Fuller's Vintage 2012

Fuller's Vintage Ale 2012
Style: Barley Wine
Alcohol Content: 8.5%
From: Chiswick, London, United Kingdom
Purchased From: Noble Green Wines, Hampton Hill, United Kingdom

http://www.fullers.co.uk/

A little while back me and Kev attended the Great British Beer Festival, and some time that afternoon, twitter informed us that Fullers would be tapping their most recent vintage ale. I got all excited as my 3rd was poured and went into raptures as it slipped down a treat- a definite highlight of the day.
Today, as I was browsing in Hampton' Hill's Noble Green Wines, I was elated to spot this on the shelf: Fullers 2012 Vintage Ale. Judging by my previous experience at the festival I put it in my basket immediately! It's been brewed with three of 2012s finest hop varieties: goldings, sovereign and target, which have been combined with yeast and organic barley from Nelson Park Estate in Wiltshire.

And now for a description of a brewery that is very close to my heart; Fullers. Fullers reside in Chiswick, London (a mere fifteen minutes drive from my home) and have been brewing on the site of their Griffin brewery since the sixteenth century. Not only do they brew a fantastic range of beers, they also own 380 pubs with over 168 of these being located within the M25. In fact some of my earliest drinking memories involve drinking a pint of their London Pride in the Red Lion pub in Staines.

The Griffin Brewery now produces a range of 10 core beers which includes their flagship London Pride and their multi award winning ESB. As of 2013, the brewery produces 215,000 barrels of beer per annum and their biggest export market is Sweden (this is very interesting considering the Swedish Market is very heavily regulated).

Colour: Pours a clear deep amber, with low effervescence. The head quickly runs to the side of the glass. The bubbles emanate slowly from the bottom of the glass, and unless you looked for them, you'll think this beer had gone flat.

Aroma: Rum soaked raisins dominate the aroma, with a base of banana and walnut loaf. Smells like a rich fruit cake with a definite sweet edge. You can really get a good sense of the alcohol content from a good whiff too.

Body: Full bodied and clings to the back on the tongue- that low level of carbonation really tickles the mouth pleasantly. Lovely!

Taste: The smells translate in the taste. It's bold and rich, with a stodgy fruitiness, a bit like a dense stollen. Definite banana notes, and rum soaked raisins. The alcoholic content sits well within this beer, with its age coming through in whiskey tones. Notes of caramel and toffee are also present but come through more on the aftertaste: It's lovely and warming- a great one for bonfire night! The more I drink, the more my cockles warm, leaving a slight tingling behind on my lips. I have to admit that it does not live up to the 2014 vintage, but nor does it lag behind either. A solid effort, that is enjoyable in itself, especially on a winter's, blustery, dark nights.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/anchor-brewing-old-foghorn.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/sharps-quadrupel.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Great British Beer Festival 2014

Great British Beer Festival 2014

So last Friday i took the day of work to visit the UK's biggest beer hodown ,the perennial classic known as the Great British Beer Festival. Normally i get so drunk at this festival i never quite remember what i have had to drink, however this year i decided to make a concerted effort to document my beer intake. So let see what i swallowed down my pie hole shall we?

Arbor Ales Yakima Valley
Loaded with American hops; they used twice as many hops as they put into their imperial IPA, then dry-hopped with another few Kilos.

Beef Says "What a great way to start the GBBF! Citrus and mango notes dominate from the get go. The finish is long and dry to perfectly balance the sweet mango notes. Arbor have blown my mind yet again. Top stuff!" Rating: 8

Adnams Topaz Gold
Medium bodied, hints of apricot and lychee hopped with Australian hops; bitter with a crisp finish.

Beef Says; "Normally, I quite like Adnams beers but this is a real let down. Really thin body with nominal notes of the apricots and lychee. I drank this so quickly as I thought it was a glass of squash" Rating: 3

Stumblefoot La Grassy Monk Belgium IPA
Caramel, biscuit malts superbly balanced with an earthy hop bite and juicy citrus. Grapefruit citrus aroma and flavour.

