Hobgoblin - Wychwood Brewery

Hobgoblin is a beer I have been drinking for several years now, so I know its character pretty well... But I am yet to review iet - so here it is!
This is an English Ale which, at this time of year, bills itself as the unoffcial beer of Halloween... whatever that means.  Anyway, it comes in at a respectable 5.2% ABV

The beer appears a dark copper, ruby colour which is nice and clear.  The mild carbonation gives a small fizzy off-white head which drops to nothing pretty quick

On the nose there is a complex mix of roasted caramel malt, biscuit, cracker, dark fruits and some mild chocolate.  Slight hint of the booze coming through at the back end.

The taste starts off with a whack of the roasted malt, giving a sweet blend of caramel and chocolate.  Notes of biscuit are also there.  Mid-palate, dark fruits (figs and plums), some vanilla, marmalade and booze come in, before a mildy bitter and citric finishes things off nicely.  There is some linger, which is mostly some bitterness with a touch of dark fruit sticking about.

Mouthfeel is smooth, with low astringency, good carbonation levels and is full bodied.  It's well balanced and the alcohol provides a welcome warming feel
Overall, I was half expecting not to enjoy this, as I have had it so much in the past; but, it is still the malty, sweet brew that I have loved for so long
90% - Very good

Farmers IPA - Maldon Brewing Co.

This is a local beer that I managed to pick up from a nearby zoo!  This is from the Maldon Brewing Company; an IPA coming in at 3.6% ABV

The beer pours a cloudy, walnut colour with a light head providing some good lacing and retention

On the nose, there is definite yeast (this is bottle conditioned), bread, floral hops and some fruit esters.

Initial taste of lightly toasted caramel malt, with bread and yeast.  Mid-palate, the chocolate malt provides a bitter-sweet, roasted feel to the palate.  The taste then finishes with a decent dose of hop bitterness with mild citrus.  The linger is bitter, with some of the chocolate malt sticking around.  Very enjoyable.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth & easily drinkable.  The only let down is the high level of astringency. Leaves the palate too dry for my liking.

Overall, this is very well balanced, well constructed and enjoyable brew from a local brewery.  I will have to get some more of these the next time I go to the zoo!
85% - Good

Chiswick Bitter - Fuller's

This is an English Bitter from Fuller's, coming in at a meagre 3.5%
Poured from a 500ml bottle into a goblet

Appears a clear, golden caramel colour with a gentle fizz present.  Little to no head; thus providing not head or lacing

The smell is distincively hoppy with floral and resinous notes.  Mild bread, caramel, honey & grass make up the rest of the aroma, which isn't the best.

On the tongue, there is an initial taste of bready, biscuity malt with some caramel and soda water.  This quite rapidly gets pushed aside by the hefty hop infusion which delivers moderate bitterness and some pine and resinous notes.  Finishes with very little bitterness, and the linger is distincly bland

The mouthfeel is masked at the front end by an initial, overly fizzy feel which masks the malt taste; and it is a little on the thin and wet side.  Feels slightly unbalanced with not enough of malt backbone to balance the powerful hops.  However, it is crisp and refreshing with an easy going light/medium body.

Overall, this isn't great from Fullers.  The more I drink, the more depressing it becomes.
I probably wouldn't come back to this if I'm honest.  However, the beer delivers exactly what it says on the label, so you cannot fault it for that.
65% - Poor

Duvel - Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat

Here it is... My favourite beer at the moment, and the one that prompted me to start this blog!
This Belgium pale ale comes in at a hefty 8.5% ABV, and is in a 330ml bottle.  Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

In the glass, it appears a pale, clear straw colour with plenty of carbonation.  A giant fluffy head slowly drops to a thin layer, but provides some decent lacing.

On the nose, big-Belgium yeast is the main attraction, giving off some mild banana and clove.  Pale malt, citrus and mild floral notes complete the bouquet.

The taste starts off with yeast, sweet grainy malt and a full-on dose of the 8.5% booze, which is warming and   in no way astringent.  Mid-palate develops into a hoppy mix of floral notes, citrus (Lemon and Grapefruit), mild tropical fruit, moderate bitterness and some spice - perhaps ginger?  Finishes mildly bitter with a refreshing citrus bite.

