The Wychwood brewery in Witney, Oxfordshire is probably most famous for their dark ale, Hobgoblin. The beer has been very successful right across the UK and even further afield. However, they have other beers. Most recently I came across a bottle of a 4.5% blonde beer called 'Wychcraft'. The label, in true Wychwood fashion, was intricately designed, with various symbols and mottos, and the beer itself was equally complex.
As it poured, I noticed the vibrant amber colour of the beer, now this is not usual in a 'blonde' beer, as they are generally...well...blonde in colour, but I'll let this go, as the smell of the beer was exquisite. Prominent fruity, floral tones complimented the weaker hoppyness, giving it a rich, garden scent. On the tongue, it was even more flavoufull. The hoppy maltyness really came to the fore, giving it a slight bitterness, leaving the sweet, fruity tastes to the finish, giving a truly multi-layered flavour.
My ony criticism of the beer is the fact that it never really has a kick. With a beer of this sort of flavour, one would expect a bit of a bite, making the beer more refreshing, but the sweetness overpowered this, leaving a slightly watery texture, however, this is just a nominal criticism, as the beer was excellent. Well done to Wychwood for showing that they are not a one beer brewery.
SP
Monday, 31 January 2011
Monday, 24 January 2011
A South American Gem
OK, so, this weeks beer is, as the title would suggest, a 'South American Gem'. Straight from Brazil, Brahma is quite a beer. It is a wonderfully pure looking beer, with a pale gold colour and a water-like clarity. At 4.3%abv this beer is perfect for drinking on a hot summers day, straight out of the bottle.
First tastes are of citrus, most notably lime. This is, in some respects, quite similar to Corona, but so much nicer. This citrusy taste is followed up by mild, sweet notes, which accompanies a faint maltyness. The beer is very drinkable when served ice cold, but isn't great at higher temperatures, when it has a weaker flavour and a watery texture. On the nose, the beer is undoubtedly very summery, with light floral and herbal notes. This combination of tastes and smells help to give the beer a very refreshing, thirst quenching character, and will leave you dying for another.
This beer is, although quite simple, very satisfying, and is a perfect beer for just relaxing. It tastes best when you just want to have a beer and not over-analyse it. An absolute must have for summer.
First tastes are of citrus, most notably lime. This is, in some respects, quite similar to Corona, but so much nicer. This citrusy taste is followed up by mild, sweet notes, which accompanies a faint maltyness. The beer is very drinkable when served ice cold, but isn't great at higher temperatures, when it has a weaker flavour and a watery texture. On the nose, the beer is undoubtedly very summery, with light floral and herbal notes. This combination of tastes and smells help to give the beer a very refreshing, thirst quenching character, and will leave you dying for another.
This beer is, although quite simple, very satisfying, and is a perfect beer for just relaxing. It tastes best when you just want to have a beer and not over-analyse it. An absolute must have for summer.
Monday, 17 January 2011
Shepherd Neame
Shepherd Neame Brewery is what epitomises Kentish ale. It produces numerous varieties of flavourful, character filled ales, and is, in my opinion, one of Britain's best breweries. So, this week I tried two of their perhaps lesser known ales, and was able to compare.
The first beer I tried was their 'Master Brew'. This particular ale is widely available across the Kent area, but outside England, is relatively unheard of.
When poured, the beer exudes cut grass and floral scents. It pours a light amber colour with a creamy off-white head. On the first taste, the garden aromas are unmistakable. The beer has a real spring-time feel to it. Soon the taste settles down into a nice, drinkable smooth ale, with light hoppy notes, and perhaps even some mushroom flavours in the mix. It is not as full bodied an ale as some of it's competitors, and lacks the maltyness that provides some flavour, but this ale does make up for it, particularly in it's refreshing drinkability. (4%)
The second Shepherd Neame beer I had was a Whitstable Bay Organic Ale. This was something of an education for me, having never had an ale labelled 'organic'. The beer pours a very orange colour, something akin to Lucozade, rather than ale, and the quickly fading head did not instill much confidence, but on first taste my doubts were quickly forgotten. It holds the same floral scents which impressed me about Master Brew, but held an unmistakably sweet toffee aroma. It was a very malty beer, but still managed to hold a crisp bitterness right throughout. On the tongue, sweet notes with some hop. The finish was slightly disappointing, however, as it was quite watery, but apart from that, this was a wonderful ale, and deserves praise.
