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Reviews in black are by Peter, reviews in blue by Stephan & reviews in green by the brewer/manufacturer.
Peter’s
notes:- Beers & wines tend to taste better if kept still
in a (preferably) cool (not the fridge) dark place for a week or two
prior to drinking. These are the reviewers opinions only & I try not to
dismiss drinks because they are “not to my taste”, some people
swear by the likes of canned Kestrel/Stella/”Bud” etc. but then a
lot of these people just seem to swear. Terms like “low in taste”
& “biscuity” are my observations and
not criticisms, we all have different tastes/likes & all opinions are
equally valid.
When tasting
beers it is best to have an open mind, do not expect all beers to taste like a
can of “smooth”, or all lagers to taste like the European or
Australian named drinks brewed in the U. K. & served extremely cold in the
pubs. When trying a new beer or style, dismiss all your prejudices & do not
disregard a beer simply because it is different. If sampling more than one
drink at a time, start with what you think to be the one with the lowest taste
& alcohol content & work up to the strongest, it is a good idea to eat
a plain, un-buttered, cream cracker in between drinks.
Ensure your
beer is at the correct temperature & try to choose a glass whose shape is
conducive with the type of beer being drunk. When beer tasting I like to use a
stemmed goblet style beer glass, holding the stem helps stop the beer from
getting too warm from handling, the colour is easily seen & the shape,
slightly narrower at the top, helps to enhance the aroma. After washing a glass
it is best to rinse it in clean water before drying.
Pour the beer
carefully to avoid too big a head & also to minimise the disturbance to any
yeast deposits in the bottle, unless of course, you are sampling a wheat (weiss or wit) beer. Fill your glass to about ½ to ¾ full;
hold it to the light to check the colour, clarity, condition (rising bubbles)
& the head. The latter may soon disappear or could remain to the (bitter?)
end; some beers tend to “cling” to the glass.
Smell the beer,
a quick swirl of the glass will help release the aroma. If you over-filled your
glass (see the above paragraph), you will now be wet!
Finally taste
the beer, sloshing it around the mouth like those wine-tasters on some T. V.
programs may seem pretentious, especially whilst in the pub, but it actually
helps to reveal the more subtle flavours, note that beer drinkers do not then
(usually) spit it out! I like to have at least two bottles of each beer as
sometimes we may get the odd duff bottle.
A good book to
read for details of how to pour & review beers, for superb pictures of how
different beers look & their ideal drinking temperatures, is the “Great Beer Guide” by the late lamented
Michael Jackson, I borrowed the copy from our library so many times that the
wife finally bought me one as a Christmas present. (You could always print this
page & leave it lying around as a hint.)
Wines are
sampled in a similar way to beers except we normally use wine glasses rather
than pint pots.
Stephan's Notes:-
This page was Pete's idea and it is such a brilliant idea. I go shopping with the wife and now when I buy a selection of bottled beers it all OK, its research for the website. The drinking is easy but the reviews are harder than I thought. With so many beers its hard to clearly define the differences. I find it hard to say how much hops there is in a brew let alone specify which hops was used (unless is says on the bottle). In my reviews it tends to be either bland, medium hoppy ,or very hoppy. Similar for malt and the I get a feel for roundness or if it seems out of balance. All my view are very subjective. I should use a wine glass and server at the recommended temperatures. But no, I use a pint pot for just about all of them. Chimay supplied a special glass so I used it for Chimay. I server the beers straight from my pantry which is usually cool. If it says serve cool, cold, chilled, ice cold. Then I ignore this. They all get served in a pint pot, in one go and at pantry temperature.
Italic notes in brackets
indicate brewers parameters where known, i. e.
colour, hops used etc.
Achel 8 Blonde, Belgian Trappist beer 8%, good
head/condition, around the 10EBC mark with some aroma. The taste/aftertaste had
some yeastiness, herbs, well balanced, a bit like Orval?
Quite wonderful.
Achel 8 Bruin, Belgian Trappist beer, 8%. V. good head/condition, around the 40-50EBC mark with some aroma.
The taste/aftertaste had some yeastiness, herbs, a
hint of cocoa & just a touch of fruitiness.
Achel Notes: The Cistercian
Abbey of Saint Benedict ceased brewing in 1914 when Belgium was under German
occupation. The Germans dismantled the Abbey in 1917 in order to nick all the
copper (750Kg). Fortunately, for us at least, brewing re-started in 1998, their
Brothers, the monks from Westmalle & Rochforte Abbeys, helped with the re-building. I’d
like to see such co-operation in the U. K. (No, not the nicking bit,
we’re far too good at that!). I have only tried the “8” beers
&, as a gentleman, I preferred the blonde, Achel
5 (5%) is also brewed in both versions & an Achel
Extra 8 (9.5% - 750ml, bruin only) is available, try this if you can, it is
considered to be an outstanding beer. www.achelsekluis.org/general/home.htm
Adjid Ename Abbaye Tripel. A bottle fermented
Trappist beer of 9%. Had a massive head & lots of bubbles, some clinging
& a colour about 10EBC. Had a metallic taste (Fuggles/Hallertaue?).
Alpha Edel Pils 5% from the Netherlands (that’s Holland to you & me). Approaching 10EBC, poor head &
condition & on the bland side.
www.alpha-bier.nl
Anchor Steam
Beer 4.8% from San Francisco. Reasonable head &
condition, around 25 EBC. Quite a malty taste with a bitterish aftertaste but not really to my taste.
Badger
ales Fursty Ferret 4.4% Vol. A Dorset
ale. www.badgerales.com
est. 1980
(Stephan's review)
First sight: Looks good, reddish brown with a small head that soon disappears.
Aroma: Delicate, mellow and seems to change as you drink it.
Taste: Dominated by bitter hoppyness which goes
against the taste guide on the bottle which suggest its going to be on the
sweet side. Not much in the way of other flavours.
My comments: Suited for the lager drinker that like the
bitter style of lager without the full malt taste of some ales. For me
the taste was OK as a regular pub beer but nothing special.
(Brewer's review)
A well balanced, crisp premium ale with a malty palate
and noticeable hoppy aroma. Serve chilled.
When in decades past the idyllic country home of Miss Rose Gribble became a
local inn, legend has it that the inquisitive local ferrets frequented the
pub's back door on a mission to sample its own reputed brew. In their honour it
was named Fursty Ferret, and today it's brewed in
greater quantity - so now you can enjoy the celebrated ale that still eludes
the ferrets of the Gribble Inn.
Taste profile (1 Low - 5 High)
Bitter 2 , Sweet 4 , Hoppy 2 , Malty
3 , Fruity 3
(Stephan's review)
Fruity and loads of aroma. Full on in a nice way. Definitely welcome in my
pantry
Badger
Original Ale, 3.8% had a modest head, decent condition, >25 EBC & had
the “Badger” taste.
Badger Tanglefoot
5%. (Styrian Goldings.)
