#73 - Jennings - Red Rascal

I'm always up for something new and cheeky, especially when it's sent in with a new bit of pump art, but this beer I just don't understand.  It's sweet, it's watery, there isn't really much more flavor, it's only 3.8%, so the drinker is left with...  Well... Not a lot.  To be fair, it doesn't actively taste bad, but there just isn't much of a flavor to carry it through.  I would have understood this beer if they'd either heavily hopped it to balance the sweetness, or thickened it and added some extra ABV so that it could be drunk as a heavier ale, but as a light pint it simply doesn't work.  If you're in a pub and there's nothing else on, feel free to give it a try, but for me, there simply isn't enough to it. 5/10

#72 - Revisionist (Marston's) - Steam Beer

And so we come at last to the final entry in our week of Revisionist Beers.  On this occasion they have attempted another classic, full of rich history.  I've drunk many steam beers in my day, several of them in San Francisco itself and, while some have been good and others bad, they have all been overflowing with character.  Which is exactly what this beer is lacking.  Other than the oft repeated slight metallic aftertaste and mildly watery texture there is very little wrong with this beer, but what concerns me is how little there is that is right.  At 4.7% it would be a touch strong for a long session, but even if it weren't, it's overwhelming lack of flavor would make it a constant disappointment.  As unhelpful as it may sound, the most descriptive I can be is that it smells and tastes like beer, but not in a way that is either terribly enticing or very satisfying.  As such it is a supremely frustrating beer that receives a thoroughly mediocre 5.5/10

#71 - Revisionist (Marston's) - Red Ale

This is my favorite of the bunch.  An interesting, well-hopped, and refreshing beer, albeit not without fault.  Like the other Revisionist beers, it has a thin watery quality that is simply infuriating.  Having said that it punches above its weight rather than, for instance, the rye ale which could clearly be even better.  At 4.2% this is the best of the bunch for use as a session beer, though it would perhaps best be served with strong flavored food.  At times bottles are not the best measure of a beer, and it would be worth seeking this out on tap to see if the thin watery taste is removed.  If that's the case it easily deserves a seven, but as it is, a  6.5/10 is the most it can be given.

#70 - Revisionist (Marston's) - Belgian Saison Beer

Many reviewers have commented that by labeling this as a 'Saison' Revisionist have missed a trick.  As a beer it is perfectly drinkable, with a bitter, sweet and sour, sort of flavor.  It is, in fact, exceptionally dry, but for me, as a number of other drinkers, this is no bad thing.  What it lacks is the complex level upon level of varied flavors that would be expected from a Belgian equivalent, making it seem poor in comparison.  This doesn't mean it's bad however, but it fails as a 5.0% beer in ale terms on taste and in lager terms on texture, leaving it without any clear place.  I would perhaps, if drinking this again, experiment with a slice of orange or similar, to see if it perked it up and if anyone has tried something along those lines, please do comment and let me know.  All in all, I feel forced to give it a 6/10, more because there isn't anything wrong with it than because I particularly like it.

#69 - Revisionist (Marston's) - Rye Pale Ale

Oh how frustrating this beer is!  It is almost, almost, very good, but isn't.  It has a lovely bitter, dry, citrus flavor with a touch of rye that adds a bit of spice.  It's 4.3% with a complex nose and a flavor that could be drunk all night.  The label is a wonderful piece of design.  So what's wrong, you may well ask.  Well, like many of the other Marston's beers I've reviewed, I found it watery with a metallic aftertaste.  Surely this is a consequence of the homogenization and bottling process, but at times like these it seems almost criminal.  This could have been a very good beer that filled an interesting niche, instead it just squeaks by as a little above average. 6.5/10


-Note: This didn't upload yesterday due to technical difficulties.  My apologies for the delay.

#68 - Revisionist (Marston's) - Dark IPA

This has proved to be one of the more divisive Revisionist beers, with a generally decent mark on other review sites coupled the occasional extremely low score.  I must confess to being rather more in the latter camp than the former.  To my mind it falls afoul of nearly all of the cardinal sins of craft beer - too sweet - under-hopped - unclear as to what temperature it should be served (to its credit it improved as it warmed, but that is unusual for this style of beer) - not enough genuine malt to counteract the burnt flavor (also, sweet burnt??? really??? it's not a rack of bbqed ribs) - under-flavored in general, slight metallic aftertaste.  At 4.8% it is also on the edge as a session beer, but, for once, I was quite thankful of that fact.  The first note I wrote was 'frightful', but to give it its dues, after two of my drinking companions had a single sip and refused to drink any more, one claimed that it was not bad and felt it deserved decent marks.  I wasn't sure what to make of this, except to inform my readers that they will have to decide on their own.  I'd give it a 4.5/10 (with the improvement upon warming, definitely not before), my erstwhile companion was convinced it deserved a 6.  You have the information, make up your own mind, preferably with an old favorite on stand bye to restore your palette.  

