, it weighs in at a mere 2.5% ABV, although badger promises that it will still prove to be "a full-flavoured, fruity, refreshing ale" and it was deemed good enough to win a Tesco Drinks award last year, in the lower and no alcohol category.
I have to admit that I'd spotted - and passed over - this one on the shelves of the World Beer section (not the real ale section, oddly) in Tesco a couple of times, but finally decided to give it a go. In fact, I'm giving it a go as I type...
Harvester's Ale pours a very pale, golden amber with a thick, frothy head, although the latter soon dissipates. Flavour-wise, it's got a definite maltiness that gives way to a hoppy bitterness, particularly in the after-taste. Quite lager-like, really; especially with its initial burst of effervescence that settles down to a familiarly lager-like background fizziness. Having said that though, I should point out that it's definitely got more flavour to it that a fair few of the factory-produced lagers I've had to resort to in restaurants when nothing else was on offer.
But still, I'm not sure I'd personally describe it as "full-flavoured" so much as "surprisingly tasty, considering..." and it's not particularly fruity either, unless you count those hop notes. But it is quite refreshing, could probably stand a bit of a light chill before drinking, and with its lower alcohol content, it might make a decent Friday lunchtime starter to ease you into an evening session.
All in all: not too bad. Not too bad at all.
Tasting Notes: Wye Valley Summer Stinger
Brewery: Wye Valley Brewery
Location: Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire
ABV: 4.0%
Version: Draught
Source: The Goose & Cuckoo, Upper Llanover
Wife and kids away for a weekend, the dog walked for 4 or 5 miles, a bit of work done, curry waiting to be made at about 7pm, it's mid-afternoon, sunny, and my bike's sitting there just waiting to be ridden. What's a man to do? That's right ... visit the Goose & Cuckoo.
It's quickly become my favourite pub. It's a proper pub, with no jukebox, no mobile phones allowed, pickled eggs, 80 malt whiskies, and always a fine, ever-changing selection of ales. There's a damaged spread of plaster on one wall where faces appear, animals in the garden to keep the kids amused, and a picnic area across the road if you want to take your own grub.
It's also at the top of the steepest hill in the universe.
So after my ride up there (and I admit, I pushed a little), the first order of the day was a pint of water. While I was chugging that, I ordered a pint of Wye Valley Summer Stinger out of curiosity more than anything else. An ale made with nettles? OK, I'll give it a go. It's a dirty job, but etc etc.
Glad I did try it. Usually a fan of darker, slightly heavier beers, this light-coloured ale went down smooth and refreshing on such a hot day. Slightly cloudy, with a subtle 'countryside' aroma - cut grass, heavy brambles, ferns and forest - it also had a gentle citrus aftertaste.
From the people who bring us Dorothy Goodbody and her variously wholesome ales, this is another winner. I believe it's one of their monthly aleas, but I hope they brew it again next year.
As for the Goose & Cuckoo, it was a fine couple of hours, and it's on my calender for another visit very soon.
Tasting Notes: Three Tuns Clerics Cure
Brewery: Three Tuns
Location: Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, England
ABV: 5.0%
Version: Bottled
Source: Tanner's, Bridgnorth
Shropshire's Three Tuns Brewery bills itself as the oldest licensed brewery in England (first licensed in 1642, more info on their website) and with Cleric's Cure - one of their stable of regular beers - they've dipped into the history books again with a beer that's "designed to re-create the iconic style of India Pale Ales of the 19th Century." This places it alongside the likes of Meantime India Pale Ale, BrewDog's forthcoming Atlantic IPA and Thornbridge's Jaipur (and just-announced, even more traditional Seaforth IPA, which is another one for the 'must-try' list).
But back to the Cleric's Cure. This one poured a lovely pale golden colour and offered a faint whiff of honey on the nose. The honey carried through into the flavour as well, with a big hit of syrupy-sweetness and a slightly sticky mouth-feel as well. There's a definite citrus tang in there, that starts somewhere around lemon but ends up closer to grapefruit, but there's little else in the way of bitterness involved; it seems to be sugars pretty much all the way. Which wasn't what I was expecting from an IPA, I have to say: based on the two aforementioned traditional-style IPAs that I've tried recently (still haven't encountered the Jaipur, dammit) then I'd definitely have expected a lot more hops, perhaps a bit more alcohol and definitely less sugar.
All in all, it's drinkable enough, but probably a bit too sugary-sweet to become a regular tipple (even if I lived anywhere near an outlet that sold the stuff). Not terrible by any means, but not a new personal favourite, either.
Tasting Notes: Purity Farmers’ Harvest
Brewery: Purity Brewing
Location: Gt Alne, Warwickshire, England
ABV: 4.8%
Version: Bottled
Source: Tesco
The Purity Brewing Co have produced Farmer's Harvest ale to mark the centenary of the National Farmer's Union and it's still on sale via branches of Tesco (it's in stock in our local branch, anyhow). It's only available in bottles and is the first beverage in the UK to be awarded the red tractor quality mark.
Taste-wise, Farmers' Harvest is similar to Purity's Pure Ubu Amber Ale but with a slightly more noticeable caramel / toffee sweetness to it. There's a nuttier character in there, too - almond or pecan - but all in all it's a similarly drinkable and agreeably tasty brown ale. Not a huge amount to separate the two, but I think Farmers' Harvest might just edge it. I'll have to give the two a go in one session and see if I can separate them (I know, I know... any excuse).
