Camden Town Brewery Indian Hells Lager

Camden Town Brewery Indian Hells Lager

Style: Lager

Alcohol Content: 6.2%

From: Camden Town, London, England

Purchased from: Real Ale Shop, Richmond Upon Thames

http://www.camdentownbrewery.com/

To reference a piece of cocky rhyming slag, I am cream crackered. Work has been tough since the turn of the year. Perhaps it's just the growing pains of a new role, but my real job has forced me to (temporarily) cut back on writing this blog. Personally, this pains me greatly as I find writing very therapeutic and extremely tasty.

Time; where does it go? It feels like only yesterday I was telling you all about my three beer resolutions. This weekend, Emma and I plan to make good on one of these resolutions by attending Craft Beer Rising this Saturday. Currently in its third year, CBR is considered to be one of London's premier craft beer festivals. However, after reading though the excellent list of breweries showcasing at this event, I can't help but notice some notable absentees. London based Kernel and Partizan are no where to be seen along with one of my favourite breweries Siren. Whilst I am naturally disappointed by their absenteeism, I have a plethora of new and exciting breweries to explore. Names such as Bear Hug Brewing and Saltaire wet my taste buds the most. Naturally, I will try an remember what I had and give you all a little write up next week.

Now onto this weeks tasting, Camden Town Brewing Indian Hells Lager or IHL for short. This beer appears to of taken the London Craft beer scene by storm. Every blogger worth their salt seems to be raving about its hop heavy drink-ability. Should I believe the hype? Let's find out.

A little bit of the back story behind the brewer: Jasper Cuppaidge is the grandson of Laurie McLaughlin, who ran the McLaughlin’s Brewery (Mac’s) in Rockhampton, Australia between 1910 to 1960. When Laurie past away he past on all his recipes to his daughter Patricia, who in turn then passed them onto Jasper. On Patricia's 50th birthday, Jasper decided to try and recreate one of Laurie's beers in the cellar of Horseshoe and that’s when it all started… Eventually the brewery moved from the cellar into several converted railway arches in Camden town and they opened for business in the summer of 2010. Camden Town are now considered to be one of London's premier craft beer breweries offering a range eight core beers and a range of seasonal offerings.

Colour: Pours a bright copper/orange topped with a tightly packed, pure white tight head. After a few minutes in the glass this reduces down to a heavy dusting of foam which laces the glass perfectly on every sip you take. Initially Indian Hells looked slightly cloudy once settled. However, I would attribute this to chill hazy as I drank this straight from the fridge. Looks like a lager so far!

Aroma: As soon as you open the can, your nostrils will be bombarded by notes of fresh pineapple and lychees. It's like a big tropical hop bomb has just exploded in my nose (just a lot less painful). There is so much sweetness rising from the depth that you will forget that this is meant to be a lager.

Body: One of the remarkable features of this beer is ability to trick your palate. Whilst the nose suggests a thick, sweet IPA style body, Indian Hells drinks almost like a soft german Pilsner. The delicate body tickles your taste buds before the resinous hop notes clog you throat and slow your drinking pace. What a pleasurable drinking experience!

Taste: Indian Hells' nose successfully translates into the taste. The juicy pineapple and lychee notes return but this time bring some back up in the form of a delicately tart lemon. This rich sweetness playfully mixes with a crisp malt base to help bring this drink to a beautiful crescendo. This beautiful beer hides its ABV extremely well, so be careful it doesn't creep up on you. Truthfully, this drinks more like a pale ale than a lager (or perhaps all this style blending has eroded all of my senses, I'm not sure). To paraphrase the immortal rap group Public Emeny, Do Believe The Hype!

Do believe the hype!

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/sly-fox-brewing-pikeland-pils.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/stone-and-wood-pacific-ale.html

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

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

Left Hand Brewing 400 Pound Monkey

Left Hand Brewing 400 Pound Monkey

Style: English IPA

Alcohol Content: 6.9%

From: Longmont, CO, USA

Purchased From: Corbetts Real Ale, Dorking, Surrey
http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/

Ever wondered what a 400 pound monkey looks like? Read on to reveal all

Left Hand began in December 1990 with a home-brewing kit founder Dick Doore received from his brother. According to Dick, "it was all downhill from there." By 1993, Dick had teamed up with college buddy Eric Wallace and they resolved to start a brewery.