Around 20- EBC, very biscuity.
www.tanglefoot.co.uk
Badger Toad Croak 3.8%vol Brown
(Stephan's review)
Definitely a great ale. I class this as a luxury ale. The taste is a fuller flavour that can linger. It also has a sort of mild creaminess to it. I definitely enjoyed it. One of the best ales I have tried.
(Brewer's review)
Named after the dry, parched throat that comes from working a long day on the land, in tribute to the male toad as he repeatedly calls to his beloved throughout the hot summer night. A classic,golden brown ale with hints of fruit and spice that is 'toadally' refreshing and ideal for serving with traditional roasts, stews and pies. |See Dark rich tawny colour|Smell Fruity with a malt aroma|Taste Fruity spicy and bitter| Bitter 3/5 | Sweet 1/5 | Hoppy 3/5 | Malty 3/5 | Fruity 2/5
(Stephan's review)
As a mass produced lager Becks is not bad, it’s
not that exciting. A refreshing yet bitter taste with a
slight aroma. For me this is no where near as interesting as the complex
flavours of a real ale. If I was at a club, a music
festival or the like where there is plenty of things happening around then a Becks would be just fine. Lagers have a tricky balance
between being boring and being subtle. For me Becks
is not interesting but it tips its toe into the refreshingly subtle camp. Actualy I have to admit it is quite good.
The time to drink a Becks is
when you are on the pull or when you failed to pull and have a curry instead.
Bernard Special Dark Beer (Cerne
Pivo), a dark Czech lager, 5.1%, un-pasturezed & in swing-top bottles. The head &
condition did not last too well, almost black in colour,
had a slight but of-putting aroma & a slightly bitter chocolate taste with
some fruit – a bit like a diluted Wychwood
Hobgoblin taste. I guess these dark lagers (see Herold)
are just not for me. www.bernardbeer.com
Bier du Boucanier, a Belgian
“Golden Ale” & “Traditional Beer” 11%. A very light coloured strong
flavoured Bier O.K.
Blanch Du
Brassier 4.5%. Notre Maitr-Brasseur,
Brasseur Saint Omer, France, all on the label.
A very pale & cloudy wheat beer, smelled of vinegar, tasted of sick! May
have been spoiled by Summerfield’s Supermarket by storing in direct heat
from an industrial heater @ 1m!
Budels Pils from the Netherlands (Donker) 5% www.budels.nl Good bright
yellow/gold colour, poor head V. G. condition, nice floral bouquet & hint
in the after taste, a nice full flavour.
Budweiser U.S.A “The King of Beers”, more like
“The ********** of Beers” (name changed to protect the innocent, i. e. ME.), may look nice but over-hyped, little (taste),
bland, cloying, one dimensional, one dimensional & c**p (sorry about that but it really is crap!), contains
30% rice (probably cheaper than sugar). Their Admen boast about it being sold
fresh when it is supposed to be a LAGER!
(Stephan's review)
Budweiser V Budweiser
I tried a blind tasting of Budweiser (USA) versus Budweiser Czech Republic.
First sight the USA bud was much lighter and had larger bubbles. The head on
both Buds was not much of a feature but the USA one was a bit poorer of the
two. On the smell test the USA bud had a far less interesting aroma. No contest
for the smell test the USA Bud was dull and boring in comparison. I am not
saying Bud USA is bad it is just that the Czech one is much better.
I would have a USA bud in my pantry for guests after all its very well
known and easy drinking if you’re into that bland / clean taste. (Home
brewers often like the fuller flavour but if you aim to brew such a bland lager
it’s quite hard. Fortunately I like a full-on real ale so no worries)
(Brewer's review).
This is the famous Budweiser beer. We know of no brand produced by any other
brewer which costs so much to brew and age. Our exclusive Beechwood
aging produces a taste, a smoothness and a drinkability you will find in no other beer at any price.
Budweiser king of beers.
Brewed by our original all natural process using the choicest
hops, rice and best barley malt.
Budweiser Budvar Premium lager
5% with Saaz (Zatec) hops,
the Czech “original”, despite what some Americans would have us
believe – much better
(Stephan's review)
Budweiser V Budweiser I tried a blind tasting of Budweiser (USA) versus
Budweiser Czech Republic. First sight the Czech bud was darker, a nice
amber colour. Its bubbles were smaller like good champagne as apposed to the
larger soda pop like bubbles of the USA one. The head on both Buds was not much
of a feature but the Czech was slightly better. On the smell test you
could just tell the Czech one was going to be good.
Czech Bud is a welcome addition to my pantry. As well as being good to
drink it adds a talking point when offering it to guests.
(Brewer's
review)
Original Budweiser Budvar Czech Imported Lager
Produced from finest Saaz Aroma Hops, carefully
selected Moravian Malt and soft water drawn from wells 300 meters deep. The 700
years of brewing tradition guarantees the best quality of Budweis
Beer
Cains Fine RAISIN BEER 5.0 % ABV Robert Cain brewery established 1850 Liverpool
(Stephan's
review)
First glance: rich reddish brown. The head disappears quite quickly to look
like a good ale. No sign of bubbles.
Aroma: not massive you can tell its going to be hoppy with a malty flavour.
Taste: Quite bitter but balanced with malt to give it a "sort of"
sweet & sour type of taste. It has a "long taste" that is the
taste lingers for quite a while. It is an excellent
ale to savour. I should imagine drinking this in a pub that has a real fire
would be pretty special. I am not sure where the raisin fit in but its one of
the better ales I have tried. There is something odd about the bubbles. When
you drink it you can tell there is a bit of a fizz yet no bubbles seem to
appear.
I bought my 500ml bottle at Netto's for 99p. (Correct
at time of review 16SEP07) Definitely a bargain!
(Brewer's
review)
Prize winning - A rich, fruit and amber ale infused with succulent
Californian raisins. Choicest hops give depth, density and complexity. Great
with fine cheeses, red meat and game or simply savoured on its own. Best served
chilled.
Carling
Black Label (draught) UK. Surprisingly this has a slightly stronger & nicer
taste than the usual too-cold pub lager.
Carlsberg (in a can) 4.0%
(The brewer's review)
Brewed since 1847, Carlsberg has preserved its fine Danish
heritage by creating a superior, well balanced lager with a distinctive
refreshing taste. "Probably the best lager in the world..."
(Stephan's Review)
Boring!! Brewed/manufactured in Northampton it tastes quite bitter with little
aroma or any distinct flavours. To me it fell into the tastes like a
manufactured drink rather than a brew crafted with choice ingredients. Sure
it’s drinkable, I finished the contents of my
can. It’s just a shame I purchased four cans.
The place for a Carlsberg is a bring a bottle party.
Bring the Carlsberg and you will be fairly sure there will be betters drinks on
offer.
Will you find a Carlsberg in my pantry? Alas there are three cans.
