Wines and Beer   I don't do spirits. I live in Scotland and I'm not a whisky drinker. Hohum. I very much enjoy a 'quiet' pint in a pub with friends, or a glass of fine wine with some uncomplicated food in a restaurant. A sharp lager with something spicy is also nice, but I don't really drink lager for its own sakes -- there's nothing to it. My parents aren't drinkers, so it wasn't 'til I went to university that the old demon reared its head. But being in Leicester, close to the fine brewing heritage of Burton on Trent, I soon aquired a taste for the real ale! Grandad was a stout drinker so I'm told, and I certainly am too. An appreciation for wine came about thanks to my fair lady and her family. Initially, white wines were all I appreciated, but these days I prefer reds. And the red grape of choice has to be Merlot. Round and rich. Preferably South american. In '99 we even went to a short nightschool class to learn more about wines. Or at least drink more wines! We've been buying wines from Virgin Wines for quite a few years now, and I can only recall one bottle we didn't like, from the many dozens we've enjoyed. And there've been some absolute belters. With wines, I'm very happy to try anything that Virgin mix in the cases -- southern hemisphere wines are generally preferable, but I've been suprised by a number of French wines recently. Anyhow, this page serves to document some useful links and drink related stuff I've come across, along with a vague blog of what I'm drinking and my opinions. I should have started this many years ago as I'm rubbish at remembering names and years of things! Tasting Blog - click on a beer for more info! + 13/07/08 : Organic Cherry Fruit Beer : 8/10 : Cherry cherry cherry Beer :  Organic Cherry Fruit Beer Brewer :  Samuel Smith's URL :  - ABV :  5.1% Date :  13/07/08 Notes :  Bright red. Very cherry nose. Very, very cherry flavour. Wow. But wait - as far as I can make out, this is a beer that's just had some cherry juice dumped in it. It's a nice pint, but as with most of these strongly flavoured fruit beers, one's quite enough at a time. Verdict :  8/10 - Cherry cherry cherry + 13/03/08 : Liberation : 7/10 : Less flavour than expected Beer :  Liberation Brewer :  Thwaites URL :  www.thwaites.co.uk ABV :  5.2% Date :  13/03/08 Notes :  Liberation. A poppy on the bottle; "Supporters of the British Legion". Premium Ale. "A beer to be remembered". Well, no. It says that, but really it's a beer to be forgotten. Nothing wrong with it as such, but it's really quite ordinary. A little overfizzy, but has a reasonably rich but subtle hoppy flavour. Verdict :  7/10 - Less flavour than expected + 08/01/08 : Organic Cider : 4/10 : Dull Beer :  Organic Cider Brewer :  Marks & Spencer URL :  www.marksandspencer.com ABV :  6.6% Date :  08/01/08 Notes :  Really very flat. Smells like my car. Tastes of apples, fine, but bad apples. Whilst I'm not a cider drinker, this seems like a rather poor effort for any drink. Verdict :  4/10 - Dull + 05/01/08 : Ashadha : 5/10 : Fizz destroys flavour Beer :  Ashadha Brewer :  Marks & Spencer URL :  www.marksandspencer.com ABV :  5.0% Date :  05/01/08 Notes :  Smells nice. Sips ok. Drinks poorly. Again, way too gassy sparkly and fizzy, destroying any hope of enjoying the reasonably interesting deep flavour that's in there somewhere. Don't believe this has anything at all to do with India. Hohum. Verdict :  5/10 - Fizz destroys flavour + 04/01/08 : Etoile D'Or : 6/10 : (Burp) Beer :  Etoile D'Or Brewer :  Marks & Spencer URL :  www.marksandspencer.com ABV :  5.0% Date :  04/01/08 Notes :  Not expecting much of this, but actually it's ok. There's some flavour here, with a hint of nutty spice. Rather gassy though. Belgian? Huh. Verdict :  6/10 - (Burp) + 28/12/07 : Birra D'Oro : 4/10 : Sour, rough Beer :  Birra D'Oro Brewer :  Marks & Spencer URL :  www.marksandspencer.com ABV :  5.0% Date :  28/12/07 Notes :  Second beer from my Xmas pack. Smells ok, but it's really pretty sour. Really overgassed and fizzy too - noisy in the glass like a lemonade. This is supposed to be a typical Italian lager, but compared to something like Peroni, it's very poor. One to miss. Verdict :  4/10 - Sour, rough + 26/12/07 : Castillo Premium Spanish Lager : 7/10 : A flavourful lager Beer :  Castillo Premium Spanish Lager Brewer :  Marks & Spencer URL :  www.marksandspencer.com ABV :  5.0% Date :  26/12/07 Notes :  Given a pack of lagers for Xmas. Whilst I only usually drink lagers in summer, these looked interesting. Nothing to look at, but a suprising subtle floral smell with a light spicy tang. And I'm not sure about the ABV - it seemed pretty strong to me. Verdict :  7/10 - A flavourful lager + 28/06/07 : Bee Wyched : 7/10 : Yep, Honey Beer :  Bee Wyched Brewer :  Wychwood Brewery URL :  www.wychwood.co.uk ABV :  5.0% Date :  28/06/07 Notes :  What was I expecting? Quirkyness. Yes, it's that. A deeper flavour than I was expecting, and you really have to wait for the honey flavour to build at the back of the throat, but it's definitely there and quite nicely syrupy. Verdict :  7/10 - Yep, Honey + 24/06/07 : Dark Island : 9/10 : Peaty and dark Beer :  Dark Island Brewer :  The Orkney Brewery URL :  www.orkneybrewery.co.uk ABV :  4.6% Date :  24/06/07 Notes :  Well I've had this from cask several times before, and the bottle is just as good. A strong and smooth, but not heavy, pint. Dark and rich with a rounded lasting taste. [Screwed up URL on the bottle says '.com'] Verdict :  9/10 - Peaty and dark + 23/06/07 : Whistable Bay : 8/10 : Flavoursome Beer :  Whistable Bay Brewer :  Shepherd Neame URL :  www.shepherdneame.co.uk ABV :  4.5% Date :  23/06/07 Notes :  The past few Shepherd Neame beers I've had have been a little uninspiring, so I was wary of this one too. Thankfully this beer's got some character and hoppy flavour. Verdict :  8/10 - Flavoursome + 05/06/07 : Cumberland Traditional Ale : 6/10 : Too fizzy Beer :  Cumberland Traditional Ale Brewer :  Jennings URL :  www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk ABV :  4.2% Date :  05/06/07 Notes :  Wet dog. That smell again. Great. Prettymuch like their Cocker Hoop, but even more fizzy and very visibly so in the glass. I can't put a finger on exactly what's wrong with this beer, but there's something. Between the fizz, the smell, the odd earthy taste, there's something. Fairly missable. Verdict :  6/10 - Too fizzy + 04/06/07 : Double Century : 7/10 : Long tang Beer :  Double Century Brewer :  Thwaites URL :  www.thwaites.co.uk ABV :  5.2% Date :  04/06/07 Notes :  1807-2007. That's the 'Double Century' obviously. A special promotional bin in Morrisons proffered this one. It's very flat from the bottle, but incredibly fizzy on the tongue. Not zingy in flavour, simply zingy (but not gassy). Interesting. The malty flavour lasts a long time on the front of the palate which is a little unusual too. It's a supper, not a glugger, and a slow supper at that. Not really what I was expecting at all, but not bad. Verdict :  7/10 - Long tang + 23/05/07 : Red Ale : 6/10 : Odd one Beer :  Red Ale Brewer :  Pitfield Brewery URL :  www.pitfieldbeershop.co.uk ABV :  4.8% Date :  23/05/07 Notes :  Organic organic organic. Yeah ok we got the message. 