Cantillon Gueuze Lambic

Today's offering is one I have high hopes for given the lovely Rose de Gambrinus

 

Appearance:

Rich gold with large white head that doesn't hang around

Aroma:

Aroma of hay with a slight nutty earthiness

Taste:

Not surprising very sour, with lemon and tart apple taste with a nice nutty earthiness and present tingle of carbonation. The finish is long but not strong with a fruitiness and earthiness remaining as the acidity fades

Overall:

Not as good as the Rose de Gambrinus but a really good lambic, sour but not overpowering. Still not lambic will not be regular in my shopping list but when it is this is the one I would take.

7.5/10

Maredsous Tripel (AKA 10)

Today's offering is an Abbey bier which is brewed by Moorgat (Duvel) but controlled by monks, so a true abbey beer.

Appearance:

Old gold with slightly cloudiness large white lasting head

Aroma:

Aroma of pear comes across with a touch of citrus like fruit also mixed in with a touch of earthiness.

Taste:

The flavour is dominated by that pear and orange flavour at first then a touch of spicy hops followed by a bitter earthy hops. The finish is long complex with warming alcohol, juicy fruit and malt and the earthy hoppyness all mixing and fading in and out and trading off each other.

Overall:

I think this is the best abbey beer I have tasted I like the earthiness and complexity, not necessary easy drinking and not ideal to introduce to people to Belgium beers but lovely nevertheless.

9.0/10

Weihenstephaner Pilsner

Today's offering is from a Munich brewery more associated with wheat beers than lagers.

Appearance:

Bright pale gold with nice white long lasting head

Aroma:

Lovely biscuit like malt with s hint of hops and lemon

Taste:

The malt comes followed by the tartness and then the bitterness from the hops come. The finish is alternates between the malt and the bitter hops with again a citrus fruitiness. Very refreshing.

Overall:

A really good lager/pilsner although better know for the wheat beer this is a very good beer for a sunny spring day like today

8.0/10

Chimay Bleue

Today's offering is maybe the most famous trappist  beer internationally

Appearance:

Dark chestnut brown with a hint of cloudiness with a slight off white head

Aroma:

Really fruity red wine smell with a hint of hoppyness

Taste:

The fruity red wine taste comes across in taste with the hint of carbonation with spicyness and then a taste of almonds comes across followed by more spicyness. The finish is soft, fruicy and spicy with a lovely warmth from the alcohol.

Overall:

A world classic not overly complex, just well balanced lovely beer for sipping a nice spicyness

8.5/10

Budweiser Budvar

Today's offering is the original Budweiser not that American slopwater

Appearance:

Very pale gold with a nice head that soon goes.

Aroma:

The aroma is fresh cut leaves and malt

Taste:

The malt comes across first with floral hoppy overtones, the finish is juicy malt with tangy hops and a real touch of apple. A really lovely lager, subtle in taste with delicate flavours.

Overall:

A really lovely lager, subtle in taste with delicate flavours.

8.0/10

Wadworth 6X

A traditional English best bitter is today's offering

Appearance:

Dark copper with good long lasting off white head

Aroma:

Initially a spicy hop smell comes across but this is tempered by an earthy hop smell and final the juicy malt takes over with a hint of fresh vanilla.

Taste:

The flavour is mainly juicy malt at first with barley sugar overtones and then the hops start there magic balancing the aforementioned sweetness with bitter peppery flavour. The finish is long and slightly more complex than the initial taste with the same flavour plus a little of the vanilla it is beautifully balanced.

Overall:

A great best bitter that vanilla flavour make it different enough to stand out of the crowd. I shall drink this more often.

8.5/10

Leffe Triple

Being inbev this is probably one of the most recognisable Belgium Abbey beers, as Jeremy Clarkson would say, in the world (look up Clarkson island on you tube to see what I am on about)

Appearance:

Pale cloudy gold with a reddish tint, decent head that leave a reminder after the majority has left

Aroma:

Fruit like grapes with a strong backing of spicy hops

Taste:

The flavour is dominated by ripe vinous fruit, with spicy hops and a little acidity coming in to balance with overtones of the malt. The finish is warming spicy and leaves a dry earth taste in your mouth with malt and hops also having something to say

Overall:

I like this beer, it easily available, decent quality and decent price however for abbey beer other better beers are available, Maredsous, Karmeliet etc and really why not have a trappist beer. If the aforementioned aren't available you will not go to far wrong with this however.

