Masham Glory -Theakston (4.7% ABV)

Masham Glory is a 'Tesco Only' beer that has an unfortunate name that sounds like some sort of euphemism. Never had this before, but Theakston can be trusted to deliver a good brew.

Pours amber with a small white head. Nothing out of the ordinary really. The nose, however, is quite out of the ordinary... Cooked orchard fruits, bananas and raisins with a spicy sweetness and some mild floral hops. Quite weird; I'm not sure if its a nice smell or not.

Taste offers up more cooked apples and plenty of banana flavour with some toffee sweetness. Almost tastes like banoffee pie. Malt flavour is barely evident, and the only real hops flavour is a boring resin bitterness which lingers for approx 0.1 seconds. The whole thing is a mess that tastes stale, boring and without any real malt or hop presence.

Mouthfeel doesn't offer much solace. Wet, thin with boring carbonation.

Really disappointed in this. It tastes like some shitty homebrew gone wrong. The BB date is 10 months away, so that's not the problem. It was just too fruity, and the fruit flavour didn't blend well - and it doesn't help when said fruits taste & smell stale & funky.

King Goblin - Wychwood (6.6% ABV)

This is Hobgoblins bigger brother which has a very similar ingredient list, but with a higher ABV. Only brewed on a full moon as well, apparently, which would through up all kinds of logistical problems if it is indeed true (which it probably isn't... but I wish it was)

Pours a dark amber with a slight opacity to it. Wispy white head disappears almost instantly which is typical of most Wychwood beers I've had in the past.

On the nose, the roasted malt kicks up tons of sweet caramel and toffee with booze soaked dark fruits. No real hops detectable

First taste follows the nose; roasted, earthy character with caramel biscuits and toffee. The fruits kick in soon enough with plenty of fig, prune and date flavour wrapping around the tongue with a healthy lashing of warmth from the booze. Develops into hints of roasted chestnuts, with plenty of evidence from the Fuggles giving dried leaves, tea and some pine. Linger of sweet, sticky, chewy malt with just enough gentle hop bitterness to offer some balance and finish dry.

Full bodied, rich and warming with a chewy feel on the palate. Carbonation is a little prickly, but the dry finish is welcome. The hops do just enough to reign in the malt monster, but they don't have enough of a presence to keep you interested very long.

Not bad. I think I prefer Hobgoblin as the sweetness of King Goblin is too much for me, but I will come back to this when I need a nice warming brew.

 

Brooklyn Lager - Brooklyn Brewery (5.2% ABV)

Another new brewery for me, and this from a New York based outfit that was founded in 1987. Pours amber with a wispy white head which offers plenty of lacing. Some light opacity when held up to the light.

Nose gives plenty of hops suggesting tropical fruits, some citrus with sweet, bread malt underneath.

Up-front taste of bready malts with a mild caramel sweetness and a distinctive lager tang. Hops kick in and deliver plenty of flavour with straw, pine, grapefruit and mangos. Clean, cleansing bitterness with resin, and lightly-spiced orange zest linger on the palate.

Light/medium bodied with smooth carbonation and, for a lager, a relatively chewy mouthfeel. Finishes with a dry, clean crispness which makes this for very easy drinking.

It's a decent brew, and I imagine it would take most 'Lager Boys' by surprise.

Waggle dance - Wells & Young (5.0% ABV)

I forgot this beer even existed until I saw it for sale in a local pub a few weeks back, and I managed to track it down in a supermarket.

Pours a Honey colour with a thick, frothy white head. Loads of carbonation rising up from the bottom.

Nose gives you grainy malts, a biscuity-honey sweetness, herbal and slightly skunked hops with a slight touch of citrus.

Light malt flavours suggesting raw grain, cereals and the lightest of honey sweetness. Hops don't deliver much in terms of flavour, but notes of pine needles, thistle and nettles make themselves known, with a very mild bitterness. Hardly any linger on the palate.