Beef Says; "The worst beer of the day. I could taste none of the above flavours and all I could taste piss vinegar. It tastes more like a lambic than an IPA. What a let down." Rating: 1

After a series of disappointing drinks I picked up an equally dull/flavourless ostrich burger. I hung my head in shame as I picked up slices of plastic cheese to add a bit of flavour to my burger. After moaning to Emma, I decided to play it safe and visit the Czech/Germany bar. Hopefully the Reinheitsgebot will restore faith in this festival.

Schumacher Alt 1838
Fantastic Alt with a deep malty flavour which carries through to the finish. One is never enough!

Beef Says; "Hallelujah, my day has been saved by my first Alt experience. I have never had anything like this this before. It's like drinking toast, butter and jam. Beautifully malty and perfectly balanced. Hell yeah I'm going back for more!" Rating: 9

Portobello White
Brewed with fresh cherries, this wheat beer has low bitterness and flavours of banana, clove, and just a hint of cherries.

Beef says; "Very smooth and perfectly balanced. The cherries lurk in the background and add a tart sweetness to the finish if this beer. Very enjoyable and went perfectly with some chocolate truffles". Rating: 8

Brains Craft Brewery Goedian Knott
An American style 'West Coast IPA' with big hop flavours and bitterness.

Beef Says; "Normally, I love any beer created by the Brains craft brewery, however, this was a let down. Instead of the big hop flavours I was presented with notes of bread and subtle hints of citrus. Reminded me more of a bitter than a West Coast IPA. Real shame". Rating: 6

Windsor and Eton Conqueror
Intensely flavoured black IPA brewed with dark malt but generous amounts of hops for a lingering, complex bitterness.

Beefs says; "Whilst waiting in the queue for the opening of this years Fuller's vintage, I noticed that one of my favourite beers was on sale on one of this years bar. Without haste I ordered a third to enjoy the upfront citrus notes this beer offers. The follow though of the sweet chocolate notes helps to round the drink of perfectly. Great drink to waste a few minutes with whilst queuing for the main event". Rating: 9

Thornbridge Jaipur
Complex, bitter IPA with a fine blend of citrus and grapefruit flavours with a lingering bitter finish.

Beef say; "You always know what your going to get with Jaipur. I love the perfect blending of juicy grapefruit flavours and a mild bitter hop finish. Very smooth and extremely drinkable, the perfect counterpoint to the incoming glass of Fuller's Vintage. I have read numerous articles suggesting that Jaipur is not the drink it once was. Personally, I still think this drink has a lot to offer and I feel that the current trend to hop beers to death has caused people's palates to change and thus expect more from this beer". Rating: 8

Fuller's Vintage 2014
This year's release of Vintage Ale - we are expecting spicy citrus fruit with malty sweet biscuit but we won't know until the casks are opened.

Beef says: "Finally, it's time for the MAIN EVENT!!! This years Fuller's vintage really hits the spot. This barley wine is full of citrus notes on the nose followed by sweet molasses and toffee on the tongue. Much more enjoyable than last years high octane addition. A real drink to savour and well worth the half an hour wait". Rating: 9.5 (Beer of the Day).

Pelican Silverpoint IPA
Blend of Sterling, Fuggles and Meridian hops, focusing on herbal, floral, spicy and tangerine like characters.

Beef says; "After the disappointment of the stumblefoot, Pelican Silverpoint helped to restore my faith in the US beer on offer at the GBBF. Beautifully hopped to produce aromas of spiced oranges. This also translates to the taste complemented with delicate hints on soft elderflower. I really enjoyed this beer and I wish managed to drink it earlier in the festival (my memory of my day becomes slightly hazy at this point)". Rating: 8

Geeves Captain Gingerbread
Naturally hazy pale wheat beer infused with ginger; spicy refreshing and with a hint of citrus.

