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.

(Italic notes in brackets indicate brewers parameters where known, i. e. colour, hops used etc.)

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?).

Adnams Suffolk Strong Bitter 4.5%, reasonable initial head, fair condition & quite clingy. Dark browny-red colour around 50EBC, flowery hops leading to a biscuity finish. www.adnams.co.uk

Agnus Corsendunk 7.5% Belgian bottle conditioned wheat beer. An Abbey beer, has an “occasional” taste of Goldings.

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

Badger Blandford Fly 5.2% is an excellent Ginger Beer <20 EBC.

Badger Golden Champion Ale 5%. Very light (<20 EBC). Very pleasant, full flavoured easy drinking beer with a slightly harsh finish. www.badgerbrewery.com
(Stephan's review)
Fruity and loads of aroma. Full on in a nice way. Definitely welcome in my pantry

Badger Golden Glory 4.5%. Very similar colour to other Badgers (<20 EBC) and the same “biscuity” finish. A definite taste of the contained peach blossom extract.

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

Bass brewed in the UK (Luton), re-imported from Canada! (Probably makes sense to an economist/accountant.) 5.1%, poor head/condition, nice gold colour, not too bad but nothing special, not like the old Bass.

Bateman’s 4X, 4.8%, around 20 EBC. Similar to Black Sheep?

Bateman’s Combined Harvest 4.7% contains “roasted barley, wheat, rye & oat malts”. Very small head, condition O. K., colour <20EBC.

Bateman’s Victory Ale, 5%, to commemorate Nelson & his crew at Trafalgar 21~10~1805. Uses Liberty hops, around 30 EBC, small, short lived head & poor condition, malty with a slight “burnt plastic” taste (Crystal malt?). Not to my taste at all.

Becks (5% ABV bottled). No comments!
(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.
The time to drink a Becks is when you are on the pull or when you failed to pull and have a curry instead.

Bergenbier 4.8%, a Romanian lager made with malt, maize & hops, best drunk at 6°C or less. Poor head, zero condition but not too bad.

Bier du Boucanier, a Belgian “Golden Ale” & “Traditional Beer” 11%. A very light coloured strong flavoured Bier O.K.

Bitburger Premium Beer 4.8% German made with hops & hop extract. Poor head, initial condition good, nice straw/gold colour <10EBC & good aroma. TASTED AS GOOD AS IT LOOKED. Strongish, prickly hop flavour & a long aftertaste.

Black Sheep Ale 4.4% (13°C) contains some wheat malt, around 15-20 EBCs. Good head, decent condition with some clinging to the glass, good hop (Fuggles?) taste/aftertaste, and metallic. A bit more complex than the XB. (Challenger, Fuggles, Goldings & Progress.) EXCELLENT. www.blacksheep.co.uk

Black Sheep Emmerdale 5% made with Maris Otter malt, Goldings hops & Demerara sugar. Around 20 EBC, small head, good condition & some clinging. Full-flavoured heavy weight beer with a light-weight name, some metal with a long dry bitter (marmalade) finish, shame about the name!

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!

Brains Dark 3.9% bottle conditioned (real ale – pale, chocolate, sugars, Fuggles & Goldings) from Cardiff. Decent head, good condition, very dark, roast barley/coffee/dark taste, not a lot of hops, very drinkable.

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 (if you don’t get too close) but over-hyped, little (taste), bland, cloying, 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, this 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 Lager 5% with Saaz hops, the Czech “original”, despite what some Americans would have us believe – much better AND matured for 90 days! Small, short-lived head, good condition & a beautiful golden colour. Not bad at all although I personally think it may be slightly over-rated. www.original-budweiser.cz
(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. NOW for the taste. No contest the Czech bud tasted much better than the USA bud and I would say its one of the best lagers I have tried. Do not get me wrong the USA Bud was OK but in comparison it was dull and boring.
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.

Caledonian 80/- ale 4.1%, crystal & roast malt, www.caledonian-brewery.co.uk Poor head/condition, around 40 EBC, pleasant hop (Fuggles, Goldings, WGV), malty, slightly burn taste/aftertaste, dry. EXCELLENT.

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, Rouge 7%, 10-12°C Belgian Trappist, Brune/Bruin pronounced (She-may), uses barley malt, wheat & sugar. 30+ EBC, very modest condition & (short lasting) head. Some wheat, fruit, hops & (not too intrusive) herbs with a loose yeast (easy to clone?). Nice & subtle, does not leap out & grab you. WELL WORTH ITS REPUTATION. www.chimay.com

(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 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.

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!

Dortmunder Actien Brauerei (DAB) Original 5%. 7EBC or so, very low carbonation, poor head (O.O.D.). Subtle metallic taste (Saaz?). www.dab.de The site (English bits available) states 4.8%, 22 EBU & O. G. of 11.2% (1044.8?).