#67 - Revisionist (Marston's) - Wheat Beer

There are no two ways about it - this is a bad effort.  Even at 4.8% it has a watery texture, with a disconcerting metallic aftertaste.  There seems to be relatively few other flavors with some reviewers claiming the smallest hints of a whole variety of flavors, from bananas, to coriander, to cloves.  Personally I found none of these, but would have not been surprised by either of the last two.  I thoroughly recommend that if you try this beer you serve it ice cold and with a slice of orange, not the least because it will minimize the flavor of the beer itself.  There are very good wheat beers on the market, beers that make you want to rush out and buy shares in the brewery, but this makes you want to avoid them as a genre.  A poor attempt at a delicate and beautiful beer.  5.4/10

#66 - Revisionist (Marston's) - Craft Lager

Given the proliferation of Revisionist (an attempt to be hip and indy by brewing giant Marston's) I thought it was time to dish out a few reviews.  I've got five of them on hand (actively searching for the last two) so let's make this a mini-series and see where we get.  On the plus side for Marston's, these beers embody concepts of which I tend to be in favor.  They're letting master brewers at their five different breweries create something new and unique in styles that are proving popular with younger drinkers.  Unfortunately, that's only a good idea if the beer backs up the concept.  Revisionist Craft Lager is, on the surface a fairly standard 5% lager (on tap 4%).  It has a decent grain flavor, but this is overrun by a strong citrus/orange taste.  The marketing people describe this as 'marmalade', which sounds nice, until you ponder how often you've wanted a lager with your morning toast (everyone knows Guinness is the breakfast of champions...).  This could be mitigated with a decent dose of hops, but a fair number of reviewers have agreed that the hopping is too light and really should be improved.  It tends to get better reviews in a bottle than on tap, but personally I don't see a massive difference overall.  All things considered it is quite drinkable, but simply doesn't live up to its billing or marketing.  6/10

#65 - Fuller's Brewery - 1845

1845 is a very well respected and well reviewed pint.  It has long been a shop-favorite of mine and comes across as delightfully full-bodied, with a plethora of fruity, malty, dry caramel flavors.  At 6.3% this English Strong Ale is a bit on the heavy side for use as a session beer, but it can be a lovely afternoon sipper and tends to be delightful in front of a warm fire.  The only detrimental thoughts that I've had about the beer is that, for my palette, it is very slightly underhopped, which makes the alcohol, when it comes through, seem a little on the strong side.  In addition, the flavors, complex as they are, tend to come in a bunch, which rather ruins the fun of them taking you on a journey of taste.  Those observations are, however, exceptionally picky, and this remains a very good beer for a variety of settings and situations.  7.5/10

#64 - Meantime Brewing Co - London Pale Ale

Alright, I'll admit it - I am a sucker for a crisp, cool, refreshing pale ale with a tinge of citrusy bitter Cascade hops.  This fits the bill, and, in all honesty, I think other reviewers have been too harsh.  The first thing I would say, which may have altered their views, is that it should be served very chilled, almost like an American beer.  Try putting your glass in the freezer first and find it come alive.  At 4.3% this is a wonderful session beer, and a cooler of six or seven of these in the sun at the cricket strikes me as the perfect afternoon.  The flavors are subtle, but to my mind that keeps it refreshing, not cloying, and is to be applauded.  As my one concession to the naysayers, this is not the most creative of beers, and this is what perhaps keeps it from true greatness.  Still, it can be served to almost any ale drinking guest and a number of lager drinkers would enjoy it as well, which is not to be underestimated.  All in all an impressive 7.5/10.

#63 - Wychwood Brewery - Dr Thirsty's

Dr Thirsty's is a pleasant, refreshing summer beer.  Other than a touch of citrus, it doesn't have much in the way of hoppy flavor, leaving it tasting rather like a grainy lager.  In a sense, this is a gateway ale to help rehabilitate lager drinkers.  In addition, it tastes must better chilled, so avoid this beer at room temperature.  At 4.1%, this is an ideal session beer.  The big drawback of this sort of beer is that ultimately it is low on flavor and misses out on the exceptional in every way, which is extremely disappointing from a brewery that uses brash marketing to pride itself on flavor.  It is better than average, but I can't imagine seeking it out for its own sake.  6.5/10

#62 - Caledonian Brewery - Dutchman

This beer is really not to my taste.  It has strong flavors of orange, chocolate, and coriander.  None of this is a particular problem on my palate, but there is something slightly off, as though the chocolate has split, making the whole thing taste rather artificial.  At 4.5% the alcohol isn't quite high enough to be a flavor in its own right, but is significant.  If I'm quite honest, there really isn't much to like about this beer (a fact that can be readily verified by other reviewers).  Were the flavors to work, it would need a much darker malt and perhaps an extra jolt of booze.  Others may disagree, and certainly it is a fairly unique beer in the mainstream market, but for my money, this is a beer to avoid.  4/10

#61 - Adnams - Broadside

It can be difficult to review a classic.  Most of those reading this will have tried Broadside and the majority of those will have a strong opinion about it as a beer.  For me it is an excellent example of the genre 'English Strong Ale'.  It has a delightfully fruity, malty flavor, but the fruit doesn't overwhelm the malt and vice-versa. It has clearly been delicately hopped for balance and dryness, as, for a strong beer (6.3%) it's not overly sweet and certainly avoids being syrupy.  That having been said, the balance comes across the length of the flavor, with the initial impression more of a sweet caramel and the aftertaste more dry and bitter.  This evolution is quite pleasant and adds to the interest in drinking each mouthful.  It is also a beer that, having had it any number of times over the years, never disappoints and this is certainly worthy of consideration.  If it has a downside, it is that it lacks the exceptional.  No one flavor or characteristic stands it apart from other English Strong Ales, and this is perhaps its barrier to greatness.  7.5/10