9 times on the bottle. It's fairly yeasty, and not full of flavour, but reasonably drinkable. Terribly cloudy, and almost mealy on the palate, is a little strange. Also, doesn't seem to look or taste like any kind of Red I've had before. Verdict :  6/10 - Odd one + 01/05/07 : 303AD : 8/10 : Full of flavour Beer :  303AD Brewer :  Hook Norton Brewery URL :  www.hooky.co.uk ABV :  4.0% Date :  01/05/07 Notes :  A huge frothy head with a nasty tang, but beneath, a fully rounded brew with plenty of flavour and zest. Almost a spicy flavour. Certainly not what I was expecting of a bottle emblazoned with St George Crosses and shouting its Englishness. Verdict :  8/10 - Full of flavour + 20/04/07 : Organic Ale : 7/10 : Gassy Beer :  Organic Ale Brewer :  Marks & Spencer URL :  www.marksandspencer.com ABV :  6.0% Date :  20/04/07 Notes :  Another random M&S beer. In fact, this and their Stout I tried yesterday were all they stock! Shame on them. This reasonably nondescript ale is quite gassy - fizzy on the tongue. Not distinctive, but has a reasonable flavour all round. Nothing to fault, but nothing to inspire. Try a little harder M&S! Verdict :  7/10 - Gassy + 19/04/07 : Irish Stout : 8/10 : Very dark Beer :  Irish Stout Brewer :  Marks & Spencer URL :  www.marksandspencer.com ABV :  4.5% Date :  19/04/07 Notes :  M&S should consider stocking some ales! I wanted a pint, so grabbed this while we were in there. M&S own label brand, but brewed in Ireland so should be ok. And it is. A very, very dark brew with a nutty peaty chewy flavour, a little zing on the tongue, and a warming sensation. It's not a beer to be glugged down, but savoured. Verdict :  8/10 - Very dark + 15/04/07 : St. George's : 7/10 : A little yeasty Beer :  St. George's Brewer :  Young's URL :  www.youngsathome.co.uk ABV :  5.2% Date :  15/04/07 Notes :  English English English. Is it? Really? Hmm. I'm not really convinced. Mind you, big frothy head which rapidly disappeared but left a big mess down the insides of the glass. Yeah, ok, that's very southern English. The flavour is slightly yeasty, but other than that there's no real character to this brew. Verdict :  7/10 - A little yeasty + 14/04/07 : IPA : 3/10 : Dirty mouldy taste Beer :  IPA Brewer :  Greene King URL :  www.greenekingipa.co.uk ABV :  5.0% Date :  14/04/07 Notes :  What you really don't want is a beer that spews itself everywhere out of the bottle. Great. Fresh jeans required. The nose that produced is also kinda stinky - not a fresh beer smell. Few sups and I'm really put off this beer completely. It's a dirty mouldy yeasty taste. The aftertaste, after some time, is reasonably clean and decent, but this is really is a very poor beer. I doubt I'll finish the bottle. Verdict :  3/10 - Dirty mouldy taste + 13/04/07 : Honey Dew : 6/10 : Sour, yeasty Beer :  Honey Dew Brewer :  Fuller's URL :  www.fullers.co.uk ABV :  5.0% Date :  13/04/07 Notes :  Fizzz out of the bottle before I could tip it to pour! Very gassy fizzy head - carbonated? No, this beer's thick and cloudy. Hang on, that head's totally disappeared before I can snap the photo. What's going on here? After 30mins in the glass it's still cloudy as anything. Tastes vagely sour. Slightly yeasty. Almost unpleasant to start with, but vaguely grows on you once you accept how it's going to be. Not a pretty pint, not one to recommend. Maybe it's just not my type of beer. Verdict :  6/10 - Sour, yeasty + 12/04/07 : Hen's Tooth : 8/10 : Soft, Rounded Beer :  Hen's Tooth Brewer :  Morland URL :  www.greeneking.co.uk ABV :  6.5% Date :  12/04/07 Notes :  6.5% - blimey. Doesn't really seem it, though. The claim on the bottle is that the rarity of the combination of character and strength are what gives this beers its name, but that doesn't bear up in my mind. Nice beer, mind you. Kinda fizzy head. Long but pleasing flavour... which, oh, this is going to sound silly, but reminds me of - tomato juice! [www.henstooth.info is printed on the bottle, but doesn't seem to exist!] Verdict :  8/10 - Soft, Rounded + 11/04/07 : London Porter : 9/10 : Smooth Beer :  London Porter Brewer :  Meantime URL :  www.meantimebrewing.com ABV :  6.0% Date :  11/04/07 Notes :  750ml. That's a big 'un. Corked bottle. That's amusing too. And a neck strap with detailed pouring instructions. I follow exactly what they say, pouring slowly. This is a Porter with a lot to sing about and I'm expecting a lot. I'm not disappointed. This is a lot milder, but far fuller flavour than many porter's I've had before. The smoothness certainly stands out, with a soft full rounded flavour. Slightly caramelly. Seems more than 6% as it's gone straight to my head -- maybe due to being bottle conditioned. I almost gave this a 10, but I'd actually prefer just a wee bit more peatyness, and the large bottle means you have to be serious about opening one. Very, very nice. Verdict :  9/10 - Smooth + 08/04/07 : Waggle Dance : 9/10 : Fresh yet warming Beer :  Waggle Dance Brewer :  Young's URL :  www.youngsathome.co.uk ABV :  5.0% Date :  08/04/07 Notes :  I think I've had this before. Can't remember when. Anyhoo, this is the first time I've had it in a bottle, certainly. Waggle Dance - the dance of the honey bee. No pretentions on the bottle. Nice glowing golden colour, soft warming full flavour with an even palate that's pleasing. Slurped this pint down way too quickly and it's gone to my head already. Nice stuff! Verdict :  9/10 - Fresh yet warming + 07/04/07 : Spring Breeze : 8/10 : Gentle flavour Beer :  Spring Breeze Brewer :  Batemans URL :  www.bateman.co.uk ABV :  5.0% Date :  07/04/07 Notes :  With a name like Spring Breeze I'm expecting a light and fruity beer and this delivers. It's fairly zing fizzy, but not overly so. I can't put a definite finger on the flavour, but I'd suggest Oranges. Actually, that zingy fizz is a little much, but on a bright sunny easter weekend day, this beer fits the bill very well. Verdict :  8/10 - Gentle flavour + 02/04/07 : Organic Ale : 8/10 : Zingy Beer :  Organic Ale Brewer :  Duchy Originals URL :  www.duchyoriginals.com ABV :  5.0% Date :  02/04/07 Notes :  Spouting pointlessness such as "Hops from Highgrove" and "Profits donated to the Prince of Wales Foundation", this is either going to be incredibly crap, or very good. Thankfully, it's quite good. The Prince of Wales may well have founded Duchy Originals to make healthy foods, but I'm not quite sure how this reasonably hearty ale fits that bill. It's got more life in the flavour than the bottle belies, which is a sign of crappy marketing I reckon. It's quite zingy in the mouth to start with but rapidly settles out to a pleasing rounded full flavour which has a nice length and no bitterness. It's organic and helping a charity, so I might well pick this out again. Verdict :  8/10 - Zingy + 26/03/07 : Old Bob : 4/10 : Yeasty and sour Beer :  Old Bob Brewer :  Ridley's URL :  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.D._Ridley_and_Sons ABV :  5.1% Date :  26/03/07 Notes :  Beautiful colour. Not so great flavour. Oh heck that's a letdown. I don't think I'll even get through this pint. It's quite yeasty, pretty sour and rotten really. Never heard of Ridley's before, and this may be why. After some food, the pint went down and was acceptable, but not something to bother repeating. Verdict :  4/10 - Yeasty and sour + 25/03/07 : Victory Ale : 9/10 : Strong and full Beer :  Victory Ale Brewer :  Batemans URL :  www.bateman.co.uk ABV :  6.0% Date :  25/03/07 Notes :  This beer seems to boast its 