The mouthfeel is smooth, with Champagne-esque carbonation.  Perfectly balanced, refreshing, crisp, easily drinkable and surprisingly low astringency levels despite the high ABV.

Overall, this beer is almost perfect...  Oh wait a minute... It is perfect
100% = Perfect

Abbot Reserve - Greene King / Morland Brewery

A quintessential English ale from Greene King, this specimen comes in at 6.5%
Poured into a pint glass

Appears a clear, ruby, copper colour, with a big off-white head and decent retention & lacing

The nose is a little subdued.  There is a woody aroma, with malt and plenty of toasted caramelly-ness.  Not much else detectable...

The taste of caramel malt - slightly syrupy - is the initial sensation, which then develops into definite smoke, wood and tobacco, with the alcohol clearly prevalent.  Then develops into plenty of dark fruits with cherries, figs, raisins and some added apricot?  Finishes with a moderate floral hop notes and bitterness

Mouthfeel is medium/full bodied with moderate astringency, but leaves the palate a little wet and feels somewhat chewy.  It's not unpleasant, but it's not ideal

Overall, this is a decent enough beer, but its just too 'meh' for me.  The tasting notes mention fruit cake, but other than the fruits, there is no 'cake' detectable... Its neither complex nor unique and just leaves me feeling underwhelmed; considering this is a 'Reserve' offering from Greene King...
75% - Average

Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Oak Aged Beer - Innis & Gunn

This is a rum infused beer from Innis & Gunn, who's products I've never tried before, so here's hoping they're something special.  This 330ml bottle comes in at 7.4% and is poured into a goblet

Appears a deep copper, ruby colour with mild carbonation and a thin head which drops to nothing

On the nose, there is an initial dose of dark fruits - figs, plums, raisins - and syrup.  There is a faint wiff of malt.  The rum comes through at the back

Well, apparently this is 'rum infused'... It tastes like pure rum! (Maybe I'm exaggerating slightly...)
Initially there is some strong toasted caramel malt, which quickly develops into spicy, sugary dark fruits.  Mild vanilla also detectable.  The alcohol and taste of rum then takes over and overpowers everything else.  Rum and spice linger.  Hops are barely detectable.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation, mild astringency and feels smooth.  The mouthfeel is the best thing about this 'beer'.  It is far too unbalanced and the flavour profiles do not seem to mix and fluctuate unpleasantly.
If you like rum and beer, then this is probably a dream come true; but this is not appealing to my palate... as I don't like rum
60% - Poor

Samuel Adams Boston Lager - Boston Beer Company

This is my first foray into 'craft lager'
I generally have an aversion to anything classed as Lager, as I it normally a tasteless, grainy, boring let-down... But here's hoping that SA can change my somewhat narrow perspective on Lager, which is confined to Euro lager and some US macros...

This is a 330ml bottle, coming in at 4.7%.  Poured into a goblet

Appears a golden orange colour with moderate carbonation.  Clear, with a delicate head which drops to a thin layer, but manages to retain this small head throughout and gives some mild lacing.

Well, this is certainly a different lager to anything I have smelt before!  Sweet, bready malt, grass with some oranges and lemon/grapefruit.  Some spice, floral hops and splash of booze at the end.

This is tasty!  Sweet bread (almost like brioche) at the front end with some slight toasted notes of caramel.  Quickly develops into definite oranges, mild grapefruit and strong floral hops.  Finishes with a bitter sweet linger, and hints of cinnamon?  The hop bitterness strikes a great balance with the sweet malts.

Mouthfeel is smooth, crisp, refreshing with moderate carbonation levels.  Medium bodied with a pleasant bitter sweet linger.  Mild astringency

This is a top notch lager.  Wish I had bought more than 1!
95% - Excellent

Black Cab Stout - Fullers

My first stout review.  This is a relatively new release (Feb 2012) and a welcome addition to the supermarket shelves, which just seem to stock Guinness or Murphy's most of the time.
This 500ml bottle comes in at a respectable 4.5%, and is poured into a stemmed tulip glass.