7.5/10

Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus

Today's offering is a little of an oddity being a raspberry lambic blend with a touch of kriek

Appearance:

Cloudy artificial red (think cheap cherryade) although this is not artificial I never knew a red in nature existed with pinkish head that lasts

Aroma:

Typical wet hay smell of the lambic with a touch of tart raspberries

Taste:

The first hit is that sour acidic taste but soon replaced by a tart raspberry taste with a pleasant fizz of carbonation. The finish is dry with heaps of tart raspberries and a touch of nuttiness like cherry pips.

Overall:

If you have read my earlier reviews I not really a lambic man but this could change with this beer, not overly sour lovely refreshing fruit flavours, and long finish no so complex but with bags of character. Find this beer and try it! Good job it is a bigger 37.5cl bottle

9.5/10

Brakspear Triple

A relatively new beer from an old brewery, this one was 6.7%

Appearance:

Dark cloudy reddy copper with very off white head that disappears but leaves a little at the end

Aroma:

Almost like a peated malt whisk! with pear drops overtones and a touch of liquorice as well

Taste:

The flavour is dominated by ripe vinous fruit, with a toasted malt, which fades as the pear drop flavour and final hops start to come in. The finish is one first dominated by a combination of warming alcohol, that fade to give flowery hops which fade to more peppery hops and toasted malt comes back across, the finish is quite drying, but still leaves you wanting more.

Overall:

A really unusual beer for a British beer idea for winter lovely warming, complex. Defiantly worth trying if you get the chance, but I would sip it slowly

8.5/10

Adnams Southwold Bitter

Today's offering has changed it's name from just Adnams Bitter and as I am drinking from the bottle, so it a bit stronger at 4.1% compared to 3.7%

Appearance:

Dark ruby reddy/brown with nice head that lasts

Aroma:

Orange and juicy malt come across the on the nose.

Taste:

The citrus taste is less than the smell with the juicy malt being more intense than expected with some peppery hoppyness coming in later. The finish is light in punch but very well balanced with the malt, citrus and bitter hops.

Overall:

A really nice bitter not special to be different but if on tap it would rank highly in my likely choice. Compared to yesterday's London Pride it is just not as intense in flavour. Highly drinkable though.

7/10

Fuller's London Pride

Today's offering is for today's marathon

Appearance:

Light bronze with fast disappearing head.

Aroma:

Orange and honey are the aromas that come across to me with a background of malt.

Taste:

The orange comes through balance by lovely malt with floral spicy hops coming through towards the end. The finish has the orange flavour with a background of hops and lovely malt overtones.

Overall:

A classic best bitter the orange flavour makes it stand out in the crowd, a fine southern bitter. Low carbonisation makes it very quaffable, a bitter that I come back to time and time again.

8.0/10

Worthington's White Shield

Today's offering is one of the classic IPA

Appearance:

Cloudy dark copper with good long lasting head

Aroma:

Spicy hops a touch of apple and a hint of sulphur.

Taste:

At the start it comes across all malty and then a tart tangy hops start to take over the taste, highly carbonated but not overly. The finish is overriding bitter with apples fruit in the background and some malt.

Overall:

Unusually for an IPA not a flowery as American/Belgium IPAs. The apple flavours are really interesting and it is a nice beer unfortunately I think a cold has dented my taste buds so my blog may be offline for a couple of days

7.5/10

Duckstein

Today's offering is a German Alt beer

Appearance:

Dark reddy bronze with a small non lasting head

Aroma:

Raisins really come over in the aroma with a background of malt and overtones of spicy hops

Taste:

The fruit comes across first followed by an earthiness backed by the malt and some lovely bitter spicy hops. The is spicy with raisin overtones, dry and has a lovely bitterness, very quaffable.

Overall:

I really this alt beer nice flavour balance, lovely thirst quenching and really quaffable.

8.0/10

Abbaye des Rocs Blanche des Honnelles

Today's offering is not one you can order in a hurry, this is a Belgian Style wheat Beer

Appearance:

Cloudy bronze with nice lasting wheat head

Aroma:

Like over ripe citrus fruit, Satsuma's, come to my mind with a pepperiness in the background

Taste:

Creamy malt with the oats really coming through, followed by some peppery hops and some citrus fruitiness also coming through with a faint hint of the alcohol content. The finish is not strong but long, with the lovely creamy malt and that citrus fruitiness, with just enough peppery hops to balance.

Overall:

Very different from the German wheats not a hint of bananas to be found the oat that they are said to use really make this different than other Belgium wheat and nice drink although I think they are you to drink it to cold at 4-6C I say 8-10 is better.