6.0% which is a worry since the previous Batemans I had at 4.8% was really strong. There's no obvious odour to this beer at all, which was a suprise, but it's seriously smooth and rounded on the palate. I'd say treacley, but it's not that sweet. There's peaty tangs, but not with the peaty roughness. I hesitate to write, but it's got an almost orange-peely taste! Hard to put a finger on really, I really enjoyed this beer. It says enjoy with stew, and that's exactly what I drank it with. I'll definitely have to find another. Verdict :  9/10 - Strong and full + 24/03/07 : Triple XB : 8/10 : Strong flavour Beer :  Triple XB Brewer :  Batemans URL :  www.bateman.co.uk ABV :  4.8% Date :  24/03/07 Notes :  The neck strap boasts "Gold Medal Winner, International Beer Awards", so I'm expecting things of this pint. Smells nice, and has a very strong zing on the tongue. Very long. Very, very long. Ridiculously so, in fact. The flavour is bold. This says only 4.8% but I simply do not believe that as I've only had one and feel like I've had four! This is a very clean beer, but that stupidly long aftertaste actually lets it down for me. Verdict :  8/10 - Strong flavour + 14/03/07 : Double Maxim : 8/10 : Tangy Beer :  Double Maxim Brewer :  The Double Maxim Beer Company URL :  www.dmbc.co.uk ABV :  4.7% Date :  14/03/07 Notes :  "All Flavour, No Flannel" says the neck strap. Yep, it's that. Smells right. Tastes right. Has a tangy almost zesty flavour which reminds me of Tanglefoot slightly, but with less fizz. Brewed in Sunderland, so maybe vying for position with Newcastle Brown, this isn't as smooth. Verdict :  8/10 - Tangy + 07/03/07 : Riggwelter : 9/10 : Earthy chew Beer :  Riggwelter Brewer :  The Black Sheep Brewery URL :  www.blacksheep.co.uk ABV :  5.7% Date :  07/03/07 Notes :  Strong Yorkshire ale named by an upskittled sheep. It's dark. It smells like a sheep. It tastes - really rather earthy and peaty, with a short flavour and no notable aftertaste, and interestingly because of that, it's appealing -- you get the bang of the flavour without it feeling like you're chewing a hillside. Verdict :  9/10 - Earthy chew + 06/03/07 : Banana Bread Beer : 8/10 : Yep, Bananas! Beer :  Banana Bread Beer Brewer :  Wells URL :  www.charleswells.co.uk ABV :  5.2% Date :  06/03/07 Notes :  So many people have enthused about this one, I was annoyed to miss it in Morrisons and suprised to find it recently in ASDA! With a pint emerging from a banana skin on the logo, it's pretty obvious what this one should taste of. Open the bottle... smells like a beer. Sup. Aha! There's the banana. And yes, bready too. Almost verging on synthetic banana, but juuust staying on the right side. It's not a beer for supping to quench thirst, but it's also not a stupid beer like Golden Glory. Probably goes better with cooked food than the salad I had it with. Interesting pint because there's really very little flavour other than the banana. Full marks for the 568ml bottle. Verdict :  8/10 - Yep, Bananas! + 12/02/07 : Treacle Stout : 6/10 : Strange Beer :  Treacle Stout Brewer :  Itchen Valley URL :  www.itchenvalley.com ABV :  4.4% Date :  12/02/07 Notes :  The smell of this one reminds me distinctly of the very strong Dogfish Head stout of the GarvieFest. Tricky to describe, it's like a wet rotting log -- in a good way! The flavour is deliciously complex, with an initial bitter twang, giving way to a subtle sweetness (undoubtedly due to the treacle) but a strange open sweetness, like raspberry juice. The flavour is quite short, and successive sups continue to suprise the palate. As I drink more of this, however, it's getting progressively more bitter and peaty, to a point where I don't actually want any more until I've found something to eat with it. [Yes, another stupid bottle with duff URL on it] Verdict :  6/10 - Strange + 02/02/07 : Triple B : 8/10 : Complex flavours Beer :  Triple B Brewer :  Oxfordshire Ales URL :  www.oxfordshireales.co.uk ABV :  3.7% Date :  02/02/07 Notes :  Crumpets. That's what this smells of. Hot buttered crumpets. Isn't that strange! As strange as the tagline "Brewed in Marsh Gibbon" which is either a swampy ape, or one of these insanely named places in Oxfordshire. (Apparently it's the latter). There's no explanation as to why it's called Triple B. Aside from the strange, but inviting nose, this beer is vaguely spicy - quite hoppy. Bit too fizzy for a glugger (which, at just 3.7% this is), but quite an interesting tipple. [Yet another bottle advertising a duff URL. Stupid] Verdict :  8/10 - Complex flavours + 01/02/07 : Twelve Days : 8/10 : A dark dark. Beer :  Twelve Days Brewer :  Hook Norton Brewery URL :  www.hooky.co.uk ABV :  5.5% Date :  01/02/07 Notes :  It's February now, but this beer's name is quite clearly Christmasy. Dark. Very dark. Very malty. Just a very slight peaty burny twang which is rounding. They suggest enjoying it with cheese, which I can appreciate. I'm drinking this really rather slowly as it seems quite a thick brew. Verdict :  8/10 - A dark dark. + 31/01/07 : Roisin - Tayberry Beer : 9/10 : THAT is flavour! Beer :  Roisin - Tayberry Beer Brewer :  Williams Bros URL :  www.williamsbrosbrew.com ABV :  4.2% Date :  31/01/07 Notes :  I've always found Williams Bros beers to be distinctive and full of flavour and this is no exception. Wow. Tayberry beer with a super fruity tang and a great fruity smell. Almost tastes of Raspberries, but not as sweet [Tayberry is a blackberry/raspberry cross]. And no, I've no idea why their bottles have a URL for an obviously long-defunct website on them. Verdict :  9/10 - THAT is flavour! + 29/01/07 : Havercake Ale : 7/10 : Looong bitter aftertaste. Beer :  Havercake Ale Brewer :  Timothy Taylor's URL :  www.timothytaylor.co.uk ABV :  4.7% Date :  29/01/07 Notes :  Another Yorkshire beer, albeit West Yorkshire this time. Smells nice. First gulp is really quite strange though. I really can't place the flavour. Or should I say the taste. I'm not really sure it's a flavour. It's malted oats, apparently, hence the name (oatcake). It's not bad, but that initial taste and insanely long aftertaste mean I'm sat going "um?" while drinking it, which isn't really what I want. Unusual. (And a truly abysmal website) Verdict :  7/10 - Looong bitter aftertaste. + 28/01/07 : Daleside Porter : 6/10 : Too burnt. Beer :  Daleside Porter Brewer :  Daleside Brewery URL :  www.dalesidebrewery.com ABV :  4.4% Date :  28/01/07 Notes :  I was looking forward to this -- brewed just 15 miles from where I grew up in Yorkshire. Sadly, disappointment from the first sip. It's too burnt, too harsh on the palate for my liking. I'm sipping this down, but it's not something I'd return to. An orangey head was also slightly odd. Next time I'm down in Harrogate I'll see about collecting some of their other beers, though. Verdict :  6/10 - Too burnt. + 27/01/07 : Fifth Sense : 8/10 : Hoppy. Beer :  Fifth Sense Brewer :  Joseph Holt URL :  www.joseph-holt.com ABV :  5.5% Date :  27/01/07 Notes :  Funky label. Quite hoppy, and that's what the bottle says too. There's not a great deal to say about this one. It seems stronger than the 5.5% it believes it is. A citrus bite it says -- nah. Verdict :  8/10 - Hoppy. + 26/01/07 : Fine Raisin Beer : 8/10 : It's a beer. Beer :  Fine Raisin Beer Brewer :  Cains URL :  www.cains.co.uk ABV :  5.0% Date :  26/01/07 Notes :  Well