Bengal Lancer - Fullers (5.3% ABV)

There is no mistaking that this is an IPA, with an image of British-Empire-era Indian Cavalry adorned on the front label. I had this a few months back and remember enjoying it a lot

Pours a golden honey colour; nice and clear with a foamy white head. It doesn't stick around for long, mind and drops to a very thin layer quite quickly.

Nose is straightforward - citrus and floral hops with underlying biscuit malt and a hint of caramel sweetness.

Taste provides a pleasant and a refreshing citrus bite, with orange marmalade and oily hop flavour. Hints of grass and light spice at the back of the palate. Good blend of flavours which are held together with that biscuit malt and delicate caramel sweetness. Finishes dry and crisp with a good dose of resinous hop and pithy bitterness.

Beautifully balanced and constructed, this is light bodied and goes down smooth. Delicate carbonation and a good level of astringency help to make this feel clean and refreshing. The IBU levels don't feel as high as they perhaps should, but that's just me being picky. All in all, this is a great beer for its style and another hit from Fullers.

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - Sierra Nevada (5.6% ABV)

Sierra Nevada get a lot of love from the craft beer loving community, so it was only a matter or time before I had to try one myself. This is the first SN brew I have ever tried, and this is their 'entry level' ale, if you will...

Pours a golden straw colour, nice and clear. Produces a bubbly off-white head which drops to a thin layer. Some light lacing on the glass.

Smells of pale & caramel malt with a ton of citrus and aromatic floral hops. Nice light bouquet with an underlying grass and straw note.

Straight away, the citrus hops crawl over the palate; grapefruit and lime with a pleasant pithy bitterness. The malt does make a good job to anchor the hops with biscuit and caramel to give a healthy balance. Finishes with lightly spiced, herbal and grassy hops with a clean, crisp and dry bitterness.

Light/medium body and a good amount of astringency to leave the palate needing more. Balance seems about right and the carbonation helps this go down a treat. Well, SN certainly know how to put a beer together. Time to try their IPA and Porter next I think!

 

Young's Special London Ale - Wells & Young (6.4% ABV)

Can't go wrong with a bit of Wells & Young. This particular bottle was a Christmas gift, and one that I have not tried before!

Pours a cloudy bronze colour and produces a lovely yellow-tinged, thick foamy head. Great retention and some lacing throughout

Smell of fruity yeast esters are most noticeable; tropical & citrus fruits with aromatic floral hops, candy sugars also prominent. Some maltiness is there too, but only just.

Yeast-heavy breadiness, intermingling with candi sugars and fruity yeast esters (banana and grapes). Pleasant warming from the booze throughout. Finishes with aromatic floral hops with a hint of spiciness and mild, clean bitterness. Good balance with refined flavours... Tastes a little Belgium to me...(?)

Medium/full bodied with a smooth and creamy texture, thanks to the effervescent carbonation. Very low astringency. It's a great mix of flavours, but it all seemed too reliant on the yeast propping up the malt and hops. Still, it tasted good but not great.

 

1845 - Fullers Brewery (6.3% ABV)

Almost done the entire Fullers range of beers; the ones that are available bottled anyway. 1845 was brewed to mark the 150th anniversary of the London Brewery, and has a great score on Beeradvocate.

Pours auburn with one of the thickest heads I've ever seen on a beer! It is truly thick and sticks to the glass like glue, whilst retaining itself pretty well throughout.

Nose throws up plenty of roasted malt aromas, booze-soaked dried fruits, syrup and molasses which are all propped up by a heavy yeast base.

Rich, smooth, roasted malts give an earthy feel up front. Develops into a nuts, caramel and more boozy fruits. Finishes by a gentle cleansing of resin & dried leaf hop bitterness. Roasted malt and yeast esters linger on the palate.

Mouthfeel is smooth, full-bodied but has a slightly oily feel that isn't necessarily unpleasant, but is distracting. Carbonation is almost right (tad prickly) and astringency is moderate. It's a decent beer alright, and typical of Fullers in that it is packed full of flavour and has brilliant construction. It does, however, carry a few flaws but they can be overlooked

Sainsburys Taste the Difference IPA - Marstons (5.9% ABV)

Picked this up at random from the aforementioned supermarket, and I have to say I was a little intimidated by the complex tasting notes on the label:

Taste: Hops and Malt

Woah there cowboy! Slow down a bit... Hops AND malt?! Christ alive, I better sit down for this one. Sarcasm aside, this is actually brewed by Marstons so it will at least be half decent.