On September 21, 1993, they incorporated as Indian Peaks Brewing Company, and purchased a former meat-packing plant next to the St. Vrain River outside downtown Longmont, Colorado. A few weeks after beginning production, it was discovered that the name Indian Peaks was already in use by another Brewery, so the name was changed to Left Hand, in honor of Chief Niwot (the Arapahoe word for "left hand") whose tribe wintered in the local area. Left Hand's doors opened for business on January 22, 1994. Their first batch of beer was Sawtooth Ale, which has since become their most popular brew. In October of that year, Left Hand took home two medals at the Great American Beer Festival, a Gold Medal in the bitter category for Sawtooth Ale, and a Bronze Medal in the Robust Porter category for Black Jack Porter.

In recent years, the brewery is prospering and growing like never before! Beginning with over 30% growth in 2010, Left Hand is breaking barrelage records each year, even making the Brewers Association’s Top 50 Craft Breweries list in 2012. What started as a humble brew house extension in 2008, has turned into a 5 year $9 million expansion, as the brewery sprints to keep up with thirsty fans.

Cheeky Monkey!

Colour: Pours a light, copper colour that's not too dissimilar to the colour of a good Czech Pilsner. There is a very small amount of foam present in glass which then lingers for the duration of the beer.

Aroma: As soon as you pop the cap you will think you have walked into a bakery. Wholemeal bread rises like a bakers dozen to great your nostrils. This sensation soon dies down to reveal delicate notes of elderflower and sweet caramel. Lovely stuff!

Body: Medium bodied with just a slight tickle of carbonation. Very easy to drink that reminds me of one of my favourite pub pints; St Austell's Tribute.

Taste: Everything about this beer is subtle. All the flavour blend perfectly to produce a very inoffensive beer that would not be out of place in many in many UK pubs. Notes of sweet wholemeal bread dominate. The use of Magnum hops help to provide a slight citrus edge which helps to cut through the sweetness. The high alcohol content is very well hidden by the underlying sweetness of this beer. Absolutely glorious! After drinking so many heavily hopped IPA's recently, this beer makes a welcome change to the norm. Definitely a beer worth revisiting again and again!

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/brewdog-old-world-india-pale-ale.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 or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery 

Redchurch Brewery Soreditch Blonde

Redchurch Brewery Soreditch Blonde
Style: Blonde

Alcohol Content: 4.2%

From: Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom

Purchased From: Beer Boutique, Putney

https://theredchurchbrewery.com/

Everyone loves a good blonde. Both literally and figuratively.

Redchurch brewery started life back in August 2011 after being founded by ex solicitor Gary Wood (I'm starting to see a rising trend of ex legal employees entering the brewing trade here). Based in Bethnal Green, East London, this small brewery currently brews three times a week and spends the other two hand bottling. Like many London based breweries, red church have a small tap room which opens every Thursday evening at 6.30pm.

Colour: Pours a bright sun bright yellow complimented with a brilliant white head. This head will fizz down to a light dusting after five minutes but it will linger in your glass for the entire duration of the beer. If you hold the beer to the light, you will notice that there is a slight hazing as the yeast slowly settles in the glass.

Aroma: I generally find that blondes are very delicately scented, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that Soreditch Blonde bucks this trend by launching a full frontal assault on your nostrils. A light infantry of grassy notes land early on the palate to help capture the key taste buds. Soon after, the howitzers of oranges and lemons open up to pummel the beaches until the earthy GI notes storm forward to relieve the bridgeheads. Top stuff!

Body: Just like a game of  football; this is a beer of two halves. Firstly this beer is extremely light and refreshing due to the soft carbonation that tickles the back of your throat on every sip. However, as the drink rises to room temperature, the body begins to develop into something slightly creamy, almost akin to a Weiss beer. This morphing causes the drink to clog slightly on the tongue and eventually leaves your mouth feeling as dry as the Sahara desert.

Taste: Full of fresh lemon which are perfectly complimented by soft delicate elderflower. The lemon flavouring adds a tart, sour edge to the after taste which dries your mouth out. As I eluded to above, the characteristics of this beer change as the drink warms. Hints of creamy cereal and spicy coriander begin to reveal themselves encouraging you to drink more. What I find most remarkable about this beer is that all of these complex flavours come from the use of Warminster maltings paired with the Classic European Saaz hop and the US Chinook hop. Sometimes it's simple ingredients that can provide remarkable flavours. A real surprise (just like Everton signing Romelu Lukaku for £28 million. Chelsea, what are you thinking!!!)