I didn't know what to expect from this one. Very sweet? I opened the bottle with trepidation -- no raisin smell. Sup. No raisin flavour. Glug glug. Nope, nothing unusual at all about this guy. "...infused with succulent Californian raisins" it may say, but if you'd asked me to suggest what fruit may be in here, I couldn't have guessed. It's a decent enough pint, but I guess you buy this for its novelty value, and for me, there isn't one. Verdict :  8/10 - It's a beer. + 25/01/07 : Old Ale : 9/10 : Rounded, warming, solid. Beer :  Old Ale Brewer :  Highgate URL :  www.astonmanor.co.uk ABV :  5.1% Date :  25/01/07 Notes :  "Old Ale" doesn't really sound appealing. Or does it? I've often found "old" style beers to be a thicker, stronger pint. And this certainly fits that bill. A caramelly smell and initial taste, followed by a perfect amount of bitterness, very slight peaty and earthy tastes and a gentle lingering deep aftertaste. A recipe that's over 100 years old and still satisfying. Verdict :  9/10 - Rounded, warming, solid. + 24/01/07 : Definitive : 8/10 : Smooth. Beer :  Definitive Brewer :  Whim Ales URL :  www.broughtonales.co.uk/pages/our-range/whim-ales.php ABV :  5.0% Date :  24/01/07 Notes :  Claiming to be a 'quality dark ale', this is an interesting ale, certainly. Not especially dark in my opinion, and none of the usual peaty/burnt tones that I'd usually associate with a dark. It's smooth and palatable, but a little indistinctive. The aftertaste is short but crisp. Verdict :  8/10 - Smooth. + 23/01/07 : Celebration Ale : 8/10 : Spicy. Beer :  Celebration Ale Brewer :  Sierra Nevada URL :  www.sierranevada.com ABV :  6.8% Date :  23/01/07 Notes :  A wee 350ml bottle. Ah, it's 6.8% that'll be why. Ah, it's American. So I'm thinking microbrew fizz. Yep, there's some of that, but it's kind of concealed behind a raspy palette-gnawing spicyness. A deliberately winter-season brew, and a nice one for that. It would probably be deemed quite yeasty (and pungent, in fact!) for other times of the year but here in Scotland on a frozen winters day (It's just 2 degrees outside) it suits just fine. Actually, that spicyness is maybe a bit long -- the aftertaste is quite strange and varies from nutty to mouldy. Good effort though, USA. Verdict :  8/10 - Spicy. + 22/01/07 : John Willies : 9/10 : Hearty. Beer :  John Willies Brewer :  J.W.Lees URL :  www.jwlees.co.uk ABV :  5.0% Date :  22/01/07 Notes :  First ale of 2007. Actually, no. I've had some mediocre draught stuff over Xmas, but nothing worth writing about. And a lot of wine. Huge thanks to Craig for a supply of a dozen from Engerland! "Robust ... nutty" says the neck strap. Yep, it is. Spicy flavour with a long aftertaste that warms nicely. I'll have another, please! Verdict :  9/10 - Hearty. + 04/11/06 : Ruddles Orchard : 4/10 : Odd. Beer :  Ruddles Orchard Brewer :  Ruddles Brewing URL :  www.ruddles.co.uk ABV :  4.2% Date :  04/11/06 Notes :  "Try this". "Ok". "Serious Apple Flavour" says the bottle. Now if I wanted 'Serious apple Flavour' I'd have picked a cider. Glug. Yuk. Were they rotten apples? If I wasn't told this was apple beer it would have probably had a 1/10 and be straight down the plug, but let's persevere. Ever eaten a raw cooking apple? That's what this rather tastes of. Rather sour. Yeasty. It's definitely not one I'll bother repeating. Verdict :  4/10 - Odd. + 30/10/06 : Scotch Ale : 8/10 : Full flavour. Beer :  Scotch Ale Brewer :  Black Isle URL :  www.blackislebrewery.com ABV :  4.5% Date :  30/10/06 Notes :  Final of my 6 Black Isle beers. Orangy head. Rish brown colour. Initially bitter burned flavour, but smooth after a few sups. It's gone down quickly! Verdict :  8/10 - Full flavour. + 28/10/06 : Heather Honey Beer : 8/10 : Light and fresh. Beer :  Heather Honey Beer Brewer :  Black Isle URL :  www.blackislebrewery.com ABV :  5.0% Date :  28/10/06 Notes :  Light in colour. Little odour. Nice gentle rounded flavour. Quite finely fizzy and fresh. Not sure why it's only 330ml. Verdict :  8/10 - Light and fresh. + 27/10/06 : Hibernator III : 9/10 : strong and clear. Beer :  Hibernator III Brewer :  Black Isle URL :  www.blackislebrewery.com ABV :  7.0% Date :  27/10/06 Notes :  This is what we want. DIY labelling on a distinctive and interesting beer. Very strong and peaty treacly taste. Gets the back of your throat slightly. 330ml bottle because of that 7% I guess. It's very, very dark, but not heavy at all. No way does it seem like 7% - it's gone down quickly despite my sipping and savouring. More please. Verdict :  9/10 - strong and clear. + 26/10/06 : Yellowhammer Bitter : 7/10 : gassy, light. Beer :  Yellowhammer Bitter Brewer :  Black Isle URL :  www.blackislebrewery.com ABV :  4.0% Date :  26/10/06 Notes :  "Flinty Grapefruit aroma". Huh? Sometimes it's not worth reading the bottle at all. I mean, what on earth does a flinty grapefruit smell of? That's pure nonsense. Moving on, this has a huge head, possibly because it's a little warm from the kitchen -- as with other Black Isle beers, this has serving instructions suggesting it should be cooler. Light amber in colour, and a zesty taste as advertised, this one's probably much better as a summer beer, for glugging on a warm evening. It does seem pretty gassy, which likely explains the large head. Again lacking depth, but having a nice flavour reminiscent of a nice red, it matches other Black Isle beers. I don't really know why they call it a bitter -- seems like just a regular ale to me. Verdict :  7/10 - gassy, light. + 24/10/06 : Red Kite Ale : 7/10 : clean, but a little clawy. Beer :  Red Kite Ale Brewer :  Black Isle URL :  www.blackislebrewery.com ABV :  4.5% Date :  24/10/06 Notes :  The second of my Black Isle set. Nice odour. White head. Clean amber colour. This one prescribes a serving temperature of 11-13 degrees. Well, it was from my kitchen at about 19. Tough. A fairly light but fruity rounded flavour. A little too much clawy fizz for me. Clean and lasting pleasant aftertaste. Verdict :  7/10 - clean, but a little clawy. + 22/10/06 : Porter : 7/10 : deep flavour. Beer :  Porter Brewer :  Black Isle URL :  www.blackislebrewery.com ABV :  4.5% Date :  22/10/06 Notes :  Had a trip to the Edinburgh Farmers' Market yesterday and the Black Isle Brewery had a stall there. 6 for £10. So I grabbed a selection. This is the first. Organic, live bottle conditioned, should be good. It's a dark - made with dark roasted malts. It smells peaty and woody. The flavour is deep, but somehow not especially strong. It says serve chilled to 7-9 degrees, but I've just had this in the kitchen. I'm growing tired of all these beers that say serve chilled. This is fine as it is, and I'm guessing at its most flavoursome. Not a bad pint. Verdict :  7/10 - deep flavour. + 16/10/06 : Gentleman Jack (Strong Ale) : 6/10 : average, bitter. Beer :  Gentleman Jack (Strong Ale) Brewer :  Shepherd Neame (for Asda) URL :  www.asda.com ABV :  5% Date :  16/10/06 Notes :  Uhoh. It's an Asda branded beer. That can't be a great sign. But it's a Sheperd Neame, and they've proved reasonable in the past, so we'll see what we get here. No particular odour. Regular kind of colour. Frothy head. Doesn't seem especially interesting at first... but, there's a reasonable and lengthy aftertaste. "Hidden strength" says the bottle, and I guess it's right. 