Pours a clear, golden tawny colour with a big foamy off-white head. Great retention and some lacing on the glass throughout.

Nose isn't the strongest in the world, but there is at least a healthy amount of hoppage in there; floral hops with a citrus twist. Sweet malts are evident, but only fleetingly.

Nice bread malts with caramel sweetness and a nutty character at the front end. Spicy and peppery hops in the mid-palate, before finishing with an admirable amount of hop bitterness, grass and pine. Long bitter linger with a touch of sweet malt piggy-backing. Crisp and clean with a good balance of hops and malt.

Medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel, this goes down a treat. For a supermarket brew, this is a top IPA and I was impressed with the level of hop flavour and quality construction. Worth a try.

 

 

Dead Pony Club - Brewdog (3.8% ABV)

I recently had a Brewdog Punk IPA which I loved, despite trying the stuff about 4 years ago and I turned my nose up at it. My palate was a lot less refined then and not accustomed to the hop-heavy craft beers that are en vogue today. So, due to my new found love of Brewdog, I decided I would give their Dead Pony Club American pale ale a whirl.

Pours a clear caramel colour. Frothy ivory head drops to a thin layer quite quickly, but offers some mild lacing on the glass.

Nose is hop heavy; a ton of citrus, aromatic floral hops, oranges, and complex tropical fruits. Hints of malt in there too, but nothing noteworthy.

Upfront, pale and caramel malts give a delicate sweet bread flavour... But the hops steal the show here. Grapefruit, orange & pine are the predominant flavours, with underlying hints of herbs, tropical fruits and oily hop flavour. Finishes crisp, clean and with an almost IPA level of bitterness. Very tasty and refreshing.

Light bodied and goes down smooth. Perhaps a tad on the thin side, but the carbonation levels are spot on, and the hops provide a pleasant level of palate-cleansing dryness; opposed to an acrid 'paint stripping' feeling. I was happy with the balance. Some might suggest that the malt base is too weak (which it might be), but I felt the flavours worked well together, and as the brewer has intended.

Well, this is an impressive brew; endlessly quaffable and with a flavour profile that betrays the meagre 3.8% ABV. If you take the time to read the crap that Brewdog print on the side of the bottle, you would be forgiven for thinking that they were all mad teenagers with anger management problems... Perhaps they are, but they can make a mean beer.

 

Fursty Ferret - Badger (4.4% ABV)

Another Badger brew... Lets see if they can't turn my opinion around this time!

Pours an orange, caramel colour and produces an off-white soapy head. A lot of lacing on the glass throughout, and the head retains itself very well.

Nose is malt heavy with a bread & yeast character, and an underlying toffee sweetness. Fruity aromas (mostly oranges), pine hops and delicate spices.

Up front, the strong malt base comes through. Like the nose, it has a heavy bread flavour to it and moderate toffee sweetness. Slight wood note in there as well. Mid-palate, the orange and citrus flavours come through with a zesty bite. Finishes mildly bitter with spicy hops. Slightly unpleasant mineral and stale hop flavour lingers on the palate which tarnishes an otherwise decent flavour profile.

Medium body, but does feel a bit thin. Well balanced with good levels of carbonation and inoffensive astringency.

Pretty good from Badger, although it is flawed like so many of their beers I have had in the past. I don't know if this suffered from being light struck, but Badger are yet to impress me, despite quite a large catalogue of different brews.

 

Golden Glory - Badger (4.5% ABV)

My reviews have been a tad quiet of late, mainly due a busy Christmas related social calendar and most of my time being spent recovering. However, I must get back to 'work' and drink some more beer... The beer in question today is Badger's Golden Glory.

Pours a glorious, erm, golden colour and produces an off white / yellow head. Really frothy head and gives a ton of lacing and good retention.

Nose is pure peach. Not much else. Faintest hint of pale malts, but it's pretty underwhelming and bland.

Taste starts of with light malts; mild bread & caramel character. Unfortunately, any further complex developments in flavour are beaten into submission by pure peach juice. Finishes with citrus & resin bitterness, with some malt sweetness. Astringency is a tad harsh, but tastes clean and well constructed.