Carlsberg
Elephant beer 7.2% is a strong Pilsner, named after the two pairs of life-sized
stone elephants that form part of the “Elephant Gate” at
Carlsberg’s brewery in Copenhagen, Denmark. Poor head & condition,
golden colour around 10EBC or so & some aroma. A gentle malt taste followed
by the hop bitterness. Hints of barleysugar
in the taste/aftertaste. As with the Zubr Jasne Pelne (see below),
I’m wondering if the picture on the label (an elephant in this case), has
anything to do with the taste of the contents, actually it wasn’t that
bad. www.carlsberg.com (“Probably the
best web site in the World” they say, “Definitely one of
the worst” I say.
Chimay Red or Rouge, 7%, 10-12°C
Trappist, Brune/Bruin. 30+
EBC with lots of “floaters”, very modest condition & a short
lasting head. Yeasty tasting with some fruit, uses Chocolate malt?, vanilla(?), hops & (not too intrusive) herbs, vinous
– a bit like a good red, warming. Much of the taste was similar to the
aroma. Nice & subtle, does not leap out & grab you.
(Stephan's Review)
I drunk this one while looking out for shooting stars.
Saw some pretty good shooting stars but the Chimay
was better. Strangely smooth for such a strong beer. It reminded me of a
Newcastle Brown. I got a six bottle variety pack with special Chimay glass for £9.99 from the majestic wines. This one is
definitely a great beer and has a cult following. I think the marketing booklet
that came in the variety box was enough to put me off. Probably written by a
marketing guy that likes wine. Fortunately the product rises above all of this.
"Stephan's pantry welcomes Chimay red as does my
fridge"
Chimay White 8% 6-8°C Belgian Trappist uses barley malt, wheat & sugar
hops
(Stephan's review)
OH! I was not expecting this from Chimay. After such
a nice Chimay Red the white is served very cold which
I think is a bit on the cold side. It was pretty hoppy bit like old speckled
hen. The fruity flavour reminded me of some other beer / larger but I just
cannot think which. This beer could grow on me and is ideal for a hot
summer’s afternoon. I would not throw this out of my pantry but I will not
rush to re-stock.
Chimay White, Blanche or Cinq
Cents, 8%, 10°C min, blonde Tripel Trappist beer. Good initial head, poor condition,
around the mid-teens EBC, quite a clean, dry, hoppy taste with some tangy
orange peel evident in the taste/aftertaste, some barleysugar.
Chimay Blue www.chimay.com 9%, 10-12°C Belgian
Trappist uses barley malt, wheat & sugar
(Stephan's review)
EXCELLENT!!! Full all round well balanced taste. Ridiculously
strong for an ale 9%. A taste to savour. Subtle aroma with a taste that both very malty and quite hoppy.
The balance of all the elements and the smoothness is spot on. They say drink
it at 10-12°C but it does not ruin the taste if it's a near room temperature so
I recon the lower temperature is to make it easier to pour. You need to pour
the ale in one go and avoid pouring the yeasty sediment into your glass. If
it’s warmer than 12°C it tends to get a bit frothy and make pouring
tricky. The sign of a good ale is that it can be kept
for a while. Chimay blue get better if you can bear
to keep it for a while. My blue Chimay was brewed in
2007 and its best before date is 2012. Man, that
is more shelf life than many red wines.
Pride of place in my Pantry. As good
as some of the top class homebrew kits. An ale
for me to aspire to.
Chimay Blue, Bleau, Grande
Reserve, 9%, 15-18°C, dark Trappist
beer. Head O. K., very poor condition, dark ruby-red colour
around 50+EBC. Looks & tastes like a big Brother to the Red (I’ll
have to stop using that joke). Reviewed in July 2008, my bottle was marked (in
foreign) BBE 2013! (Stick that up you jumper Budweiser USA!)
(Pete’s)
Chimay Notes: The silent Cistercian Trappist Abbey
of Notre-Dame de Scourmont at Chimay (pronounced
“She-may”), Belgium, was established by Westvleteren
Brothers around 1850 & the brewery completed in 1862, production started
the following year. The Chimay Red must be the best
known Trappist Ale here in the U K & the names refer to the bottle cap colours. I was quite amazed at the quantity & looseness
of the yeast in all three bottles, definitely un-pasteurised
& a lot was suspended in the beers, probably ideal for cloning as only
one yeast is used for primary & secondary fermentations, the yeast
had litte effect on the taste. The three main beers
are available in 330ml crown-capped bottles & 750ml corked bottles, the Blue is also available in a 1500ml bottle. Three beers, all
Cobra premium
lager beer 5% Vol. Bangalore, India
(Stephan's review)
Appearance: Light yellow
Aroma: An unusual aromatic aroma not just from the hops. May be a hint of lime.
Taste: A bit like a Budweiser but with a more aromatic taste.
Comments: At first I did not understand this lager beer. I also did not
understand the marketing on the bottle "It is both Indian and
British". Then Karan Bilimoria,
the company founder, explained that he came over to England to study at
Cambridge and it was there that he thought there should be a beer better suited
to Indian food. He later met up with a brewmaster in
Bangalore. This brewmaster has just come back from a
long study of Czech brewing methods. Together Karan
and the brewmaster devised a beer to be sold in the
UK. At first it was take up by UK Indian restaurants and Karan continues to appreciate the support they gave to his
company in the early days. When I have my next curry I will see how this works.
(Brewer's
review)
Back in 1989, Karan Bilimoria
decided that the world needed a different kind of beer, one that had a unique
blend of barley malt, yeast, hops, and rice, a premium lager with a smooth
clean taste perfected by an Indian brewmaster. Just
two of the reasons why Cobra is unusually excellent amongst beers today, and
umpteen gold medals later, Cobra is now made in five different countries around
the world. It is both Indian and British, global and local. Somehow Cobra
seemed to transcend all definitions and barriers when you taste it, there is
only one word that springs to mind: Excellent.
Coors Lite 4.5% (draught, brewed in Burton-upon-Trent). Billed as “The light taste of the Rockies”, I thought a cool mountain stream could possibly have more taste &, hopefully, less colour!
De Koninck Blond 6% Belgium. No head/condition,
i. e. flat. Colour
approaching 20EBC, malty aroma & taste. Rubbish! My second bottle (sample)
had an exceptionally poor head/condition but tasted much better (but not
enough). www.dekoninck.com
De Koninck Tripel 8% Belgium. Uses cane sugar & Saaz. Like a scaled-up (8:6) version of the Blond,
>20EBC, just as flat, just as horrible! DeKononck – “the
King” – not by my samples.