The appearance is an opaque black with a frothy toffee coloured head.  Good retention and lacing.

On the nose, there is strong roasted malt with coffee, dark chocolate, some mild nutmeg and hop aroma is also detectable

The taste up front gives you a dose of the roasted crystal and chocolate malts which give off bitter dark chocolate and burnt coffee.  This develops into a mildly nutty mid-palate, with some sweetness.  Finishes with the bitter coffee/chocolate linger, mixed with some mild hop bitterness and maybe a mild cherry note?  The hops do well to balance the strong malt onslaught at the front end, but the linger is a tad too astringent

Mouthfeel is smooth, velvety, medium bodied but a shade too astringent

This is a very good stout, but any more than 1 in a sitting would be too much.  The astringency is a disappointment, and there is not a great deal of complexity... but then again, it is a stout!
Would most definitely buy again though in the right circumstances
85% - Good

Trappistes Rochefort 6 - Brasserie de Rochefort

A Belgium Strong Dark Ale coming in at 7.5% (!)
Poured into a stemmed tulip glass

The beer pours a beautiful dark auburn colour with am off-white foamy head.  Cloudy, with little carbonation present.  Good head retention with mild lacing

This beer smells very complex... Yeast, malt, slight toasted notes with caramel and plenty of alcohol.  Hints of citrus, dark fruits, aniseed and hops.

The taste is equally complex.  Strong yeast with bread and caramel upfront, quickly develops into butterscotch, aniseed, slight nuttiness, molasses, figs and raisins.  Finishes with some hops, citrus and a splash of alcohol.  Hops provide enough bite to sufficiently balance the sweetness, but only just!

This mouthfeel is medium/full bodied; gentle carbonation; slightly slick feeling and well-balanced.  Dry finish.
Another quality Belgium beer that is super complex and is up there with the best, but there was alot of sediment in my glass, depsite my constant 'swishing' of the glass
90% - Great

Cider? Cidre?

My first post that isn't about beer...

No, it's about the ugly cousin of beer; cider
I don't like the stuff, mainly because I have an inherent hatred of it from the constant hangover it imparted upon me whilst in my teens.

Also, the recent upsurge in popularity that cider has experienced has come hand-in hand with the apparent insistence that it must come with ice.  This, of course, only applies to the 'Whetherspoon brigade' of young drinkers chugging on Bulmers, Koppaberg and the like, and not the country bumpkins who drink proper cider, which looks like a mixture of motor oil and bleach

Any-who, my whole point in this post was to vent my anger at the whole Stella Artois 'Cidre' advertising campaign which I hate with all my being...

The whole thing is pretentious, overbearing and an insult to proper cider; But nothing less can be expected from Stella, as pretty much all their previous advertising screams 'We're better than everyone else!'

Playing devils advocate though, there can be nothing better than an iced drink on a swelteringly hot day, and a glass of room temperature ale isn't always welcome during such weather.  But, 'Cidre' is a gimmick which I can't abide and it seems the clever marketing chaps at Strongbow thought the same...

Utter genius...

Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier - Spaten Franziskaner Brau

A fancy looking 500ml bottle of German beer, with 5% ABV

Poured into a *ahem* Franziskaner weizen glass

The appearance is typically 'Hefe weiss'; Big foamy head, golden straw colour, cloudy and plenty of carbonation present.

On the nose, big German yeast gives off plenty of banana & cloves with some wheat and bread also evident.

The taste is delicious - Delicate wheat, sweet bread and grain develops into definite banana and clove.  Finishes sweet, with more clove, coriander and maybe some apple.  There is barely any bitterness from the hops.