Well carbonated, medium bodied and goes down smoothly. However, it is too dry and that peach juice flavour unbalances the whole brew.

I don't know what to make of this... I shouldn't enjoy it, but I kind of did. On a warm summers day, this would be great with some BBQ grub. But as a specimen of quality English ale, it just doesn't hit the mark; it's bland and about as complex as an un-complex thing. Also, I would give it a miss if you're not a fan of peaches!

 

Old Speckled Hen - Morland / Greene King (5.2% ABV)

Not much to say about Old Speckled Hen, other than it is brewed by the country's most popular brewer, Greene King. This is either a good thing, or a bad thing depending on your views of GK.

Pours a clear auburn, but we knew that anyway as it comes in a clear bottle... Ivory head with a little retention and lacing.

Nose gives off earthy aromas with tons of gently toasted malt and some toffee sweetness. Dried leaves and herbs from the hops are quite prevalent also.

Taste is malt heavy, but at the same time it is a weak malt base; bread and toffee are all that's on offer, but they taste clean and smooth. Develops into wet leaves, dried hops, tea, pine and some herbal notes. Finishes dry with a gentle, clean bitterness with some pine flavour sticking around.

Light/medium body with a thin and watery texture. Carbonation is ok, and astringency is only mild. Good balance with clean flavours.

There is no doubt is a well constructed brew (as you would expect from GK), but there is nothing to keep you interested; In short, it is boring.

 

Christmas Ale - Shepherd Neame (7% ABV)

Ho ho ho! May as well get in to the Christmas spirit with this special edition brew from Shepherd Neame that is brewed with marrow from reindeer antlers, and uses melted snow from Lapland. Unfortunately, only one of those previous facts is true (probably), so it might just taste all other Shepherd Neame brews but with more heat...

Pours a nice bronzed amber colour, which is topped off momentarily by an off-white head; quickly dissipates to nothing though which is disappointing.

Lots of booze on the nose! Smells like Brandy or Whisky. Other than that, there is a decent mix of spicy syrup sweetness and fruit cake.

Well, it certainly tastes Christmassy! Sweet & spicy malt coats the palate which is all intertwined with boozed soaked fruits (raisins foremost) with mild woody notes underneath. More malt on the finish with an unpleasant cloying sweetness sticky to the back of the throat. Hops? Hardly any, but there is a tinge of resin bitterness on the linger. Distinct taste of Brandy/Whisky throughout

Full bodied with dull carbonation and no astringency. Instead, there is an unpleasant sticky, oily coating to the palate throughout which actually required coughing to clear from my throat! Let down by the almost non-existent hop profile which makes it feel unbalanced

Hits the nail on the head with its idea of what Christmas should taste like. Rich, boozy, warming, fruity and over indulgent. However, it's precisely this which proves its undoing. Do I want a beer that makes me feels like I've just eaten a whole Brandy soaked Christmas pudding? No, because that would make me feel a bit sick and I'm not a big fan of Brandy.

Give it a go (as its a seasonal) but don't drink one and expect to feel refreshed.

Pannepeut - De Struise Brouwers (10% ABV)

This Belgium quad is ranked 93 on BeerAdvocate so should be impressive. The previous De Struise offerings I have tried were very good, so I'm sure that this will not disappoint.

Pours a deep, dark mahogany and kicks up a thick tan head. Tons of lacing and retention. Looks 'yeasty'.

Smells of roasted malts, candy floss, toffee and ample amounts of fruity Belgium yeast. Underlying hint of earthy hops. Despite being 10% ABV, there isn't an excessive amount of heat, but definitely enough to make it boozy

Great mixture of flavours in this. Malt up front; toffee, bread, roast and slight woody quality to it. This is all effortlessly complemented by big fruity yeast flavours: perhaps apricots, apples, prunes and peaches? It's really complex though and difficult to put my metaphorical finger on. Really slow before the hop flavours kick in and give resin hop flavour and mild bitterness. Lingers with sugary malt sweetness sticking to the palate. Really boozy throughout, but not excessively so.

Mouthfeel is smooth, slick and full bodied. Carbonation is perfect, and astringency is very low. You would never guess that this is 10%. Some 6% beers taste stronger than this.

