Double Enghien Blonde

Todays offering is Silly, specifically Double Enghien Blonde brewed by Brasserie de Silly

 

Appearance:

Slightly cloudy amber gold with large white head the disappear to a smaller head

Aroma:

Malt and lemon Turkish delight with a touch of pepper hops

Taste:

Gentle malt at first then the lemon kicks in with the Turkish delight flavour with pepper hop finally coming in from the background. The finish is long and complex with the spicy hops balanced by the lemon and malt.

Overall:

A nice refreshing beer which has layers in aroma and taste. I feel it would be a nice late summer beer and there is enough punch to give it some warmth.

8.5/10

Erdinger Schneeweize

Todays offering is a season wheat beer from Germany

 

Appearance:

Cloudy amber gold with large white slight off white head (like Douglas Herd's hair)

Aroma:

Malt and freshly cut grass and at the very back over ripe bananas (less than other wheat beers)

Taste:

Starts malt which gets creamier and then tastes a bit like barley water with out the fruit and then a little kick of alcohol with overripe fruit. Finish is small and surprisingly long being over ripe fruit and a subtle bitter amount of hops.

Overall:

I have yet to make my mind up about this beer, and I brought a crate and this is the last, is different from the norm but does not add to the experience in comparison to normal wheat beer.

7.0/10

Bradfield Brewery Farmer Brown Cow

A Christmas present from my old mucker Tez with a glass as well

Appearance:

Dark reddy chestnut with slight off white head that soon leaves

Aroma:

Balance of hoppy citrus with plenty of malt to balance it

Taste:

Starts with slightly bitter burnt grain which soon it taken over by creamy malt which fades to a citrus and then dry and bitter finish

Overall:

Nice example of a brown ale not really a bitter IMO if this was widely available in the Netherlands I would drink more of it.

7.5/10

Shipyard Fuggles IPA

Another beer picked up on my travels to the UK at the Spar opposite the beacon hotel in Sedgley, a US IPA

Appearance:

The colour is not as pale as expected having so orangeness to it head is white and pour large and lasts

Aroma:

First is biscuit like malt then the hops come across which are very earthy and have a hint of pine.

Taste:

The taste is a little odd first hit was a water bitterness without body but soon the body catches up the earthiness of hops and biscuit creamy grains fill the mouth. The finish is long, dry earthy and bitter and quite moreish

Overall:

The first hit of taste almost put me in a bad mood but fortunately the body of the beer caught up and is an IPA with a difference, the earthiness. The beer is not overly bitter and dry in the finish as some IPA can be.

7.5/10

Hook Norton Double Stout

Another beer pick up on my travels to the UK

Appearance:

Very dark chestnut very close to black with a than head that largely fades.

Aroma:

First is a hit of chocolate which fades to be more coffee, the a roasted grain finally an earth peatyness hanging in background like an islay single malt

Taste:

Bitter coffee at first which get more peaty with a touch of liquorice tempered by some pepper hops. The finish is not over long but has some more chocolate and less peatyness and a touch more hops.

Overall:

Lovely beer they is a large interest in barrel age beers but this make them look like some lazy brewer who can't be bothered to make a good beer in the first place. This is lovely earthy stout one I highly recommend hunting for.

9.0/10

Brains Dark

A beer that I found in a Spar shop (with surprisingly good beer range) opposite the Beacon hotel in Sedgley after getting a pasty after a wonderful but strong pint of Sarah Hughes ruby mild. I have been hunting this for a while but found only SA, SA gold, Barry Island IPA and Brains Stout

Appearance:

Dark reddy chestnut with a off white head that soon fades.

Aroma:

Slight hint of chocolate in the roasted malt

Taste:

Roasted malt, slightly sweet, lots of carbonation hint of hops comes in later to balance the taste. The finish is slightly drying and dominated by sweet roasted malt

Overall:

A nice mild, for me slightly over carbonated but the taste is nice and rounded if not over complex lovely touch of chocolate in the malt. A beer I wish was more available.

7.5/10

Fuller's Wild River

Another free beer from my mum I believe a double hopped pale ale

Appearance:

Golden pale lots of a carbonisation looks like a lager, white good head

Aroma:

Hops, hops and a hint of malt

Taste:

Malts start then a touch of zeityness and then hops hops floral and then bitter, finish is bitter and long and slightly drying

Overall:

Ok refreshing beer strangely moreish, would drink again would actually try and find it again, but if I could not find it I would not lose sleep.

7.0/10

Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby

Not a free beer but one I had to make a special trip for

 

Appearance:

Dark ruby brown almost black, large white lasting head.

Aroma:

Rich fruit, malt in the background with a slug of alcohol.

Taste:

Initial taste is creamy dark malt, with demerea sugar balanced with a sourness, hint of a Rodenbach. Finish is not long and is sweet and sour.

Overall:

A lovely mild reminds me of a trappist bruin ale in one way mixed with say a banks mild. Lovely beer shame I not widely available.

8.5/10

Purity Pure Ubu

Another free beer from my mum I believe

Appearance:

Light Chestnut  with lasting white head

Aroma:

biscuit malt with a touch of hops

Taste:

Lots of hops at the start balanced by the malt coming in later, the finish and leaves a light bitter surprisingly moreish and some nice carbonation on the tongue.

Overall:

Just nice drinking beer not special but very easy to drink

7.5/10

Batemans English BBock

An English (yellabelly) take on a Bavarian beer style

Appearance:

Mid Chestnut with plenty of carbonation but no real lasting head

Aroma:

Dark fruit, and candied peel and malt with almost a home made farmhouse cider smell (not talking farmhouse labelled stuff, talking carrot whiskey, cider made with carrots instead of apples)

Taste:

Bittersweet dark malt and fruit balanced by bitter hops, over carbonated, the taste fades to weak brown sugar taste. The finish is not strong and bitter sweet with spicy overtones. No warming alcohol kick as expected.

Overall:

Close enough to Germany style but tastes fades quickly, nice try but no cigar. Nice to see large breweries experimenting and long may that continue.

7.0/10