The mouthfeel is smooth, refreshing, carbonation levels are perfect, very mild astringency and it has a light/medium body.  Despite the lack of hop character, it feels well balanced and is a good example of a German Hefe.  Endlessly drinkable
85% - Good

ESB - Fullers

An English 'Extra Special Bitter' at 5.9%
Poured into a goblet

Appearance is a clear burnt orange, copper colour.  Almost no head present, so therefore no lacing.  There is an initial fizz as the beer is poured, but there isn't much carbonation evident

On the nose, there are strong woody, earthy notes with hints of toast, marmalade and dried leaves.

The taste is pretty good.  Hearty malts produce sweet caramel with wood, biscuit and some nutty notes.  Mid-palate there is a decent punch of orange marmalade with some spice (coriander, ginger) and this develops into a strong hop bitterness with a slightly resinous and acidic feel.

The mouthfeel is light/medium bodied - even though the label professes that it is full bodied - carbonation is a tad prockly at first, but settles after a few minutes.  Good linger, mildy astringent and crisp

This is a perfect example of an ESB; It's well-balanced, there is a strong malt backbone and the hop bitterness is pleasant and not overbearing.
90% - Excellent

Poachers Choice - Badger

An English 'Winter Warmer' ale coming in at 5.7%
Poured into my Old Speckled Hen glass

Appears a Tawny/amber colour with a frothy, light-toffee head.  Good head retention, some lacing.  No carbonation evident

The aroma is slightly biscuity, but mostly rich and sweet smelling with some complex dark fruit notes.  Almost smells like undiluted blackcurrant juice.  No hops as far as I can smell...

This is a very rich beer...  The toasted malt comes through initially with some biscuit and caramel, then quickly moves into a sugary liquorice mess.  Very little bitterness from the hops...
Finishes with dark fruits - plunes, plums, raisins, currants - and some more liquorice...

This is full-bodied, rich, smooth brew with little carbonation.  However, the sweetness is cloying throughout and needs more bitterness to balance it out.  Or just remove some of the sweetness!
I was enjoying this at first, but the sweetness is now overbearing.  Probably nice if you only had a 3rd of a bottle though.
55% - Poor

Courage Directors Superior Ale - Wells & Young

This is an English Bitter, coming in at a modest 4.8% ABV

Poured into my Old Speckled Hen pint glass

In the glass, this is a lovely golden auburn, with almost no carbonation present, but a decent fluffy off-white head which stays on top throughout.  There is some lacing, but not much.  Held up to the light, this is crystal clear.

The aroma is great with an abundance of pale malts and roasted crystal malt in the background giving off some caramel/toffee.  Plenty of spice in there too and dried hops come through strong

Initially, the malts give off toast, bread, caramel and some yeast.  This develops into a strong nutty mid-palate which is sweet and spicy and the hops give off a good level of bitterness which helps balance the sweet malts.  The finish is also spicy with some cinnamon, herbs, resin, orange marmalade and some mild citrus (Lemon and/or Grapefruit) giving a good bite.  Linger is spicy, sour and bitter

The mouthfeel is a tad watery, but it is crisp, clean and very well balanced
This is a quality English Bitter and you won't go far wrong with this
85% - Good

Blanche Des Honnelles - Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs

A Belgium Witbier coming in at 6% ABV.  Poured from a 330ml bottle into a tulip glass


Appears a cloudy honey/tawny colour, and the thin champagne-like head drops quickly.  Decent lacing

The aroma is predominantly of apples, with some wheat, yeasty fruity esters and mild toffee

The taste up front is wheat, bread, yeasty and there is some toffee from the crystal malt.  This moves into a fruity mix of cooked apples, bananas and tropical fruit.  Finishes with a floral and herbal linger; acidic and hints of sourness .  Mild bitterness.