It's definitely a top notch brew: complex with bucket loads of flavour and great construction. I love how the hop flavour almost never seems to come, but then gradually creeps up on you. This is perhaps a little too sweet for me, but in terms of flavour, it is a world class brew.

 

Adnams' Explorer - Adnams (5% ABV)

My second in Adnams in as many days, this is a blond ale which fuses English malts with US hops; hence the name, 'Explorer'.

Pours a golden orange and produces a wispy white head which drops in the blink of an eye to almost nothing. Lots of carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass.

Nose give light pale malts with biscuit and honey sweetness. The hops throw out plenty of citrus; predominantly grapefruit.

Upfront taste of clean, pale malts. Biscuity with honey sweetness and a faint fruity yeast. Develops quickly into plenty of hop flavour, first up plenty of grapefruit, then pine and finishes with good whack of bitterness and a resinous linger on the palate. Clean, crisp and refreshing.

Light bodied, smooth and well constructed. Astringency and carbonation levels all seem at the right level.

Good representation of style this and worth a try. There is nothing particularly wrong with it, but at the same time, it feels as if it hasn't really broken the mould, even though it has tried to with its US/UK fusion.

Ghost Ship - Adnams (4.5% ABV)

Ghost Ship is now part of Adnams' permanent range, having previously only been available as a seasonal brew. Finally came across this in the supermarket recently, so I made sure I grabbed a bottle!

Nice looking in the glass. Appears a burnished, golden tawny colour and produces a thick yeasty head with moderate retention and lacing. Lots of big bubbles in the glass too.

Lots of different aromas on the nose. Yeast and tons of complex citrus notes at the forefront, with delicate toasted pale and caramel malts offering up some sweetness. Maybe a whiff of tropical fruit in there too...?

On first taste, I have to say that the malts seem a tiny bit thin. Pale and caramel malts with a yeasty and bready note. Definitely has a woody feel to it, but it's still a tad subdued. Mid palate the citrus hops kick in and give a ton of flavour; really complex but I reckon there is lemon, grapefruit and oranges in there; also a delicate hint of tropical fruit. Finishes with a stale, stewed hop bitterness and a load of that citrus sticking around to give a bitter, dry and pithy finish.

Medium bodied but texture is slightly on the thin side. Carbonation levels were a little heavy at first, but seemed to settle down about halfway through. Balance wise, the malt base is just under par for me, and the finish is too 'puckering'

This brew is in the exact same vein as the Oakham Ales JHB, which I think does a better job than Adnams' offering. I was disappointed by a couple of minor things, but it is still a decent pale ale.

 

St Peters' Cream Stout - St Peters Brewery (6.5% ABV)

This is my first ever 'cream stout' so I'm half expecting something like Guinness mixed with milk...?

Appears almost black; slight ruby hue. Typically mocha head offers good retention and a little lacing

Aroma gives off a surprising light floral hoppiness, milk chocolate and an underlying roasted character. Maybe some dark fruits in there also?

Up front taste of smooth roasted malts and a heavy lactose sweetness, which develops into milk chocolate and toffee. Finishes with coffee, some oily hop flavour and milk chocolate to give a satisfying bittersweet finish.

Mouthfeel is creamy and slick (like full fat milk) with a medium body. Carbonation is a little off-putting at first, but soon settles down. Good balance all round with a nice warming feel from the alcohol.

Not bad this. There is enough flavour to intrigue, but i felt the lactose element was slightly edging on the side of 'overpowering'. Will have to sample further dairy based stouts to compare really.

 

Jeffrey Hudson Bitter - Oakham Ales (4.2% ABV)

JHB is an English Bitter that boasts numerous awards, and is named after some short guy who used to work for King Charles I... Who comes up with these names?

Beer pours a pale, clear straw colour with a frothy white head. Basically, it looks like your average lager...

... But smells nothing like lager! Strong citrus hops; definite orange and grapefruit. Plenty of floral aroma as well. Light malts are also detectable underneath, but this is clearly all about the hops.

Like the nose, the citrus hops are prominent straightaway - loads of grapefruit and orange - with a gentle malt honey sweetness underneath. There is also some herbal and grass notes in there too. JHB finishes clean, dry and crisp with a moderate dose of bitterness which leaves some pine hop flavours lingering on the palate. Very nice.