#60 - Rudgate Brewery - Cousin Marynka

This is one of the most peculiar beers I've ever tried.  In an extremely light 'lager style' hand-pull, the predominant flavor is that of burnt malt.  Needless to say it is far from pleasant.  Next comes a big batch of hops, to which I am largely indifferent, but which do not go nearly far enough to remove the intitial bitter burnt flavor.  This is then warped by a bizarrely bitter vanilla aftertaste.  Very strange.  At 3.9% it could be an ideal session beer, but really, why would you?  This is a poor brew through and through and I was happiest learning that it was a limited edition.  If you are out to try every beer you can, give it a go.  If you are out to enjoy the beer you drink, avoid it.  3/10

#59 - High House Farm Brewery - Matfen Magic

Matfen Magic is a decent enough dark amber strong session beer, but has a few flaws that are hard to overlook.  There are many fruity beers out there ranging from the citrus to the rich, but this is neither.  While the fruit provides a sharpness, which combats the not considerable malt, it is not the pleasant bitter of hops nor the sour one would expect.  All in all it is quite difficult to place, except to say that it is to the detriment of the beer as a whole.  Other than that, there is a strong flavor of caramel malts and something akin to wood comes through.  At 4.8% it is on the hefty side, but the drinker is left wondering whether it wouldn't be better with a higher alcohol level, more hops, and less of a fruity finish.  Given the end result, I would even go so far as to question the use of brambling cross as a hop of choice.  Still, all that having been said, it is a readily drinkable pint and comes in at 6/10.

#58 - Allendale Brewery - Wolf

This beer made me thirsty like the wolf.  Named after an interesting bit of local history, this excellent beer is the beginning of a north east institution.  First things first.  It is a beautiful dark ruby shade with a lovely aroma of fruit and nut chocolate.  Fortunately, the flavor is even better, with a reasonable degree of bitterness balancing out the fruity flavors.  To my mind, the malty flavor, while it does have hints of caramel and chocolate, provides more of a dry black coffee taste, particularly in its long finish.  It is a heavier beer, and, at 5.5%, this is one for sipping in front of the fire, not sloshing through while you watch the match.  For those of you who enjoy Theakston's Old Peculier, but cannot stomach a second pint, this may well be an admirable solution.  If you've yet to try it, please do, if for no other reason than as a treat for yourself.  8/10

#57 - Wychwood Brewery - Goliath

Goliath will never win any awards as an outstanding brew, but it does fill a much needed 'standard bitter' niche in Wychwood's line-up.  As such it is a slightly odd example of the genre.  It is on the sweet side, with the dominant flavor that of caramel malt.  Unfortunately, it can taste a touch watery, and the body and head are not as full as most drinkers would desire.  At 4.2% it is a reasonable session beer, but it lacks the character one looks for in a better beer.  On the plus side, it can generally be found quite cheaply, which is a point in its favor.  There is nothing I particularly dislike in this beer, but there is also not a lot to celebrate.  6/10

#56 - St Austell Brewery - Tribute Cornish Ale

I want to like this beer, I really do.  Unfortunately, I just can't.  It is fairly bland with an annoyingly watery edge.  At 4.2% and without any particular distinguishing features, it joins a whole host of beers that are either cheaper, better, or both.  A particular disappointment is the slightly antiseptic aftertaste, which tips the balance from uninspiring to unpleasant.  I am sure that there are many great beers produced in Cornwall, however, this simply isn't one of them.  5/10

#55 - Batemans Brewery - XXXB

In many respects, XXXB is a lot of what one wants in a beer.  It is a well-decorated pleasantly traditional bitter and comes in slightly stronger than the average at 4.8%.  It has a rather malty flavor, which can be a little much for some drinkers, but which I've always rather enjoyed.  I was, I must confess, expecting it to be more, well, bitter and it is perhaps on this measure that it most lets itself down.  While it is a good late autumn to early spring beer, the maltiness, without a sufficient level of hops, or a citrusy kick makes it hard to imagine as a drink for the summer months.  It tends to be reviewed rather well on the more democratic beer webpages and while I can see why, it simply doesn't excite as it seems to others.  That having been said, it is in no way a bad beer.  It's a safe bet to stock for evening events and for a variety of drinkers. Give it a try if you find it on sale, but don't raise a sweat seeking it out. 7/10

#54 - Wells and Young's - Young's London Gold

At first I was worried that I was being a bit of a humbug about this beer, but it turns out that reviewers across the internet, broadly speaking, agree with me.  The verdict is a loud and clear, 'it's ok...'  There is nothing wrong with this 4.8% Golden Ale, but there isn't an awful lot to like either.  It has a relatively pleasant grainy aroma and flavor, but beyond those tantalizing hints lies nothing.  While there are many worse beers on the market (I've reviewed a fair few) there are surely many that are better and this bottle is mediocrity personified (that is if the person were a beer, duh).  By all means give it a try, but don't blame me if you shrug your shoulders and make a non-committal face.  6/10

