REVIEW - Silver Top Cream Stout

Beer - Silver Top
Brewery - Old Dairy Brewery
Strength - 4.5%
Type - Cream Stout

While my esteemed tasting colleague, Mr Debenham, steams through the Kentish brews in this years Real Ale Festival, I thought I'd cover some old loves, and some new favourites. I've done a Bitter, an Amber Ale, and a Pale Ale in the last few days, so this time I've gone for a good British Stout.

Old Dairy Silver Top Cream Stout
 The label quotes "... a Beer to Ruminate over!" which is right on the money.

It's got a very smooth drinking texture, and an equally smooth taste to match. It's very silky, almost like cream, and is one of the more satisfying Stouts I've tried. Old Dairy have used 3 Malts, and 2 of their classic hops (Challenger and Bramling Cross), to craft this Stout, and the outcome definitely agrees with my taste buds. It has a very rich smell, and a sweet taste (almost like toffee) that is complimented by the hints of bitter coffee, and a very slight liquorice undertone. 
The only critique I have is that it may be slightly unimpressive, that is to say it doesn't jump out as anything special.

That being said - A 'sit back and contemplate' brew, that I quite enjoyed. If you ever get the chance to get this on tap I highly recommend it, but it's almost as good bottled so don't be put off.

p.s I know Tom is planning on reviewing some more Old Dairy before the festival is over, so keep your eyes open

  GDBS - 9

Review - Muzzleloader

Beer - Muzzleloader
Brewery - Musket Brwery
Strength - 5%
Type - "Winter" ale (Ruby ale)

The real ale festival is in full swing and I've realised I have yet to review one of the new real ales I've tried this year round - and so I'm pleased that this fine ruby ale is my first from this year's selection! 

Musket brewery are a brewery in their teens, having been run by two married couples who met at a church choir some time ago. The brewery is named after the strong military tradition in the area of Maidstone they are based in (Linton). All their beers are named after military terms.

This beer is labeled as a strong Kentish ale and as with most dark ales, the fruity flavour of the beer stands out foremost, but it doesn't overperform the smokey taste derived from the cedar logs used in the brewing process. Much like the process used to produce Innis and Gunn but with less maturing time, the beer is enlivened with a rich flavour from the wood and works well as a winter ale. At the same time, the smokey flavour works fantastically with BBQ meats and freshly cooked grills, so makes for a solid summer ale as well!

The citrus flavour is minor and hides behind the smokey and bitter flavours of the ale, and is not outstanding in the fruit flavours, so as a subtle hint in the flavour, the beer doesn't make full use of the orange flavours it describes. None the less, it provides a deep and enjoyable bitter flavour so was still very enjoyable. 

                                                                      GDBS - 8

Review - Piraat Beer 10.5%

Beer - Piraat
Brewery - Van Steerberge
Strength - 10.5%
Type - Strong Pale Ale

There's a lot of people who, having seen my drinking preference, have begun to guess drinks that I might like, so I have to thank Sully from the bar staff at the Swan and Mitre in Bromley for bringing me this ale as a gift. 

Brewed by Van Steerberge brewery in Belgium, it follows a series of similarly strong beers made by the brewery, including the blonde beer Duvel, brewed by the brewery in an Abbey setting. The brewery has a lot of experience in brewing strong beers so my sights were set high with this beer.

The beer itself has a strong hoppy flavour, and hits the palate subtly at first with it's intense depth of flavour that develops as you progress through the drink. When drunk directly from the bottle it has a thick bubbly texture but when poured properly into a small glass it has the perfect smooth and drinkable texture that garners it's high ratings and rave reviews. Covering a wide range of flavours behind the hoppy kick the beer fulfills all the requirements of a strong ale - it is full in flavour, having been refermented for depth of texture as much as taste, but does not move in the direction that many stronger beers move in and have an overpowering taste of alcohol. The beer is well rounded and is in perfect keeping with it's powerful brothers.

This beer goes well on it's own and was a perfect companion to a large roast lamb dinner. The hoppy flavour is high grade and therefore would be one to save for times where beer appreciation is in order, and NOT for drinking on the average night out. A high grade beer like this needs to be enjoyed on it's own, and I can guarantee that you should leave a fair period of time after drinking it if you plan on trying other beers, it's strong flavour is described as "overpowering" for a reason.

                                                                      GDBS - 9

Review - Blandford Flyer

Beer - Blandford Flyer
Brewery - Badger
Strength - 5.1%
Type - Pale Ale

I'm a big believer in Badger, a brewer from just outside Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
In 1777 Charles Hall founded the Ansty Brewery, and it soon became a local favourite. In 1847 Hall's Great Grandson partnered with financial backer George Woodhouse, to keep the brewery alive. Woodhouse was a famous advocate for local brew, and so the company was renamed Hall and Woodhouse (and still is to this day). In 1875 the Badger logo was introduced, and became a well known trademark throughout Dorset and the South West. Because of this, when a new brewery was built in Blandford in 1900, it was named after the logo that the patrons had come to know, and so was born Badger Brewery.
The Hall family still own Hall and Woodhouse to this day, and as well as Badger Brewery they also run other local brewery's, such as King and Barnes.