5% is a reasonable strength, and it's got a reasonable strong bitter flavour, in aftertaste at least. I don't think this is much to crow about, but it's an ok beer. Possibly a little better than I was expecting of an Asda branded beer. Wouldn't really bother with it again though. Verdict :  6/10 - average, bitter. + 12/10/06 : Jolly Ploughman : 4/10 : hmm. odd. Beer :  Jolly Ploughman Brewer :  Tom Wood URL :  www.tom-wood.com ABV :  5% Date :  12/10/06 Notes :  Stilton! Huh. Interesting flavour for the first gulp, there. Mellows to a perhaps more oaky tinge as we continue, but there overriding flavour is of mouldy cheese. Gotta be the yeast, obviously. It's not entirely unpleasant, but not exactly something you'd rush out and choose, either. I can't find many other flavours in here. It's certainly what you'd call a "distinctive" pint, but not really for the right reasons. [The website sucks too] Verdict :  4/10 - hmm. odd. + 07/10/06 : Red Smiddy : 8/10 : redtastic Beer :  Red Smiddy Brewer :  Kelburn Brewing Co. Ltd. URL :  www.kelburnbrewery.com ABV :  4.4% Date :  07/10/06 Notes :  Kelburn's Red. I'm a definite red fan so I went for the cask. Fairly flat, crystal clear, wonderful rich aroma - hoppy but not flowery. I'm glugging this down stupidly quickly, because it's just so good. Actually, it's not as strong a flavour as I was initially expecting, but is somewhat spicy with a nice aftertaste. At 4.4% it seems to have the kick of a stronger brew. Very nice. Verdict :  8/10 - redtastic + 06/10/06 : Double Drop : 6/10 : nice flavour but too zingy Beer :  Double Drop Brewer :  Marston's URL :  www.marstonsdontcompromise.com ABV :  5% Date :  06/10/06 Notes :  Double dropping is apparently a brewing technique, giving this beer its name. They add a large amount of hops to the wort kettle to enhance the aroma. And it does smell fresh and zingy. Unfortunately it tastes that way too. Rather fizzy and bitey. Not something I'm a fan of. 5% is a kick too. I finished the pint, but it's not something I'd bother with again. Too unsubtle. Nice flavours, mind, just that fizzyness that spoils it for me. Verdict :  6/10 - nice flavour but too zingy + 14/09/06 : Circlemaster : 8/10 : tangy and fresh Beer :  Circlemaster Brewer :  Wychwood Brewery URL :  www.wychwood.co.uk ABV :  4.7% Date :  14/09/06 Notes :  An organic beer. A pale ale. Another daft bottle. Plumage Archer barley malt and Target hops. What to expect? Dunno. Glug. It's good. Very good in fact. Plenty of full fresh hoppy flavour. Perhaps just a little too yeasty in my mouth. The head's disappeared very quickly though which is interesting -- leaving a very flat looking pint. Best before date is almost a year hence which is also amusing. A strange one, this. Verdict :  8/10 - tangy and fresh + 13/09/06 : Wychcraft : 8/10 : straightforward glug Beer :  Wychcraft Brewer :  Wychwood Brewery URL :  www.wychwood.co.uk ABV :  4.5% Date :  13/09/06 Notes :  Another Wychwood with a silly bottle. This is a Blonde, but doesn't taste it. Full flavour. Very gluggable. Lacking any distinct character - and the bottle makes no claims in that respect. Just a sensible pint. Verdict :  8/10 - straightforward glug + 12/09/06 : Champion (Golden Ale) : 8/10 : smooth and fruity - flavoursome. Beer :  Champion (Golden Ale) Brewer :  Badger URL :  www.badgerales.com ABV :  5.0% Date :  12/09/06 Notes :  This smells amusing. Thankfully the bottle tells me the smell is Elderflower. It's a fresh light fruity beer, but it's not gone overboard so far as to be a "silly" flowery beer. It's a good balance. This is yet another beer that says "serve chilled" which is fine for nice hot days like this -- very fine in fact -- but it's becoming a bit too commonplace for my liking. Good beer. Plenty of flavour. Verdict :  8/10 - smooth and fruity - flavoursome. + 11/09/06 : Hobgoblin : 8/10 : strong and spicy Beer :  Hobgoblin Brewer :  Wychwood Brewery URL :  www.wychwood.co.uk ABV :  5.2% Date :  11/09/06 Notes :  Sceptical of an overdeveloped artwork and bottle. It's a dark, but not over dark. Spicy and somehow "sticky" tasting, which I guess explains the toffee description on the bottle. There's a heck of a kick from the 5.2% It's disappeared quickly so I'll have to try this again to give a balanced view really. There's nothing that shines hugely about this beer -- it's simply a nice glug. Verdict :  8/10 - strong and spicy + 10/09/06 : Doombar : 6/10 : tangy but a bit too clawy Beer :  Doombar Brewer :  Sharp's URL :  www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk ABV :  4.3% Date :  10/09/06 Notes :  Cornish beer. This is a long way from home. Smells yeasty. Tastes a bit yeasty too, and spicy. I'm often suspicious of beers with grand claims on the bottle -- "Exceptional" in this case. Unfortunately again, I don't think this really lives up to the name. The aftertaste isn't something that really appeals. Verdict :  6/10 - tangy but a bit too clawy + 09/09/06 : Goliath : 8/10 : fresh and clean Beer :  Goliath Brewer :  Wychwood Brewery URL :  www.wychwood.co.uk ABV :  4.2% Date :  09/09/06 Notes :  It's a 660ml bottle. That's vaguely annoying - more than a pint. Ah well, they're doing it for fun for the name, as it's the same price as a regular bottle. For all the funky artwork, I'm expecting something to smack me with a hammer, but this doesn't -- it seems like a well rounded kinda pint. Fresh and clean, seems quite hoppy. Smells nice, tastes a bit like a red - a good strong flavour. Interesting. Verdict :  8/10 - fresh and clean + 08/09/06 : Williams Red : 9/10 : dancin' red fun Beer :  Williams Red Brewer :  Williams Bros URL :  www.williamsbrosbrew.com ABV :  4.5% Date :  08/09/06 Notes :  On opening the bottle I smell oak! An absolutely unmistakeable tang. What's this beer taste of? Not oak thank goodness [I'm not an oaky drinks kinda guy]. Once it's settled down, it's a nose and flavour much like another red I really love - the Red Macgregor. It's not so red in colour, really, but tastes vibrant and very fresh and flowery -- I really do like a red, for those reasons. An unassuming bottle, claiming all sorts of weirdness such as toffee and banana flavours -- I can vaguely see where they're getting the banana idea from, but no, for me this beer is quite hard to put a definite description on other than "a damn good red". Verdict :  9/10 - dancin' red fun + 08/09/06 : Sneck Lifter : 8/10 : a good strong glug Beer :  Sneck Lifter Brewer :  Jennings URL :  www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk ABV :  5.1% Date :  08/09/06 Notes :  Glug glug. Hey this is good stuff. It's going down quickly before I can write anything. It's a dark ale, but not heavy. In fact it's a bit "bitey" -- hard to describe -- not 'fizzy', but that kinda amusing thing going on on your tongue. It's a little different to what I'd expected, but damn good. The bottle enthuses its "complex flavours" which is good, but there's no one strong character to this beer. Not sure I believe it's only 5.1%. I'd like to sample it again. Verdict :  8/10 - a good strong glug + 23/08/06 : White Shield : 5/10 : decidedly average Beer :  White Shield Brewer :  The White Shield Brewery URL :  - ABV :  5.6% Date :  23/08/06 Notes :  Settle for 12 hours. Serve at 11-13 degrees C. Pour with a steady hand. Leave the last drops in the bottle. This beer has a novel on the side of the bottle explaining how to