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/nogne-o-blonde.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/sambrooks-brewery-no5-barleywine.html

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

Durham Brewery White Stout

Durham Brewery White Stout

Style: White Stout

Alcohol Content: 7.2%

From: Durham, County Durham, England 

Purchased from: Beer Boutique, Putney, London, England

http://www.durhambrewery.co.uk/

The Durham Brewery was launched in August 1994 by two former teachers, Christine and Steve Gibbs.Thier initial brews came under the guise of the "White Range", a series of playful experiments using different hop varieties over a pale malt base. So successful were these experiments, that in 1999 the brewery upgraded to a 10 barrel production line and launched a range of bottle conditioned beers a year later. Thier adventurous bottle range is now available from the lightest 3.8% to the darkest 10%. By the end of the decade the brewery had outgrown their current premises and the brewery purchased some additional space to house their offices and a hospitality area.

A White Stout i hear you cry? Just like you, I was so intrigued when i saw the label, i just had to buy it. But what does the term White Stout actually mean? Well two hundred years ago, before the Porter brewers of London commandeered the term "Stout" to refer to a Stout Porter, the term used referred to a strong beer. It didn't have to be black in colour, just stronger than 5% ABV. Here is Durham's attempt at this traditional style, their White Stout.

Old School Celtic label

Colour: Pours a light copper or pale orange. A beautiful, thick white head is also present. It's so thick, it actually reminds me of a Mr Whippy ice cream I eat every time the sun comes out.

Aroma: This beer has such a beautiful nose that you could almost say its very similar to a German Weiss beer. Notes of spicy cardamom, cumin and sweet juicy mango will fill your nostrils and make you believe you are sitting on a beach in Goa. Personally, I think that this beer would work very well with spicy Asian food such as Kung Po Chicken or prawn Pad Thai.

Body: Even though this drink is clear, it actually feels rather heavy in the mouth due to the strength of the alcohol. This sensation mixed with the use of Columbus hops, causes a slight clogging on the back of your throat which can be a little unpleasant at first but this soon dies down to reveal a pleasurable drinking experience.

Taste: Notes of juicy blackberries and sweet mango dominate the palate on the first sip. This eventually gives way to hints of spicy cardamom and warming alcohol, followed a long, dry mildly bitter finish. Everything about this drink screams to me IPA! The strength and the sweetness of this brew remind me of the Kernel Brewery Columbus IPA I reviewed earlier in this blog. A drink of varying characteristics, that will add a spicy kick to any drinking session.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/kernel-brewery-ipa-columbus.html

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

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

Nicholson's Spring Beer Festival

Nicholson's Spring Beer Festival 

Whilst at the Beer Academy last tuesday, I meet the director of the Free Beer App, Bradley Channer who kindly invited me to join him at Nicholson's Pubs Beer and Food Matching in association with Brains Brewery. Now I never turn down a free meal (or beer for that matter) so i jumped at the chance. Upon arrival I was pleased to learn that this event was indeed a precursor for Nicholson Spring Beer Festival. Running from March the 24th till April the19th, the festival will showcase some of the finest beers throughout the UK. Brain's brewery will providing four beers for the festival, all of which were matched to the nights food.

The Solution (6.0% ABV) - Award-winning beer writer Peter Brown collaborated with Brains to produce The Solution - An abbey-style Belgian dubbel traditionally brewed by Trappist monks in Belgium. Using Munich and Dark Crystal malts, Saaz and Styrian Golding hops and a traditional Trappist yeast, this dark, full bodied and complex beer is full of rich, fruity plum flavours with sweet raisin aroma and spicy warming finish. This beer was paired with olives in order to cut through the saltiness and refresh your palate.  

Three C'Son (5.0% ABV) - Beer writer Adrian Tierney-Jones collaborated with Brians for the Continental Beer Challenge to produce Three C-Son, a traditional farmhouse Saison with an added twist of three American Hops - Centennial, Columbus, Citra - giving the name Three-C'son. The sweet nose of ripe peach and citrus, a green apple snappiness on the palate and a hint of white pepper combines with an earthy spice from the use of a traditional Saison yeast that is followed by a firm, refreshing finish. This beer was paired with chicken liver pate. The rich pate was excellently balanced against the fruity backdrop of Three C'sons. My favorite beer of the night!