The carbonation levels are quite fizzy; medium/full bodied; mild astringency and finishes crisp.  Easily drinkable

This is an unusual beer that is very sweet.  Beeradvocate classes it as a Witbier, but it doesn't taste like one in my opinion.  I would try this again, just because of its unusual nature, but its nothing outstanding
70%  - Average

De Graal Blond - Brouwerij De Graal

Poured into a tulip glass
This is Belgium blond pale ale

The appearance is a hazy, honey colour with a  thin white head.  Decent carbonation with some lacing

The smell is a little funky; yeasty with some lemons and grapefruit, with hints of lemon.  Maybe some stewed hops and leaves... Can't really smell much else

The taste is better than the smell.  Pale malt gives of a sweet bread flavour and the yeast is evident too.  This moves into a hoppy bitterness with spicy, floral notes and some orange peel.
Finishes sweet & sour with the yeast and lemon / grapefruit

The mouthfeel is a bit thin with barely any astringency.  Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

This is an average Belgium pale ale; nothing really wrong with it, but nothing really of note or special.  Worth a try though if you come across it
70% - Average

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying

Poured into a goblet

Appears a very deep dark brown with a mahogony hue.  Little to no carbonation.  A small toffee colour head quickly drops to nothing

Strong smells of dark chocolate, liquorice and coffee from the roasted malts.  Some dried dark fruits in there too

On the tongue, the strong roasted malt is the winner with dark chocloate, liquorice, coffee, caramel and molasses.  Mid-palate there is some mild hop bitterness which balances the flavour and delivers some lovely fig, plum, raisin and date esters.  Finishes with a sweet, yeasty, mildy bitter taste.

The mouthfeel is smooth, slighthly oily with light carbonation and a long linger.  Medium/full bodied.
This is a great doppelbock - Malty, sweet, well balanced and easily drinkable
95% - Excellent

Gauloise Blonde - Brasserie Du Bocq

Poured into a tulip glass

Appears a clear golden honey colour with a decent frothy head.  A little lacing.  Sounds like champagne when it initially hits the glass, so there is a lot of carbonation in there

On the nose, there is some yeast, straw, pale malt and a faint smell of overcooked hops and wet leaves.  Slightly syrupy as well.  However, having let this warm up a bit, there is much more coming through - cloves, spices and dried fruit make it more appealing

Initial flavour of straw & yeasty esters, which moves into deeper, warm spicy flavour with some cloves.  Only slight bitterness from the hops
There is some stewed hops in the mid-palate, but it finishes pretty decent with some sweet/sour from lemon, apricot, honey, and a sweet yeasty linger.  Not too dry

This is medium bodied, with good carbonation, although it is a little too thin and watery... it's much better when it is at a slightly higher-than-fridge temperature!  It is pretty average, but wouldn't avoid it if I can across it again
75% - Average

Gouden Carolus (Hopsinjoor) - Brouwerij Het Anker

Poured into a goblet
Looks good - a hazy straw colour with a big fluffy head, which quickly sinks.  Good lacing.  No carbonation evident

On the nose, the sweet yeasty bread is at the forefront.  There is also a hint of pepper, cloves, banana and other spices.

Wow - this is a nice beer.  Very sweet cookie-dough malt at the front, moves into a spicy, solvent, fruity flavour (apple, faint banana, cloves and white pepper) and finishes with a bitter, sour taste of lemon and a sweet yeast linger; slightly floral.  The alcohol is present throughout, but is sufficiently masked
This is very sweet, but the strong hop presence cuts in to counter-act and provide a good balance.

On the tongue, the carbonation is a tad heavy, but this is a smooth, medium/full bodied brew with a good linger.  Pleasant, dry finish and well balanced

This is a great Belgium IPA!
85% - Good

Erdinger Weissbier - Erdinger Weissbräu

500ml bottle poured into a Franziskaner weizen glass.
The beer looks great.  A lovely hazy golden straw with a thick white head.  Slighty hazy.
Tons of bubbles rising up from the bottom.  Plenty of lacing

The smell is somewhat dissapointing.  There is some grain giving off sweet bread and some biscuit; with a slight resinous note from the hops, but its all very subdued

Sweet grain and bread at the front quickly gives way to some mild hop bitterness and spice.  Finishes with dried fruits (apricots and lemon).  Lingers with a sweet yeastyness which isn't unpleasant.  I tried looking for the signature cloves and banana... if they were there, they're very well hidden,

The mouthfeel is where the beer excels.  Smooth, light with a medium body.  Carbonation levels are perfect; good linger

Overall, this beer is a decent Hefe-Weizen, but its not as good as the WeihenStephan
Its balanced, but the flavour is too weak.  Very, very easy to drink though - could easily sink a few of these
75% - Average

Tiger - Asia Pacific Breweries

Bought at the Shell club in Corringham; came in a 330ml bottle and poured into a tumbler

It appears a very pale straw colour, with tons of carbonation, and small white head which quickly dissipates.  Doesn't look immensely appetising...