Well worth checking your nearest Tesco to see if they've got any in stock.
A Night at The Crescent, Salford
A couple of months ago I made the trip into Manchester city centre and back out again to The Crescent, a pub with a justifiable reputation as one of the very best real ale venues in the Greater Manchester area. I used to drink there on a regular basis when I was a student at Salford University, but haven't been back for about fifteen years, for various reasons, so I was keen to see if the old place was anything like I remembered it (it was pretty much the same, yes).
I was at The Crescent, on a rare mid-week outing, to see my mate Howard Sherrington play his first solo gig (acoustic guitar & voice), supporting a band called Rising 44, with whom he also plays (much louder) guitar. Howard's set was excellent - he's a very technically gifted guitarist and can write a mean tune as well - and Rising 44 were, frankly, deafening (damn it, I must be getting old). And of course, I sampled a couple of beers while I was there... it would have been unforgivably rude not to, especially as it was National Cask Ale Week at the time, if I remember correctly.
The Crescent had an impressive array of beers on tap - around twelve or so, I think - as well as a decent-looking selection of bottled beers in their fridges (a couple on the table next to me were supping a Kwak and I'm sure I spotted a couple of Maredsous bottles and a few Duvels as well). Perusing the beer menu on the wall I opted for a pint of Sharp's Spring Mild to ease me into the evening. According to a mention on Ratebeer.com this one is brewed with gorse, but there's no info on the Sharp's website to confirm. In any case, it was an interesting, fruity dark mild with hints of both apple and pear and a slight sourness developing towards the end of the pint. Not bad, but not one I wanted to rush back to.
Instead, I opted for a pint of 3Rivers Delta Dark, from just down the road in Stockport. This was one of their 2009/10 seasonal ales, brewed specifically for CAMRA's Mild Month, so it was only available in April and May. Which is a real shame, because this was an extremely tasty little number.
At 5% ABV, Delta Dark weighs in a fair bit stronger than a typical mild and I think it's fair to say it had a much more interesting flavour than I've encountered in most of the milds I've tried so far. Delta Dark is a distinctly dark, ruby-tinted mild that's packed with chocolate and malt, with just a touch of coffee to give it a sharper edge. Great mouth-feel, extremely smooth and easy-drinking, I didn't hesitate to go back for a second pint and would have happily settled in a for a session, if I didn't have to head off and find a bus back into town. Well, it was a school-night after all.
Anyway, I'm sorry you missed it if you have missed it, but with any luck 3Rivers will brew it again next Spring. I know I for one would be highly tempted to track it down again if they did.
Tasting Notes: Brewdog How to Disappear Completely
Brewery: BrewDog
Loctation: Fraserburgh, Scotland
ABV: 3.5%
Version: Bottled
Source: BrewDog.com
BrewDog are billing their How to Disappear Completely as a 'Fake-Fix Double IPA' and an 'Imperial Mild' and both are pretty good descriptions. The ABV is relatively low at 3.5% - definitely mild territory – and yet the sheer volume of hops involved in the production of the beer is decidedly IPA. Weighing in at an eye-watering, tongue-scouring 198 theoretical IBUs (International Bitterness Units) compared to 20 - 35 or so for a typical English bitter, How to Disappear Completely is an absolute hop-monster.
If you're familiar with BrewDog's own Punk IPA and Chaos Theory - and if you're not, then a) where have you been? and b) look out for them both in the Sainsbury's Summer Ale promotion next month - then you'll probably have an idea of what to expect, but even so, the end product may take you by surprise.
How to Disappear Completely certainly took my missus, Jo, by surprise; one sip earning an immediate WTF-face reaction that was pure comedy gold (sorry, love!) and I can't say I blame her. Even fore-warned, I was taken aback myself by the sheer ascerbic force of the brew. Flavour-wise it's probably best described as an acquired taste. Obviously it's extremely hoppy and incredibly sharp, but there's still just a hint of maltiness in there somewhere and it has a palate-cleansing freshness that keeps it drinkable.
Definitely one to try if you like your beers positively Saharan, or even if you just fancy trying an IPA-equivalent that won see you flat on your back and singing along with the fairies after a few bottles. I enjoyed the experience myself (good job, too, as I have another two bottles to look forward to) and I might even end up adding it to my beer-cupboard roster on a regular basis, along with Punk IPA. I've normally got a pretty definite malt-tooth, but How to Disappear Completely offers a massive contrast for those times when I feel like something a bit different.
Tasting Notes: Little Creatures Pale Ale
Brewery: Little Creatures
Location: Fremantle, Australia
ABV: 5.2%
Version: 330ml bottle
Source: The Vineyard, Belfast
My experience of Australian beer is very limited. Very little of it makes it way over here, no doubt due to the high transportation costs that the majority of breweries just can't financially stretch to and still make the beer affordable. Other than cans of Fosters lager piled up in supermarkets, the only other stuff I've seen here is two or three from Coopers and this one from Little Creatures.
I'll let the brewery themselves describe their Pale Ale -
"Bag loads of whole Chinook and Cascade hop flowers that we source from Washington and Oregon in the US as well as some local flowers from Tasmania are thrown at this beer, creating an intense citrus and grapefruit aroma and flavour that we balance with a careful selection of specialty malts and a local pale malt made to our own specifications.
"Preservative and additive free our Pale Ale is live-yeast conditioned in bottles and kegs for unmatched freshness and character.
"From brewing to release, a batch of pale ale takes about six weeks, allowing for two weeks conditioning in the bottle after packaging."