Rye Catcher (5.0% ABV) - Winner of the annual Continental Beer Challenge this American rye beer was brewed in collaboration with Glenn Payne. Using Rye and Rye Crystal malts to provide a spicy malt base and a vibrant copper colour to this beer, it's powerfully hopped with Apollo, Columbus, Amarillo and Citra from the USA, producing an assertive bitterness with robust flavours of citrus and grapefruit. This drink was partnered with a Iberian Black Pig Burger.  For me this did not work that well as a pairing as the saltiness from the burger muted the flavour of the beer. The IPA was however excellent and gave Three C'sons a close run for beer of the night. 

Boilermaker (6.5% ABV) - Crowned the "Ultimate IPA' in Brains inaugural annual collaboration brew challenge, "Thinking Drinkers" Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham worked with the brewery to produce a Welsh IPA, matured with Penderyn whisky infused oak chips from the distillery, resulting in a complex and fruit beer with a warming whiskey buzz. A sweet beer to compliment a sticky toffee pudding. The sweetness from both blended perfectly to create a sticky sensation that stayed with me all night long.

Not to be outdone, Nicholson’s Pubs will launching their new collaboration beer by british journalist, author and presenter Danny Wallace and Truman’s brewery during the Spring Ales Festival. Tom Ditto IPA (5% ABV) has been created to mark the release of Wallace’s new novel 'Who is Tom Ditto?' set for release on the 24th April (my birthday none the less, so perhaps this can be my birthday pint?)

After having a look through the festival list, I am most excited about the following beers; Charles and Wells/Dogfish Head DNA, Great Heck Shankar IPA, World Top Marmalade Porter, Itchen Valley Blackberry Mild, Peerless Down Under and Oakham Citra (which I reviewed at the beginning of the year, here is the review http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/oakham-ales-citra.html). In short, I will certainly be getting a couple of tasting bats over the course of the next month thats for sure! Who's with me?

Here is the full Festival Programme http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/pdf/nicholsons-festival-programme.pdf

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

Kernel Brewery London 1890 Export Stout

Kernel Brewery London 1890 Export Stout

Style: Stout

Alcohol Content: 7%

From: London Bridge, London, England, UK

Purchased From: Real Ale Shop, Richmond Upon Thames
http://www.thekernelbrewery.com/

Stout! Stout! Let it all out!! (my personalised version Tears for Fears classic, Shout).

Stout originated in London in the early 1720s. The style quickly became popular in the city: it had a strong flavour, took longer to spoil than other beers, increased in alcohol content with age, was significantly cheaper than other beers, and was not easily affected by heat. London was a very different city back then. As the commercial centre of the world, most of the imports from the empire would enter the city via the London docklands. Thirsty dockyard workers would often refresh themselves with a stout after a hard days work. You can see from the picture below what the docks used to look like compared to sprawling metropolis it is today. The Kernel brewery hope to replicate the type of stout drank during the docklands hayday, by using a recipe written in 1890. Lets see how they got on.

Docklands:  Now and Then

Since the brewery was founded in 2009 by Evin O'Riordain, word has gradually spread of the remarkable beers the 36-year-old Irishman and his colleagues Chrigl Luthy and Toby Munn are making in their tiny brewery tucked away under a railway arch just outside London Bridge. Restaurants such as the Michelin-starred Chez Bruce, Hawksmoor and Pied à Terre now stock his products, and beer bars such as Shoreditch's Mason and Taylor have made The Kernel the beer of choice for the capital's younger beer-lovers.

Colour: Pours a thick black with a dark tan head (certainly the darkest I have ever seen). After awhile, this will dissipate to a light dusting of brown foam that lingers for the duration of this beer.

Aroma: The rich dark malts produce chocolate and coffee aromas mixed with a yeasty marmite/vegemite notes.

Body: This drink looks as looks as thick as oil and has a mouthfeel to match. It will take you a long time to drink this beer as it's so vicious, so enjoy every sip. It took me an hour to drink this stout and I savoured every single drop. Very satisfying! The mild hopping coupled with the high alcohol content ensures that your throat does not get clogged.