Dortmunder Actien
Brauerei (
Duchy Originals Organic ALE 5% vol ruby colour Barley malt (grown on organic farms such as "Home Farm at Highgrove"
(Stephan's review)
A truly independent review would require blind tasting. This I did not do. The bottle looks like Price Charles has, at the very least, given it the OK. That is if royal people give things the OK. Well thinking that somehow royalty was involved in brewing me a pint well 500ml of ale made me seem very nobel. I poured it out wondering if it all would be a big let down. You know its sometimes wicked but nice to see that people on a pedestal do not get it all their own way. No falling from grace here. It was a very enjoyable ale. I think it places its self very much in the main stream of quality bottled ales. Its well balance, full bodied with plenty of hops and malt. Well actually the good folk at wychwood brewery brewed it for the royals so maybe the HRH himself did not brew this bottle just for me. I admire the honesty in this brew. They did not have to say where it was brewed but they do. They could have said it contains grain from Highgrove and then just add 0.0001% to each brew but they are clear and honest. Unlike the manufactured lagers that are all #1 and all have bold and usually misleading claims.
(Brewer's
review)
Traditional Ale
Duchy Originals Ale is brewed in
Oxfordshire using malted barley, hops, yeast and water to produce a
traditional flavour. The barley, harvested from selected organic farms
in Britain including the Home Farm at Highgrove is an old variety
called Plummage Archer. It was developed in the 1900s and was the first
barley bred specifically for commercial malting use. This traditional
ale has a ruby colour and is rich in body with a balanced bitter
flavour.
Efes Pilsner 5% from Istanbul, Turkey uses malted barley, rice & hops
had a small head/condition & a slightly fruity taste, worth trying.
Eisebrau Czech Traditional Beer 5%. “A full-bodied lager ….
a smooth & aromatic beer with distinctive hop
character” just about sums it up. Around 10+ EBC, modest head for a
lager, lots of bubbles & some clinging to the
glass.
Erdinger Weissbier
5.3% “aus Bayern”
contains wheat & barley malts & hops. Excellent head & condition
but, unfortunately, to me, not much taste. www.erdinger.de
Estrella Damm Barcelona 4.6%vol fair head and medium fizz www.estrelladamm.es
(Stephan's review)
Watery, dull. Probably ok if you are in the full sun but then so is a glass of water. It says brewed since 1876, well after all that time is this it.
(Brewer's
review)
Estrella Damm , the premium quality beer brewed in Barcelona since 1876. Today it remains at the heart of city life. Enjoy the taste of Barcelona. To learn more visit www.estrelladamm.es
Exmoor (Ales)
Beast Strong Ale 6.6% (a Porter style) using Chocolate & crystal malts with
Challenger & Goldings hops. Reminiscent, but not the same as the old Guinness,
200+ EBC, a nice gentle roasted taste (subtle - chock malt?). SUPERB. www.exmoorales.co.uk
Flowers IPA
3.6%, was very hoppy, a good one to finish on.
Fosters Lager 4% (draught). With drinks like this it is easy
to see why some people think the Australians have no taste.
Freeminer Brewery Grim Reaper, 4%. Quite hazy with liquorice in the
nose & taste, some wheat germ bread, quite a roasted taste for the colour
(around 10 EBC), some oak. Quite bitter, poor head/condition & slight
clinging, a bit grim.
Fullers Honey Dew (Organic) 5%vol Little or no head, not much fizz. dark honey colour.
(Stephan's review)
I let my two daughters (age 6 and 3) choose a few beers for me from Asda. They both went for this one, as it has a big picture of a bee on the label. Normally I avoid honey beers . Well this one was really nice. It did not taste very honey like and it did have a nice complex and rounded taste so I definitely enjoyed it. It had a strange feel on the tongue. Firstly it did not look fizzy, but my tongue indicated it was fizzy. It also felt ever so slightly syrupy. Indeed so slight I was not sure if I was imagining it. Since there is a lot of colds about I recon this is a pretty good choice in beer.
(Brewer's
review)
Refreshing Golden Beer
This award winning premium beer is delightfully sweet, golden and refreshing - The U.K.s leading organically produced ale.
Brewed using only organically produced ingredients; English malts and the finest honey give a mellow, rounded character which is deliciously balanced with zesty hops.
Goddard’s special
bitter 4% Wheat, hops. brewed
in Ryde, Isle of Wight (EBC ? Not sure how
Pete works this out)
(Stephan's review)
Overall light in its taste with some extra hoppyness.
Seems out of balance to me but it is excellent for a sunny day's easy drink
At £2.30 a bottle this will not be seen in my pantry again.
Goddard’s Ducks
Folly 5.2% Wheat, hops. Brewed in Ryde,
Isle of Wight (EBC? Not sure how Pete works this out)
(Stephan's review)
A bit like the Goddard’s special bitter but a bit more aroma and a touch
more hops.
At £2.30 a bottle this will not be seen in my pantry again.
Green King Abbot Ale (draught 5%). A lovely coloured drink with a dry (Fuggles?) hop taste & aftertaste. Made with pale crystal and amber malts, Challenger & late-hopped with Fuggles.
Green
King Abbot Reserve Ale (draught 6.5%). Challenger, First gold
& Fuggles. Had a similar very hoppy taste to the Abbot Ale but was
less harsh & astringent. Brewed especially for J. D. Waterston’s 2008
Beer Festival this is one hell of a beer!
Grimbergen Blonde 6.7% Belgian Abbey beer with barley & wheat malts. Golden coloured, around 10+ EBC, modest head, good condition & fair aroma, the taste hints of wheat, honey & slight herbs. An excellent beer. (Similar to Leffe?)
Grimbergen Dubbel Abdijbier from Belgium. 6.5%, uses
barley & wheat malts. Reasonable head, poor condition,
deep ruby colour, quite “light” tasting with some herbs & a
hint of roast barley, a slightly vineous finish, not
really to my taste.
Grolsch Premium Lager, 5%
Holland, swing-top bottle. Around 6EBC or so, fair head, very good condition
& lots of clinging to the glass. Strong aroma &
taste, especially for a lager. Saaz?
Gulpener Korenwolf Wheat Beer 5%, 4-10°C from Holland (best to use a search engine translation option), contains wheat, spelt, barley & elderflowers (thankfully, to me, not obvious in the taste). Named after a rare wild indigenous hamster, this is a lovely soft, furry, subtle drink. It was not until I opened the bottle that I realized the glass was a beautifully rich Navy Blue colour, almost as nice as the contents. www.gulpener.nl
Guinness
Extra Cold (draught) bears little resemblance of the old Guinness, lacking the
roast malt & hop character.
Harnas a 6% Euro pale lager brewed by Browar Okocim S.A. (Carlsberg) in
Poland. www.piwoharnas.pl
A reasonable head, VG condition & left “rings” in the glass, a
darkish golden colour (>10EBC), O.K.
Heineken no more detailes required
(Stephan's
review)
I drank 10% and poured the rest down the sink. I am not a fussy drinker, but somehow I just could not manage this one. Boring and pointless. These guys sell a lot of beer which proves to me that maketing works on a lot of people. Clearly not me. I like a good drop of lager from time to time but no not this one. Not never.