Little Creatures Pale Ale is golden in colour, with a light amber tint. The smell is lovely, light and hoppy with grapefruit and lemon citrus notes, and bodes well for the tasting. And it doesn't disappoint with that either. First up is some citrus, quite restrained initally but it quickly develops as the grapefruit pushes through to the fore, with some lemon, orange and a hint of apricot adding some extra depth. Mouthfeel seems a bit thin at the start but it soon livens up, before giving way to a slightly dry finish.
Overall, this a lovely zesty ale, one for hop lovers, and ideal refreshment on a warm summer's day. Just make sure you pick up a few, those little bottles don't last long, which is exactly what I do anytime I see it.
Tasting Notes: Innis & Gunn Canadian Cask
Brewery: Innis & Gunn
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
ABV: 7.1%
Version: Bottled
Source: Courtesy of Innis & Gunn
Canadian Cask is a version of Innis & Gunn's Oak Aged Ale that has been aged in Canadian whisky barrels. This new limited edition has been created for the Canadian export market to celebrate Canada Day 2009 and won't be generally available to buy in the UK.
Ageing for 71 days to 7.1% ABV makes the Canadian Cask slightly stronger than the standard Oak Aged but the extra alcohol doesn't over-power another rich blend of interesting flavours. It's a very warm, malty brew with an almond nuttiness that blends with a toffee sweetness to create a hint of marzipan. There's a faint spiciness there as well - ginger or maybe nutmeg - that adds pleasant tang to the lingering bourbon after-taste.
All in all, an even smoother, richer version of the already very tasty Oak Aged. Shame we won't be seeing all that much of it in the UK, but Canadian readers should definitely keep an eye out and think about bagging themselves a few bottles if they see it.
A big thank you to Nicky at Innis & Gunn's PR agency R&R Teamwork for sending this one along for me to sample.
Tasting Notes: BrewDog Zephyr
Brewery: BrewDog
Location: Fraserburgh, Scotland
ABV: 12.5%
Version: Bottled
Source: BrewDog.com
A few weeks ago I placed an order via the BrewDog website for a bottle of their ultra-limited edition (only 100 bottles made available for sale at £25 each) Zephyr ale, along with a few bottles of BrewDog / Mikkeller Devine Rebel and BrewDog How to Disappear Completely (tasting notes for that one will be posted before too long).
Initially brewed as a 9% ABV IPA (by a brewery that knows a thing or two about brewing an IPA), BrewDog Zephyr was subsequently decanted into 1965 Invergordon whisky casks packed full of strawberries and then left to mature for exactly 600 days. The end result: a 12.5% ABV "strawberry infused Belgian inspired wood aged ale" that tastes like nothing else I've tried to-date...
But how to describe BrewDog Zephyr? Mark Dredge and Ms Impy Malting have both resorted to rapturous prose-poetry and the reviews at ratebeer have been similarly full of (slightly more prosaic) praise. And I for one am happy to add my own small paean to the growing cacophony: this is a truly fantastic beer.
The bottle opened with an appropriate champagne-pop, releasing a thick, strawberry infused aroma. The pour was lively, the beer's effervescence contributing to a frothy, if short-lived, head and an ongoing pleasant fizziness. First taste: an intense explosion of mixed flavours that was clearly going to take some time to sort out, and a fructose sweetness that was distinct but not overly sugary. A bit hit of alcohol, but nothing too harsh or over-powering. Interesting. Very interesting.
After a couple more sips (I certainly wasn't going to gulp this one) I began to pick out a few of those flavours: I kept looking for strawberries - knowing full well that those casks had been packed with them - but that particular note was elusive. Instead, I was getting unripe peaches and apricots, maybe even a slice of mango? A hint of the advertised coconut, wrapped up in shortbread. And of course, the whisky was there too. Speaking of which, I'd be very interested indeed to try a drop of the 1965 Invergordon, if only to help me with a theory I've got...
Because after a while I began to realise - and this was confirmed for me by the lovely Jo - that BrewDog Zephyr is actually really rather salty. Not something you often encounter in a beer - particularly in a Belgian-style of this strength, I'd imagine (having only experienced a few of those) but the saltiness was definitely there. And eventually, I think I worked out why: the Invergordon distillery was (in 1965 at least and still is if it's still a going concern) situated on the coast, as this multimap reference, provided by the distillery profile page at scotchwhisky.net illustrates.
I went through a bit of a malt whisky phase before I came back to real ale, and one thing I learnt is that during maturation, a whisky will take on not only the characteristics of the ingredients and methods used in its distillation and the cask it's matured in (hence the port wood / madeira wood etc. finishes you see on the shelves), but its character can also take in elements from the surrounding environment. Which is why a whisky like Old Pulteney tastes - quite distinctly - of the North Sea. And as Old Pulteney was the whisky that was most strongly brought to mind when I tasted BrewDog Zephyr, I would guess that a 1965 Invergordon whisky, distilled and matured on the coast, would have a similar sea-salt character and that the saltiness would have lingered in the casks long after the whisky was decanted, transferring in turn to the Zephyr.
Not - I hasten to add - that this in any way spoiled the flavour; quite the opposite in fact: salt is an obvious flavour enhancer and I'm sure Zephyr's many fruit notes were only enhanced by its inclusion in the mix. And as I progressed through the 750ml (slowly, savouring every mouthful as I went) those fruit flavours merged and mingled with the alcohol and caramel-sweetness and saltiness and hop-bitterness - which was there, although it took a long time to come through and was never quite as prevalent as it is in BrewDog's other IPA brews - to result in a drink experience that was, frankly, quite amazing.