serve it. It's a bottle conditioned beer (goodo) but how to serve it shouldn't need to be spelled out like that. Clearly they're overkeen to ensure people sample this at its best. Or is it because that at anything less than perfect serving conditions, it's quite lame? Possibly. It's a nice enough beer, but there's really a lot of other beers I'd choose over this one. And at 5.6% it means I feel it after just a pint. I did my best to serve as instructed, but it was still cloudy. Very fizzy (Best before June 2007 - that's almost a year away - so probably quite yeasty?). This beer may be a gold medal winner, but I don't think I'll bother with it again. It keeps its score on the middle mark simply because it's a clean bottle conditioned. Shame there's no character. Verdict :  5/10 - decidedly average + 21/08/06 : Black Cat : 8/10 : deep but not strong Beer :  Black Cat Brewer :  Moorhouse's URL :  www.moorhouses.co.uk ABV :  3.4% Date :  21/08/06 Notes :  Another dark. That's three in a row. This is like a milder version of the Manns Brown Ale -- very nice, dark, smooth flavour, but that flavour doesn't last past the gulp which is a shame. Very clean palette. I love the smell of this one -- that burnt caramel. The bottle proudly boasts that it was 1998 "Champion Beer of Britain", whatever that means. Yeah, it's pretty good, but I've had more memorable/interesting beers. This one has slipped by pretty quickly though! Verdict :  8/10 - deep but not strong + 19/08/06 : Budweiser Budvar (Czech Dark Lager) : 9/10 : rich and malty Beer :  Budweiser Budvar (Czech Dark Lager) Brewer :  Budweiser URL :  www.original-budweiser.cz ABV :  4.7% Date :  19/08/06 Notes :  I'm drinking Budweiser. But it's not that Anheuser-Busch gunk. It's the original Budweiser Budvar from the Czech republic. (There's a dispute about the name!). I've had this several times, including our recent trip to Prague. A smooth, rounded, full, flavoursome dark beer. It's the malty caramel aftertaste that really does it for me with this beer. Superb. Verdict :  9/10 - rich and malty + 18/08/06 : Manns Brown Ale (The Original Brown Ale) : 9/10 : smooth and full Beer :  Manns Brown Ale (The Original Brown Ale) Brewer :  Ushers Brewing URL :  - ABV :  2.8% Date :  18/08/06 Notes :  I like a brown ale. Everyone knows Newcastle Brown, but this is a lot darker, thicker. Leaning towards a stout. It's wonderfully creamy and smooth with a deep but clean flavour. Not at all bitter. Amusingly there's very little info about the beer on the bottle, no website, but a recipe for gravy! 2.8% is handily low, because I want another right now! Verdict :  9/10 - smooth and full + 17/08/06 : Doff Cocker : 8/10 : warm and rounded Beer :  Doff Cocker Brewer :  Three B's Brewery URL :  www.threebsbrewery.co.uk ABV :  4.5% Date :  17/08/06 Notes :  Bees on the bottle. For the brewery. But it sets my brain in gear expecting a honey-flavoured beer, which is pretty daft really. However, oddly, that's the case here it seems. A CAMRA badged bottle conditioned ale has a promise printed on the bottle, and this one delivers. It's got a beautiful full flavour, delivered smoothly and not too bitter. Need more of this. Verdict :  8/10 - warm and rounded + 16/08/06 : Lemon & Ginger (Spiced Ale) : 1/10 : yuk Beer :  Lemon & Ginger (Spiced Ale) Brewer :  St Peter's URL :  www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk ABV :  4.7% Date :  16/08/06 Notes :  What on earth is this?! Yep, it's an ale. Opening the bottle, it's obviously tremendously gingery! Looks nice and clear with a decent white head. Gulp. Yugh! Oh lord that's horrible. Or is it. Yeah. Smells like floor cleaner or something. Try and sip it down hard with little air. That's a bit better. Quite bitter. Forced quarter down now. No more. I won't say this is a bad beer. It's possible someone else would quite like this, but it's really, really not my taste at all. Verdict :  1/10 - yuk + 12/08/06 : Isle of Arran Blonde (Premium Beer) : 7/10 : Light - with a little zing! Beer :  Isle of Arran Blonde (Premium Beer) Brewer :  The Arran Brewing Co. Ltd. URL :  www.arranbrewery.com ABV :  5.0% Date :  12/08/06 Notes :  A blonde. Interesting. It's light. Clear. Just to say bubbling still. Bottle says "serve chilled" which is a tad unusual. As it happens, this wasn't chilled at all (No fridge today - long story) but goes down a treat. An odd kind of mouth sapping aftertaste feeling, but not aftertaste taste. Hard to describe that! Certainly refreshing and crisp. I can't place the taste, really, but it'll bear a repeat trial. Verdict :  7/10 - Light - with a little zing! + 11/08/06 : Gold Miner : 6/10 : Not sure about that aftertaste. Beer :  Gold Miner Brewer :  The Freeminer Brewery URL :  www.freeminer.com ABV :  5.0% Date :  11/08/06 Notes :  Head disappeared quickly. It has some nose. Bottle says "Spicy orange and citrus" and I can probably agree with that summary -- spicy like a mulled wine with cinnamon. It's suprisingly light in colour for the taste. It's not exactly a smooth beer - there's a lot of activity on the palette - which I'm not altogether happy with. Quite a strange aftertaste too -- vaguely soapy if anything. Odd. Verdict :  6/10 - Not sure about that aftertaste. + 02/08/06 : Piddle in the Hole : 7/10 : Easy going. Beer :  Piddle in the Hole Brewer :  Wyre Piddle URL :  www.pub-explorer.com/realale/wyrepiddlebrewery.htm ABV :  4.0% Date :  02/08/06 Notes :  Piddle in the Hole? I shall, but later. Just now, I'm drinking this rather nice beer. It's a gentle one. Has a flowery taste, but very subtle. Unlike many, this bottle makes absolutely zero claims about itself or how it tastes, only that it's a traditional cask ale that's only been available in pubs near the brewery until recently. Well congratulations for bottling it. It's travelled well and tastes smooth. One of those beers you can't really write a lot about because there's not a lot of distinction, but a beer I'll come back to because it's simple clean and most importantly, gluggable. Verdict :  7/10 - Easy going. + 26/07/06 : Broadside : 7/10 : Strong. Bitter. Beer :  Broadside Brewer :  Adnams URL :  www.adnams.co.uk ABV :  6.3% Date :  26/07/06 Notes :  I'm reasonably sure I've had Broadside before, but this tastes distinctive and not something I recall. It's a very full, rounded, strong bitter flavour. A "hearty" ale with purpose. It's vaguely interesting that the bottle actually says "serve cool" -- this one's been in the fridge because it's 29degrees outside here today (melt!) and so the beer's actually chilled maybe a little more than it should, but goes down a treat. It's not a beer you want to glug. It's a thick kinda pint with a fine tan-coloured head. At a boggling 6.3% (apparently only 4.7% when draught) it's by far the strongest beer I've tasted in a long time, and very alcoholic beers can tend to be a bit brutal on the palette, but this isn't. After half a pint I can feel merryment induced. I might give this a higher score if it had just a bit more actual flavour to it, rather than just the straight malty bitterness. Verdict :  7/10 - Strong. Bitter. + 20/07/06 : First Gold : 4/10 : Not my type Beer :  First Gold Brewer :  Badger URL :  www.badgerales.com ABV :  4.0% Date :  20/07/06 Notes :  Ew. Stinks. Strange flavour - strong, hoppy, but I'm not sure it's entirely pleasant. Verdict :  4/10 - Not my