Crisp and clean with a light/medium body. Very little astringency and brisk carbonation. There isn't a great deal going on in this beer, it just feels as if there is something missing from the malt base, as it just doesn't taste right to me, and the honey flavours are very slight and hardly noteworthy.

Disappointing from Wells & Young.

American Double IPA - Brewdog (9.2% ABV)

Bought this at random several days ago, and didn't really pay attention to the brewer. Turns out that this will be my second Brewdog IPA in as many days. I completely missed the watermark logo on the label as well.

Anyway, this is another IPA, but an 'American Double'.

Clear amber colour with a wispy yellowish head which doesn't stick around for very long; drops to a halo quite rapidly.

Nice complex nose, with lightly toasted pale and crystal malts, giving plenty of burnt toffee aromas. Hops deliver the obvious grapefruit with a boozy punch bowl of tropical fruit.

Tons of flavour in this one which changes by the second on the palate; really complex... Hot cross buns, toffee, caramelised figs and prunes which develops into a mix of citrus, mango and more cooked caramel flavours. Thankfully, the sweetness is balanced out by a howitzer of bittering hops which impart oily, floral hop flavours and some delicate spice. Lingers with some of the caramel and toffee, which eventually dies down, but the hop bitterness seems to stay around forever! Beautiful.

Thick, chewy mouthfeel with a full body. Carbonation is spot-on and the finish is quite dry, but not unpleasant in any way. The construction and balance of this is fantastic, and the ABV masterfully is disguised, but you know it's there as it slams the intense flavours into the mouth, but without any of the unwelcome acrid or sulphurous side effects of some high ABV brews.

Very surprised by this. I was expecting very little, but Brewdog & Tesco have pulled it out of the bag and delivered a brilliant IPA which hits you with liberal amounts of bitterness and sweetness. Well done.

 

Punk IPA - Brewdog (5.6% ABV)

You have to love Brewdog for their assumedly drug-fuelled brain-storming sessions in which they come up with the ludicrous notes on the side of the bottle. They never cease to amaze and baffle me in equal measure. Punk IPA is Brewdog's flagship beer, and a very popular one.

Honey coloured with a decent frothy, off-white head. Lots of lacing throughout on the glass.

Nose is citrus fruit galore, with lemon zest, grapefruit and pineapple which is accompanied by gentle undertones of pale malt aromas

Malt offers a biscuit base with some mild honey sweetness, which then develops into a ton of hop flavour which doesn't really deviate too far from what you can pick up with your nose; it's a citrus party and they're...erm... all invited. Nice crisp finish with only a moderate amount of pine bitterness. I would have thought that the IBU's would be a tad more aggressive, as it doesn't taste as bitter as an IPA should.

Brisk carbonation, nice dry finish and light bodied. Highly quaffable character to this, as it goes down very smooth.

It's a decent offering from Brewdog, but its nothing special in a flooded IPA market. Much preferred Dead Pony Club

 

Gunhill - Adnams (4.0% ABV)

I need more Adnams in my life... I've only had a couple of their beers, so I made a conscious effort to buy as many as I could. Pretty sure I got 4 or 5 from the local supermarket, and this is the first one I'm going to try. This is your standard English Bitter, with a modest ABV.

Dark cherry, walnut coloured body, with a frothy off-white head. Good retention and lacing. Looks very nice.

Nose is a bit weak, with a faint waft of malt with just enough cherry and red currant fruit aromas to make it worthwhile.

Weak malt base with a smokey mix of lightly toasted biscuit and honey. Mid-palate, the dark chocolate blends with definite cherry, a bit of raisin and a touch of citrus. Finishes with earthy hops flavours of pine and dried leaves. Some of that dark chocolate lingers and collaborates nicely with the hops to give a nice bitter cocoa/hop linger with a touch of cherry.

Thin mouthfeel with prickly carbonation, with a moderate level of astringency. Not great from Adnams, but the flavours are clean, fresh and well balanced.

However, the malt base is too weak, and the mouthfeel falls short of what I would expect from Adnams. Would have possibly benefitted from a higher ABV, or being bottle conditioned.

