Two Cocks Brewery 1643 Leveller Bitter

Two Cocks Brewery 1643 Leveller Bitter
Style: Bitter

Alcohol Content: 3.8%

From: Enborne, West Berkshire, United Kingdom

Purchased From: Noble Green Wines, Hampton Hill, United Kingdom

http://www.twococksbrewery.com/

Have you ever got to that stage in life where you just want to stop what you’re doing and head to the countryside? Well, in January 2009 Michael Butcher and Paul Palmer did just that, leaving the West End of London behind for a taste of the “quiet life” in Enborne, Buckinghamshire. Here they set up a farm on 40 acres of lush English countryside, with the intention of selling provincial food stuffs primarily focusing on rare animal breeds. After stumbling across a rogue hop vine in October 2011, the pair decided to open a brewery. As the farm is based on an old English Civil war encampment, ‘Two Cocks’ decided to doff their cap to this historic period and label their beers accordingly. With names like Roundhead Bitter and Clavier Golden Ale, plus the addition of a real cockerel feather on the label of each bottle, the spirit of these times are forever remembered. The subject of this review is 1643 Leveller Bitter.

Colour: Pours a deep chestnut with a strange lemon yellow hue once settled in the glass. A thin, light brown head is also initially present but this quickly fades away after a few seconds in the glass.

Aroma: The first thing you will notice is that this bitter smells rather sweet. The malt provides a wholemeal bread sensation which is promptly followed by notes of sweet, slightly burnt caramel. This would suggest to me that Two Cocks have used a caramel malt which is just on the verge of becoming roasted/chocolate malt. As this drink settles, the aromas become slightly nutty and less sweeter than before.

Body: Rather surprisingly, this beer feels a lot thicker in the mouth than I was expecting it to. The rich stickiness coats every crease of mouth and lingers in the shadows for the duration of your pint. This helps to provide a clogging sensation on the back of your throat, causing you to drink more and more in order to refresh your palate.

Taste: As soon as you take a sip, you could be mistaken into thinking you’re eating a wholemeal roll smothered in dark treacle. Whilst this can be initially quite sickly, this feeling soon dies down as the bread notes begin to move to the fore. Although this beer is not extravagantly hopped, the hops used help to provide subtle notes of lemon which in turn loosens the sticky treacle taste. This citrus edge also helps to develop the flavour as the drink warms, revealing a strawberry jam like after-taste. In short, this is a lovely bitter that you should enjoy in a Ye Old English pub whilst catching up with the in-laws. If this was on cask in my local, I certainly would be ordering a few cheeky pints.

As 2014 draws to a close, I would like to say thank you all for taking your time to read my posts. Whilst I am not a professional beer writer by any stretch of the imagination, I have found everyone’s warmth and support overwhelming for my blog. Hopefully I have given some insight into the world of craft beer and potentially inspired some of you to follow in my footsteps. With that in mind, I came across this quote from Oliver Cromwell whilst researching this review:

“No one rises so high as he who knows not whither he is going.”

Happy New Year to you all, and I hope to hear from you in 2015.

For Emma, my present and future.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/east-london-brewing-foundation-bitter.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/wild-beer-company-somerset-wild.html

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

Oakham Ales JHB

Oakham Ales JHB
Style: Bitter

Alcohol Content: 4.2%

From: Peterborough, England, United Kingdom

Purchased From: Beer Boutique, Putney

http://www.oakhamales.com/home.html

In the words of the immortal Eminem; "Guess Who's back, back again!"

So after a amazing two week holiday to Croatia, I'm back blogging again. As some of you maybe aware, the World Cup has finally started and already England have been knocked out of the completion. Whilst most people will be crying into their pints of Fosters over Gerard's "back pass", I am using this opportunity to abuse the fantastic beer deals on offer in most major supermarkets. So far I have picked up a bottle of the brilliant DNA (a delightful collaboration between Wells and Dogfish head), the potent Boilermaker by Brains and the subject of this review; the intriguing Oakham JHB.

Producing quality cask beers since 1993, Oakham Ales originally opened in Oakham, Rutland before moving production to Peterborough in 1998. In the subsequent 14 years they have dramatically increased production and opened Europe’s biggest brewpub. To keep up with demand in 2006, Oakham pulled open the shutters on a 75 barrel brew house.  The  padlock and chain was cut by John Wood, the original owner and brewer, who left Oakham Ales back in 1995. Oakham currently brew a range of five permanent ales but also produce seasonal ales such as Endless Summer.  

They have a rich pedigree, and picked up the 2009 CAMRA Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain for Attila! And they're not one to shy away from innovation either. Oakham were the first brewer in the UK to use the Citra hop back in 2009. This drink is the result of that innovation. Last year, Citra was awarded a Gold at the International Beer Challenge.

Who is Jeffrey Hudson?

Colour: If my girlfriend saw me pouring this beer, I have no doubt she would scream "Blimey o'Reilly!". Having drunk numerous pints of bitter during my lifetime, the colour of this beer was not what I was expecting. Pouring a straw yellow with a thin white head, this has to be one of the palest bitter I have ever seen. Perhaps this drink is a wolf in sheep's clothing (much like Costa Rica World Cup performances). The thin white head laces the glass perfectly pulling you further under the spell of this intriguing drink.