All in all, I'm absolutely delighted that I splashed out £25 for a single bottle of a beer this rare and remarkable and I'd definitely do so again if the opportunity arose. In fact, if I remember rightly, BrewDog have an Atlantic IPA in the works - matured on-board a working trawler vessel in order to approximate the original sea-going life-cycle of the first India Pale Ales - and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a purchase of that one, even at a similar price-point. I've said before that I'm a sucker for a beer with a good story behind it and at the moment, BrewDog seem to be producing a series of literary masterpieces. Long may they continue to create!
Tasting Notes: Hilden Cathedral Quarter
Brewery: Hilden
Location: Hilden, Northern Ireland
ABV: 5.3%
Version: 500ml bottle
Cathedral Quarter is the second of Hilden Brewery's beers celebrating revitalised sections of the city of Belfast, dedicated this time to the area around St Anne's Cathedral. The first beer in the range, Titanic Quarter, I covered back at the end of August 2008.
Billed as a classic red ale it's no surprise when the beer pours a coppery red colour. There's almost no sign of any aroma, just the faintest hints of caramel and fruit. The inital taste is of some very light malt with a touch of biscuity caramel, quickly elbowed aside by a rough, and not particularly pleasant, bitterness. The caramel regains its footing later as the bitterness subsides a little but on the whole the taste seemed musty, as though some of the ingredients were past their best. Fortunately the finish is much better, with more of that biscuity caramel smoothing things over but to me it's still a typically average beer from Hilden and not one I'd rush out to get again.
Tasting Notes: Atlas Three Sisters
Brewery: Atlas
Location: Kinlochleven, Scotland
ABV: 4.2%
Version: 500ml bottle
Taking its name from a series of mountain ridges in Glencoe in western Scotland, Three Sisters is a reddish brown colour with a light and crisp aroma, citrusy with a hint of caramel in the background. The flavour is at first quite light, some malt initially with the hops held back, and quite dry. Some zing from the slightly excessive carbonation makes it a bit rough to start with but, as with their Nimbus, it pays to leave this one a few minutes to settle. The fizz dies down to acceptable levels, some more malt comes through, and brings with it an extra dose of citrus hoppiness. Overall, it stays quite subtle, crisp, zesty, dry but deceptive. Not a beer I would drink more than one or two of at a time, and not one that will be a regular buy, but I’ll give it an occasional revisit.
Tasting Notes: Atlas Latitude
Brewery: Atlas
Location: Kinlochleven, Scotland
ABV: 3.9%
Version: 500ml bottle
Latitude is described on the bottle as Highland Pilsner, and not being a great pilsner fan I wasn’t expecting much from it, but as with some of the lagers I’ve had recently beer tasting can be full of surprises. In keeping with its pilsner tag Latitude is pale straw in colour, but has a surprisingly strong citrus grapefruit aroma with some floral notes. The aroma is more upfront than the flavour, which is more restrained than I expected it to be. An initial hit of light malt with a mild zesty citrus hop follow on, and only a hint of that grapefruit in the background. Later on, the malt fades to let the citrus take over. While quite complex compared with most pilsners I’ve had, and a fine example of how good the style can be, it’s not a beer I’ll be getting on a regular basis but one or two now and again will certainly be welcome.
Tasting Notes: Morrissey Fox Proud of Pubs Best Bitter (#proudofpubs)
Brewery: Morrissey Fox
Location: Marton cum Grafton, North Yorkshire, England
ABV: 4.2%
Version: Draught
Source: Doggett's Coat and Badge, BlackFriars Bridge, London
I've been wondering what the Morrisey Fox chaps have been up to since the initial splurge of publicity for their new brewery venture died down after the first airing of the Morrissey's Risky Business TV series. I know that they'd produced another couple of beers to add to their initial Morrissey Fox Blonde Ale offering (according to their not always bang-up-to-date website they've produced a bitter and a couple of seasonal ales) but I hadn't managed to encounter any of them – they certainly hadn't turned up alongside their elder sibling on the shelves of Tesco's real-ale-in-a-bottle section.
So I was interested to hear (via The Publican's Managing Editor Daniel Pearce 's @DanielPearce Twitter feed) that a new promo-venture was in the offing. The result is Proud of Pubs Best Bitter, brewed by Morrissey Fox (or, rather, under license from Morrissey Fox by a much larger operation) and publicised by The Publican to help promote Proud of Pubs Week, which runs from July 11th to 19th this year. And when my boss and I headed across the river for a working lunch at Doggett's Pub last week, there it was on draught. Had to be done.
Morrissey Fox Proud of Pubs turned out to be a golden-brown bitter that poured with a decent head (even with the darn-sarf absence of a sparkler, unless they'd snuck one on for this particular brew) and had a rich, malty flavour with alight caramel-sweetness. It was very tasty indeed, definitely good enough for me to go back for a second pint and, frankly, one with the makings of an excellent session beer. Worth trying, especially if one of Mitchells & Butlers' Nicholson's or Classics pubs happens to be near you. Or worth having a word with your local real-ale-friendly landlord to see if they can get a cask (keg?) or two in.