Taste: You will get an upfront taste of sticky marmite enriched with bitter dark chocolate and freshly ground coffee. Loads of rich dried fruit and alcohol warmth ­rather like a rum and raisin ice cream.The sweetness of the malts combined well with A mild bitter finish rounds this beer off perfectly. Had I been working in the East India Dock back in 1890, there is no doubt that I would rush to the pub to order one of these. This is the perfect stout. It clearly helps to represent a bygone era of British history and is very true to the original style. Well done Kernel, well done indeed.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/anderson-valley-barney-flats-oatmeal.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/oakham-ales-citra.html

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

Siren Craft Brewing Liquid Mistress Red IPA

Siren Craft Brewing Liquid Mistress Red IPA
Style: Red IPA

Alcohol Content: 5.8%

From: Finchampstead, Wokingham, UK

Purchased From: Utobeer, London Borough Market, UK

http://www.sirencraftbrew.com/

Siren Craft Brewery is a relatively new comer to the beer industry. Set up in 2012 and named after characters in Homer’s (not Simpson) Odyssey, the brewery currently produces four core beers alongside seasonal specials. Based out of Finchampstead near Reading, the brewery is already planning for the future by brewing an Anniversary beer (barrel aged in 7 different oak barrels)  and a stout involving meal worms (not sure how much I enjoy that idea). Since Siren’s launch, there has been a great deal of buzz amongst the beer blogging community due to the quality of their output. After reading several articles, I was rather pleased to find my girlfriend had brought me Siren’s Liquid Mistress for Christmas.  With great excitement, I transferred the bottle straight to the fridge to have it later that night. So let’s see if I have found my next mistress.

Looking very tempting

Colour: Like a witches potion, this beer pours a murky dark red with a dusting of fizzy foam. The yeast from the bottle conditioning helps to add lighter red swirls to this thick, magical brew. It’s almost like the liquid mistress is beckoning  me into her lair of sin.  Could this be the Jessica Rabbit of craft beer?

Aroma: Big bold tropical notes of passion fruit mixed with subtle hints of peach. These are playfully mixed with a heady blend of sweet sugary caramel and dry German rye bread.

Body: Medium body with a slight clogging on the back of the throat on each gulp. The carbonation is very soft and reminds me of a fine champagne.

Taste: A delightful blend of invigorating pink grapefruit and lychee with after notes of biscuit and rum soaked raisins. These distinct flavour profiles juxtapose each other brilliantly. The citrus fruit will cleanse your palate before the malty depth of the biscuits comes into play.  All these flavours mellow as the beer warms, causing a sensation of honey tinted bitterness to reveal itself from the depths of the glass. Quite frankly, this drink is magical and could topple Meantime’s Yakima Red as my favourite beer. Well done Siren, Well done indeed.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/stone-brewing-company-levitation-ale.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/goose-island-honkers-ale.html

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

Bruges By Beers

Bruges By Beers

So a slight change from the norm here at Beefsbrewery. Earlier in October me and my girlfriend Emma visited the gorgeous city of Bruges. As im sure most you are aware, Belgium is famous for its amazing selection of beers. Ranging from Blonde to Saison, Bruges had it all. So sit back, relax and have a butchers at my beer photos of Bruges.

Cambrinus Beer Tasting

Kwack nights

Tour Around The Half Man Brewery

Tour Around the Half Man Brewery Part 2

Tour Around the Half Man Brewery Part Three

The Infamous Beer Wall and my Favourite Beer of the Trip Kasteel Bruin

Beer Bat And Champagne Beer in the Red Rose 

Trying A Hopus for the First Time. Think My Face Tell it All

Back to the Cambrinus for a Final Saison Dupont Before Home Time

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

Camden Brewery Pale Ale

Camden Brewery Pale Ale

Style: Pale Ale

Alcohol Content: 4%

From: Camden Town, London, England

Purchased from: Hog's Back Brew Shop

http://www.camdentownbrewery.com/

Now i am no stranger to this beer. Almost a year ago to the day i was drinking one of these beauties in the Old Red Cow in central London. I remember talking to my good friend Jon about writing this blog whilst sipping on this brew. You could say, that this was the beer that started it all. However as time past, the drink faded from my memory. Whilst touring the Hog's Back brewery, a bright green object caught my eye. As i drew nearer, the familiar font drew crisper in my eyeline. Yes!!, I screamed. I had managed to find a bottle of Camden Town Brewery Pale Ale outside of London. Naturally, i whisked the bottle off of the shelf and into my shopping basket. I now had in my hand one of the beers that gave me the inspiration for this blog you are now reading today. So enjoy this post as much as i enjoyed drinking this fine pale ale.