Now that the history lesson is done I'll move onto the beer itself!
A smooth and refreshing EPA, the Blandford Flyer is a unique Ale. An above average Pale Ale pushes itself in a different direction to other EPA's, due to it's unique ginger flavour. Don't mistake this for alcoholic ginger beer, the Flyer still has a great ale taste, but it is complemented and improved upon by the ginger body. As you'd expect the ginger follows through to the aftertaste and continues to refresh.

Not an Ale I'd have on a night out, but one I would be extremely content with relaxing on a deck in the sun.

                                                                      GDBS - 8

REVIEW - Doombar

Beer - Doombar
Brewery - Sharp's
Strength - 4.3%
Type - Amber Ale

I had heard a lot about Doombar so I was happy to finally get my hands on a bottle. I have heard this described as an Amber Bitter but I find that it has as much in common with a good Bitter as a bumblebee.

It's dark golden in colour, and light in flavour, and has a boastful fruity taste. So fruity in fact that any hints of depth or fullness in flavour are almost completely masked.
It's not all bad though as it is very refreshing, and is not too sharp despite the fruity taste. It may complement a lazy Mid-summer afternoon well, but there are other ales I would rather sit in front of the grill with.


                                                                         GDBS - 6

                               

REVIEW - Sneck Lifter

Beer - Sneck Lifter
Brewery - Jennings
Strength - 5.1%
Type - Bitter


I discovered this relatively unknown ale completely by accident, and I am sure glad I did.
This is a bit of an acquired taste, but for a bitter fan, such as myself, it is a treat.

It's very dark, and bitter sweet. It's got a bit of a kick and a lasting aftertaste, and has an extremely pronounced flavour.
It's got more than a hint of coffee undertones, which only enhances the rich, colourful taste. The only downside is that it can be a bit harsh, and doesn't have the smooth texture of other bitters.
On the whole, a very deep, and fulfilling flavour that I would recommend to any man that likes the stronger ales.

Curiosity -
I was very curious indeed about the unique name of this dark ale, and after a quick read of the bottle I found out the meaning!
A sneck is one of the old fashioned latches on pub doors, therefor a sneck lifter was supposedly a gentleman's last sixpence that he would use to lift the sneck, and buy his last beer with! (I wish an beer was still a sixpence)

                                                                      GDBS - 7

REVIEW - Craft Czech Lager

Beer - Craft Czech Lager
Brewery - Hobo Beer + Co.
Strength - 5.1%
Type - Lager

Sitting at a show in Camden, I found myself perusing the beer selection and came across this can. I rarely drink beer from the can unless I'm at a music festival or some sort of party - generally speaking, canned beer sucks, even on the craft beer level.

So this surprised me by being a pleasing little brew. A warm earthy flavour with a bitter aftertaste, it was an enjoyable drink. It's unfortunate it isn't as thirst-quenching as its lager brethren. It leaves you feeling moreish but unjustifiably so - it has no distinct flavour beyond the strong bitter taste.On the plus side, it tastes very crisp due to the maintenance of the Hobo Beer + Co.'s own specialist Czech yeast.

I'd drink it again, and I'd give it a try if you've lost faith in canned beers like myself - but to improve I could see it using more of the barley flavour that it attempts to add with the addition of Moravian barley. Overall, the blend of hops is confusing and distracts too much from the yeast and barley flavours. Still - a good lager from a young company!

                                                                       GDBS - 7

REVIEW - Balik Beer

Beer - Balik Beer
Brewery - Caviar House & Prunier
Strength - 11%
Type - Strong Lager

A bizarre find, this beer is brewed according to a Russian recipe by Swiss caviar pruniers. So you'd expect it to have a distinctive taste to match up with it's bizarre story. It delivers this fantastically with a beautifully dark bitter taste while retaining the refreshing effect of the average lager. The flavour at first hits the back of the tongue and then spreads across the palate creating an incredibly enjoyable effect. At first the 11% ABV will scare off few but the most intrepid beer lovers - but I can guarantee this beer is as easy to drink as the average generic tap beer. 

The beer is designed to go with fish meals - as you'd expect from a caviar house - but I happily enjoyed it with a fresh Chinese meal. The only drawback - it can only be bought in person from the Caviar House & Prunier stall inside Harrods for £7 a bottle. I heartily recommend adding it to your list - it's rare to find such a refreshing, crisp and powerful lager.

                                                                       GDBS - 10

REVIEW Innis and Gunn Original

Beer - Innis and Gunn (Original)

Brewery - Innis and Gunn

Strength - 6.6%

Type - Golden

Innis and Gunn is one I've been itching to review. A fantastic golden beer, the beer is brewed over American Oak and so retains the toffee and vanilla flavours of the wood grain. As such, it is a deep flavour, but equally it isn't an aggressive or overpowering flavour. It's mellow taste is incredibly enjoyable and delightfully refreshing, and the malty aftertaste is very enjoyable. 

The hoppy flavour is subtle but enjoyable within the folds of the oak flavours, and make this beer very simple, but enjoyable mellow and fantastically easy to drink. As suggested by the bottle, it will go well with steaks and mature cheeses, probably due to the fact that oak is often used to smoke meats and cheeses as much as it is used to flavour fine Scottish beers!

Interesting fact -  the oak flavour is due to the use of old scotch oak casks being used to house the beer for exactly 77 days! The beer fails the brewmaster's test if it is held for too short a time in the cask as it is deemed to have not been given access to the full flavour of the oak.

GDBS - 9

COMING SOON - Innis and Gunn LIMITED EDITION Bourbon Stout Review