London Fields Brewery Love Not War

London Fields Brewery Love Not War

Style: Red Ale

Alcohol Content: 4.2%

From: Hackney, London, United Kingdom

Purchased from: Nobel Green Wines, Hampton Hill, United Kingdom

http://londonfieldsbrewery.co.uk/

London Fields brewery is a brewery based in the London Fields area of Hackney East London. The brewery was founded by Julian de Vere Whiteway Wilkinson (longest name ever!) and Ian Burgess around the same time of the devastating London Riots of 2011. Like most London based craft breweries, they set up home in some railway arches (either these arches are extremely cheap to rent or the brewers are secret train spotters I can't tell). The brewery has flourished during the past four years thanks to the success of their six core beers and array of seasonal offerings. However, clouds seem to be gathering on the horizon as in late 2014, co-owner Julian was arrested for suspected tax evasion. Fingers crossed this all gets straighten out and the brewery can look forward to a bright future. 

Here I will review one of London Fields Core beers called Love Not War. This beverage has an interesting story behind it as it was initially first brewed whilst the brewers where barricaded in due to the London riots. With those steamy, danger driven days behind them, the team at London Fields emerged with a peace offering to the people of Hackney. A hoppy red ale which they aptly named Love Not War. Let's see if it will calm my nerves after a difficult day at work shall we?

Colour: Pours a warming reddish brown topped off with a off white head. The head soon dies down to a generous dusting of foam that lingers for the duration of this beer. 

Aroma: As soon as you pop the cap your nostrils will be bombarded with heady notes of pine and sweet caramel toast. As the aromas settle, hints of summer fruits and crush hob nob biscuit begin to shine though. All smells very tempting I must admit.

Body: This beer is surprisingly deceptive. The level of sweetness provided by the taste should translate to a relatively thick mouthfeel. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Love Not War feels rather thin in the mouth and is more thirst quenching rather than full bodied. Perfect, after a long summers day at work, but not one for those short, cold nights in January. 

Taste: As soon as this beer hits your tongue, the upfront notes of caramel malts will provide a moorish sweetness which begs you to drink more. As the beer slides towards the back of your palate, hints of pine, grass and pineapple begin to shine though eventually leaving you with a finish that is oily on the tongue and mildly bitter. As a fan of Meantime's Yakima Red, I was hoping this beer would match the perfect blend of malts and hops that Yakima Red provides. Sadly, this beer does not quite meet these standards as I personally feel it's a little to thin on mouthfeel. However, that being said the low ABV allows Love Not War to fall into the category of a session beer which I would certainly return to before the next Arsenal game. 

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

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

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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

Flying Dog Gonzo Porter

Flying Dog Gonzo Porter

Style: Porter

Alcohol content: 9.2%

From: Frederick, Maryland, USA

Purchased from: Rays Wine
http://flyingdogales.com/

The Flying Dog brewery is currently located in Frederick, Maryland, USA. Originally opening in Aspen, Colorado in 1990 as a brewpub, it became the first brewery to open in Aspen in over 100 years, and one of the first brewpubs in the Rocky Mountain region. Flying Dog Brewery is noted for using the unusual art of Ralph Steadman, best known as the illustrator of the works of Hunter S. Thompson, on its labels. In 2005, the brewery created a new beer in Thompson’s honor, Gonzo Imperial Porter. Initially in limited-release in 750 ml bottles, the Gonzo Imperial Porter is now one of the regular offerings of the brewery. I must admit, that i love the label designs and it makes the beer more appealing. I can not wait to taste this beer. Oh I'm excited!

But what is an imperial Porter i hear you ask? These are stronger versions of the traditional porters which where first sold in London. These porters were sold successfully in markets such as Scandinavia and the Baltic states. These porters then inherited their current title due to their strength and their favoritism in the royal courts. History lesson over, lets get on with the review.

Really love the art work on every bottle

Colour: Jet black with a brown/tan head. The head is very thick and stays around thought out the life of this drink. So far this is shaping up to be the perfect porter.

