#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.

#22 - Camden Town Brewery - Camden Hells Lager

This is the best lager I've drunk in the last year!  Happy to admit that others might have a different view, but the bottle I tried was a total revelation and made me commit to giving the genre a second chance. It has a beautiful warm grain flavor and aftertaste, a lovely pale gold color, and the ideal amount of fizz.  American brewers take note - this is what you ought to be producing!  I can happily imagine drinking this in a club, with a curry, or just simply cracking open a bottle at home.  This may not be the Platonic ideal of a lager, but it comes remarkably close.  Really I have very little else to say other than, go, now, find a bottle, chill it, and enjoy.  Repeat.  Again.  And again.  A very happy 8/10 and a firm determination to try the rest of Camden Town's range.

#21 - Greene King - Reserve IPA

I found this beer extremely strange.  It is no where near hoppy/bitter/citrusy enough to adhere to the normal IPA palette.  Instead, I found it to predominantly taste of vanilla, honey, and fruit.  There was a degree of warm citrus, but nothing like the level that would be expected and the claim on the bottle that it possessed a 'dry bitter finish' are outright lies.    At 5.4% it falls afoul of the curse of many higher alcohol beers - it is neither sweet or malty enough to control the strength, nor is it hoppy enough to revel in it.  I imagine the brewer felt this meant it was balanced, but in actual fact it leaves it without a place or purpose.  This having been said, it has a top notch aroma and is not entirely unpleasant to drink.  I can't say that I'll be buying another bottle for a quiet evening in, but it hasn't put me off the brewery as a whole - 5.5/10.

#20 - Caledonian Brewery - Flying Scotsman

On other beer cites reviews on Caledonian Brewery's Flying Scotsman vary substantially, with scores as low as 3 and as high as 7.  Of course, a degree of this is due to personal taste, but I think there is a bigger problem in terms of how the beer is branded.  For a 'Premium Bitter' it is A) astoundingly cheap and B) malt heavy, with a lack of hoppy flavors or apparent bitterness.  Now, this doesn't make it a bad beer, indeed, I am all for cheap beer, but it has created a few enemies who feel it misleads the drinker.  To the contrary, it has a very pleasant nutty, roasty, toasty (and many other warm words ending in y) taste.  It is pleasingly smooth.  At 4% it is ideal for those slightly longer trip to the pub.  All in all, good and admirable qualities.  There are downsides however.  It could use more hops and it lacks the force of personality to make it a true classic of the genre.  I'm happy to give it a 6.5/10, but no more.

#19 - Maxim Brewery - Samson

Were I a cruel man, I would claim that Maxim Brewery's Samson has already had its hair cut.  It is a former Vaux beer that's been in the North East for years (Full Story Here) and it is not my intention to do it a disservice.  From the get go it is a thoroughly drinkable pint.  Reasonably smooth with a lovely copper color it seems created to be a good choice at the local for a swift one after work or a long session on a Friday night.  What is disappointing however is the lack of stand-out flavors or unexpected notes.  There is no guitar solo mid pint, no cunning lyrics to tease the tongue and this leaves it feeling a trifle dull.  Now don't get me wrong, I've drunk it before and I'll drink it again, but on a quest for the world's greatest beer there will inevitably be casualties and this is one of them - a lowish 6/10.

#18 - Jarrow Brewing Company - Jarrow Bitter

To my mind, this is an excellent beer, ideal on a dull foggy winter's evening or a sunny afternoon in mid-summer.  A classic bitter full of satisfying cereal flavors, dry hops, and a long bitter aftertaste, it is a perfect example of the genre without being boring or predictable.  At 3.8% it is ideal for a long afternoon in the pub or an evening session, and there are many worse choices out there.  The Jarrow Brewing Company has only been around since 2002 and it is rare to find a young brewery with such an assured and well-crafted ale.  With a developing pedigree of such quality I am looking forward to enjoying more of their beers in the weeks and years to come. A firm 8/10 and a hearty recommendation for all bitter lovers to try Jarrow Bitter as soon as they can!

#17 - Black Paw Brewery - Bishop's Best

This 3.8% session beer, for me, falls short.  While it has a dry (some crueler commentators have described it as 'dusty') flavor with a hint of wheat and hops, it ultimately fails to make much of an impact.  It is certainly drinkable, with the only true negative being an unfortunately metallic aftertaste, but the whole pint exudes average to such an extent that it is difficult to find any joy while consuming it.  I hate to sound this mean when speaking about a small, indeed micro, brewery, but I have always preferred producers of that size to use their position to create something unique, exciting and full of the unexpected.  As regular readers will note, from yesterday's beer, Black Paw are capable of dizzying heights, but this beer fails to reach them.  A 5/10 and a wistful sigh is all it deserves.

#16 - Black Paw Brewery - Archbishop's Ale

Much like yesterday's beer (Viking Bitter) I have a love hate relationship with Archbishop's Ale.  There seems to be a high level of cask variability which doesn't naturally lend itself to a world class beer.  When it's on form it is a top notch porter with strong coffee malt flavors tempered with a hint of caramel that manages to enhance without over sweetening.  A bad batch is a completely different beast, with a thin watery aftertaste and a total lack of the warm coffee taste.  On the night of review it was first class.  A respectable porter that is less filling than many others and at 4.1% a decent dark session beer, ideal for a cold winter's day.  To maintain fairness, I will give split scores.  On a bad day it generously receives a 5/10, but on a day like today, a firm 8/10.  All in all, I'll give it a 7/10 with the sentiment that, if the brewery can add just a bit of consistency, they are onto a winner.

#15 - Rudgate Brewery - Viking Bitter

One of the hazards of drinking the same beer time and again, particularly when it comes to smaller breweries, is that you develop a soft spot for some beers that can be highly variable (tomorrow's beer falls into  the same category).  When Rudgate makes a good batch of Viking Bitter, which is cellared well, and poured perfectly, to my mind it is one of the great session beers to be found and a highly under-appreciated gem.  Unfortunately, when those three conditions are not met it becomes thoroughly mediocre and has been known to suffer from a watery banality.  The day I enjoyed my pint for review it was on absolute top form.  A delicious malty flavor was balanced to perfection with a subtle bitterness and a hint of a hoppy finish.  The type of pint of which dreams are made!  At 3.8% it performs admirably as a session beer and is certainly the sort of drink that can be enjoyed over and over again.  The trouble then becomes how to rate a beer that can be this variable.  At its worst, it would rate in the region of 5.5/10 but at its best, this rises to the spectacular 8.5/10.  Perhaps the best approach is to simply include the off days as a flaw and mark it down to a still respectable 7.5/10.

#14 - Wychwood Brewery - Dirty Tackle

Wychwood Brewery's Dirty Tackle is one of a number of beers specifically targeted at the Six Nations.  It is, frankly, a mixed pint.  It succeeds well in an interesting combination of citrus, malt, and bitterness, but fails miserably when it comes to the aftertaste.  At 4% it is drinkable for the early and late match, but, honestly, I'm not sure that many would want to when their are better beers to be had, even better beers brewed only for the Six Nations.  In general with beers that are this seasonal, there is a reason why they aren't produced year round and in this instance that is immediately apparent.  Wychwood is a good brewery with an excellent heritage and the drinker is left thinking that they should be able to do better.  Having said that, there are worse pints and if it were the only hand-pull it would ably compliment a match - 5/10.