 

Winter Warmer - Brentwood Brewery Co. (4.7% ABV)

This 'winter warmer' is infused with orange and ginger, and comes from Brentwood Brewery. Features an ominous picture of something on fire... perhaps this is going to super spicy.

Looks decent enough in the glass; clear amber colour with a yeasty off-white head which gives some lacing and retains itself pretty well

Aroma of toasted pale and crystal malts, spicy grass and some yeast. Not much ginger or orange of note unfortunately...

On the first sip, there is plenty of malt flavours with a yeasty backbone. Definite earthy character to this with toasted brown bread, tea and a gentle caramel sweetness before the hops kick in. Hops deliver some spice, straw and an odd, stale resinous bitterness. Long linger with a metallic tang, and definite nuttiness with plenty of that yeast sticking to the palate. Orange and ginger? Not really. Perhaps there is a smidgen of ginger in there, but I couldn't get the slightest bit of orange.

Mouthfeel is thick and creamy with a full body. Little astringency of note, and the smooth carbonation contributes to the creamy body.

Not a bad beer, but too unbalanced for me. The yeast is too much and overpowers the other flavours, but the lack of any ginger, orange or warmness make this neither wintery or warming.

 

312 - Goose Island Beer Co. (4.4% ABV)

Couldn't resist another Goose Island beer, after their IPA was so deliciously lovely, and this wheat ale looked like a good choice. This is an 'Urban Wheat Ale', apparently, but I have no idea what makes it 'urban'. Perhaps it's the addition of concrete, smog and kebabs... If you're wondering why it is called 312, then I'm afraid I can offer no explanation, as the bottle doesn't give any background... However, a quick Google search reveals that it is the area code for downtown Chicago, the home of the brewery.

Pours relatively clear, and kicks up a modest foamy white head, considering the abundance of carbonation that is visible. Dark straw in colour, with a touch of haziness.

Nothing exciting on the nose, but some grain, cereal and wheat are clear with a mellow toasted sweetness. Overcooked / stewed hops are detectable, but without any redeeming fruitiness or other trademark hop aromas.

For some reason, I expected this to taste like a German Weizen, but it is actually just a pale ale! Light malts are there; biscuit and honey sweetness with wheat flavours clearly evident. Grapefruit, pineapple and lemon kick-in mid-palate, with a hint of cream soda. Some pine hop flavours and gentle bitterness on the finish. Linger is not very lingery at all, as the flavours quickly desert the palate.

Light bodied, light carbonation and no real astringency to it, which is disappointing as there is good balance between the malt and hops, offering sweetness & bitterness in equal measure; albeit slightly meagre measures. The beer does have a pleasant creaminess to it, but at the same time it is too thin (if that makes sense)

The wheat doesn't really add anything special or 'whacky' to the flavour profile, which is ultimately disappointing. It's a shame as it does taste alright, but would I buy it again? Probably not.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (7.2% ABV)

I have officially fallen in love with US craft beer, after only sampling a handful in recent weeks. On top of that, I can't get enough of IPA's at the minute, and the pretty flavours that come with the hop-heavy presence. I've heard very good things about this one...

In the glass, a hazy burnished amber colour greets you, which is capped off by a sumptuous head of creamy foam. Tons of lacing on the glass. Looks mighty fine!

Typical nose: floral hops aromas of grapefruit, orange zest, grass, honey and oily hop loveliness.

Wow, there is certainly a heap of flavour packed into this. A sweet, toffee malt base is accompanied by grass and straw flavour at the front end. The malt sweetness manages to fight its corner when the grapefruit and zesty orchard flavours wrestle your tongue to the canvas. Hops continue to develop, and end with pine, some spice and oily resins. Bitterness is moderate to high, and lingers hand-in-hand with the malty goodness.

Carbonation is top drawer and it manages to create a palate coating, creamy mouthfeel. Full-bodied, with gentle astringency on the finish, this is perfectly constructed and balanced. This is so packed with flavour, and I am amazed how to malt complements the hop onslaught with such success. Best IPA I've had thus far.