Aroma: This beer is very interesting on the nose. From the hops used in the making of this brew (Warrior, Northern Brewer and Cascade), you get smell a mix of oranges and elderflower. Smelling deeper you can also pick up notes of chocolate and coffee. These smells come from the crystal and black chocolate malts used. The smells are not overly powerful and rather surprisingly for an imperial porter, you can not smell the alcohol.  

Body: As with many drinks of this style, the body is quite thick, but unlike a Guinness, this beer is not very creamy.  The drink will cling to the back of your throat with every sip that you take. This is actually rather pleasant session as it forces you to take your time over this beer.

Taste: On your first sip you are slapped around the chops by rich hints of coffee and dark chocolate.These will dance around on your tongue then unleash the faintest hints of liquorice. As the drink warms up, you will notice that there is a sweetening to the dark chocolate notes. Its almost as if the chocolate is getting milker and milker the warmer the glass gets. There is a sharp acidic and some what bitter after taste. This comes from the strength of the alcohol.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/dark-star-espresso-beer.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

Brewdog International Arms Race

Brewdog International Arms Race

Style: Zero IBU IPA Or Gruit

Alcohol Content: 

From: Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Purchased From: Rays Wines, Ashford

Brewdog was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie. The brewery at the Kessock Industrial Estate in Fraserburgh produced its first brew in April 2007. It claims to be Scotland's largest independently owned brewery producing about 120,000 bottles per month for export all over the world. The company moved premises to nearby Ellon in the Autumn of 2012, however it as been announced that the Fraserburgh site will be used as a brewing laboratory for experimental beers.

Brewdog's provocative marketing has been a key aspect of the business, and has gained them substantial international coverage.

Last year Flying Dog issued a challenge to Brewdog for battle collaboration entitled International Arms Race - Both beers are dubbed 'Zero IBU IPA' and the challenge was to brew an IPA style beer using no hops: the hops are replaced with berries, herbs and roots. Now, I have tried Flying Dogs version and it reminds me a lot of scrumpy cider from Somerset. I was not to keen on that but lets see how Brewdog's version measures up.

Colour: On the pour, you a presented with a bright red ale that reminds me of a very old school beamish that my old man used to drink. As the beer settles, a sheen of copper appears in the glass. The head starts off a brilliant white colour and slowly dissipates down to a small amount of foam. 

Aroma: To be honest this has to be the strangest beer I have ever smelt so far. There are so many new and interesting smells rising from the glass, its actually quite hard to know where to start from. Here goes. The first thing you will notice is that this beer smells quite sour. This can be a sign that the beer is off so I had a look at the expiration date on the bottle. To my surprise I had been sold a kipper. The beer had an expiration date of May. However, I decided to pull up my socks and carry on regardless. You are instantly bombarded with notes of cherry, blackberry and mint. There is also a few herbal notes such as thyme and rosemary. Something tells me that this is going to taste funky.

Body: There is a very low/ if any carbonation in this beer. This gives the body the feel of cherry juice that you can buy from the supermarket. This body helps to mask the ABV of this beer making this an extremely dangerous beer to enjoy on a session. 

Taste: On your first sip you will notice hints of gin and tonic mixed with pine and grassy notes. This is undercut with gritty earth notes. Upon the second sip, you can start to pick our herbal notes like rosemary and thyme and a orange peel. To be honest, this drink tastes a bit like a Ricola cough drop. These flavours make sense given that there is no hops in this beer and the herbs have been added to this brew to add flavour and aroma. I have to say I personally did not enjoy this beer very much. It’s an interesting concept by I will not be going back for more.

Similar to: Umm Nothing I've ever tasted or reviewed.
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/erdinger-uriweisser.html

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

Williams Bros Fraoch Heather Ale

Williams Brothers Fraoch Heather Ale

Style: Heather Ale

Alcohol content: 5%

From: Kelliebank, Alloa, Scotland

Purchased from: Morrison's, Glastonbury
http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/

Williams Bros Brewing Company is a Scottish family-owned microbrewery, founded and operated by brothers Bruce and Scot Williams. It is based in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, in central Scotland. Williams Bros started brewing in 1988. Their first ale was inspired by a 17th-century Gaelic recipe for leann fraoich (heather ale). The heather ale is made using sweet gale and heather flowers, and was named Fraoch, after the legendary Gaelic hero Fráech (or Fraoch). The ale was produced in a tiny brewery in Taynuilt railway station, which could make no more than five barrels per batch, just enough to supply five pubs across Scotland. As demand grew, the recipe was taken to the old Maclay's Brewery in the Scottish brewing town of Alloa. Now in it's 25th year, Fraoch continues to be one of Williams Brothers most popular lines and the subject of this review.

Colour: On the pour you are presented with a glorious light orange tanned coloured beer. This beer almost looks like an IPA. There is a beautiful white head which stays around for quite awhile. This will gradually reduce down to a small foam deposit. There is a small amount of yeast deposited in the glass. Skim it off if you can as it will taste rather foul!

Aroma: On the nose you are presented with aromas of sweet sugary molasses with hints of heather and lavender or fresh garden herbs. You can also pick out notes of honey or even this "miracle" manuka honey which I tried the other day in a health food shop.

Body: This drink is refreshing light on the first sip. You get a beautifully sticky coating on the back of the throat after every sip due to the honey and heather used in the making of this beer.

Taste: This beer tastes very sweet and smoky. There are rich peaty/ earth notes which reminds me a lot of a scotch whiskey from Scotland. This smokiness is under pinned by a sweet honey undertone. There is a slight acidic or bitter after tone which reminds me of a glass of Chardonnay. Blending these flavors together makes for an extremely fulfilling beer.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/windsor-and-eton-brewery-canberra.html
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/kozel-dark-lager.html

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

Lovibonds Dark Porter

Lovibonds Dark
Style: Porter
Alcohol content: 4.8%
From: Henley Upon Thames, England, UK
Purchased from: Waitrose, Windsor
http://www.lovibonds.co.uk/

The brewing bug bit Jeff Rosenmeier in 1994 after tasting a friend's home made stout. Jeff couldn't believe the result and bought brewing equipment, soon discovering a hidden passion. Jeff moved to Henley-on-Thames in 1996 and fell in love with the beauty of the area. He continued to develop his brewing skills while taking a keen interest in the town's rich brewing tradition and the up and coming craft brewing movement.

In June 2005, Jeff decided to make his passion his day job, leaving behind a successful career in software engineering. He set up a small brew plant on his property and began piloting his flagship beers on a small scale. Jeff said, "I started delivering beer in small quantities to a few free houses in Henley and Reading and I was really encouraged by the response of our first customers".

The inspiration for the Lovibonds name came when Jeff was viewing a site in Henley for the brewery, which had previously been home to John Lovibond and Sons, Brewers and Merchants. Jeff said, "We were discussing the uses of the building through its history and the existing tenant handed me a lovely antique Lovibonds bottle. I loved the name and was impressed by the respect that the brand had locally, and so Lovibonds Brewery was formed."

Colour: Dark as the night sky with a thick white or slightly tanned head on the pour. Like all good porters, this head stays with you thought out the life time of this beer.

Aroma: On the nose you are all most over whelmed by notes of rich Arabica coffee mixed with rich hints of dark chocolate. If you really get your nose in the glass you can pick out very faint hints of liquorice. Personally I really dislike liquorice as it reminds me of the black jack sweets I used to get given at school. Oh those painful memories! Hopefully the beer won't taste lie them otherwise its going straight down the sink.

Body: As with most porters, this drink is quite heavy and thick. It certainly is a very slow sipper. Rather oddly, this beer leaves no stickiness as on the that after its drunk.