#53 - Fuller's Brewery - Brit Hop

I have often remarked that 'beer doesn't travel' and, as I had this within a pint - glasses - throw of the Brewery, that perhaps goes some way to explaining why I rate it a little more highly than other commentators.  To my mind it is a very pleasant spring beer with a rather witty name.  At 4.1% one can well imagine settling in to a warm spring evening with a fair few of them, yet even as a single pint it serves its purpose well.  The only drawback is that it isn't actually THAT hoppy.  By that, of course, I mean that it is hoppy, but not compared to a number of other beers that go out of their way to promote the fact on their label.  It has a small amount of malt as well, promoting a pleasant balance, something that's often missing in this sort of beer.  If you're a London Pride drinker, give this a second thought.  7/10

#52 - Maxim Brewery - Boxing Hare

It's rare that a beer leaves me genuinely unsure of what to make of it.  Maxim's Boxing Hare is a spring ale.  It tastes like chocolate.  As you can see from the image above, the label doesn't lie.  But this is not a  thick, heavy stout that oozes chocolaty goodness - far from it.  Instead it is a beer with the consistency and alcohol (4.1%) of a traditional bitter, but it isn't.  That having been said it also isn't terribly sweet, though sweeter than I would personally like.  The trouble I have is that I cannot imagine a scenario, outside of a tasting, when this beer fits the bill.  It is interesting, of course, but on a cold winters night I want something heavier, warmer, and with a big malty hug.  In the spring, I tend to want something fresher, that smacks of summer but helps me survive the rain.  As for the summer itself, Boxing Hare would be nigh on undrinkable in the sun.  By all means try it.  It deserves that much, but I remain to be convinced that there is a place for it in my regular canon of beers. 6.5/10

#51 - Wychwood Brewery - Black Wych

Black Wych is a pleasant low-end traditional porter.  At 5.0% it isn't too strong for a session, though perhaps at the upper end of what most drinkers would want.  It has a good coffee base, but is a little sweet and creamy for my taste.  It (fortunately) avoids being sickly, but to my mind it would be twice the beer if they eased off on the sweetness and added a touch more hops.  It is, without question, a beer for the winter months.  Even I, a fan of big malty porters, would struggle to cope with this in the August sun.  Reviewers on more democratic review sites tend to be far more enthusiastic, however, if the individual reviews are read very few of them agree on how the beer actually tastes.   I'll choose to ignore their enthusiasm and simply say that my readers may like it more than me - 6.5/10.

#50 - Coors Brewing Company - Blue Moon Belgian White

For review number 50 (pleasantly surprised we've made it this far) I thought I'd pick something old hat and review it with reference to one of the first beers I reviewed on this blog.  Blue Moon Belgian White has been a mainstay of drinkers on the other side of the Atlantic for years and has begun to appear in British Supermarkets with increasing regularity.  Fans point to its spiced coriander flavors, in theory brought to life by a slice of orange.  As a warning before we proceed, I've never been convinced.  To my mind, there are better beers out there that more effectively provide the experience Blue Moon is trying to create, notably, Otley Blonde.  In the past, I felt I simply didn't like beers containing orange, cloves, and coriander, but I now know that this is not the case, I just don't rate Blue Moon.  It is extremely cloudy with heavy levels of sediment.  This is not in and of itself a problem except that served in a 333ml format, it does provide some pouring issues, unless you leave a fair amount of the beer in the bottle.  The spicing is also somehow off.  With great beers, flavors come in waves, giving the drinker an experience with each sip.  Blue Moon is obviously spiced, but with what is rather more difficult, as all of the flavors hit the drinker at once.  All this aside, it isn't a bad beer.  Certainly Coors Brewing Co produce several beers that would receive worse reviews on this blog, but I find myself unable to give it anything higher than a mediocre 5/10.

#49 - Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn Lager

I've had this a number of times over the years and have always found it perfectly drinkable.  American beers are a mixed bunch, but Brooklyn Lager manages to pull off the surprising combination of simultaneously tasting totally average and also being just slightly better than you would expect.  It doesn't have a great deal of flavor, but small amounts of hay/grain do come through.  Some reviewers have referred to this as bitter.  I disagree, dry perhaps, but not bitter.  To my mind a dash more hops would be a good improvement.  Having said that, its fairly neutral taste makes it an excellent companion to food, although at 5.2% it is on the strong side for a lengthier session.  All in all, very pleasant, and a good purchase for lager drinking friends 6.5/10.

#48 - Cropton Brewery (Great Yorkshire Brewery) - Monkman's Slaughter

Just when I thought I couldn't love Yorkshire Beer (and the Great Yorkshire Brewery) more than I already do, what should come along, but another gem.  At 6% this is a delightfully strong bitter, but I, for one, would happily drink it as a session beer.  The aroma is extremely pleasant, full of roasted malt and dark sticky fruit.  It is extremely smooth, with a bitter malt flavor that comes remarkably close to a sort of sour mash taste.  That having been said, this flavor is not overpowering, and the balance is exceptional.  It was champion beer of Britain in 2000 and it is easy to see why.  While it may not be to everyone's cup of tea, I shall certainly be drinking it again. 8/10 - and the need to find a local supplier for more beers from the Great Yorkshire Brewery!