So it would seem that the Morrissey Fox blokes have cracked it again by produced a beer that's highly drinkable and, backed by a decent promo campaign, should do rather well for itself this summer. I'm not sure, to be honest, if it it's a stand-alone brew or a re-badge of their Brunette best bitter, but at the end of the day, that's probably not all that important. Because if it tastes good and encourages a few more people to take some Pride in their local real ale Pub as a result, then that can't really be a bad thing, can it?
Tasting Notes: BrewDog / Mikkeller Devine Rebel
Brewery: BrewDog / Mikkeller
Location: Fraserburgh, Scotland / København, Denmark
ABV: 12.1%
Version: Bottled
Source: Brewdog.com
I've been very keen indeed to try this new collaboration from two of modern brewing's most talked-about operators, ever since I first read about its creation last December. So I ordered a mixed six-pack of Devine Rebel and How to Disappear Completely (via the Deals for Punks page on the BrewDog site to make up the numbers on my recent Zephyr order (and I have a few more Mikkeller brews to try as well, courtesy of a case of rare Belgians from Beermerchants.com).
Devine Rebel is a barley wine, a style of beer that I've not had a huge amount of experience with, so that was another cause for much sampling-anticipation. The opening of the bottle releases a quite wonderful aroma of rich caramel with just a hint of herbs. The pour is almost entirely effervescence-free - I'm guessing this is normal for the style, hence the 'wine' appellation? - and the first sip is rich, sweet, almost medicinal in character; the beer has definitely imported some distinctly whisky-like qualities from the quarter that has been aged in Scottish whisky barrels. The beer has a wonderfully rich mouth-feel, that conveys the flavours superbly, as well. Damn, this one's good...
One thing that's definitely noticeable (and I'm using the present tense because I'm drinking this one at the moment - live-action tasting notes, folks!) is that despite the 12.1% ABV the alcohol content doesn't overpower the more subtle flavours. In fact, as you get towards the bottom of the glass, the flavours become even smoother, the medicinal rough-edges rounded-off a bit, the warm toffee-caramel notes more pronounced. All in all, it's an absolutely delicious brew. Very highly recommended indeed!
A Visit to the Gunmakers, Clerkenwell
I was in London for an overnight stay last week, in between two days' worth of meetings. Seeing as I was staying on The Strand, it was a pleasantly warm evening and Clerkenwell looked like it was within easy walking distance, I realised this was a great opportunity to visit the legendary Gunmakers.
With the help of Google Maps I found the place quite easily and I fell in love with it pretty much immediately. The Gunmakers is small but perfectly formed, with the décor, atmosphere and – most importantly – beer selection of a proper pub. Being a bit peckish I perused the food menu on the blackboard and was frankly spoilt for choice, deciding on the chicken liver & bacon salad rather than the mixed grill, but only by the narrowest of margins. The food turned up quickly and was, frankly, delicious. The chicken livers were cooked to perfection, the bacon was freshly grilled, the salad leaves fresh and the dressing tangy. Absolutely lovely grub (it knocked ten bells out of the bog-standard re-heated chicken & chorizo salad I'd had at lunchtime) and I'll report back on the mixed grill next time I get down there.
Even better was the aformentioned beer selection. I've been keeping an eye out for fff Alton's Pride since it won CAMRA Champion beer of Britain at last year's Great British Beer Festival and there it was. A very fine beer it turned out to be, too: a golden-amber bitter with a fabulously fresh, hoppy flavour and plenty of lingering malt-notes in the after-taste. Throw in a hint of citrus and a biscuity, caramel sweetness and it all added up to a very fine drop indeed. At 3.8% it's a definite session-candidate and I'll certainly be trying this one again if I find it out and about in Manchester.
I reckoned I had time for one more before I headed off, so I opted for a pint of Harvey's Sussex Best bitter, which turned out to be another very fresh-tasting pale ale with a well-balanced hop-malt flavour and was expertly poured by none other than Jeffrey the landlord, widely known in beer-blogging circles as the author of Jeffrey's Beer Blog.
I said hello and introduced myself, then Jeff in turn introduced me to John, his flatmate, and we ended up chatting for a good half hour or so while Jeff did important landlord-stuff. We covered a range of topics - John's work at the BBC World Service, my work in publishing, the state of the economy, a few suggestions as to the best pubs in Manchester and York – all sorts of interesting topics. All in all I was made to feel most welcome indeed and it turned out to be an extremely pleasant evening, even if I did have to be anti-social and slope off a bit early to get in an hour or so's prep for the next day's meetings. But I'll be back, dammit. Just try to stop me...
And Jeff, if you happen to end up reading this piece, many thanks indeed for your hospitality and congrats again on your terrific boozer. If you do decide to make that Manchester trip and you think the services of a local guide might be useful, please feel free to drop me a line and I'll see if I can free up an evening for a bit of a crawl.
Photo Credit: I found this pic of the Gunmakers on Ewan-M's photostream on Flickr, which features a wealth of London pubs - check it out!
Tasting Notes: Svyturys Baltijos
Brewery: Svyturys
Location: Lithuania
ABV: 5.8%
Version: Bottle
Source: Deli Delicious, Abergavenny
Well this is an unusual one. I popped into Deli Delicious in my local town of Abergavenny because they had a Chocolate Tasting day on. Now, chocolate and I have been very good friends for a long time, and with my wife and two kids in tow, we were like four kids welcomed into Willie Wonka's factory. Choccy duly tasted - oh blimey, it was good - I naturally asked whether they had any ales. "We have these Lithuanian beers, and our regulars come back to them again and again." I didn't need much more encouragement. And what an interesting drink it turned out to be!