type + 15/07/06 : Brakspear - Bottle Conditioned Organic Beer : 9/10 : Very smooth and tasty Beer :  Brakspear - Bottle Conditioned Organic Beer Brewer :  Brakspear Brewing Co. URL :  www.brakspear-beers.co.uk ABV :  4.6% Date :  15/07/06 Notes :  Organic beer. Hmm. Marketing drivel? Tried this first a few weeks ago at Pete's and it suprised me. This one's a bit warm (it's 25 degrees here today) but I think being a little warmer has actually enhanced the flavour. Bitter, with a honey taste. At least I think it's honey - maybe the bee on the bottle putting ideas in my head. Very smooth, with a nice aftertaste. Verdict :  9/10 - Very smooth and tasty + 14/07/06 : Bishop's Finger : 6/10 : Decidedly average Beer :  Bishop's Finger Brewer :  Shepherd Neame URL :  www.shepherdneame.co.uk ABV :  5.4% Date :  14/07/06 Notes :  Didn't know what to expect of this one. Silly name. Thin frothy head. Quite a yeasty taste. Makes a lot of claims about itself on the bottle -- protected by EU charter, only brewed on Fridays, etc. But it doesn't seem like anything amazingly special to me. At 5.4% it's quite annoyingly strong, because it slips down quickly. Verdict :  6/10 - Decidedly average + 12/07/06 : Exciseman's 80/- : 7/10 : No nonsense Beer :  Exciseman's 80/- Brewer :  Broughton Ales Ltd URL :  www.broughtonales.co.uk ABV :  4.6% Date :  12/07/06 Notes :  You pick an 80/- and expect it to be quite heavy. But this isn't. It's dark and solid enough, but very gluggbale. It's got an almost creamy consistency to it which is nice. I had this with some food, so the taste may have been lost a little, but it didn't appear to have a strong distinctive flavour. Just a decent pint with no fluff -- exactly what you expect from the local(ish) Broughton brewery. Verdict :  7/10 - No nonsense + 11/06/06 : Three Sisters : 8/10 : Very suppable Beer :  Three Sisters Brewer :  Atlas URL :  www.atlasbrewery.com ABV :  4.2% Date :  11/06/06 Notes :  It's dark and malty. Yet not tremendously heavy. There's some fruitiness too. Initially a little flat from the cask, subsequent pints improved. Atlas bill this as "Our fruity refreshing take on the classic 80/-" but this really tastes quite different to any 80/- I've tried. Verdict :  8/10 - Very suppable + 01/05/06 : Red MacGregor : 8/10 : Solid pint Beer :  Red MacGregor Brewer :  The Orkney Brewery URL :  www.orkneybrewery.co.uk ABV :  4.1%-5.0% Date :  01/05/06 Notes :  Craig was organising GarvieFest II and asked if I wanted any mini casks from the breweries he was ordering from. This took my fancy. I've had it a few times before and rememberd it as a fruity pint, so bought a mini cask. Expect to get 8 pints out of it. Quite fun to be able to pour your own pint from the cask at home. Not an amazing amount of life in this -- always have to open the air valve at the top of the cask to release the beer, but it's not flat, either. It's got a fair twangy flavour to it, and I rather like this one. Slightly fruity as I remembered, with a strong and lasting flavour. Take a couple of these and I'm feeling really very happy. Verdict :  8/10 - Solid pint + 22/04/06 : Sheepshaggers Gold (Premium Beer) : 7/10 : Amusing Beer :  Sheepshaggers Gold (Premium Beer) Brewer :  The Cairngorm Brewery Co. Ltd URL :  www.cairngormbrewery.com ABV :  4.5% Date :  22/04/06 Notes :  Very pale in colour, with a thin frothy head. Smells peaty, yet sweet. Tastes malty, yet light. Pleasant enough, but one of those pints you only really want one of at a time. Verdict :  7/10 - Amusing + 19/04/06 : Old Empire (Original Export, India Pale Ale) : 7/10 : Nothing outstanding, but a staple dependable pint. Beer :  Old Empire (Original Export, India Pale Ale) Brewer :  Marston's URL :  www.marstonsdontcompromise.com ABV :  5.7% Date :  19/04/06 Notes :  Sporting the neck strap "Burton : Bombay" it's obvious this beer's old school (Bombay was renamed Mumbai 9 years ago). Looks nice golden brown colour, with a good head. 5.7% is nuts though. I can't say a lot about this beer, but that's no bad thing. It's what you expect from a pint. Refreshing and malty. There's just nothing to make this old dog stand out from the crowd, bar the alcohol content. And in many ways, I'm ok with that -- it's fine to have something crazy like Golden Glory once in a while, but I like to have pints I can come back to and "just glug". And this is one of them. A different league to Marston's pitiful Pedigree, this beer is 'just a beer'. Want to know what a good regular English pint should taste like? This. Verdict :  7/10 - Nothing outstanding, but a staple dependable pint. + 18/04/06 : Fraoch (Heather Ale) : 7/10 : Gentle pint, nice change. Beer :  Fraoch (Heather Ale) Brewer :  Williams Bros URL :  www.heatherale.co.uk ABV :  5% Date :  18/04/06 Notes :  Heather. In a beer. What to expect? Well, I've had this one before, so I vaguely knew, but I still expect something nutty and chewy almost. Except it's not. It's smooth, light and very pleasant. Not a strong flavour. This bottle also wins a prize for the toughest bottle cap ever -- broke my bottle opener! Verdict :  7/10 - Gentle pint, nice change. + 17/04/06 : Cocker Hoop : 5/10 : Not distinctive, flat. Beer :  Cocker Hoop Brewer :  Jennings URL :  www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk ABV :  4.6% Date :  17/04/06 Notes :  Jennings isn't a brewery I particularly recall hearing of before. They're in the Lake District which is vaguely unusual. Big frothy head quickly dispersing over a beautiful rich golden colour beer. No particular odour -- or, sadly, taste. A little like Badger's Fursty Ferret, it's got that real microbrewery zingy on the tongue sensation, yet it's as flat as can be whith almost no bubbles visible in the glass. There's actually an interesting bitter after-taste, but this isn't a beer I'd go searching for. Nice enough with some food, but nothing special. Verdict :  5/10 - Not distinctive, flat. + 16/04/06 : Golden Glory (Absolutely Glorious) : 6/10 : tasty, but overpoweringly peachy. Beer :  Golden Glory (Absolutely Glorious) Brewer :  Badger URL :  www.badgerales.com ABV :  4.5% Date :  16/04/06 Notes :  FLOWERS! Oh wow. That's impressive. It like walking in to a summer garden! Peach/nectarine flowery taste is quite unusual, and actually very nice. For a while. Then it gets a little tiring. By the end of my pint I'm thinking "Did I have a pint of bitter or perfume?". It's a nice enough beer, goes down nicely, but that peach taste/odour is just a bit much for me. Verdict :  6/10 - tasty, but overpoweringly peachy. + 15/04/06 : Bitter and Twisted : 7/10 : smooth and clean but a tad indistinct. Beer :  Bitter and Twisted Brewer :  Harviestoun URL :  Directory Link ABV :  4.2% Date :  15/04/06 Notes :  Very light golden, and notable hoppy flowery fruity odour. Smooth fruity and crisp taste. For some reason I thought that Bitter and Twisted was a ridiculously strong beer, but at 4.2% this is average strength and not something to blow your head off. As with other Harviestoun beers, it's bottled with a 3rd less CO2, but this one seemed really quite fizzy anyway. Nice tasty pint. Verdict :  7/10 - smooth and clean but a tad indistinct. + 14/04/06 : Fursty Ferret (Ale full of character) : 6/10 : good try, but a strange tasting sensation. Beer :  Fursty Ferret (Ale full of character) Brewer :  Badger URL :  www.badgerales.com ABV :  4.4% Date :  14/04/06 Notes :  Nice brown colour. Large head that quickly disappeared. It's one of those beers that I find a bit strange -- the ones that are 'fizzy' on the tongue as a taste, rather than being actually fizzy. I'm not sure I really like that. A malty taste that goes down very smoothly, but a little indistinct. The first few glugs were good, but the more I have, the less I'm really in to this one. Badger tout this as a summer ale, which fits the bill. Don't dismiss this one -- it's a nice clean beer, but just doesn't do it for me. Verdict :  6/10 - good try, but a strange tasting sensation. + 13/04/06 : Old Peculier (The Legend) : 8/10 : heavy, strong, drinkable. Beer :  Old Peculier (The Legend) Brewer :  Theakston URL :  www.theakstons.co.uk ABV :  5.6% Date :  13/04/06 Notes :  It's dark. It's thick. It's got a brown head. It tastes 'solid' like it's been around some time. Proclaiming itself as 'The Legend' seems to fit the bill. What DOES this beer taste of? I can't actually describe it. It's leaning towards the peaty tastes of a stout, but is fully rounded and actually quite mellow in taste. 5.6% is bonkers (it hits you in one pint!), and like Tanglefoot, it slips down amazingly smoothly so could be dangerous. For some reason, Theakston is not a name that would immediately spring to mind for speciality ales, despite being 'local' to my original home in Yorkshire, possibly because I'm quite used to seeing them there. This is a regular Theakston classic -- fantastic. It's not a 'pretty' beer - with a head that disappears soon and a very deep black colour, but it's certainly one that fits my tastes. A pub beer -- drink it by the fire I imagine.Rating:8 Verdict :  8/10 - heavy, strong, drinkable. + 10/04/06 : Golden Promise (The Original Organic Beer) : 4/10 : Lacking character and depth. Beer :  Golden Promise (The Original Organic Beer) Brewer :  Caledonian URL :  www.caledonian-brewery.co.uk ABV :  5.0% Date :  10/04/06 Notes :  Nice golden colour -- with a suprising golden coloured head! Maybe that's the promise? Or maybe the promise is because it's Organic and suitable for Vegans. Neither particularly interest me, however. This is a local beer. Probably as local as it gets -- brewed in Edinburgh. I'm suprised by this beer -- there's not a great deal of flavour to it. Goes down very easily, but after a sup I'm left wanting and wondering what I just drank. It gets better as you continue, but I feel it lacks character. If you're a strict Vegan or Organic nut, this is likely a fine pint, but next to others I've had recently, and Caledonian's fine 80/- it's a little lacklustre. Verdict :  4/10 - Lacking character and depth. + 10/04/06 : Schiehallion (She-hal-i-on) : 9/10 : Smooth and tasty. Beer :  Schiehallion (She-hal-i-on) Brewer :  Harviestoun URL :  Directory Link ABV :  4.8% Date :  10/04/06 Notes :  Very pale golden colour, deep but soft head quickly dispersing. Distinctly hoppy and mild with a pleasant lasting after taste. Claims to be bottled with a third less CO2 than most beers, which suits me just fine -- probably lending to this beer's nice "soft" feeling. Initially I thought this tasted a little earthy, but that's disappeared and it's almost fruity. 4.8% is noticable. One to sup and savour, not a glugger. Verdict :  9/10 - Smooth and tasty. + 09/04/06 : Tangle Foot (Premium Ale) : 10/10 : Top tipple. Plenty of character!. Beer :  Tangle Foot (Premium Ale) Brewer :  Badger URL :  www.tanglefoot.co.uk ABV :  5.0% Date :  09/04/06 Notes :  Rich golden colour with a gentle aroma. Tastes 'thin' in a very consumable way. The bottle claims "deceptively drinkable" which I'd certainly agree with. There's no particular/strong flavour to this beer. It's just smooth -- and drinkable! At 5%, it's a strong one but certainly doesn't taste so. Very easy to make several of these disappear. Actually, this gets a rounded hoppy taste as it progresses. Very nice. The bottle says "serve slightly chilled" -- it might work, on a hot summer's day, but I've had this one at room temperature and it was excellent. Verdict :  10/10 - Top tipple. Plenty of character!. + 05/04/06 : Pedigree (Exceptional Premium Ale) : 3/10 : Uninspiring. Trying too hard? Beer :  Pedigree (Exceptional Premium Ale) Brewer :  Marston's URL :  www.marstonsdontcompromise.com ABV :  4.5% Date :  05/04/06 Notes :  What the? Looks fizzy like a lager, and light head disappeared after just a couple of sups. Not quite how I remembered this beer from my days as a student in Leicester. Using adjectives such as "Finest" "Exceptional" and "Premium" and a name such as Pedigree sets pretty high expectations for the beer. Slightly red in colour, not a strong odour, seems slightly spicy if anything (maybe based on the oakiness from the oak casks it's brewed in), but disappointingly flat, despite the lagerlike stream of bubbles eminating - this bottle may be a bit fresh - it still has 4 month life best before. I've had half a pint now. I'll drink the rest, but it's not impressive. Certainly doesn't live up to its boasts in my eyes. Verdict :  3/10 - Uninspiring. Trying too hard? + 05/04/06 : Spitfire (Premium Kentish Ale) : 9/10 : Glug glug. Where'd it go? Beer :  Spitfire (Premium Kentish Ale) Brewer :  Shepherd Neame URL :  www.shepherdneame.co.uk ABV :  4.5% Date :  05/04/06 Notes :  The bottle glasswork and label boldly claim to be "Britains oldest brewer" - 1698. Brewed in Favershem, Kent, this is definitely a classic ale. Rich brown with a full head from the bottle, there's an earthy but fresh aroma immediately. The sort of pint to enjoy by the fire in a small pub. Strong and smooth hoppy taste. Superbly drinkable ale. I want another right away as this slipped by too quickly. Verdict :  9/10 - Glug glug. Where'd it go? Random Highlights Tequiza -- this is a bonkers one. First encountered in Florida in '99. It's an Anheuser-Busch production. Crudely put, you could say it's "Bud with stuff in" but I'm not convinced it's actually based on Budweiser (totally rubbish lager). It's a lager, with Lime and Blue Agave nectar ("Tequila") in it! Fun, huh? It's absolutely amazing. Especially ice cold, in the hot Florida sun. I can't thank old pal Stimpy enough for fetching me a few bottles from America -- lovely to enjoy the taste again and reaffirm my memories of a light, zingy fresh beer. If only we could buy it in the UK! Mount Riley Chardonnay -- The name's all I remember correctly -- not the year. A truly impressive crisp white from about Y2K. Lovely hint of gooseberry, but none of the sour overtones you sometimes get. I think we ended up with half a dozen of these, and I was mortified when we finished the last. I'll have to research this one more. Lino Richie -- First choice at Craigfest 2005. Had a pint, and immediately wanted more. Took some home in bottles and enjoyed it. Ridiculously flat pint, which didn't appeal to many, but I found it superbly smooth and drinkable. From the local Fyfe brewery. Helga's Big Jugs -- I believed this was a very strong pint (9%?) but further prodding says I may be wrong on that count. Encountered at the CAMRA festival in Edinburgh, 2005. Local(ish) brewing company -- Renfrewshire. Light golden, eminently drinkable (although it was near the end of the night) and entirely pleasant. I often find that beers brewed for strength are not so great (cf Skullsplitter) but this one was great.