Duvel (Pronounced “Doov’l”) Classic Belgian bottle conditioned golden ale, 8.5% bottled, 6-10°C, uses barley malt, Styrian & Saaz hops & yeast bred from the Scottish McEwan’s brewery. <10EBC, very good tight head & modest condition with some glass clinging. A full, clean, slightly citrus flavour with a touch of wheat, some lovely, slightly floral hops (Styrians?). Stable yeast. Apparently it tastes better with the yeast in the glass www.beermad.org.uk/writings/belgianbeer.shtml V. G. but deceptively strong. www.duvel.com

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.

Eisbrau Czech Traditional Beer (Pilsner) 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

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.

Franziskaner Weissbier Hefe-Weissbeir 5% Munchen. has 75% wheat with a hint of bubble-gum & cold baked beans To me this is one of the best of its type.

Franziskaner Weissbier Kristallklar 5% Munchen. Big head, lots of bubbles, pale straw colour <10EBC. Drinkable but not a patch on the bottle conditioned Hefe-Weissbeir.

Fullers London Pride 4% draught, 4.7% bottled, around 20 EBC with Target, Challenger & Northdown hops, had a very strong complex flavours – Cooper’s marmalade, Lucozade & metal. www.fullers.co.uk

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.

Herold Bohemian Black Lager 5.2% from Czech Republic, like a very poor Irish Stout, AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

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.

Holden’s Golden Pale Ale 3.9%. Poor head, good condition, nice golden colour & hoppy (Goldings?) taste.

Innis & Gunn Original oak aged beer, 6.6% from Edingburgh was <20EBC, pleasant aroma, small but lasting head & condition O. K. It is matured for 30 of its 70 days in old (Bourbon) oak casks, thankfully (for me) the oak was not “obvious”, giving, as stated on the bottle, vanilla & (light) toffee notes. Typically Scottish in that it was malty rather than hoppy. Well worth a try.

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%. A Swedish attempt at what the British correctly call a Perry. A possibly industrial, artificially carbonated drink with a slight but chemical taste. With a sweet, cloying taste & aftertaste, this is 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%, 5-12°C imported by www.verticaldrinks.com. Head & condition O.K., looks like a lager – 10EBC or so, good aroma & superb taste. Quite “light” for the ABV, its taste belies its strength, so drink with care!

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.

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.).

Lowenbrau Original 5.2% Munich. Colour around 5-6 mark, very poor condition, modest, short-lived head that never quite disappeared & some clinging. Quite a subtle flavour.

Malheur 10, 10% Belgian bottle conditioned beer, very light (lager ) colour, massive head & wheaty taste. Not really my style.

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.

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.
I do not go out of my way to buy this but every now and again one sneaks into my pantry.

Nethergate Old Growler 5.5%. It took me one bottle to get used to it & another bottle to enjoy it as I’m not a Porter drinker.

Okocim Mocne 1845 7%ALC/VOL Okocim brewery, Poland
(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 DLA Orlow - Strong beer . Biere forte.

Orval, Belgian Amber Trappist beer 6.2%. This brewery has just one beer in just one size/shape bottle. Not orval at all! 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!).

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 brought to me from Belgium by my old friend & ex-colleague Glenn ford (Glenn also brought quite a few of the other Belgian beers reviewed here & helped with the sampling of 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 face you are level-headed! Some solid deposit in the bottle (bottle cond.?). VERY DIFFERENT, VERY GOOD. www.bestbelgianspecialbeers.be/main_eng.html

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 a long finish. www.paulaner.de

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, NICE.

Plzen Pilsner Urquel 4.4% from the Czech Republic. www.pilsnerurquel.com Colour in the low teens, small head, decent condition, good aroma, lots of crisp, peppery hops, long aftertaste, a good, quite complex lager.

Pshenychne Weissbier Etalon 5% from the Ukraine. Wheat & barley malts & top fermenting yeast. Very good, even had the cold baked beans aroma/taste. www.ridnamarka.com.ua or www.etalon-beer.com.ua/eng

Rochforte 8, dark Belgian Trappist beer, 9.2%. Very deep garnet colour, good head & condition. A complex rich, bark, 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.

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: Three beers are produced, called “6”, “8” & “10”. The figures relate to the beers O.G., in traditional Belgian brewers degrees, & 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. Both beers left me with a feeling of “well being”. 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.

St. Georgen Brau Keller Bier 4.8% (draught) from Germany uses Hallertau & Select hops. I think this lager would probably appeal to the most ardent of beer lovers. Matured in oak barrels, slightly darker than most lagers, it was a little hazy (un-filtered) & made with low carbonation (small head & modest condition for the style). Suprisingly hoppy, it had definite similarities to a good British beer.