Beef says; "The warming ginger is perfectly counter pointed by notes of tart lemon. Spicy on the nose and tongue, this is a perfect winter warmer for people who do not like dark beers or those with a high alcohol content". Rating: 7

So that was my GBBF for 2014 and I must say, this was the best of my three visits so far. The increase amount of seating was a welcomed addition, as was the theming of the event (as a circus). The pricing remains the same as in previous years and the range of beers on offer is superb. However my two gripes would be the food and the lack of London based breweries. Whilst I'm not expecting gourmet cuisine, when I pay over five pounds for a burger, I'm expecting something better than a cheap, smooth "Tesco value" esc. burger. The addition of Meantime, Kernel, Partizan and Brew by Numbers would help to heal the wounds between both the craft beer and real ale communities. Here's hoping for next year!

Good Day, Good Sir!

East London Brewing Foundation Bitter

East London Brewing Foundation Bitter

Style: Bitter

Alcohol Content: 4.2%

From: Leyton, London, England, United Kingdom

Purchased from: Beer Boutique, Putney 

http://eastlondonbrewing.com/

So it would appear that spring is here again. Kids in shorts and flip flops are now multiplying by the day and the clocks have finally “sprung” forward to herald the start of yet another great British summer. This spring is however different. This spring, brings the birth of the first baby among my close friends. Whilst I am over the moon about the upcoming arrive, I can’t help but think I'm getting older and moving into another stage in my life. Talk nappies and houses have replaced talk of ladies and shots. Our hair continues to thin and waists grow ever larger (no matter what products/diets we use to try and fight it). As my hairline recedes, one thing that has improved with age is our appreciation of good beer.

So whilst visiting a beer garden on Saturday, I took great joy in speaking to my oldest friend about the various beer styles and how they are created. He was shocked to hear that Budweiser actually use rice in their recipe. So as we washed down our splendid lunches with a few pints of Fuller’s ESB, I thought to myself how lucky we are to have such an amazing choice of beers right on our doorstep. With this in fresh in my mind, I decided to open a bottle of East London Brewing Foundation Bitter and reflect on my disappearing youth and look forward to all the changes ahead of me.

East London is a small independent brewery based in Leyton, London. After both deciding to give up their day jobs, Stuart Lascelles and Claire Ashbridge-Thomlinson set up their 10-barrel plant in February 2011. While for most people juggling a young family and an embryonic brewery would prove to be insurmountable task, the dynamic duo rose to the occasion and produced their  first batch of ELB pale ale six months later. Due to their tenacity the brewery was able to stay open and eventual expand into the unit opposite in May 2013. Its well documented that good things come in small  packages so let’s see how their Foundation Bitter tastes shall we.  

Colour: Pours a deep, rich chestnut brown with a small white head which will lace the glass beautifully on every sip. Personally I would prefer a larger head on my bitter but that could be down to my dodgy pouring.

Aroma: As soon as you pop the cap, you will feel like you have walked into a bakery just as the loaves are removed from the oven. A baker’s dozen of aromas will rise to meet your nostrils. Fresh baked brown bread and yeast are present from the outset. After a few minutes in the glass, slight hints of sweet citrus can be detected which helps to round out the aroma profile perfectly.

Body: This drink is remarkably light/thin for a bitter, which actually makes it very thirst quenching. However as soon as you swallow this beer you will notice a high amount of clogging on the back of your throat. Although this sensation is not unpleasant, it will certainly force you to slow down and enjoy your pint. For me this is a hallmark of how a good bitter should be drunk; slow and with great company.  