It pours with a dark amber colour and a thick head, which it retains, and a heavy caramel/coffee smell. I wasn't too excited about trying it after that - the smell was pretty heavy - but the beer itself was a delicious delight. The strength came through, but not too cloying, and the slightly sweet taste - and strong aftertaste - competed with the chocolate for Best Tasted Thing Of The Day. The beer won, just, and I'll certainly be returning to Deli Delicious to pick up some more soon.
Tasting Notes: Atlas Nimbus
Brewery: Atlas
Location: Kinlochleven, Scotland
ABV: 5.0%
Version: 500ml bottle
Source: Gap Wines, NI
Along with the Orkney Brewery, Atlas are part of the Sinclair Breweries Group of Cawdor, Nairnshire. According to their website they make 7 beers in all, several of which, Nimbus included, are available in 500ml bottles and 5 litre mini-casks, as well as the normal pub sized cask. Astute readers may notice that the accompanying pic is of the barrel label rather than the bottle, but I couldn't find one of the bottle and mine are well on their way to being turned into something else.
Nimbus is Atlas Brewery’s take on the Kölsch beers of Cologne. Being a blonde ale it’s gold in colour, with a very light, almost imperceptible aroma. There’s quite a bit of fizz on pouring, giving a decent head which lingers for a short time, but the fizz very soon dissipates. Initial impressions on tasting were of not much, some faint malt and a light hop flavour. But pour and leave for a few minutes and there’s a great improvement as the hop flavours develop. Some caramel pushes through but the malt very much stays in the background, letting the citrus dominate. Orange, lemon and grapefruit notes are all present, but this is not an overly bitter beer, quite smooth and subtle and very drinkable. Worth checking out, I usually pick up a few bottles when I see them. (If you're in my part of world Gap Wines might still have some left, and if in Scotland check Morrisons.)
Tasting Notes: Admiral’s Ale
Brewery: St Austell
Location: St Austell, Cornwall, England
ABV: 5.0%
Version: 500ml bottle
Founded in 1851 St Austell Brewery Company Limited, to give its full name, is more than just a brewery, it's a major employer in the south-east region of England, with over 1000 employees, annual turnover exceeding £90 million, and 169 pubs and hotels, 25 of which are run by company employees and the rest by tenants. They produce 9 beers, selling over 45000 barrels of them each year, none of which are lagers, and between them have notched up 50 awards.
Admiral's Ale was launched in 2005 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lord Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, and picked up the Supreme Champion award at the 2008 International Beer Challenge, which apparently makes it the World's Best Bottled Beer. It's a lovely dark bronze colour, with a reddish glow when held up to the light, and gives off a floral, fruity aroma with a hint of malt. The flavour is quite malty, biscuity with some fruit notes, backed up with hints of caramel and raisins, and just a touch of bitterness. Nicely balanced, it's a very smooth ale with a slightly dry biscuity finish, understated and very pleasant. By no means the best bottled beer I've had but it's a lovely drop and I'd certainly get it again.
Tasting Notes: Thornbridge Ashford
Brewery: Thornbridge
Location: Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire, England
ABV: 4.2%
Version: Draught
Source: Marble Arch, Manchester
After heading to The Angel to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary with a meal and a couple of pints of their (pale, hoppy, fresh and orangey) Angel Bitter, Jo and I headed up the road to the Marble Arch to see what delights they were offering. Perusing the pumps, I spotted and made a bee-line for Thornbridge's Ashford New World Brown Ale.
I was extremely glad that I did, too. Thornbridge Ashford is a hugely drinkable nut brown ale with big, chocolate and faint coffee flavours and an extremely smooth, satisfying finish. Weighing in at 4.2% it makes for an ideal session beer and that's pretty much (with the exception of a quick segue onto Brampton Wasp Nest for the penultimate pint of the evening) what I did.
Definitely not a boring, bog-standard bitter, Ashford is one I'd recommend without hesitation and one I'd happily go back to in future. No idea how it compares to the legendary Thornbridge Jaipur, as I still haven't managed to find that one on draught just yet, but I'm hoping I'll be able to rectify that in a couple of weeks and will report back if and when I do...
Tasting Notes: BrewDog Hop Rocker
Brewery: BrewDog
Location: Fraserburgh, Scotland
ABV: 5.5%
Version: 330ml bottle
Source: The Vineyard, NI
As I said in my Brooklyn Lager post, lager is not a style that gets much coverage here, for the reasons highlighted in that piece. I do tend to pick up any new lagers I see, all in the interests of finding the very good ones, but invariably I approach the tasting with little enthusiasm and come away predictably disappointed by the unadventurous blandness of them. With Hop Rocker from BrewDog however it was different. I was fairly sure the boys wouldn't be producing such mediocrity, I doubt the word is even in their brewing dictionary, and that this would be one to file in the "lager worth drinking" box.
Hop Rocker is a deep golden/amber colour, no washed out pale yellow here, with a quite tame aroma, hints of citrusy hops, honey and some floral herby notes. The taste however is not so restrained. Appropriately named, there's plenty of hops, giving a citrusy grapefruit flavour, with a hint of toffee maltiness adding a touch of smoothness, before giving way to a dry finish with more grapefruit. This is a fine, lively lager (like the Brooklyn offering it's closer to an IPA) and admirably lives up to its "statuesque" description. Another winner from BrewDog. If only all lagers were this good.