8.0/10

Einbecker Mai-Ur-bock

Today's offering is ideal for this gorgeous spring day if a month to early

 

Appearance:

Lovely bronze with not much head

Aroma:

Just smells like spring; crisp hops with enticing juicy malt, one of the best aroma I have smelt for a beer (may be it was the few km out on the racing bike that helped this!)

Taste:

Light (in a good way) fruity taste comes across first followed by juicy malt and some lovely floral hops overtones. The finish starts malty with a pleasant warmth form the alcohol, it is almost 7%, that fade to leave hops to come to the fore, without being overpowering. Very thirst quenching and very quaffable.

Overall:

I really liked this beer although it was not very complex in flavour it's extremely well balanced. It shows how the right beer with the right weather makes the beer so much better. I would recommend anybody hunt this down for the end of a nice spring day. I must try it on a day with worse weather to check my theory!

9.0/10

Cantillon Kriek

Today's offering a Kriek

 

Appearance:

Cherry red with surprising lasting white head.

Aroma:

Musty hay with a touch of cherry

Taste:

Very acidic with a touch of nutty cherry with a nice tingly on the tongue from the carbonisation. The finish is very dry and dominated by the sour taste with that touch of cherry trying to get out.

Overall:

To sour with no fruitiness to balance, definitely not for me. Maybe it will age better but I would not like to find out. In my humble opinion a Kriek doesn't need to be so sour.

6.5/10

Jennings Sneck Lifter

Today's offering is a strong bitter or porter

 

Appearance:

Dark ruby brown with nice head with slightly off white head.

Aroma:

Wholemeal bread with some coffee overtones and spicy peppery hops as well.

Taste:

Again the taste echoes the aroma with wholemeal bread and with coffee bitterness with peppery hops and so plum like fruitiness. The finish is long and a complex bittersweet with some chocolate some plums and coffee and hop bitterness and backed with a touch of warmth from the alcohol.

Overall:

A good bad weather beer, this is a beer to savour, lovely balance of deep tastes. I agree about it almost being a porter, but it still falls to the bitter side in my humble opinion.

8.5/10

Butcombe Bitter

I must admit this is a beer I have not heard off before, this is a classic English bitter.

Appearance:

Lovely bronze with slight off white head that hangs around

Aroma:

Spicy hops mixed with malt with a hint of acidity

Taste:

The taste start like it is going to be really pepper hops and then suddenly the malt kicks in with a tartness that fade to bitterness. The finish in flavour carries on as before it is long and ends with a nice ferric bitterness to me.

Overall:

Still a bit unsure of this beer, it just is missing something and I can't put my finger on what it is maybe the tartness is to much for my tastes

7.5/10

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier

If yesterday offering was a classic Bavarian wheat beer today's offering is the classic Bavarian wheat beer.

Appearance:

Pale cloudy brown yellow with the typical large lasting white wheat beer head, lively bottle meant I had to drink some quickly!

Aroma:

Again the typical ripe bananas that I associate with wheat beer is there but backed up this time with some cloves and some earthiness

Taste:

The taste is that typically cream malt with bananas backed with some cloves. The finish is long but with malt and more banana/spice fading in with a late hit of hoppy bitterness.

Overall:

The beer to judge other wheat beers by. Just really well balanced if you want a wheat beer it is unlikely that the other is better.

8.5/10

Franziskaner Weissbier

Today's offering is a classic Bavarian wheat beer with a nice picture on the bottle that looks like the present pope, and I am wondering if he choose his name after the beer.........

Appearance:

Pale cloudy brown yellow with the typical large lasting white wheat beer head

Aroma:

The typical ripe bananas that I associate with wheat beer is there but backed up with a hint of coriander.

Taste:

The taste is that typically cream malt with bananas backed with some more spice, almost nutmeg and cloves. The finish is long but small quite quenching with malt and more banana fading in.

Overall:

A good Bavarian wheat beer but nothing that makes it shine, the Schneider is more challenging taste wise. But ideal as my first wheat beer, but given the choose I would choose the other option!

7.0/10

Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueze

Todays offering is a spontanous fermented Belgium traditional Geuze

Appearance:

Cloudy old gold (ala Wolves shirt) with surprising lasting head and large amount of carbonation

Aroma:

The aroma typically lambic wet hay/horse blanket with lemon/lime overtones.

Taste:

First of all dry but not as much as I was expecting, the taste has some tart fruity mixed with sour acid and a pleasant fizz from the carbonation. The finish is dry and lemony and long.