(4.5%)
The first beer I tried was their 'Master Brew'. This particular ale is widely available across the Kent area, but outside England, is relatively unheard of.
When poured, the beer exudes cut grass and floral scents. It pours a light amber colour with a creamy off-white head. On the first taste, the garden aromas are unmistakable. The beer has a real spring-time feel to it. Soon the taste settles down into a nice, drinkable smooth ale, with light hoppy notes, and perhaps even some mushroom flavours in the mix. It is not as full bodied an ale as some of it's competitors, and lacks the maltyness that provides some flavour, but this ale does make up for it, particularly in it's refreshing drinkability. (4%)
The second Shepherd Neame beer I had was a Whitstable Bay Organic Ale. This was something of an education for me, having never had an ale labelled 'organic'. The beer pours a very orange colour, something akin to Lucozade, rather than ale, and the quickly fading head did not instill much confidence, but on first taste my doubts were quickly forgotten. It holds the same floral scents which impressed me about Master Brew, but held an unmistakably sweet toffee aroma. It was a very malty beer, but still managed to hold a crisp bitterness right throughout. On the tongue, sweet notes with some hop. The finish was slightly disappointing, however, as it was quite watery, but apart from that, this was a wonderful ale, and deserves praise.
(4.5%)
Monday, 10 January 2011
New Year, New Beer!
OK, so 2011 is ten days old and I feel it's about time I got blogging! So, new beers for the new year. I started off the year still in a rather festive mood. The tree was still up and the corny Christmas TV schedule was still in full flow, so I decided to treat myself to a 'Christmas Ale'. This an effort at a festive beer from Newmans Brewery in Caerphilly, South Wales. The beer was availiable from my local supermarket at a reasonable price so, at the right time of year, is easy enough to get your hands on.
The first thing that caught my eye was the packaging. The beer was sold in a 330ml bottle, which in turn, was inside a cardboard tube, quite like some bottles of wine. This was obviously quite interesting, and certainly stood out among the usual collection of dull, brown bottles that make up the 'ales' section, so I grabbed one.
Well, what can I say about the beer? When I opened the bottle, I was instantly hit with aromas of cinnamon and plum pudding. It was definitely a seasonal beer, and not one for a hot summers afternoon, but it felt perfect for the occasion. When I finally got around to drinking the beer, my hopes were perhaps not completely fulfilled. Do not get me wrong, it was a wonderful, full bodied ale with a distinct Christmassy twist, but it didn't hold the warmth and 'mulled wine-like' flavour that the aromas had so assuredly promised. I was impressed by the ever changing tastes on the palate ranging from a bitter, hoppy taste to a warm, spicy, seasonal flavour, and even more-so once I had finished the beer, as it left me with a magical cinnamon aftertaste, and an appetite for more. Therefore, despite it's perhaps misleading introduction, this beer did impress and I must commend Newmans for their sterling effort.
The first thing that caught my eye was the packaging. The beer was sold in a 330ml bottle, which in turn, was inside a cardboard tube, quite like some bottles of wine. This was obviously quite interesting, and certainly stood out among the usual collection of dull, brown bottles that make up the 'ales' section, so I grabbed one.
Well, what can I say about the beer? When I opened the bottle, I was instantly hit with aromas of cinnamon and plum pudding. It was definitely a seasonal beer, and not one for a hot summers afternoon, but it felt perfect for the occasion. When I finally got around to drinking the beer, my hopes were perhaps not completely fulfilled. Do not get me wrong, it was a wonderful, full bodied ale with a distinct Christmassy twist, but it didn't hold the warmth and 'mulled wine-like' flavour that the aromas had so assuredly promised. I was impressed by the ever changing tastes on the palate ranging from a bitter, hoppy taste to a warm, spicy, seasonal flavour, and even more-so once I had finished the beer, as it left me with a magical cinnamon aftertaste, and an appetite for more. Therefore, despite it's perhaps misleading introduction, this beer did impress and I must commend Newmans for their sterling effort.
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year everyone. 2011 is going to mark the official start of the beer blog, but first, I need followers, so, if you stumble across this page...SIGN UP! Or, if you're not interested, tell any friends who you think might want to subscribe. So, subscribe and have a great 2011!
SP
SP
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