Tasting Notes: BrewDog The Physics
Brewery: BrewDog
Location: Fraserburgh, Scotland
ABV: 5.0%
Version: 330ml bottle
Regular readers will have noticed we have a fondness for the beers offered by BrewDog (and with Darren having just spent silly money on a bottle of their new very limited edition Zephyr), but with the amount of new product they seem to be launching these days sometimes covering the older more established brews can fall to the wayside.
The Physics is the BrewDog take on an amber beer (marketed with the slogan "laid back amber beer"), a style which in my experience tends towards the sweeter end of the taste chart, so it would be interesting to see what they would do with it. The beer is dark amber in colour, so sticking to the template so far. Aroma is warm and fresh, subtle caramel malt backing up some fruity hoppiness. The taste has the familiar citrusy hoppy character of their Punk IPA, but with a sweeter, mellower character, the malt bringing some biscuity caramel notes to the mix. The laid back tag is certainly apt, but personally I found it a bit too restrained to have lasting appeal. It's not a bad beer, all the elements are mixed well and it tastes fine, it's just not for me. However, it would quite possibly serve as a good introduction for the newcomer to the world of hoppier BrewDog beers.
Them Darn BrewDogs Bit Me Again…
At around 1.30 p.m. this afternoon I learned via my RSS Reader that BrewDog had unleashed their new and extremely limited edition Zephyr brew on the beer-buying public.
A 12.5% abv Imperial Ale. Matured at sea for 21 months in 1965 Invergordon whisky casks stuffed full of fresh strawberries. Handmade silk-screen labelling. All profits from the batch going to the RNLI.
Only 100 bottles made. Only 40 available via the website. £25 each.
Had to be done.
In the interests of spreading the p&p costs I chucked in a six-pack from their cursèd Deals for Punks page as well: three bottles of the recent BrewDog / Mikkeller collaboration - a 12.5% abv barley wine monster by the name of Devine Rebel - and three of the Brewdog How to Disappear Completely Imperial Mild.
I'll let you know how I get on in due course.
Tasting Notes: Against The Grain
Brewery: Wold Top
Location: Hunmanby, Yorkshire, England
ABV: 4.5%
Version: 500ml bottle
I should really have posted this review last week as it was Coeliac Awareness Week, but a few days late is better than not at all. Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease, which means the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. With coeliacs this reaction is set off by gluten in the diet, a protein found primarily in barley, wheat and rye. Thus people with this condition have to avoid any foodstuffs which contain these cereals, which of course also means beer. Fortunately Wold Top make Against The Grain, which with a certified gluten content of 5.1 ppm is well below the 20 ppm most people with coeliac disease need to look for, and it's bottle conditioned as well. You can read more about coeliac disease at the Coeliac UK website.
Wold Top say on their website that Against The Grain has been declared "the most beer like" of all the gluten free beers in taste tests. It's a mid gold colour with a light citrusy aroma, so very beer like so far. The flavour is of citrusy fruit, a hint of lemon and lime, and it gives a bit of a bitter tang on the tongue. The malt is provided by maize but any flavour it may impart is kept very much in the background. Overall then, a perfectably acceptable and palatable bitter. I've tasted worse non-GF beers.
Tasting Notes: Genesee Cream Ale
Brewery: High Falls
Location: Rochester, New York, USA
ABV: 5.1%
Version: 355ml bottle
The High Falls Brewing Company is one of the oldest breweries in the USA, having originally been founded in 1857 and undergone a number of name changes over the years, with the name Genesee lasting from 1878 until 2000, when it became High Falls. As well as brewing their own beers they also import and distribute beer from further afield, including Thwaites from the UK and Toohey's from Australia.
Launched in 1960, Genesee Cream Ale is a pale golden colour and gives off an odd aroma. There's a hint of caramel initially, but the over-riding smell is of what I can only describe as sweaty damp hay. With a far from good start, I was quite hesitant about the tasting. The flavour is thankfully quite mild - there's hints of malt, fruit and wheat with some sweet creaminess but overall I just found it stale and not very pleasant.
Tasting Notes: Pirate’s Gold
Brewery: Wooden Hand
Location: Truro, Cornwall, England
ABV: 4.0%
Version: 500ml bottle
As mentioned by Darren in his first Wetherspoons Festival round-up, our own Tim has a fondness for Cornish ales and Darren enjoyed the cask version of Wooden Hand's Cornish Mutiny. All four ales currently offered by Wooden Hand have a pirate theme to their names, the others being Cornish Buccaneer bitter, Black Pearl stout and this one, Pirate's Gold golden ale.
As expected the ale pours a golden colour, albeit a cloudy one, and gives off a biscuity, bread-like, malt aroma. There's some malt in the flavour, along with a resiny grainy quality, and some sweetened fruit notes but nothing really shines. It's pleasant with a refreshing aftertaste, and certainly drinkable, just not very exciting.
Tasting Notes: Anchor Porter
Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company
Location: San Francisco, USA
ABV: 5.6%
Version 355ml bottle
Anchor Porter was launched in the early 1970s and is made with only natural ingredients, including a generous helping of fresh whole hops. It gets off to a good start with its pitch black colour and decent head, along with initially loads of bubbles from the natural carbonation which soon settle down. The smell is as expected, that lovely aroma of all good porters, combining malt, chocolate and coffee with some biscuit and a touch of liquorice. First taste is of a delightful chocolate maltiness, with those aforementioned hops quickly coming through to add a little bit of zing to the proceedings, with just enough added to keep the flavour on the right side of pleasant. There's also a touch of smokiness from the roasted malt hiding in the background. Mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I like from a porter, and the finish is a bit short-lived, but it's still very drinkable and worth sampling.