Hoegaarden Witbier 4.9% from Belgium. Less than 5EBC, a
very pale straw colour, a smell & taste of corn, some bubble-gum and a long
finish. Good initial head, poor condition & clung to glass sides,
very “clean” tasting, the flavour intensified with the yeast
“swirled in” & a touch of orange & other flavours appeared.
Isle of Mull Brewing Company McCaig’s Folly Dark Ale 4.2%. Reddy-brown colour around 40EBC, coloured & wheat malts. Small, long lasting head & good condition. Very lightly hopped (typical of a Scottish ale) but I found it slightly acidic/sour. Expensive & not to my taste at all.
Isle of
Mull Brewing Company Terror Of Tobermory
Special Ale 4.6%. A dark ruby coloured Scottish beer used 3 coloured &
wheat malts. Very poor head & condition with a weak (watered down) roasted
taste. Again expensive & not to my taste.
Jenlain Blonde Bier De Garde
7.5%, Duyck Brewery, Jenlain,
France (6-8°C). This could have been a Belgian bier to me, with its high alcohol, pale
colour, low hopping rate & slightly “herby” taste, all it
lacked was the big stiff head. Beautiful!
John
Smith’s Cask (draught) is one of the few normal pub beers that I find
quite acceptable.
Kopparberg Pear Cider 4.5%. Is this a Swedish attempt at what the British would correctly call a Perry, made from 100% pears or is it Pear Cider made from apples & pears?. A possibly industrial, artificially carbonated drink with a slight but chemical taste & a sweet, cloying taste & aftertaste, this is surely aimed at the very young. I did not even contemplate trying the “Summer Fruit” version.
La Gauloise Blonde “refermented” (i.e. bottle cond.
but no sediment in the Duvel-shaped bottle!) Belgian beer, 6.3%, 22EBU, 10.5EBC, 5-12°C. Head & condition O.K., looks like a lager –
10EBC or so, good aroma & superb taste. Quite “light” for the
Leffe Blonde 6.6%, Belgian Abbey Bier had a big
initial head, a poor condition & some clinging to the glass. A golden colour around the 10 EBC mark, tasted of hops & herbs
& had a long finish. www.abbaye-de-leffe.be/-English-
Leffe Brune 6.6%, Belgian
Abbey Bier containing roast malts. Apart from the (deep garnet) colour, comments
are as for the Blonde.
Lion Red
Beer 4% from Lion Breweries Auckland (UK). Low condition, small but
long-lasting head & some clinging. A golden/amber
colour in the mid-‘teens. Not a lot of taste, a slightly metallic
taste, easy drinking, (2 ½ months O. O. D.).
Marston's Brewery, Upton Upon Trent, DE14 2BW. http://www.marstonsbeercompany.co.uk
Marston's Double Drop "Double dropping brewing process" Ale 5% no
head. slight fizz. Dark honey coloured
Crafted using the almost forgotten 'double dropping' fermentation technique and
a late application of hops.
(Stephan's
review) [21NOV2008]
Spot on! Hit the mark. Bitter taste as I would expect from an
ale but not over the top. Not very fizzy which was
nice. Aroma not much to write about but then I planned on drinking it
not using it as perfume. I poured this and it looked great clear a bit like a
dark honey. Does not taste or smell like honey and is naught to do with honey
but it has that honey colour. Friday night and first
taste, man was that good but then it's the first drop of ale this week and its been a tough week. The bottle went down a treat. Real
honest ale brewed by people who respect the brewing process. The taste lingers
in a nice way.
(Brewer's
review)
Marston's
double drop Crafted using the
almost forgotten "double dropping" fermentation technique to deliver a
fresher and brighter beer that brings out the full (malty flavour
of Maris Otter "the king of brewing
barley") clean flavour of the malt. A large application of late hops are
added to the wort kettle to enhance the aroma and
give a sense of the bitter flavour of beers of the
past.
delivers a fresher and brighter beer that brings out
the full clean flavour of the malt.
Marston's Old Empire India Pale Ale 5.7% Good head
slightly fizzy and lightly in colour. Goldings and Fuggles hops and late hopped with the
American Cascade variety
(Stephan's review)
[22NOV2008]
Wow you really get that full on hops flavour. As expected for an Indian pale ale it is robust, hoppy and built to last. I
found it very hoppy and thus on the bitter side, clean and smooth. A tad too hoppy / bitter for me but a nice change.
Normal I prefer the fruity malt flavour but then it would not be a distinctive Indian pale ale. Its
good to see they let you know what hops they use. I have decided any beer, ale
or lager that does not say what hops is used must therefore either not use the hops plant or are ashamed of their hop variety.
(Brewer's
review taken from with quote from Good Beer
Guide editor - Roger Protz)
In the 19th century Burton-Upon-Trent became
famous for brewing the best beer for export to thirsty ex-pats and colonial
soldiers in India .With it's pale appearance, strong hoppy taste and higher
alcoholic strength Marston's Old Empire comprises all
the genuine characteristics of a true India Pale Ale, which were necessary to
last the 3 month long journey from Burton to Bombay. Old Empire is brewed using
Optic malt, a subtle and paler grain that will allow other flavours
to come through on the palate. Goldings and Fuggles hops are added to this
brew, which is then late hopped with the American Cascade variety for extra hop
strength .If you want to experience a genuine IPA, Dont
Compromise, discover Old Empire.
"Using pale malt, English and American hops and the famous hard waters
from the springs of the Trent Valley, Marston's has
produced a genuine 19th-century IPA, golden in colour
and bursting with quenching malt, hops and fruit character. Its colour and its flavour make Old
Empire a beer that will appeal to 21st-century drinkers. Marston's
has put Burton back on the map as the great historic capital of British
brewing." - Good Beer Guide editor - Roger Protz
Marston’s Pedigree Exceptional Premium Ale
4.5% brewed in oak casks, this is evident in the taste, poor head & fair
condition. Around 20 EBC, biscuity
& some wood. The label states “Serve cool
not cold.” very good advice.
(Stephan's review)
Its not bad but not that exceptional. More like a premium regular beer / pale ale. If that is not too much of a contradiction. Nice malty flavour with a banance of hops. Not so sure I tated any biscuit or any oak. Maybe I was expecting too much and then it would not be a pale ale.
(Brewer's review)
Open this bottle and over 170 years of craftsmanship, tradition and uncompromising excellence comes pouring out.
Still brewed using the Oak casks of the Burton Unions in Burton Upon Trent, the home of British brewing, Marston's Pedigree is a classic Pale Ale with a taste that is appreciated around the world.
Marston’s Pedigree Six, (draught) 6% brewed exclusively for J. D. Wetherspoon with Fuggles & Goldings hops, had a very
distinct hoppy flavour, you must try it if you get the
chance.
McEwans Champion 7.3% from Edinburgh with barley & wheat. Very dark Red (Garnet) in colour with a full malty flavour & a surprisingly sweet taste & finish. Unfortunately for me, it had a slight taste of something that I did not like, still, it is a good beer.