#47 - Greene King - Greene King IPA

Maybe there are people out there who enjoy Greene King IPA.  Maybe there are scores of them, all meeting up at weekends at special rallies and conventions up and down the country.  Maybe there are fan clubs with membership numbers running into the tens of thousands.  Maybe we'll find our next pint served in the Holy Grail itself.  I did an informal survey before writing up this post, and it turns out that the most frequent, by a substantial margin was variations on a theme of 'well, it's drinkable at least'.  To me this seems wrong.  Wrong that one of the most successful and visible real ales up and down the country shouldn't aspire to more.  Wrong that people still drink it when a short jaunt away are a host of wonderful producers who are better tasting and more interesting.  But enough of my rant, let's get to the beer itself.  It presents with a coppery floral aroma and vanilla tones on the aftertaste... and very little else.  When bottled it is overly fizzy, almost stepping into lager territory.  Indeed, it was suggested during the tasting that this might be a good non-offensive ale to be used as a gateway drug by recovering lager drinkers.  With that amount of fizz on the tongue, any flavor that may originally have existed is long gone.  A novice mistake from a veteran brewery.  5.5/10 - each time I try it, I hope for better.

#46 - Wyre Piddle Brewery - Piddle in the Hole

As a general rule, if you're going to name your beer in a manner that suggests it tastes a bit like wee, then it is a bad idea, from a sales perspective, for it to actually do so.  On the other hand, it is hard to resent the brewery for false advertising.  This amber ale is watery, has very little flavor and is a little too fizzy for its own good, removing the last trace of any flavor that may have originally been found within.  at 3.6% you could drink this beer all day, but I would be surprised if you wanted to.  A thoroughly mediocre beer through and through, lacking in ambition, flavor and discernible quality.  4.5/10 and that's being generous.

#45 - Ampleforth Abbey Beer

This is a beer I've been looking forward to trying for some time - and it didn't disappoint.  Apparently adapted from a seventeenth century recipe, everything about it calmly states classic English strong ale.  At 7% this is hardly a session beer, but one can well imagine having a few glasses in front of the fire during the winter months.  Technically it's a Trappist style Abbey Dubbel with a pleasantly dark flavor and authentic sediment, but I find myself preferring it to many of the Belgian beers as it is less fruity and more malty. Impressively, for a strong beer, it avoids being syrupy or overly sweet.  Indeed, the flavor itself is difficult to describe as it quite complex yet without readily discernible elements.  In general other reviewers have been slightly less glowing in their appraisals, but I found myself quite taken with this beer and its classic elegance - 8/10.

#44 - The Great Yorkshire Brewery - Yorkshire Blackout

Sometimes you find a beer that you wish was a permanent fixture at your local - this is one of those beers.  It pours with a beautiful head and lovely aromas of chocolate and vanilla.  The malty flavors are balanced with a touch of hops, giving it a rounded flavor that extends from the aroma to the aftertaste.  Somehow it avoids the cardinal sin of higher alcohol beers (bottled it comes in at 5%) and porters in general and isn't too sweet or syrupy in texture.  Indeed, it is exceptionally smooth and drinkable, not just as a one off pint, but as a winter session beer.  Generally I prefer my porters to have more of a burnt coffee flavor and to avoid the chocolaty end of the spectrum, but Yorkshire Blackout is the exception.  A wonderful beer from a small producer, I encourage all of you to find a glass of it as soon as possible - 8.5/10.

#42 and 43 - Innis & Gunn Brewery - Melville's Craft Lager - Strawberry and Raspeberry

To celebrate a Saturday, I thought I'd give you a double bill.  Two very similar fruit beers which are sure to divide critics.  Before I continue I should make it perfectly clear that sweet fruit beers are not my thing.  That being said, a number of Belgian creations have delighted me in the past, so I'm certainly not averse to the genre as a whole.  Both beers weigh in at 4.1% - which is slightly unfortunate, as with a drink that sweet, an extra kick of alcohol can often help it go down.  They should both be served ice cold (to help with the sweetness), indeed, should I drink them again, I intend to either freeze my glass or serve these beers over ice.  Both beers have a commendable level of malt, which is something of a blessing as it stops them from veering dangerously towards alco-pop territory.  This accomplished more successfully in the raspberry variety which has a pleasantly bitter edge and a bit more balance.  The strawberry, on the other hand, is a bit like a sickly sweet malt infused watered down children's cough medicine.  Not exactly what I'm after when cracking open a beer at the end of a long hard day.  It is also worth noting that these beers can often be found at bargain prices (I paid 79 pence per bottle) so being too harsh on them seems a little unfair.  All in all the strawberry rates an underwhelming 3/10 with the raspberry scraping a 5/10.  

#41 - Wold Top Brewery - Scarborough Fair IPA

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and grapefruit?!?!?  This beer tasted absolutely nothing like I expected.  Firstly, whether fairly or otherwise, I tend to be highly skeptical of gluten free beers.  To me, they're a bit like wheelchairs, very useful and, indeed, necessary for some people, but I don't want to find myself stuck with one.  Secondly, I have never had a beer that tasted so strongly of grapefruit that didn't mention it on the label.  Now, in this particular instance, these two potentially disastrous characteristics were actually very nice.  The highly citrus flavor worked well with the use of corn and the high ABV (6.0%) to produce a refreshing summer beer.  Still, while excellent for a gluten free beer, it was not an exceptional pint according to general standards, lacking a touch of balance and needing to be served, if not ice cold, at the chilly end of the spectrum.  All in all a respectable 7/10 with the hope that other Wold Top beers come my way soon.