Tasting Notes: Wychwood Black Wych
Brewery: Wychwood
Location: Witney, Oxfordshire, England
ABV: 5.0%
Version: Bottled
Source: Morrison's
Black Wych is the one stout in Wychwood's regular stable of bottled beers and weighs in at a respectable 5% ABV. Cracking the bottle releases a pleasing coffee aroma and the beer pours well: almost opaque with a thick tan head. A creamy mouth-feel carries burnt toffee and dark chocolate flavours giving Black Wych a bitter-sweet character that's quite palatable.
All in all, a tasty and interestingly flavoured stout. Perhaps not quite as tantalising as the likes of Meantime London Stout, Outstanding Stout, or some of the stronger and more robust stouts that I've tried recently - and I don't think it's a contender in my quest to find the best damn stout in the world - but it would make for a fine session beer. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to sink a few on draught if the opportunity arose.
Tasting Notes: Bateman’s Victory Ale
Brewery: Batemans
Location: Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, England
ABV: 6.0%
Version: Bottled
Source: Morrison's
I decided to re-visit Batemans Victory Ale having given it a brief mention in one of my round-up pieces earlier in the year and realising at the time that this beer really is deserving of a dedicated mention.
I'm a big fan of beers that deliver plenty of punch in the flavour department and Batemans Victory Ale is certainly one of those. At first you might suspect otherwise: the beer pours a lovely rich amber-copper colour but has a very thin head and almost no aroma. But it's clearly saving its best work for an encounter with your taste buds: I really can't fault the rich, malty, toffee-shortbread flavours, cut through with a hoppy after-bite, combining to make for an extremely satisfying and enjoyable brew.
At 6% ABV it's probably at the upper safety limit for a session beer, but if you had a few bottles in the house then the temptation to go for it might just be too great. Very highly recommended indeed.
Tasting Notes: Jolly Pumpkin E.S. Bam Hoppy Farmhouse Ale
Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Location: Dexter, Michigan, USA
ABV: 4.7%
Version: 750ml Bottle
Source: Courtesy of BeerMerchants.com
I've only encountered a few U.S. craft beers to-date, so I was looking forward to trying this one from the Michigan-based Jolly Pumpkin brewery. E.S. (Extra Special) Bam (Bam the Jack Russell is the brewery dog) is an extra-hopped, extra-malted version of their staple Bam Bière, which in true US Artisan style is already hopped up to the eyeballs. The result is a beer that's definitely one for the connoisseur and definitely not one for the faint-hearted.
E.S. Bam pours a strong, dark amber colour with a spicy aroma and a very frothy head. The bottle I tried seemed to be quite carbonated, giving the beer a definite effervescence. Flavour-wise it's packed with big flavours: strong malts and with the sort of huge hoppy sourness that you normally expect from an IPA, as well as a distinct peppery-citrus note.
I started off enjoying E.S. Bam immensely - I've become a definite fan of Big Hops since encountering BrewDog's Punk IPA and Chaos Theory, as well as Meantime's IPA and a few more hop-led beers - but towards the end of the (750ml) bottle that sourness, coupled with the fizziness, somehow conspired to turn it into one that was actually a bit difficult to finish. Maybe it was over-carbonated (sometimes a risk with a bottle-conditioned beer, as I understand things), maybe the Transatlantic crossing hadn't been kind, or maybe it turned up too early in my US-Artisan education, but in the final analysis I don't think this is one I'd rush back to unless I knew I was going to be drinking it fresh out of the cask.
Many thanks again to Phil at BeerMerchants.com for sending this one along (especially as it's not exactly a cheap bottle... sorry Phil!) But I'd definitely be interested in trying other Jolly Pumpkin beers, particularly the Bam Noire - which BeerMerchants.com also stocks - so that's one I'll be adding to a future shopping list...
Tasting Notes: Bath Ales Gem
Brewery: Bath Ales
Location: Bristol, England
ABV: 4.8%
Version: Bottled
Source: Courtesy of BeerMerchants.com
Our highly esteemed and most learned BoB.com colleague Tim is a big fan of Bath Ales (he's covered Dark Hare and Barnstormer already) so I was delighted to receive a bottle of Bath Ales Gem from Phil at BeerMerchants.com as part of the sample case that I've been steadily working my way through just recently (memo to self: must sort out a round-up post for the whole batch).
Bath Ales Gem is billed on the Bath Ales website as their premium best bitter and "a quintessential English beer". I honestly can't argue with that; it really is a particularly fine example of the breed. Pouring a lovely dark amber colour (actually a fair bit darker than the glowing golden colour shown on the website), Gem gives off a lovely, rich malty aroma that carries over to the flavour as well. There are hints of honey-sweetness as well, but it's nicely undercut by a hoppy sharpness and a lingering bitter after-taste. Smooth mouth-feel, good balance of flavours, entirely palatable. At 4.8% it would make for a good session beer, and I'd be willing to wager that this is another example of a brew that tastes just fine in the bottle but would be even better fresh from the cask.
So, another big thank you to Phil at BeerMerchants.com for sending this one along! (Incidentally, if there are any other UK beer retailers who want to get in on the whole sending-beer-to-us-in-return-for-a-thank-you advertising / product-placement type deal, then please do drop me a line and I'll happily let you have the relevant details...)