Light/medium body with a highly quaffable feel to it. Refreshing, with great construction and balance, this is a great effort from Oakham Ales. It's unashamedly hop-heavy with a thin malt base, and is all the better for it.

 

Guinness Foreign Extra - Guinness (7.5% ABV)

Everyone loves Guinness... don't they? Well, It is probably the most famous brew in the world, and for good reason. However, they have a secret weapon in the shape of their 'Foreign Extra' which packs a healthy 7.5% ABV. It's very popular with the Nigerians, apparently.

Appearance is almost black, as you'd would expect, with a mocha head which sticks to the glass like glue. Head is really thick and creamy.

Really strong on the nose. Roasted malts and tons of booze give off a fruit cake and sherry aroma. Plenty of prune and raisin in there to give plenty of sweetness, with hints of coffee in there too.

Upfront taste of roasted malts with an intense coffee flavour. Mid-palate gives off syrup-soaked cherries, prunes and raisins, before a moderate hop bitterness on the finish to balance. Dry finish with a sweet sticky malt and hop flavour lingering on the palate. Heat from the alcohol is prevalent throughout and is borderline overpowering.

A tad thin, but at the same time slick and smooth, this brew packs a full body and lots of warmth. Astringency levels err to the side of 'puckering' and carbonation is as it should be

I'm not sure whether not I should love this or just be moderately impressed by it... It is very different to 'vanilla' Guinness and the booze is a little on the high side. Having said that, it is a well constructed beer with a ton of flavour and great for a cold winter evening. I may just have to try 4 or 5 of these in single session to make up my mind; in the mean time, have 4 stars.

 

 

London Porter - Fullers (5.4% ABV)

I'm slowly working my way through Fullers' lineup, and I have embarrassing never tried their infamous London Porter. I've heard nothing but good things about this one, and its been sitting in my cupboard for several weeks an I've finally decided to crack it open

I looks great. Dark - almost black - with a ruby hue. Nice thick mocha coloured creamy head offers a ton of lacing and great retention.

The nose offers up almost pure dark chocolate, with background notes of cherries, coffee and a sprinkling of dark fruits. Really great bouquet; so far so good.

Wow. This is something special. First thoughts on swigging this beast is the slick, creamy feel on the palate. Great mix of roasted flavours (pale, crystal, brown and chic according to the label) give you a whack of dark chocolate and cherries (cherry chocolate?), which develops into a mildly nutty mid-palate and a ton of complex dark fruits. Rich and sweet. Finishes with a wave of mild hop flavour and bitterness to cleanse the palate. Tons of lingering flavour from pretty much all of the above. Superb...

Creamy, smooth, slick, rich and full bodied. It doesn't get better than this. Carbonation levels are perfect and astringency levels are very low, but enough to clean the palate and leave it gagging for another mouthful.

This is quite simply the best beer I've ever had. It ticks every box and puts all other stouts and porters to shame. Like dark beers? This needs to be top of the list for you.

 

Old Growler - Nethergate Brewery (5.5% ABV)

Old Growler from the Nethergate Brewery is an English Porter brewed in my home county of Essex. Not tried any of their beers before, so here goes...

Appears a very deep, dark brown with a chestnut hue. Very little carbonation results in a lacklustre head, which only offers mild retention and lacing.

Nose offers up plenty of roasted malt, with complex fruits and a ton of sweet, syrup flavours. Quite similar to port wine.

Initial prickly carbonation on the tongue, but flavours give you lots of roasted malt, brown bread, loads of complex dark fruits, and a syrup sweetness to sticks to the palate. Can't detect a great deal of hop flavour in there, and any bitterness that might be there only makes a fleeting visit.

Carbonation at the front end is off-putting, but the full body and smooth texture give this a pleasant mouthfeel. Good clean flavours, but there is something missing from this... It just doesn't seem to pack enough flavour and as a result, it feels off balance.

Not a bad porter. I think I would come back to it, but not in the near future

 

Brakspear Oxford Gold - W.H. Brakspear & Sons (4.6% ABV)

An organic beer from Brakspear with an unassuming label. Never had this before, but I know Brakspear won't disappoint me.

Pours a golden caramel colour with a soapy white head. Head eventually drops to a thin layer, but some decent retention and lacing is on show.