#40 - Marston's - Burton Bitter

As a cruel man who has yet to finish his first cup of morning coffee, Burton Bitter tastes the way a wet dog smells.  It is watery, has an unpleasant metallic hint at the end and could do with a large dollop of hops to add some much needed flavor, other than soggy biscuit.  There may be those who enjoy the 3.8% Burton Bitter, but I strongly suspect they were drinking it in the seventies and are still drinking it now.  The whole feel is just a bit shabby - a beer and a flavor palette that have seen better days and could now use a well-earned retirement.  It does have one thing going for it however, it is remarkably cheap, and with that in mind, what would be a 4/10 sneaks in at a cheeky 5.

#39 - Harbour Brewing Co - India Brown Ale

Straight off the bat, this has a wonderfully beautifully zesty aroma.  The sort of scent that makes you sit up and pay attention, wondering what joys are to be found in the glass.  Unfortunately, the beer itself lets this aroma down.  It has a warm loving malt and a tart citrus edge, the combination of which is slightly unbalanced.  While it is still very drinkable, it has all the hallmarks of a beer that needs a few years of tweeking to perfect the recipe, though, as I commented yesterday, this is hardly surprising in a relatively new genre.  At 4.9% it is just within the range of a heavy session beer, but it is neither warm and enveloping enough from its malt nor crisp and refreshing enough from the citrussy hops to be desirable in that context.  It is a pint of interest, rather than a consistently enjoyable drink.  When sampling we found that this beer was better chilled, and that we enjoyed it less and less as it grew warmer.  This meant that our initial evaluation of an interesting seven was dropped to a final score of 6/10 by the bottom of the glass.

#38 - Hardknott Brewery - Code Black

I can say without question or hesitation that this is the most divisive ale I've drunk to date.  In form it is a Black India Pale Ale, or as our American and Canadian brethren would call it, a Cascadian Dark Ale.  I have to say, being brutally honest, that I found this beer undrinkable.  I quite literally did not finish my glass.  Those of you who know me will be shocked and astounded by this revelation and I too was surprised at my violent dislike of what should be a very nice beer.  To read a lot of people saying nice things about it, I would suggest you click here.  The malt is highly roasted to the point of being burnt.  Now, normally this is not a problem for me, nor is a highly hopped beer.  Indeed, I have reviewed, and will continue to review a number of black IPAs that I have enjoyed, but for some unknown reason the brewer then decided to add coriander in what I can only assume was an attempt to out hipster another hipster.  As a drinking colleague remarked, 'It's like drinking beer that's been brewed in a coffee pot with a sprig of coriander.'  She gave it a 7, another colleague gave it a 4.5, I was forced to give it a 2/10 with the fervent hope that I never have to try it again.

#37 - The Caledonian Brewing Company - McEwan's Amber

I tend to be a big fan of the Caledonian Brewing Company, but McEwan's Amber is fairly disappointing.  It tastes watery, is quite sweet, and has very little discernible flavor.  On the plus side, at 4.2% it is a pleasant enough as a low end session beer, and is relatively smooth.  The casual drinker might consider it preferable to a glass of water and equally thirst quenching, but beyond that limited utility it strikes me as relatively pointless.  I have reviewed a number of budget beers for this blog thus far and while outstripping all of them in price, McEwan's Amber is not clearly more enjoyable than the majority of budget offerings.  5.5/10    

#36 - San Miguel Thailand - Phuket Lager Beer

I can say without question or hesitation that this is the best beer I've ever sampled from Cape Promthep, Thailand.  Of course, it is also the only beer, so a more detailed description is no doubt required.  The best thing this beer has going for it is a name that sounds hilarious when you're drunk.  Indeed, I have come to the personal belief that the marketing team behind its inception had that in mind first and created a beer around it afterwards.  It creatively uses Thai Jasmine Rice to give it a distinctive flavor, but underhops the beer, cancelling out potential gains.  When this beer was sampled I had only a single bottle, but the conclusion that was reached by the end of it was that it would be substantially better with a wedge of lime, so please do let me know if any of you have tried it that way!  It would be a cool refreshing lager if it weren't for an annoying coppery aftertaste that ruins the subtle jasmine flavor.  Not an ideal beer to be sure.  In fairness I found the bottle on sale for 69 pence, so it scores well on value for money.  Still - 4/10.

#35 - Shepherd Neame & Co - India Pale Ale

Normally when I rate a beer, I check what other reviewers have said to ensure that I haven't been too harsh.  In this instance I found quite the reverse.  The naysayers of this sublime offering claim that it contains too much malt to be a true IPA or that because the flavor palette is balanced, it must be boring.  I urge you not to listen to them and instead to drink this beer as it was meant to be drunk - on its own terms.  As I have previously remarked on this blog, high alcohol, hop heavy IPAs are as mother's milk to me, so I approach them with a certain amount of baggage.  With that in mind, I expected this pint to be overwhelmingly hoppy with a distinct alcohol aftertaste.  What I received instead was a revelation.  When lightly chilled, a caramel malt gives way slowly to a floral citrussy hoppy flavor with a beautifully lingering aftertaste.  This level of flavor and malty balance allows a smoothness absent in other high alcohol IPAs (it clocks in at 6.1%) making it possible to drink slowly as a session beer.To make sure I wasn't leading you astray, I insisted that an old beer-drinking colleague sampled the next bottle with me and to my delight he agreed with my verdict.  This is a beer you must not simply try, but ought to savor.  The bar for my search has been set - 9/10.