Aroma: A bouquet of zesty lemon and delicately soft elderflower rise to greet you from the glass. These aromas do die away quite quickly after just a few minutes in the glass. Personally, I would of preferred the nose to linger longer as I love a good smelling ale.

Body: Perhaps one the lightest bitters to grace the planet, the soft carbonation playfully tickles your throat leaving you feeling refreshed and gagging for more. This beer is so delicate that you could quite easily pair this with grilled sea bass or plaice.

Taste: From your first sip, you could be forgiven in thinking that you are drinking a thirst quenching pale ale. Your palate is instantly bombarded with heady notes of sharp citrus fruits promptly followed by a crisp, dry bitterness that cleanses your palate after every sip. As the drink warms, a slight sour edge appears in the aftertaste which, in my opinion, rounds the drink out perfectly. As I mentioned previously, this is totally not what I was expecting from this style. An absolutely glorious beer that that makes a refreshing change to the established norm. Now pass me another one before Luis Suarez bites another Italian!

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/east-london-brewing-foundation-bitter.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/wild-beer-company-scarlet-fever.html

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

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

Goose Island Honkers Ale

Goose Island Honkers Ale

Style: Bitter

Alcohol Content: 4.3%

From: Chicago, USA

Purchased from: Ray Wines
http://www.gooseisland.com/

OK first thing I should tell you before you read is that I love Chicago. I went there way back in 2005 and I have always wanted to go back since. Personally, I think that Chicago is much better destination to visit than New York. It has the hustle and bustle of the East coast but has the laid back charms of the West coast. When I started reading more about beer, I was excited to learn that in Chicago, the craft beer movement is flourishing. I just wish I had been 21 at the time so I could actually enjoy all they had to offer. Must go back for a taste at some point!

The brewer Goose Island was first opened by John Hall in 1988. John had be travelling around Europe for a number of years and found that there was an amazing range of beers on offer. He found difficultly finding some of these beers in the United States, so he took matters into his own hands and created Goose Island. The company now has an amazingly diverse range of ales on offer including some seasonal beers. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island announced that it will sell its 58% stake in Fulton Street Brewery LLC (the legal name of Goose Island Brewing) to distribution partner Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% stake, owned by Craft Brewers Alliance LLC, is also to be purchased by Anheuser-Busch.

Honkers not Yonkers!

Colour: Once poured you are presented with a rich copper ale with a very minimal head. After the head dies down there is a small amount of foam left in the glass which clings to the side of the glass like a baby clings to their mother. This drink is also bottled conditioned so due to slight hint of yeast being present the ale is slightly cloudy.  

Aroma: As a rule of thumb, for me i find bitters often lack in smell. So i am pleasantly surprised to find aromas of sweet Elderflowers and lime or lemon notes. These aromas come from the blend of super Stryian and Styrian Goldings hops used in the making of this brew. If you get your nose right in there you will also be able to pick up notes of sweet, slightly burnt caramel.

Body: Traditionally, bitters tend to on the more heavier side of the beer spectrum. However to my amazement, this beer is a hell of a lot lighter than a standard bitter. For me the mouth feel reminds me more of an English  IPA. Traditionally English IPA's are know to be more fruity than there heavily hopped counter parts so this beer sips down a treat. There is no clingy after taste and it will continue to refresh you with every drop.



Taste: Now for the important bit; the tasting.On your first sip you will notice how fruity this beer is. There are no hints of bitterness at all. The predominate flavors are those of Elderflower and big hints of lime and lemon. There are also very suttee notes of bread and earth.To be honest, why this is labeled as a bitter i do not know. However, if this is Goose Islands take on a quintessential British classic then give me more.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/brakspear-bitter.html
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/adnams-southwold-spindrift.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery

Skinner's Heligan Honey

Skinner's Heligan Honey

Style: Bitter

Alcohol content: 4%

From: Truro, Cornwall, England

Purchased from: Tesco

Skinner's is a British brewery founded in 1997 by Steve and Sarah Skinner in Truro, Cornwall, England, UK.The company produce cask ales and bottled beers, the names of which may come from Cornish folklore. The beers have won a number of Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and SIBA awards.The company's pub, the Skinner's Ale House in Newquay, was sold, and is now called Leadbelly's. Heligan Honey is named after the Lost gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey in Cornwall. If you are ever in Cornwall, try and visit in the summer when the flowers are in full bloom! It is truly a sight to behold. Ah how i love the west courty.

The label reminds me of the racy postcards that used to be sold at British seasides. Here we have a a naughty "flasher" character running away from the bees with ale in hand. Very saucy! These labels are a real draw and drew me straight to this ale.

Naughty seaside postcard label

Colour: Rich copper with a small white head. The head does not stay around very long. About five second in total. It looks a lot like runny honey or the Flying Dog Doggie style pale ale i reviewed earlier in the blog.