Overall:

As I said not a great fan of the lambic but this has all the flavour without the over sour taste. An ideally first lambic.

7.5/10

Fuller's ESB

This London bitter invented it own style internationally, so I am expecting big things

Appearance:

Copper coloured with a head that fade to leave a small amount left

Aroma:

The aroma starts malt then an orange sweetness comes over and has peppery hops lurking in the background

Taste:

Taste start with a powerful kick of malt and then this orange peel sweetness comes through and finally bitterness of the hops. The finish has all the above drama and a slowly drying effect as the bitter hops come to the fore.

Overall:

A lovely bitter so much power with the flavours but not overpowering. The orange peel taste is lovely without being poncey. I can't remember drink this beer but I am sure from now on I will drink a few of these when available.

9.0/10

Double Maxim

A north east brown ale but from Sunderland and not it's better know neighbour

 

Appearance:

Surprising just brown with good staying head

Aroma:

The aroma starts very earthy but then a latent spiciness kicks in also mixed with some coffee notes and some dried apricot fruitiness

Taste:

Taste was it starts fruity then a lovely nutty earthiness comes through with a little touch of spicy hops. The finish is very dry slightly acidic with some bitter hops as well. The ale may be a touch of carbonated, but I am sure this is as it was a little to cold from the garage.

Overall:

Paddy's says this is brown ale, much better than it's near neighbour, thirst quenching and not over complex but I would love to try this on tap rather than in the bottle. A proper beer

8.5/10

Schneider Unsur Original Tap 7

A German wheat beer is todays offering

Appearance:

Light cloudy brown with good white head

Aroma:

Bananas is the overriding Aroma, with some nutmeg in the background

Taste:

Taste is spicy but with some earth overtones and a background of acidity. The finish has soft malt with spice and fruit overtones also there is some earth hops going on.

Overall:

A pleasant wheat beer with a really earth taste and a nice crispy acidity. It just doesn't stand out. I like the dunkel wheats better myself but I really

7.0 /10

Wychwood Hobgoblin

Today's bonus beer a classic normally cheap every few months in Aldi

Appearance:

Amber red with a nice off white long lasting head

Aroma:

Nice biscuity malt with a nice spicy touch of hops and a touch of fruit

Taste:

Juicy malt that fade to show the lovely fruitiness, sultana's and earthy hops comes through. The finish is nice and complex with an initial sweetness which fades and bitter comes through and the malt comes through with the fades to a nice peppery bitter hops.

Overall:

Forgot what a good beer this is, the finish is where the difference is.

8.5 /10

Fraoch

Today's Beer flavoured with heather flowers and bog myrtle

Appearance:

Light gold with nice white head slight cloudiness

Aroma:

Malt comes across with a touch of flowery overtones that make smell like an IPA

Taste:

Fragrant and fresh with the malt coming in later and a touch of bitter overtones to balance it all. The finish is nice and dry a touch earthy with some floral overtones.

Overall:

I really thought I would not like this beer, but while not being strong robust taste it is really nice and thirst quenching. I could quaff a lot of this even better lightly chilled in the summer.

8.5 /10

Robinson's Old Tom

Today's offering a strong Cheshire beer in a small bottle, granted it is 8.5% abv



 

 

 

Appearance:

Dark ruby red with off white head that has some staying power

Aroma:

The aroma has fruits and chocolate, black treacle and a hint of spicy hops

Taste:

The taste starts almost like a port with roasted malt coming slightly followed by chocolate and some bitterness from the hops. The finish is long and multilayered, the port is there but the hop remain to balance it and the roasted malt and chocolate also come in and out along with the pleasant warmth of alcohol.

Overall:

I really like this beer it's complexity of taste and warming alcohol means this is a great Autumn or winter beer. I like it so much I forgive the small bottle as a few of these means you would sleep very soundly!

9.0 /10

Wells Banana Bread beer 5.2%

An english beer that uses bananas in process the higher percentage indicates this is the bottle as the cask is a slightly lower 4.5% abv

Appearance:

Light copper with long lasting head.

Aroma:

Surprisingly bananas, think more banana as in a milkshake rather than the fruit with pear drops in the background

Taste:

Starts a bit non-descript you drink it and think were is the taste and the banana flavour kicks with a touch of pear drops in and just when you think it will be overpowering the malt comes through to balance it and finally so hint of bitter hops. The finish is toned down bananas and at the very end the a bitterness and malt flavour comes through.

Overall:

A weird beer with a time delay taste, not sure I like it myself but it is nice to try and Wells should be applauded for there inventiveness.

7.0 /10