Taste: I always find the Bitter style very interesting. Although the name suggests the drink should be so overall bitter that you won't enjoy it , I personally find that most bitters have a relatively low IBU (International Bittering Units). So I was pleasantly surprised to find that my bottle of Foundation was actually rather bitter in the mouth.  Upfront notes of brown roasted malts provided a taste similar to that of brown bread or roasted hazelnuts. The finish of this beer is very intriguing, with a large amount of bitterness which is underpinned by a slight, sour lemon edge. I was rather taken aback by this a first and it did take quite some time to get used to. That being said, this sourness helps to create the “thirst quenching” edge which sets this bitter apart from the crowd.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/moor-beer-company-merlin-magic.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/urthel-hop-it.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Sharp's Quadrupel

Sharp's Quadrupel

Style: Quadrupel

Alcohol Content: 10%

From: Rock, Wadebridge, Cornwall, UK

Purchased from: Beer Boutique, Putney 

http://www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk/

Last Tuesday, I attended the UK Beer Academy’s one day foundation course in the Draft House near Tower bridge. My prime aim for my visit was to expand my insight into the UK brewing industry and gain my first qualification in subject. I won't lie to you, I was rather nervous. This sensation left me very quickly once I met my fellow students and our remarkable lecturer Ian Swanson. With over 30 years of experience and knowledge behind him, Ian schooled us in a variety of subjects ranging from the brewing process to good pub management. Obviously, a beer course would not be complete without any social lubricant and the Beer Academy were more than happy to oblige. In total we sampled thirteen beers ranging from a rather bland Carling to the excellent Fuller’s Golden Pride.  

Then came the moment of truth, the test. Feeling rather tipsy, I surprisingly rattled though the questions with great ease and handed in my paper after only fifteen minutes. We then all retired to the main bar for yet another drink and more banter. So in summary, if you are thinking of purchasing the foundation course, then please do. You will never see beer in the same way again and it’s a great way to meet some new beer chums. I will be definitely attending the advanced course later in the year.  

But the big question is did I pass? Well I’m still waiting to find out  but have no fear you will be the first to know when/ if I do. Onto the review.

Sharp’s Brewery first opened its doors back in 1994 as a small microbrewery. Back then, Sharp’s owner Bill Sharp, could not of imagined how his company would grow to be one of the UK’s largest independent breweries. After years of posting healthy profits, Moors Coulson acted quickly and snapped up the brewery for a princely sum of £20 million back in 2011. The merger appears to be a match made in heaven as Sharp’s flagship bitter, Doombar has now become the largest cask ale brand in Molson Coors' portfolio and indeed the UK.  However, the subject of this review is not their famous Doombar, it’s actually their Quadrupel Ale which forms part of their Connoisseurs Choice range.

Colour: Pours a dark ruby red with an amazing two finger deep bubbly white head. Rather unfortunately, this dissipates extremely quickly leaving no trace of its existence after a couple of minutes.

Aroma: Beautiful notes of sweet caramel or molasses dominate the nose. Eventually this gives way to hints of chocolate orange and very faint hints of the 10% alcohol. The use of four hops help to create a beautifully perfumed beer. The Centennial, Simcoe and Aurora hops help to produce the citrus notes whilst the Hallertauer and chocolate dark malts fuse perfect to give the sweetness. Truly remarkable.

Body: The mouthfeel of this beer is very full and extremely sticky. It's almost like chewing on a creamy toffee. The warming alcohol will then cut through to wash over your palate leaving you with a clogging sensation on the back of your throat. A drink not to be rushed that's for sure.

Taste: Big bold flavours of spiced rum dark fruits like currants and sultanas. The taste really reminds me of my Nan's fruit cake that she makes every Christmas. Very faint hints of chocolate and molasses lingers in the background like the big bad wolf. Extremely sweet and sticky at first but as the drink warms, the slowly receding fruit notes will then give way to the warming alcohol and a mild bitter finish. Excellent stuff and well worth all the accolades that it has received over the past couple of years. I had heard a vicious rumour that Sharp's were planning on ceasing production of the Quadruple later this year. Let's hope for all it's fans this is not true.

A simple label hides a complex beer

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/moor-beer-company-old-freddy-walker.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/petrus-aged-pale-ale.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery