Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn

Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn

Style: Barley Wine

Alcohol Content: 10%

From: San Francisco, California, USA

Purchased from: Beer Boutique, Putney, United Kingdom
http://www.anchorbrewing.com/

A while back, me and Kevin decided to spend a lazy afternoon "researching" at one of our favourite pubs, The White Horse  in Parsons Green. After a few opening beers, he tried a cracking Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar and I indulged in a warming Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn Barleywine. Now there are not many beers that stick out in my mind that day (due to the quantity!), but this was one of them. Since that day, we have scoured each and every beer shop we've visited for it but to no avail, until last wednesday when Kev surprised me with a lovely bunch of flowers and- you've guessed it- the highly coveted Old Foghorn Barleywine. What a guy!

Upon researching this beauty, it transpires that Anchor Brewing comes from San Francisco and is apparently Old Foghorn is handmade in small batches, following a Ye Old English recipe. This was the very first Barleywine style beer to be brewed in the US which helps to make it a pretty appealing. According to their website, all three malt-mashes are needed to make just one barley wine brew, and they only use the "first wort" which is the 'first runnings' of said mash. I am intrigued to see if this beer still stands up to my fond first impressions of it- so lets have a try!

Colour: This beer pours a murky mahogany colour with a tan head. The head disappears quickly to the sides of the glass, and the cloudiness clears to a reveal a rich, ruby red depth.

Aroma: This beer smells like autumn and it takes me a few seconds to work why. It reminds me of Halloween Toffee Apples and the slight smokiness of Bonfire Night. Notes of spices, orange and rum soaked raisins emanate from its surface.

Body: It has a gentle level of carbonation which washes the flavours from the front to the back of the tongue pleasingly. You can feel it coat the roof of your mouth and warm your insides. The alcohol is not overwhelming despite its high content, and blends perfectly with the dry finish to this beer.

Taste: Spicy, sweet notes of cinnamon, toffee and rum-soaked raisins dominate the palate. This is a great after-dinner beer, or perhaps even a mid-afternoon beer, as I can see it going very well with a slice of carrot cake. The malty sweetness cuts through its dry edge and culminates in a beer thats very easy to drink indeed. The taste of the alcohol is still there, but just serves to give it an extra 'kick' in my opinion. By the end of the bottle I am smiling and remembering just why this beer has been on my wish list for some time now. If I was giving out gold stars then this would get one for sure!

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/nogne-o-100.html
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/redchurch-brewery-soreditch-blonde.html

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

Fordham Wisteria Wheat

Fordham Wisteria Wheat

Style: Wheat Beer

Alcohol Content: 4%

From: Dover, Delaware, United States of America

Purchased from: Beers of Europe

http://www.fordhambrewing.com/

This week I have been on a little break down to Kent, which is otherwise known as the garden of England. Whilst there, I kept thinking to myself, what a beautiful place this will be in the summer. Full of flowers in full bloom and birds singing in the trees, while I enjoy a refreshing pint in the garden. Quintessentially English you would say. With this in mind I fancied a beer that captured the essence of summer. So upon browsing the beers of Europe website, I can across Fordham's Wisteria Wheat. With its colourful label and excellent write up, Wisteria Wheat sounded like the beer I was looking for. So let's get involved.

You have to hand it to Queen Anne; she knew way back in 1703 that you couldn't start a colony without good local brews. That’s why she asked young Benjamin Fordham to start a brewery in the new port of Annapolis. Almost 300 years later, Fordham brewing was re-born in the heart of Annapolis in 1995. With the ever-increasing demand, this frothing Fordham giant was more than the small brewery could handle. In an effort to provide more people with brews, the plucky staff grabbed their recipes and moved Fordham to its new castle in Dover, Delaware. In 2007, Fordham merged with Old Dominion brewing company under the holding company Coastal Brewing Company.

Not quite Wisteria Lane

Colour: Pours a deep straw almost copper colour. There is no head which is slightly disappointing. I guess all that travelling across the Atlantic put hed to that. The beer is also very clear when you compare it to German Weiss beers but there is a slight hazing in the glass to tempt you in.

Aroma: As you would expect, big hints of creamed wheat flow out of the glass. This is blended with subtle hints of cloves and bananas. 

Body: Interestingly, this beer is not as heavy as you would expect. This is a medium bodied beer with a soft velvety carbonation. This creates an extremely drinkable beer with a mild clogging on the back of the throat. 

Taste:  Full of juicy wheat with a fantastic underpinning of sweet succulent strawberries which is certainly a pleasant surprise. It reminds me of Magic Hat Number Nine Not Quite Pale Ale which i reviewed last year (link below). The finish is full of creamy wheat cut though with a slight sour edge. The use of Perle and Tradition hops provide a very mild level of bitterness which helps to holds everything together. In short, this is summer in the glass and would compliment fruity salads.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/magic-hat-brewing-number-9-not-quite.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/st-austell-proper-job.html

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

Moor Beer Company Old Freddy Walker

Moor Beer Company Old Freddy Walker

Style: Old Ale

Alcohol content: 7.4%

From: Pitney, Somerset, England

Purchased from: Cost cutters, Somerton
http://moorbeer.co.uk/

As you may be aware from reading my previous blogs, i am a big fan of the West county. My father grew up not far from Yeovil, so the culture and history of the glorious west has always been in my blood. So any time i get a chance to review a beer from there, i literally jump at the chance!

The Moor Beer Company was formed in 1996 on a small dairy farm in Somerset. They originality started brewing beers that matched the local heritage of Somerset, but soon branched out upon the arrival of Justin and Maryann Hawke. Justin is a Californian native, and brought with him a tendency of fusing real ales with more more aggressively flavored beers from the United States. This has lead to an amazingly diverse range of mind boggling creations. As i always say, change is a good thing and i can not wait to try this brew. Perhaps their most famous beer is Old Freddy Walker which won Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2004. And thats the subject of this review, will Freddy live up to these high standards, let see!

Moor Magic?

Colour: I was not sure what to expect from a drink classed as an old ale. I wrongly assumed it would be a dark brown beer. To my surprise, the drink pours a thick black with a tan leather colour head. The colour helps to remind me that here in the UK, the nights are drawing in. Could this be the beer that I need long winter nights? The head dissipates to a light dusting of foam after a few minutes. 

Aroma: The aromas of this drink oozes out of the glass. There are notes of dark treacle mixed with dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, cherries and apricots). It's almost like a cake in a glass. This is going to be very interesting.

Body: This beer pours like a stout or porter. Very thick on both the pour, and in the mouth. However, it leaves no sticky residue in the mouth or on the back of your throat. This sensation is rather surprising to me, as I was expecting a rich coating on my throat after each sip. 

Taste: The first thing that will hit you about this drink will be the alcohol. If you are not prepared for it (like me), it will feel like a slap around face. Once I get past that initial shock, this ale really comes into its own. This ale is like a rich rum soaked fruit cake that you may get around Christmas time. There are also hints of dark chocolate covered cherries. The chocolate helps to create a slight bitter aftertaste rolled into a crisp bread finish. It took me almost and hour to drink this beer as it comes in a rather sizeable 660ml bottle. This ale is a real treat, which I would highly recommend to my dad for his ever growing Christmas beer list.

Christmas Pudding in A Glass!

Simliar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/batemans-rosey-nosey.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/gaffel-kolsch.html

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