Taste: Due to the heavy use of dark malts in the making of this beer, rich smoky coffee flavours are abundant. It is almost like some one has lit a fire and the smoke has permeated into the drink itself. This has produced a very robust taste which may put off someone who is new to this style of drink. There are also faint hints of dark chocolate with a slight acidic or mineral aftertaste. This mineral quality comes from the hard water that can be found in the area around Henley upon Thames. This beer would be the perfect accompaniment to a rich creamy British Stilton. Lordy my mouth is watering already.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/left-hand-brewery-black-jack-porter.html
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/brewdog-dead-pony-club.html

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

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA

Style: IPA

Alcohol Content: 7%

From: Healdsburg, California, United States

Purchased From: Utobeer, London Borough Market, UK

http://bearrepublic.com/

The Bear Republic Brewing Company is an American microbrewery located in Healdsburg, California, USA. It was established by the Norgrove family in 1995, with Richard G. Norgrove as brewmaster. The name is said to refer to California's 1846 Bear Flag Revolt. In 2006, Bear was named Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. The this review i will be reviewing there Racer 5 IPA. I first came across this beer during a "craft beer festival" at Bryon burger. I was presented with a choice of five beers and i decided to go with the racer 5 (mainly due to its name and the style of beer). Quite frankly it blew me away and now i will review it for you on my blog.

Quite like the old school Instagram look on this pic

Colour: Once poured into the glass you are presented with a bright orange/yellow liquid with a minimal head. This head will settle down and leave a very small amount of foam in the glass. This foam will stay around for the duration of your drinking experience. Lord this drink looks amazing i just want to dive write in.

Aroma: Once poured into the glass you are absolutely bombarded with scents and aromas. You can pick out a boutique of  aromas such as grapefruit, elderflower, lemon peel, grass and fresh pine. After drinking craft beer for two years there is only one other beer that i have tried that matches this boutique and that is the Kernel Brewery IPA Columbus. Which like this beer is also truly divine.

Body: As this beer is heavily hopped with Chinook, Cascade, Columbus and Centennial hops, the bitterness actually makes this beer feel heavier than it actually is. It strikes the perfect balance for an American IPA; easy drink-ability (due to low levels of carbonation) with a slightly stickiness in the after taste.   

Taste: There are sour notes such as pink grapefruit and lemons mixed with pine. There is also a ever so slight bitter aftertaste which come from the blend of hops used in the making of this brew. This helps to round the flavor off very nicely. If you warm the beer in your mouth, the flavor will actually change quite drastically. Rather than a fruity beer, you are presented with notes of caramel and hobnob biscuits. Its like a drink of two halves. In my opinion, this is one of my favorite beers and i will go back to it again and again.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/kernel-brewery-ipa-columbus.html
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/meantime-chocolate-porter.html

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

Einstok Icelandic White Ale

Einstok Icelandic White Ale

Style: Wit or White Ale

Alcohol Content: 5.2%

From: Akureyri, Iceland

Purchased From: A wine shop in Brighton. Can quite remember the name

http://einstokbeer.com/

The Einstock brewery is located just 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle in the fishing port of Akureyri, Iceland. There, the water flows from rain and prehistoric glaciers down the Hlíðarfjall mountain and through ancient lava fields, delivering the purest water on earth and the perfect foundation for brewing deliciously refreshing craft ales.

From the land of the Vikings!

Colour: Once poured into the glass you are presented with a very pale yellow almost white liquid (as the name suggests). On the pour, you will get a luscious white head that is very bubbly. This will completely disappear after a couple of minutes. No foam is left in the glass at all which is quite strange for a beer of this style.

Aroma: Very faint grassy and gassy aromas are given off by this brew. In fact, the aromas given off by this beer are very similar to those given off by Duvel which i reviewed earlier in this blog. Smelling deeper you can pick up very faint notes of coriander and lemon peel. I must admit this is not the most inspiring beer i have ever smelt. It just feels as if its missing something for my taste.

Body: This beer is quite light which i was not expecting from this wit beer. There is a very low level of
carbonation which makes this beer very drinkable. There is not a hint of stickiness at all.

Taste: Rather surprisingly for a wit beer i can taste a mix of apples and pears (and before you ask that's not my attempt at cockney rhyming slang). There is also a mix of pine and grassy notes followed by a mildly acidic aftertaste on the palate. As these flavors are very delicate, this is not a beer that's going to punch you in the face. Its a easy drinking beer that would go very well with your roast dinner on a Sunday.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/duvel.html
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/skinners-heligan-honey.html

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