Nose offers up lots of yeasty, bread aromas along with fruit esters: tropical fruit predominantly, along with some citrus. Slight toast to the malt gives a strong whiff of sweet caramel, and there is a faint hint of floral hops in there.

Plenty of flavour on first taste. There is a decent creaminess to it, complimented up front with a healthy dose of honey sweet malt. Yeast and bread flavours are there too, but the hops slowly come to the fore and hit you with a medley of tropical fruits, tons of grapefruit, mild spices and resinous hop flavour.

Good finish with a moderate level of bitterness and a bit of sourness from the grapefruit. Malt sweetness also sticks to the palate to give some balance at the end.

Medium/full bodied with a decent creamy texture and great carbonation levels. Clean and crisp, with a low level of astringency, this is a well balanced offering from Brakspear.

Good rounded brew overall, but may not be to everyone's liking due to the heavy grapefruit flavours, but I enjoyed this one

 

Tribute - St Austell Brewery (4.2% ABV)

My first brew from St Austell, and i have heard good things about them. This brew captures the essential character of Cornwall, apparently...

This brew pours a crystal clear amber colour and produces a thin white head which quickly drops to a thin layer.

Nose gives off a complex mix malt goodness.  Toasted crystal and pale malts give off a burnt toast, and toffee sweetness.  Herbal hops and a slight cream note at the back.

Lots of toasty flavour, burnt toffee with a biscuit flavour give a decent malt backbone to this before the hops kick in; pine, herbs, complex citrus (definite pineapple) develop into a clean, bitter and mildly sour finish.  A hint of stewed, wet leaves slightly spoil the party, but nothing too drastic.

Mouthfeel is medium to full-bodied with a smooth creamy texture thanks to the perfect carbonation.  Dry in the finish, very clean and refreshing with a good level of balance

A very good beer overall and one I will try again.  All I need to do now is find some more of their brews to try!

Old Peculier - Theakston (5.6% ABV)

One of my favourite brews which is ever-present on the supermarket shelves, and for good reason.

This beer looks great - deep, dark mahogany with a cherry & ruby hue and a foamy mocha head which offers some retention and lacing.

On the nose, there is plenty of toasted crystal and chocolate malt giving off a sugary sweet aromas.  Complex fruit character with background hints of cocoa and coffee.  No discernible hops that I can make out.

This is a tasty brew indeed.  Tons of toffee sweetness up front, along with coffee, molasses, liquorice and bitter dark chocolate.  Fruity mid-palate of raisins, cherries and plums coats the palate, before being cooled off by pine hop flavour and mild bitterness and very little astringency.
Beautifully balanced.  The hop profile is hardly going to keep you interested for long, but it compliments the big malt flavours perfectly!

Gentle, light carbonation throughout.  Smooth texture with a full body, Old Peculier goes down a treat. The alcohol provides sufficient heat to the palate to make its presence known, but it is well masked at kept at bay.
A masterful brew that has no faults.  Looks good, smells good, tastes good and feels good...

St. Peter's Organic Ale - St. Peter's Brewery (4.5% ABV)

Nothing pretentious about this brew; A pale ale in a traditional bottle, so no bombastic flavours - just a nice English Ale to enjoy!

Pours a clear, golden orange with an almost non-existent head.

Nose is subdued but offers up some floral hops and some yeasty bread notes.

Taste of light malt with some bread & honey develops into a mildly hoppy finish with oranges, grapefruit, nettles and a hint of bitterness.  Not a great deal going on here, but it's very clean and refreshing.

The hop flavours are not as pronounced as you would expect, but its still enjoyable.

Medium bodied with a good texture and there is very little astringency or carbonation.  Leaves the palate coated and feeling refreshed

Well, its about as complex as a Kinder Egg toy and the malt / hop profiles are subdued, but I enjoyed this as its very refreshing and quaffable.  Give me 4 or 5 of these on the bounce and you won't hear me complain

Spooks Ale - Shepherd Neame (4.7% ABV)

Shepherd Neame... Purveyor of standard beers... This is what you are often presented with when reading their tasting notes;

This beer scared the shit out of me!

'Malty and hoppy with a bitter finish'

Really?  Aren't all beers like that?
However, this Halloween ale has a more robust profile (according to the tasting notes anyway), so it should not be as forgettable as their non-seasonal brews...