Firstly, a little bit of the back story behind the brewery.Jasper Cuppaidge is the grandson of Laurie McLaughlin, who ran the McLaughlin’s Brewery (Mac’s) in Rockhampton, Australia between 1910 to 1960. When Laurie past away he past on all his recipes to his daughter Patricia, who in turn then passed them onto Jasper. On Patricia's 50th birthday, Jasper decided to try and recreate one of Laurie's beers in the cellar of Horseshoe and that’s when it all started… Eventually the brewery moved from the cellar into several converted railway arches in Camden town and they opened for business in the summer of 2010.

Bright and refreshing label just like the beer

Colour: This beer pours a light copper brown with a juicy, thick white head. This beer looks like the quintessential pale ale. The head stays around for the duration of the drink.

Aroma: When you first smell this beer, you will be presented with sharp citrus notes mixed with fresh pine needles. As the drink warms, the aroma profile of this drink changes slightly. Notes of tropical fruits such as mango and sweet kiwi come to the fore. There is also a every slight note of rich molasses holding the aroma together like a bow on a present.

Body: This drink is very light in the mouth at first. Once consumed, a sticky honey like resin will coat the back of your mouth. This intensifies as the beer warms, leading to the beer feeling a lot thicker than before.

Taste: Now for the important bit; the tasting. What sets this beer out from the rest is that in my opinion, this drink actually has two different flavour profiles. One fresh the fridge and another as the beer warms. Once opened, a sweet lemon flavour is presented to your taste buds. The sweetness helps to dull the lemon tones slightly to make the beer very refreshing. On the second sip, you can pick out notes of freshly cut grass mixed with pine needles. One of my favour parts of this beer is the ginger-nut biscuit after taste. As the drink warms the lemon crispness dies down to relieve a slightly bitter lemon taste with notes of caramel biscuits. All theses different flavours can be contributed to the varied hops used to make this beer. In fact, no less than seven are blended into this beer. Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial and Citra provided the citrus flavours while Columbus and Simcoe provide the pine notes (I know that's only six but I cannot find the flavour profile for Calypso hop). A lovely beer indeed.

Similar to:http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/flying-dog-doggie-style-pale-ale.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/moa-brewery-blanc.html

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Kernel Brewery IPA Columbus

Kernel Brewery IPA Columbus

Style: IPA

Alcohol Content: 7.2%

From: London Bridge, London, England, UK

Purchased From: Utobeer, Borough Market
http://www.thekernelbrewery.com/

Since the brewery was founded in 2009 by Evin O'Riordain, word has gradually spread of the remarkable beers the 36-year-old Irishman and his colleagues Chrigl Luthy and Toby Munn are making in their tiny brewery tucked away under a railway arch just outside London Bridge. Restaurants such as the Michelin-starred Chez Bruce, Hawksmoor and Pied à Terre now stock his products, and beer bars such as Shoreditch's Mason and Taylor have made The Kernel the beer of choice for the capital's younger beer-lovers.

Now I will admit that I have heard a hell of a lot of good things about this brewery. It seems that everything they touch turns to gold. So seeing as this is the first time that I have tried anything of theirs. I'm very excited to bring you my review of the Kernel IPA Columbus.

Colour: On the pour you are presented with a lovely light chestnut brown beer. Holding the beer closer to the light you can see a slight yellow hue. There is a beautiful white head in the glass which takes along time to dissipate.

Aroma: Lord oh mighty, this beer a pleasure on the nostrils. On your first sniff, you will be bombarded with scents of Elderflower, grass and tropical fruits like mango's and kiwi's. Smelling deeper you will start to pick out zesty citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and grapefruit. Honestly if this beer tastes as good as it smells then we are onto a winner! Boom!

Body: Compared to a lot of IPA's this beer is quite light due to the light hopping of this beer. This mixed with the low levels of carbonation create a truly refreshing and crisp drinking experience. The beer is very soft in the mouth and leaves no sticky residue on the palate. The softness of the beer helps to mask the high alcohol content of the beer.

Taste: There is a pleasant grassy/elderflower tone to the beer at first. Once settled in the mouth there is a dramatic unveiling of mango's with sweet limes mixed with pine and wild gooseberries. There is a slight bitter orange peel after taste. This beer tastes very fruity for an IPA. That being said this is a truly amazing beer that I would quite happily drink over and over again. Top marks kernel, you are as good as others say you are.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/williams-brothers-joker-ipa.html
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/left-hand-brewery-black-jack-porter.html

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