Morland’s Old Speckled Hen (5.2%) was
assertive with a very strong taste/after-taste that took some getting used to.
Had a slight burnt plastic taste that I’ve come across with some beers
& kits (crystal malt?).
(Stephan's review)
Seemed very hoppy and quite brutal in its taste. Brutal in a nice way. In taste bud terms you need to work
you way up to this one starting with a Newcastle brown and the going up the
flavour ladder till you get to this one. Old Speckled hen is a bit of a cult brew and is definitly worth a try as it is so distictive. Full on and strong in a very specific way.
Okocim Beer, Brzesco,
Poland, 5.5%, malt, hops & yeast. www.okocim.pl
Okocim Mocne
1845 7%
(Stephan's review)
First glance: Typical larger colour good head. Looks
promising.
Aroma: Slight hoppy aroma.
Taste: Big on the hops taste and in all other ways very clean. Surprisingly easy to drink for such a strong lager. I think
if you like Stella you would like this.
My comments: I love the way the labels has not been overly changed to suite the
international market. The proud Polish heritage had been kept. If you want quality falling down lager then go directly to Netto and for 99p you get 500ml at 7%. (Correct at time of
review 16SEP07)
(Brewer's review)
Tylko
Orval,
Belgian Amber Trappist beer 6.2%. This brewery has just one beer in just one
size/shape bottle, my bottle had a life of 5 years!
Around 25EBC it had a superb head but slight condition. Quite a dry
acidic taste & hoppy, with noticible Goldings
(late Styrians/WGV?) in the aroma & taste
(fruity/orangey), not Orval by any means! A joy to drink. The Cistercian Abbey Notre-Dame d'Orval monastery is
situated near Florenville, in the province of
Luxembourg, south-east Belgium, in the immediate vicinity of the French border
and close to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. www.orval.be/an/FS_an.html
Ostravar Premium Czech lager 5% uses barley malt,
maltose syrup, barley, hops & hop extract. Poor head, good condition,
golden colour approaching 10EBC, aroma & metallic
taste/aftertaste, quite bitter (Saaz?) & very
enjoyable (got better the more I drank!).
Paulaner Original Münchner Hell, 4.9% from Munich Germany. The head was short lived, quite a good condition, <10 EBC. The taste was not too bad & it had quite a long finish. www.paulaner.de
Pauwel Kwak (pronounced “K-vac”
- I think) 8.1%, 5-6°C. Belgian top fermented dubbel
beer. Thanks to Tesco I can now use my Kwak glass
imported from Belgium by my old friend & ex-work collegue
Glenn ford (he also brought me quite a few of the other Belgian beers reviewed
here & helps sample some of my home-brews). Around 30EBC,
quite a good head, very well maintained with some clinging to the glass.
The dedicated glass is an indicator of how level-headed you are, when you near
the end of a glass, the beer attacks you in the form of a mini-tidal wave, if
you dribble evenly from both sides of your mouth you are indeed level-headed! Some solid deposit in the bottle (bottle cond.?).
VERY DIFFERENT, VERY GOOD. www.bestbelgianspecialbeers.be/main_eng.html
Peroni
Nastro Azzurro 5.1% from
Rome. Pale cider colour, around 5EBC, good condition with poor
short-lived head. Soft, metallic aroma & taste with a long finish. Saaz hops,
Potton Brewing Co, Potton, Bedfordshire www.potton-brewery.co.uk
Potton Brewery's "The village bike" 4.3%ABV Redish brown. not much fizz or head.
(Stephan's review)
Oooses natural goodness. A nice malty brew with plenty of hops. Complex subtle flavours make it a beer worth taking your time over. No its not the ultimate in beers but definitly one of the most natural and honest brews I have had.
(Brewer's review)
Champion bitter of East Anglia 2006
Champion beer of Bedfordshire 2003, 2005, and 2006
VB is a traditional premium ale in a bottle. It is brewed using malted barley, yeast, hops and water.
Pshenychne
Weissbier Etalon 5% from the
Rochforte 8, dark Belgian Trappist beer, 9.2%. Very
deep garnet colour, good head & condition. A complex rich, dry, dark, fruity, malty taste with vanilla &
some chocolate in the finish. Well worth a try, but I personally thought
the taste too gentle/delicate for such a potent brew. My bottles were in-date
by 5 years!
Rochforte 10, dark Belgian Trappist beer, 11.3%. Seemed
to me like the big Brother (not intended, honest) to the “8”, as
though the ingredients had been “scaled up”.
Rochforte
general: the Trappist Abbaye
Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy produces three
beers, called “6”, “8” & “10”. The
figures relate to the beers O.G., in traditional Belgian brewers degrees &,
as in other systems, have no direct correlation to the beers strength, which is
dependant on the gravity drop during fermentation. Adding some of the yeast to
my “8” & “10” beers enhanced the flavours, especially the “vanilla”. Both beers
left me with a feeling of “well being”. Both bottles had a 5 year
“life”. www.trappistes-rochefort.com
Ruddle’s County 4.7% “Brewed to be
distinctive.” Well it is! Small head & matching
condition, with some clinging to the glass. Colour estimated to be
around 30 EBC but a much “darker” taste.
Saffron
Brewery - Flying Serpent 4.5%ABV Bottle Conditioned real ale. Old English bitter made from Floor
- malted Maris Otter barley, Crystal and amber malt, torrefied wheat plus traditional English Challenger and
First Gold hops. www.saffronbrewery.co.uk
(Stephan's review)
First site: Typical real ale red / brown, No head, few bubbles.
Aroma: Typical ale aroma hops and malt.
Taste: Just the way a good ale should be plenty hops
and malt giving it a nice rounded flavour.
Comments: As with all their beers that I have tried good
honest ingredients made by enthusiastic brewers. Personal I would prefer
it not to be bottle conditioned. The bottles are quite dark and there is plenty
sediment. I lose about 10%. Their beers are not particularly fizzy so do they
need this step?
(Brewer's review)
Old English style Bitter. Rich and smooth with nutty flavour
and floral notes in the aroma.
Saffron
Brewery - Henham Honey 4.6%ABV
Bottle Conditioned real ale. Honey beer made from Floor - malted Maris
Otter barley, Crystal and amber malt, torrefied wheat
plus traditional English brambling cross hops and locally produced honey. www.saffronbrewery.co.uk
(Stephan's review).
First sight: Light golden brown, no head, light flow of bubbles.
Aroma: Subtle malty with a hint of sweetness
Taste: Nice rounded ale with a malty taste. The hops was
nicely balanced for a honey beer (not to hoppy) and gave a bitter after
taste.