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.

Sheperd Neame Bishops Finger 5.4%, 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.

Sheperd Neame Late Red, an “Autumn Hop Ale” of 4.5%. A good clingy head & decent condition with a reddy brown colour around 40 EBC. Quite bitter & very dry & astringent with some liquorice & tannin, possibly a bit thin , a very long finish.

Sheperd Neame Spitfire 4.5%. around 20EBC. Head O. K. with some clinging to glass, some metal & some wood in the taste/aroma, quite dry, malty & hops in the aftertaste.

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 (an observation, not a comment). 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 soles & drunk by the gullible who probably don’t know any better (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 devoid of taste? As Michael Jackson states, it is the flavour of a beer that makes it great.

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 up there with the best.

Stella Artois (5.2% ABV bottled). No comments!

Staropramen Premium Czech Beer from Prague, 5% is a lager made from barley, maltose syrup, Saaz hops & hop extract. Fair head, good condition & a pleasantly strong prickly hop taste. www.staropramen.com/english/staropramen.swf

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 Belgian Abbey Beer (no Abbey mentioned on label) 6.5% “traditional Trappist style” on bottle (see ingredients!). “Belgian Wheat Beer” on site. Contains malted barley, sugar, invert sugar, hops, lactic acid, hop extract, ascorbic acid, yeast & ammonia caramel, “contains gluten” says the label but not mentioned in the ingredients, neither is the wheat. Poor head, virtually no condition, just over 10EBC (est.) some herbs. I always thought that Abbey beers were bottle conditioned DISAPPOINTING – NOT THE FINEST BY ANY MEANS.

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. I always thought that wheat beers were bottle conditioned. 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 Bitter (draught) is possibly the nearest thing to beer sold in my local, after a visit there I like to drink a small bottle (250ml) of homebrew to take away the taste.

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.

Theakston XB 4.5% 40-45 EBC, malty & quite smooth. Good head, decent condition with some clinging to the glass.

Thwaites Premium Thoroughbred 4% www.thwaitescask.co.uk “Robust golden colour”, poor head/condition, very hoppy (dry hopped), full flavoured, dark marmalade with dry finish. Similar to Fullers London Pride?

Thwaites Lancaster Bomber 4.4%. Around 20+ EBC, slight metallic taste, a very good all round beer. (Fuggles, Goldings & Styrians.)

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.

Triple Moine 7.3% brewed in Belgium & appears to be a very light coloured bottle-conditioned wheat beer.

Tyskie Premium Lager 5.6%. Polish lager, <10 EBC, good condition but rather poor head, a lovely drink.

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 cloudier bier at the bottom of the glass was reached.

Urthel Tonicum Finibold Hus (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.

Ward’s Best Bitter 4.5% “A Fine Premium Ale”, agreed! Very light, <20EBC with poor condition/head although it lasted very well & some clinging. Tasted of malt & “flowery” hops with some metal & possibly oak, a long finish. www.dmbc.org.uk (NOT Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council!).

Warsteiner Premium Verum, 4.8%, German “Eine Konig Unter Den Bieren” Pilsner style made with “Hopfenextrakt”. Like a cider in colour, <10EBC, modest head with lots of bubbles & slight clinging to the glass. A slight metallic aroma/taste/finish, O.K. but a bit cloying & lacking in complexity.

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).

Wells Bombardier Burning Gold 4.7% again comes in a 1pt. bottle. Uses Fuggles & Goldings & has a bright golden yellow colour, a modest head & an excellent condition. Unfortunately I thought the “dull” taste let it down.

Westmalle Dubbel, dark Belgian Trappist beer, 7% WOW! www.trappistwestmalle.be/en/page/home.aspx

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.

Wychwood Fiddler’s Elbow 4.5%, made using wheat, malt & Styrian Goldings. Less than 20EBC, slight head, reasonable condition, with earthy, citrousy hints & a long hoppy finish. V. G., so far my favourite from Wychwood.

Wychwood Hobgoblin 5.2%, pale & chocolate malts. Full flavour & strength, very good, www.wychwood.co.uk

Young’s Christmas pudding Ale 5.5%. A garnet colour around 50EBC, tastes of dark fruit with some spices, coconut, oats treacle, & metal. Obviously not a drink for regular supping as it was a bit sweet & cloying towards the end, although I may have drunk it a bit too warm. A quality beer.

Young’s Champion Live Golden Beer 5% bottle conditioned with Marris Otter barley & “Styrian hops from Slovenia” (Styrian Goldings i.e. Fuggles?). Like a lager in colour, citrusy flavour, not too demanding or heavy, possibly a bit too light/cloying/cidery. Slight solid yeast in bottle (worth cloning?).

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.