It smells of... not much.  There is some faint corn and grain, with some pine from the hops

This beer tastes pretty bland - up front, there is grain and sweet corn.  Slight chemical taste mid-palate and finishes with some pine & stewed veggies.  Mild bitterness throughout.

Thin, medium bodied, crisp, but too heavily carbonated for me.  On a hot summer’s day, this would be perfect, but otherwise it is too bland & uninspiring.  Having said that, for a mass produced adjunct lager, this isn't bad
60% - Poor

Victory Ale - Batemans

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass

Looks good - a nice copper/auburn colour with little carbonation.  Small head dissipates quickly.  No lacing

Not much to smell here really.  There is some toffee from the malt coming through, and a slight whiff of dark fruits and stewed leaves, but not very complex

Tastes better than it smells.  The malt provides a sweet toffee and biscuit flavour, and the hops kick-in mid-palate with plums, raisins and leafs (almost a tea-like taste...).  Finishes with a peppery/herbal flavour.  Plenty of bitterness from the hops throughout.

This is a well balanced, medium bodied ale.  Slightly dry (but not excessivly so) and easy to drink

Overall, this is a decent beer, but nothing special
70% - Average

Boondoggle - Ringwood Brewery

Yes, another Ringwood brewery offering.  Hoping it's better than their previous effort (Old Thumper)

Came in a clear bottle and served in a pint glass
Pours a golden honey colour, akin to apple juice, as it is also perfectly clear.  Little carbonation with a decent frothy white head

On the nose, the sweet malt is evident, giving off some yeasty/biscuity aromas.  Hops give off plenty of citrus.

At the front end, the sweet (oh so sweet) bready, biscuity malt gives way to the some yeasty notes and plenty of hop flavour in the mid-palate.  Finishes with plenty of lemon and grapefruit hop flavour, and decent bitterness.  Not very complex, and quite bland...

It feels a little too dry on the finish with a slightly unpleasent solvent feel, but is refreshing.  Thin/medium bodied.
Like the Old Thumper (also Ringwood), this is average and not something I would rush out to get again
50% - Poor

Old Thumper - Ringwood Brewery

Serving Type - Bottle

This beer pours a nice, deep copper colour - clear - and with a decent frothy beige head.  Some bubbles present, with some lacing.  Typical english ale appearance to be honest

On the nose, there is definate toasted caramel malts, with some nutty/leafy notes.  You can smell the fruit from the hops (raisins, oranges) and there is plenty of alcohol in there!

It tastes a little unbalanced to me.  There are sweet, toasted caramel malts, with some nutty leafy notes, but the bitterness and dryness from the hops is too much.  Also, the alcohol is not masked enough and is far too evident for a 5.6% ale.  Finishes with some tarte citrus from the hops and sweet malt, but the linger is far too astringent
The mouthfeel is a tad buttery, but with good carbonation and a medium body.  Not much linger, other than dryness

Overall, this is disappointing and too unbalanced for my taste
45% - Very Poor

IPA - Greene King

Served on draught at the Honey Pot

Appears a clear golden honeycolour with a 1 finger thick, creamy, frothy head.  Good lacing

Smells of... not much really.  Some bready malt, but mostly hops and a bit of citrus

Nutty, bready malt up-front giving some sweetness, then plenty of hops mid-palate providing a dose of bitterness.  Finishes with some citrus from the hops, but doesn't linger around too long.  Can't really taste the alcohol, but at only 3.6%, I wouldn't expect to

Thin, light bodied and not too dry.  Could drink quite a few of these easily

Overall quite bland.  It's well balanced, but there isn't much going on
55% - Poor