Comments: I was expecting this to be obviously honey tasting like waggle dance
but I was pleased to find that it was very subtle on the honey flavour. The
honey seemed to give it a rounded flavour without the mead like taste. It had a
bitter after taste which I have noticed in other honey beers. The bottle
conditioning left quite a lot of yeast. Even with very careful pouring I had to
leave 10% of my beer. The deposit was unusually high for Saffron Brewery so I
expect this was a one off. I can use the extra yeast deposit in my next brew
and anyhow this type of small difference shows that this is a natural process
and not a dull manufacturing process.
(Brewer's review)
Refreshing drink with a delicate balance of bitterness,
malty, spicy fruit and honey aromas.
Saffron Brewery
- Silent Night 5.2%ABV Bottle Conditioned real ale. Porter made from Floor-malted Maris Otter barley, Chocolate, Crystal and amber malts, torrefied wheat plus traditional English brambling cross
and Fuggles hops, fortified with port and red grape. www.saffronbrewery.co.uk
(Stephan's review)
First site: Deep rustic red with a slight head / froth. Only
a few bubbles.
Aroma: Subtle malty
Taste: Full of flavour, many different flavours, making a complex rounded
taste. Low on the hops but its still there and allows all the other flavours to
be appreciated. Only slightly carbonated.
Comments: Best porter I have yet tasted on this planet. Some porters have an
odd taste, but this one is spot on. The amazing combination of quality natural
ingredients gives it a complex natural taste that when
it is combined with the detail they provide for their ingredients
you really have a true sense of good honest enthusiastic brewing.
(Brewer's review)
Smooth ale with rich aromas of chocolate, molasses and coffee, Ruby Port and
red grape creates a subtle fruity and spice finish.
Saffron
Brewery - Tiddly Vicar 5.1%ABV
Bottle Conditioned real ale. Made from Floor - malted Maris Otter barley,
Crystal and amber malt, torrefied wheat plus
traditional English Challenger and Pioneer hops. www.saffronbrewery.co.uk
(Stephan's review)
First site: Brown / red, Little or no head, Only a few bubbles.
Aroma: Subtle & malty
Taste: Malty and not too hoppy. Brewed
for every day drinking.
Comments: Very moreish. Not
sure if I was just particularly thirsty. I love the way you get to know exactly
what malt and hops they use. An honest natural product.
The lack of fizz works for this brew but I am not convinced it needed to be
bottle conditioned.
(Brewer's review)
Smooth, nutty beer with plenty of body and a light spice
finish.
Scottish & Newcastle
(?) 80/-, 5% draught in pub some crystal/roast malts. Although this was about
on the border for me regards heavier beers, it was very enjoyable.
Scottish
& Newcastle Newcastle Brown 4.7% contains barley
& wheat malts. Poor head & condition, 50ish EBC & had a
“woody” taste, in my opinion it is very over-rated.
Saltaire Brewery Goldings Ale, 1042, 4.2% from Sir Titas Salt’s wonderful town by the river Aire in West Yorkshire. Ironically the visionary
humanitarian industrialist Titas was totally against
alcohol. The Goldings are used for aroma only & First Gold provide the bitterness. All the malts used, & their
percentages are listed on the label (80% Maris Otter,
10% torrified wheat, 7% Vienna malt & 3%Xtal),
ideal for “cloners”. Small head, fair
condition with the colour in the mid-teens – a
bit like barley sugar, this was also hinted at in the taste, as was the
Goldings but there was a slight “unpleasantness” in the
taste/aftertaste. www.saltairebrewery.co.uk
San Miguel 5%. Like most popular brands, this Spanish lager tends to
leave me cold, nothing nasty, just not to my taste.
Schöfferhofer Hefeweizen 5%, Frankfurt, Germany.
Malted barley, wheat malt & hops. www.schoefferhofer.de
Sheperd Neame Bishops
Finger 5.4%, (10-13°C) EKGs. Around 25EBC, full of flavour, some
crystal, a dark marmalade aftertaste. A bit too strong
for normal drinking, Strong, long dry aftertaste, not really to my taste.
www.sheperdneame.co.uk
Sheperd Neame Early Bird spring hop ale, 4.5%. Early Bird hops give a nice aroma/taste with an earthy aftertaste. Around 20 EBC, good head/condition & good clinging.
Sierra Nevada
Celebration Ale 2007 6.8% is made each year specifically for the Winter Season
& Michael Jackson states that the hops vary from year to year (roll-on next
Winter!). The head & condition were not too good
in either of my bottles, a colour in the mid 20’s and a good aroma, made
with bittering, late & dry hops to a staggering
62(?) EBUs. A complex beer that
initially grabs you by the throat & has a strong hop finish leading on to
some malt. Definitely a beer to celebrate! www.sierranevada.com/beers Sierra Nevada beers help to
disprove the myth that all North American beers are cra-
bby, tasteless concoctions.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 5.6% bottle conditioned & from San Francisco.
Small head, modest condition around 20EBC, quite hoppy, leaving a bitter
after-taste, the yeast was a bit loose for a commercial beer (purely an
observation). Lovely to look at, not too bad to drink.
Sierra Nevada Summerfest 5% USA contains barley. This lager was a strong golden colour with a very poor head & condition. The aroma was good and the taste quite full.
“SMOOTH” Beers & “PUB LAGERS” are, in my
opinion, ideal for people who do not like beer & lager as, at best, they
are very bland. Possibly best described as brewed (manufactured?) by
accountants, marketed by over-paid idiots who have sold their souls & drunk
by the gullible (brain-washed by the pathetic advertising “people”
into “thinking” they taste good). What rational human being would
want to drink something that has to be chilled so much to disguise the fact
that it is tastless? As Michael Jackson states, it is
the flavour of a beer that makes it great. Still,
they are hugely popular.
Somerfield
Best Ever Bavarian Wheat Beer 5.3%. Looked right (good head, cond,
cloudy, colour - around 10+EBC, smelled right &
tasted right) - slightly acidic, wheat, cold (Heinz) baked beans etc. &
it’s even from Bavaria! Best ever? Perhaps not,
but I think it is very good.
Somerfield best bitter 4.0% vol No ingredients list it just says "..with a fine roast barley flavour"
(Stephan's review)
Medium bitterness reasonable malty and a nice all round bitter. In fact I was very surprised. I bought four of these ages ago and quite frankly did not fancy opening them. How could a cheap can complete with a bottled ale. Actually this one does.
Spendrups OLD GOLD Premium pils Klass III 5.0%vol Loads of head and medium fizz.
(Stephan's review)
Sometime there is more to a drink than the taste and aroma. I know this drink well from all that time in Sweden and Norway. I recently went shopping in IKEA and I am fairly please to say that all I choose was a bottle of this beer. Its key feature is that once you have had a swig it leave your mouth feeling a bit dry. This makes you feel thirsty so you need another swig to quench the thirst and so it goes on. Many a time I have gone to a bar out there and intended "honest" to have just the one and ended up having quite a few and serious damage to the wallet.
Stella Artois (5.2% ABV bottled). No comments!