 

Lumberjack - Brentwood Brewery Co. (5.2% ABV)

Offering #2 from Brentwood Brewery, and this one is a good ol' English Bitter with Fuggles and EKG hops, which gives an indication of what they are aiming for. Lets hope it delivers...

Looks beautiful in the glass. A clear chestnut colour, topped by a thick off-white head. Decent retention and lacing.

The nose isn't too bad. Toasted pale and crystal malt area in there and give a pleasant bready, caramel sweetness. Earthy, leafy hops are in abundance and there is a slight hint of stewed vegetal aromas.

Straight of the bat, the palate gets a good dose of oily hop bitterness which is keep buoyant by a malty, caramel sweet backbone. Nice woody character, with the malt and hops mingling nicely on the tongue. Develops into resinous, gently spiced earthy hops; then some mild citrus on the finish. Moderate amount of bitterness from the hops, which lingers for ages with some malty goodness.

Medium/full bodied with a nice dry finish, this brew has a nice smooth texture thanks to the gentle carbonation. No prizes for complexity, but BBC have set out to create an English Bitter, and they have executed it brilliantly. Malty, hoppy and bitter-sweet.

Goose Island IPA - Goose Island Beer Co. (5.9% ABV)

Venturing back across the pond tonight with a Goose Island India Pale Ale. After the success of the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale that I tried a couple of months back, I have to say that my perception of American beer is not the same as it was. Lets see how this bad-boy turns out...

Slightly hazy in appearance, with a golden orange colour. A thick yellowed head retains itself very well and gives great lacing.

Hop-heavy nose with an abundance of floral hops and grapefruit. Gently toasted malt is in there underneath the hops. Smells very nice!

Straight away, the hops are there with tons of oily, resin flavours and a pithy bitterness which coats the palate. The fruity character comes through with definite grapefruit, and gentle hints of rhubarb and gooseberry. Hefty dose of hop bitterness in the finish, with more oily hop flavours. Malt biscuit flavour and gentle honey sweetness just about manages to keep the aggressive hops in check and bring balance to it all. Very crisp and refreshing!

Medium bodied, with gentle carbonation and a little astringency. The alcohol is almost completely hidden and doesn't taste like its almost 6%. With an easy drinking character, this a fantastic example of an IPA. Some may be unhappy with the down-trodden malt backbone (which is arguably weak), but this is brilliant and I want some more!!

 

Chockwork Orange - Brentwood Brewing Co. (6.5% ABV)

Brentwood Brewey Co. is a brewery that's been going strong since 2006. They produce a good range of robust beers which are available in many Essex-based pubs and Supermarkets. This one is a dark ale that gives a strong hint as to its flavour profile, thanks to an unashamedly gimmicky name.

Pours a deep, dark brown and briefly produces a yellow-ish head which sinks to a thin halo.

On the nose, booze soaked fruits and bready yeast are hidden under a sucker-punch of chocolate, caramel and more booze.

Roasted malt and burnt sugar are complimented by bitter dark chocolate and orange flavours. Plenty of heat from the booze which helps bring out the flavours. Mid-palate, fruity yeast esters suggest black currants, lemon and more orange; hints of chocolate & coffee liqueurs also come out. Finishes dry with spicy hops, powdery cocoa and a sweet malt linger... Perhaps a hint of nuttiness as well? Very little hop bitterness of note.

Full bodied and immensely warming thanks to the prominant heat from the alcohol. Slick, oily feel on the palate at first, but ends powdery with a puckering astringency. Good level of carbonation.

Did I mention the booze? At 6.5%, this certainly isn't a session ale, but I would have hoped for better masking of the alcohol, as it seems to take centre stage at every step. Having said that, the chocolate orange and warming fruit flavours seem to blend really well. This is a well crafted ale, which is definitely best suited to be drunk in conjunction with a nice meal.