#34 - Black Paw Brewery - Paw's Gold

There are some beers that encourage the reviewer to wax lyrical, employing their finest rhetorical gifts in the composition of epic poems in their honor.  This beer is not one of them.  Paw's Gold has some pleasant wheaty notes with a delicate floral aroma - and not a lot else.  It has a tendency to be fairly flat and this doesn't help what should be a very light and refreshing beer.  At 4.0% it is very drinkable for an extended period of time, which is a definite point in its favor.  Other reviewers have detected a lemony, citrussy flavor, but I found this lacking.  Perhaps the keg I sampled was not a perfect batch, but based on the sampling the conclusion is fairly clear - pleasant but decidedly mediocre.  6/10.

#33 - Sadler's Ales - Worcester Sorcerer

The world needs pleasant, reliable, uncontroversial session beers and that is just what Worcester Sorcerer is.  At 4.3% it can be drunk all evening and it's balance of hops and malt is spot on for the vast majority of drinkers.  To my mind it is just a touch on the sweet side, although that sweetness comes from perfectly nice caramel and honey flavors which are rather drinkable.  I did a quick sweep of other reviews and found that, by and large, every reviewer felt the same way, 'nothing special' and 'very drinkable' being the two most frequently used sentiments.  I would like to add however, that very few reviewers had this beer on tap and, as I was drinking a bottle myself, I'd hate to claim that it is as dull when served properly.  All in all it gets a 6.5/10 - very drinkable, but nothing special.

#32 - Crafty Dan Microbrewery (Thwaites) - Big Ben

There seems to be something of a trend for using a dark coffee malt with IPA flavoring and ingredients (more reviews coming) and I for one am pleased.  While the genre has yet to reach full maturity, Big Ben is a very credible attempt at creating a crisp, refreshing, almost citrusy stout.  Its initial appearance makes it look big and heavy, the sort of ale bearded rugby players swig at halftime to insulate themselves against driving rain, mud, and the pain of the second half.  Yet nothing could be further from the truth.  It is light, making it easily drinkable even in the warm sun.  The hoppy character is mostly well balanced, although slightly too strong, leaving interest in every mouthful.  At 5.8% it is a bit heavy for a session beer and, even if this were not the case, it is a touch sharp for more than one or two to be desirable, but it is an excellent single pint beer for any evening session.  It gets a good 7.5/10 and a regular place in future beer tastings.

#31 - The Wild Beer Co - Fresh

This is a difficult beer to rate, partially because its style is so geographically disparate to its branding and partially because each batch uses different hops giving a different flavor.  While I am all for using the finest fresh hops and experimenting until an American style Pale Ale/IPA is perfected, their seems to be an element of change for the sake of change inherent in Fresh.  Let's start from the beginning.  It is EXTREMELY hoppy.  For me this is no bad thing.  Indeed, as I have previously commented, Pacific North West double IPAs were my mother's milk back in the day and my palette is still quite used to that sort of flavor.  However, that can be a double edged sword.  Upon tasting my first reaction was to compare it unfavorably to a microbrew from seven thousand miles away.  It is also an extremely cloudy beer, something that might be off-putting to some drinkers.  In addition there is a an element of style over substance.  The bottle reads like a pitch from an advertising agency, and it is not clear that the beer is worthy of the level of marketing it is given. Still, it was worth drinking and an enjoyable enough beer in its own right - 6/10.

#30 - J. W. Lees & Co - Marco Pierre White - The Governor

This beer presented me with a totally unique drinking experience.  Never before have I thought, with a beer in my hand, that I might as well be drinking water and saving myself the caloric consumption.  It has very little aroma, very little flavor and beyond the possible use as a sort of beer palette cleanser between rounds at a tasting session, very little point.  In theory this beer is all malt, and I hope that as a reviewer I can be forgiven for expecting to taste it. I also found myself desiring hops, not so much because I feel they are necessary to beer, but simply for any form of discernible flavor.  It is a beer designed to be served with food and I can quite honestly say that its flavor would not interfere with even the most delicate of dishes - mostly because it has so little flavor.  Having said this, it also didn't actively taste bad, so I suppose I can't score it too low. A 3.5/10 and no desire to drink it again.