Looking at the glass upon pouring, there is a big soap-suddy off-white head with a ton of lacing throughout.  Dark amber in appearance, with some mild opacity, there are lots of spooky bubbles rising to the surface...

Nose offers up a complex mix of fruit (plums definitely), roasted malt with a caramel and sugary candy note.  Hops?  Nah; can't smell any to be honest, but it smells alright nonetheless.

On tasting, there is a harsh blast of carbonation which isn't the best way to be introduced to a beer, but the flavour does then come through:  First you get that plum flavour, then roasted malt with a cracker & biscuit flavour.    Some caramel sweetness in there as well.  This is followed up by nuts, dried leaves and earthy hop flavours.  Finishes slightly dry with only a mild linger of malt ; bitterness is hardly there - mild at best.

Body is light and thin which is disappointing... It does get some creaminess as it warms up, but it still fails to provide a sufficient texture.  Astringency levels are Ok, but that initial harsh carbonation is a let-down.  Despite the above, it feels balanced and clean.

Rear of the bottle states 'Huge citrusy, hoppy Bitterness'... You lie, Shepherd Neame!  However, the flavours aren't too bad and provide a welcome change of formula for SN.

Greene King IPA Gold - Greene King / Morland Brewery (4.10% ABV)

Greene King (in the UK at least) is synonymous with the IPA brand and, until now, the only beer of theirs that I would have been able to name, would have been 'IPA'.  So IPA Gold is their relatively new foray into the bottled beer market.  Hopefully it is better than boring old 'IPA'.

Very clear and vivid appearance of golden caramel.  Decent white foamy white head offers only mild retention and lacing.

Aroma is... interesting: Lots of stale hops - slightly vegetal - and some skunkiness.  However, there is mild redemption in the form of honey, complex tropical fruits and some faint malt sweetness.  Faint whiff of lager at the back.

On initial tasting, there is a confusing muddle of flavours, with no real balance.  There are definite tropical fruits in there, with some citrus pith.  Malts give you some honey sweetness and corn flavour, before a frankly unpleasant metallic dryness strips the palate clean and lingers for far too long with more stale hops.
Not the best taste in the world... Tasting notes on the bottle mention spice, but it was about as spicy as a Korma, although there was maybe a touch of white pepper.

Body is medium, crisp with smooth carbonation - thumbs up in this department... However, as mentioned, that metallic/stale bite at the end just makes you wince, and the wacky balance doesn't help either

To be honest, I am not disappointed in this, as I was half expecting this to be crap and it was.  I'm not sure who this would appeal to, but I won't bother with it again.

Newcastle Brown Ale - The Caledonian Brewery Company (4.7% ABV)

My first review in a week, thanks to a potentially lethal dose of man-flu (I was literally at death's door!), but thankfully I am feeling better now.
Newcastle Brown, or 'Newky Brown' as it's more affectionately known, is an ale that you can buy in pretty much any pub in these parts... Unfortunately, it is always served in a bottle at ice-cold temperatures. Well, regardless of what the bottle says, I did not drink this ice-cold, but only slightly chilled.
On a separate note, I have just noticed that this bottle is 550ml, as opposed to the standard 500ml.  50ml free!  Sweet!

Anyway, the appearance is obviously brown, although auburn would be a more poncy term to use.  Wispy off-white head with no real retention or lacing.

The nose is a tad off-kilter; slightly skunked hops with hints of wet leaves and some very mild floral notes.  Quite earthy overall, with some toasted malts coming through gradually.

The taste gives you plenty of those earthy hops.  Again, its got tons of wet leaf with some spice and very mild citrus.  Malts are not overly prominent, but do enough to balance with caramel sweetness and faintly detectable milk chocolate.  Mildy dry and bitter finish with not much linger at all to be honest. There is a mild metallic bite at the back and something odd which I cannot put my finger on.... Maybe stale wheat??

Mouthfeel is slightly watery.  No real or texture to this, but it is strangely enjoyable and easily drinkable.  Body is light/medium with decent balance with a inoffensive carbonation level.

Plenty of earthy flavours, but its got no real depth or complexity to it.  I wouldn't call this bland, but it fails to get the taste buds tingling.  However, I did enjoy it - with a tinge of guilt.  Very good for getting pissed whilst out on the town.