Svyturys Ekstra (pronounced “Shvee-to-res” – Lighthouse) 5% with barley malt, rice & beer yeast. Head O. K., condition poor, well balanced – not insipid, not strong, unbemanding but not bland, should appeal to most tastes. www.svyturys.lt
Tesco Hefeweiss
Wheat Beer 4.9%, produced in Germany. Very good
head/condition, cloudy, around 10 EBC, bubble-gum flavour, nice, well worth a
try.
Tesco Finest French Wheat Beer 5% bottle conditioned, contains barley & wheat malts, wheat starch, orange peel, coriander, glucose syrup, hop extract & pellets. Looked like frothy pineapple juice, unfortunately not that nice. DISAPPOINTING – NOT THE FINEST BY ANY MEANS.
Tesco Organic Lager 5%,
contains sugar, has “Caledonian” written on the bottle. Poor
head/condition, around 10 EBC, not quite star-bright, had a
very slight sediment in the bottle. Nothing special (or bad), easy
drinking, well worth a try.
Theakston Old Peculiar 5.6% had black
treacle, Demerara sugar & raisins, & was very smooth with a strong,
long dry finish, a very good drink. 100+ EBC, a very dark
ruby red. Modest/poor head, decent condition.
Tiger Lager Beer 5%. This version of the famous Singapore beer was made for export, under license in China. Nice colour, very poor head & condition. Not a great deal of taste, nothing like the real thing! www.tigerbeer.co.uk
Tuborg Pilsner 4.5% from Copenhagen, Denmark. Very small head, poor condition & slight clinging to the glass. Light in colour (<10EBC), taste & hops, nothing special, probably best as a cold thirst quencher on a very hot day. After three bottles, with cuts to my thumb & middle finger (honestly), I finally mastered opening a bottle with the “NEW! RING PULL”. www.tuborg.co.uk
Tom
Wood’s Jolly Ploughman Premium Lincolnshire Ale 5% www.tom-wood.com. Colour around 30-40with a modest
long-lasting head/condition & some clinging. A strong
taste with some roast malts.
Urthel Hibernus Quentum (9%, around 4EBC), a bottle conditioned Belgian Tripel wheat bier, even with very careful pouring it was literally all head, when some bier did settle it had swirling clouds of bubbles. A great taste/aftertaste/ mouthfeel, the flavour getting more intense as the as the cloudier bier at the bottom of the glass was reached. www.urthel.com/Start_ENG.htm
Urthel Tonicum Finiboldhus (7.5%, around 15EBC) is a bottle conditioned Belgian amber wheat bier with excellent head/condition. Another good bier!
Viru (pronounced ‘Veer-oo’) is a
premium 5% lager brewed in Estonia from barley, sugar & Saaz
hops & packaged in an interestingly shaped octahedral (8-sided pyramid) bottle. A very pale colour, head O. K. but very poor
condition, the taste was low but not insipid. www.virubeer.com
Vratislav Premium Czech Lager 5%, brewed & bottled in Prague “selected by Tesco”. Decent but short lived head, very good condition, 10+ EBC, strong after-taste. Typical of the type, bottle/label style very similar to Pilsner Urquell, Czech Pilsner, Primator etc. Very good. www.pivovarystaropramen.cz/web/en/znacky/ostatni
Wadworth’s 6X My bottle, 4.3%, was very hoppy,
a good drink to finish off on.
Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier, 5.4%, 14EBU (9-12°C) from the “World’s oldest brewery” (1040) situated in Bavaria, Germany & uses wheat & barley malts. Good head/condition, EBCs in the low ‘teens. It looks, smells & tastes like a very good wheat beer with a full flavour. www.weihenstephan.de
Wells Bombardier 5.2%
English Premium Bitter uses Challenger & Goldings hops & lots of
Crystal malt & comes in a 1 Imperial Pint bottle (568ml). Dark red around
90 EBC, small head with some clinging, has a fullish
“dark” taste, more malty than hoppy (taste & aroma). (Pale,
Crystal, 34EBU).
Westmalle Dubbel, dark
Belgian Trappist beer, 7%. A dark ruby colour,
50+EBC, there appeared to be lots of yeast in suspension, had a short lasting
head & poor condition. Quite a malty taste with some
chocolate & quite syrupy. www.trappistwestmalle.be/en/page/home.aspx
Westmalle Tripel, blonde
Belgian Trappist beer, 9.5%. Colour in the mid-teens
(EBC) with a lowish head/condition. Some herbs in the taste & quite a bit of strong orange peel.
Westmalle
Notes: The Abdji Der Trappisten Van Westmalle is
the home of a Cistercian order situated in Westmalle
in the Belgian Province of Antwerp. Napoleon booted them out of Normandy,
France, after starting an anti-church campaign in 1793. The Abbey was founded
in 1794, obtained Trappist status in 1836 & brewed their first beer 1st
August, 1836. Westmalle Extra 5% is a single brewed
generally only for the Monks to drink (keeping the best for themselves?).
Wheat
beer/Weiss/Weissen/Wit Bier Notes: Heffeweisens & those with labels marked “Mit Heffe” (or similar)
contain yeast sediment, this is part of the drinking experience &
doesn’t give you the squirts, this propaganda is perpetuated by big
unimaginative, girls blouses who drink “macho”, highly advertised,
light coloured crystal-clear beers. I personally like
to pour most of my wheat biers into the glass, replace the (initially carefully
removed) crown cap & return the bottle to the fridge. When my glass is
nearly empty, I recover the bottle, give it a good swirl & pour the
contents, sludge included, into my glass, this heightens the aromas &
tastes. Other styles – Abbey/Trappist & even lagers may also
“improve” with the addition of some yeast.
Wychwood Black Wych
5%, very dark “Spell binding Stout” uses Progress hops. Poor
head/condition with a dark, dry taste with roast malts & perfume
aftertaste. Not too bad but to me it was a bit thin, a bit lacking.
Young’s Waggledance 5%, contained honey & Fuggles &
Challenger hops. A rich golden colour around 15 EBC &
very good condition. Tasted very mellow (low hop rate) with some honey.
Not full on flavour, a bit lagerish with some bitter
after taste but still a quality beer.
(Stephan's review)
The honey hint to the taste makes it a bit strange. One of those love it or hate it beers. I am used to a
mead being a mead and a beer being a beer. This make an interesting a unique
taste that works for me.
It’s too strange for my pantry but I will select this if it’s on
tap at a CAMERA beer festival.
Zubr Jasne Pelne 6% A Pale Lager brewed by Prerov, Czech Republic Smallish head, condition O.K., a golden (10EBC) colour had a woody taste, the picture of a buffalo on the label may have been significant. Zubr Pivovar Prerov www.zubr.cz/en
Zywiec Polish Lager 5.6%, malted barley & hops, complete with a temperature sensitive label to indicate the correct drinking temperature. Very poor head/condition & low in taste, nothing horrible, just low in taste.
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