#29 - Shepherd Neame - Double Stout

The story on the label is that this recipe was found in the cellar after not having been brewed for a number of years. They tried it again, and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.  Whether or not that's true, Shepherd Neame have produced an impressive double stout with traditional bitter notes.  While this will appeal less to those stout drinkers who see it as an alternative to their normal evening hot chocolate, for the rest of us it is very welcome indeed.  The hoppy additions really are what makes this beer, perfectly complementing the coffee flavors.  It is, in its own right, an excellent example of the genre of double stout, but there is always something that stops me from picking it as a standard.  Perhaps it is because, at 5.2%, it is slightly too alcoholic for a session, yet no distinctive enough to stand alone as a perfect individual pint, or even as a necessary component of a good night out.  This is, of course, nit-picking.  It is an accomplished and balanced pint which, regardless of taste, every ale lover should at the very least sample.  8.5/10

#28 - Morland Brewing (Greene King) - Old Crafty Hen

Simply put, I'm a fan.  In the northern winter it is hard to beat a warm, malty, smooth, high ABV (6.5%) ale.  It's like a hug in a bottle, and frankly, the world needs more of those.  What is odd about this is that typically it would not be my sort of beer.  I tend to prefer my malt coffee, not caramel, and a fruity finish is something I often dread.  The difference with Old Crafty Hen is that its high alcohol content mitigates the caramel flavor, preventing it from seeming overly sweet, while the fruity finish is more Christmas pudding and less pumpkin pie.  Somehow this combination works and while to my mind it would be better with a touch less sweetness and a bit of a darker malt, it is hard to blame the brewers for failing to cater to my personal tastes.  I am happy to give it an 8/10 and look forward to many more bottles of it in the future!

#27 - Marston's - EPA

I've always had a soft spot for this 3.6% Pale Ale.  It is pleasantly hoppy, with a nice citrus flavor and not very alcoholic making it a good choice for afternoons in the sun.  The down side of the lower ABV is a slight tendency towards a watery texture, but this is not as problematic as might be expected.  The biggest drawback is that it is quite generic, which immediately rules it out as a truly great beer.  It can often be found quite cheaply (on sale for 99p is sometimes possible in the supermarkets), which is a point in its favor, but it tends to be slightly more expensive.  Certainly Marstons has branded it as a higher quality alternative to yesterday's review.  This is an excellent choice to purchase for mixed crowds at summer BBQs or, dare I say it, afternoons at the cricket.  A solid 6/10 with a nod to the fact that it will be at least a five for the vast majority of drinkers.

#26 - Banks's Park Brewery - Banks's Bitter

This is certainly one of the mainstays of bargain bitter hunters the country over.   It is, in fact, brewed by Marstons, but branded separately to maintain the premium end of their brand.  It can be reliably found for 99p at a variety of shops and as such is ideal for parties or a budget night in.  The beer itself is a touch sweet for my taste.  I have always preferred my bitters on the bitter side and this falls afoul of that preference. Unfortunately, it has a slightly watery edge and for some drinkers it will be a touch flat. Otherwise it is perfectly pleasant which is impressive when the price is kept in mind.  At 3.8% it can be drunk all evening, and as the evening goes on, it seems better and better.  Standard rating 5/10, with the price in mind, a cheeky 6.  

#25 - Goffs' Cotswold Brewery - Jouster

It is rare (these days) that I come across an entirely new brewery that has been around for a reasonable amount of time, so I was surprised upon running into Goffs' (even on their own label the use of the apostrophe is variable - I have chosen to include it).  Jouster is a fairly run of the mill bitter.  It has a pleasant balance of malt and hops, slips down smoothly, and seems to be a perfectly serviceable 4.0% session beer.  It is locally well regarded, having won a series of awards.  All that being said, it does have an unfortunate iodine aftertaste which ruins the beer as a whole.  It also seems to vary in flavor substantially based on how cool the bottle is and I would certainly advise anyone buying a few to store them in the fridge before drinking.  There is nothing particularly exceptional about jouster and while I can imagine drinking three or four over the course of a pub quiz if there was little else on tap, I can't imagine choosing it at the shops out of a wide selection of other beers. All in all I'm happy to award it a slightly above average 6/10. 

#24 - Rudgate Brewery - Fenrir's Bite

This is a highly divisive beer.  If you take some time to scan some of the larger (and more democratic) beer sites it tends to either be awarded a 2 or an 8 by individual reviewers. Much as many drinkers find a heavily peated scotch difficult to swallow, beers with an abundance of malt can equally deter.  To my mind, it is delicious.  A lovely nutty flavor with an essence of burnt toast and a 4.3% ABV leaves this a wonderfully characterful amber session beer.  It is fair to point out a few flaws however.  The biggest is the obvious lack of balance, which, while enjoyable at first, wears thin by the third pint (if you get that far).  The second is the feeling that a bitter should be, well, more bitter!  It's almost as though they had a concept for a brilliant beer and then ran out of hops part way through the brewing process.  For my money, a scoop or two of cascade and this would be one of the great beers of the last ten years.  As it is, a 7.5/10 with the warning that many, if not most, of my readers will take greater exception to the malty flavor.  

#23 - Bateman's - Dark Lord

Every once in a while, it is the task of a reviewer to know that they are being harsh.  This is a good beer, but it ticks all of my dark beer dislikes.  It tastes of chocolate and not coffee.  And even then, sweet chocolate, not cocoa.  It has a fruity, autumn golden beer sort of aftertaste that reminds me of overly ripe fruit and beer that is unbalanced.  And yet, this beer has by and large received good reviews, indeed, those who tried it with me were great fans.  If the description above sounds tasty to you, then I would encourage you to give it a try, after all, even for me, with my hatred of its constituent parts, I found it easy to drink, smooth and pleasant.  All in all a 6/10 with the sure knowledge that many of my readers would rate it more highly.