Smell: Sweet sticky honey on the nose. But not the runny kind; its more like set honey. You also get a smell of lavender. Its almost like the bees have been pollinating sweet lavender flowers just for this brew. The smell will actually stay with you throughout you drink which is quite rare for any beer. This makes the beer the most potent honey infused brew i have ever smelt.     

Body: For a beer that is mixed with real honey, it is extremely light and refreshing. However, this drink ouzos a sticky richness from the honey. Strangely the honey does not clog you mouth, as just the rich amount of hops are used to give you a lovely crisp finish. This leaves you very satisfied and gagging for more!

Taste: Sweet honey with a crisp bitter finish. Very nice to have in a beer garden, in the summer, with a few good friends. The real Cornish honey really stays with you though out the drink. It is almost like you a drinking a pint of honey straight from the jar (although you will have a lot less mess). A very, very nice brew indeed.

Sweet honey bee!

Follow me on Twitter for the latest news on reviews @BeefsBrewery

Moor Beer Company Merlin Magic

Moor Beer Company Merlin Magic

Style: Bitter

Alcohol content: 4.5%

From: Pitney, Somerset, England

Purchased from: Cost cutters

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.

Colour: Light brown. This is quite pale for a bitter, as I would normally associate this style with a dark brown colouration. On the second pour the beer is more cloudy.

Smell: On the pour you a bombarded with a smell of sweet hops. This come from the Marynka and Hallertauer Northern Brewer Hops that are used in this beer. These hops add earthy/floral tones, which are smells you would normally associate with a IPA rather than a Bitter.This is going to be very interesting! If you compare it to a IPA, it would smell a bit Green King IPA with a flower bouquet in its pocket.

Body: For a bitter this beer is actually quite light. As you drink, the head stays with you all the way down. This actually adds to the drinking experience by cleansing your nose on every sip. As you can see from the pictures, the people at Moor's give you quite a large bottle to try. This means that you get maybe a pint and a half out of each bottle. Whilst pouring the second glass i noticed that the colour and body changed. The beer took on a more cloudy body which one would normally associate with a Weiss beer. I believe that this was caused by the bottle conditioning of the beer. The yeast must of settled at the bottom of the bottle which lead to the clouding. I would quite happily have a couple of these down the pub whilst reading a newspaper.

Taste: On my first sip i was a very confused man. Is this a bitter or is this a IPA. This has to be the most confusing beer that i have ever drunk.It refreshes your palate with tastes of lime and elderflower.After you swallow you are left with a creamy/ chewy caramel taste in your mouth. Very rich and very refreshing.

Pure Magic!

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Brakspear Bitter

 Brakspear Bitter

Style: Bitter

Alcohol content: 3.4%

From: Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England,,UK

Purchased from: Pulled out of my dad's Christmas drink pile. I think he brought a multi-pack from Sainsburys.

The Brakspear brewery dated back to 1711, when W.H. Brakspear bought a brewery in Henley on Thames. In the past decade the brewing operation has been sold to a company called Refresh UK who also own the Wychwood labels.The Brakspear brewery is also famous for something called "Double Drop" second fermentation. What is this i hear you cry?!? Well to be honest i was not sure, so i had to go and look it up for myself. So my understanding of the double dropping process is as follows (and please correct me if i am wrong). The wort (newly brewed, fermenting beer) is first fermented for a period of time before being transferred, into a lower vessel where is continues the fermentation process.The trub (layers of sediments such as heavy fats, proteins and inactive yeast, Yum!) that has settled during the first period of fermentation will be left behind, leaving a cleaner beer and a cleaner yeast to crop from the beer for the next fermentation.With the trub removed, the yeast is allowed to aerate more. This results in a much healthier yeast growth and even it even acts as a flavor enhancer. There are very few brewers who currently use this approach. So hats of to Brakespear in keeping the tradition alive. Now onto the tasting!

Colour: Dark Chestnut brown. If I'm being honest it looks just like every other bitter i have ever seen. There is nothing remarkable about it.

Smell: As i had returned to my family home for Christmas, my father found it very odd that i was sniffing this beer over and over again. I then had to explain to him why i was doing it and i even asked him to give it a try. The nose is very warm and inviting. After much debate with my dad, we ascertained that we could smell cinnamon and toasted hazelnuts. This made him laugh, as these where things he normally associated with Christmas.

Body: Smooth and sweet. There is a very low level of carbonation in this beer which helps it go down a treat. A real session beer even though im not usually a fan of bitter's.

Taste: Strangely, this beer has a whole meal bread taste to it with a very light bitter finish. This taste comes from the Maris Otter Barley and the English Goldings hops used in the brewing process. I was surprised by how light this beer was. Compared to many other bitters i have tried this beer is extremely mild. In fact i would even suggest that that this beer is more of a mild than a bitter. Perhaps this is because of the double drop fermentation. If so, then i want more of it! If you are new to drinking bitter's, this would be a great place to start.

Best Bitter ever?

Follow me on Twitter for the latest news on reviews @BeefsBrewery