The BeerCast

Hello again! This time it’s the London office’s turn to  fire up the ole garageband and get recording another instalment of the never ending story of wonder and intrigue  that is The BeerCast. We reunited the dreamteam of Andrew Hayes (Key keyboard and bitter consultant), Nick Fraenkel (Chief Japanese and Sanchen adviser) and old stalwarts Andy and Jess of Andy and Jess.

It’s another rollercoaster mystery pic n mix surprise episode with none of the usual theme guidelines to keep us on course. As a result we do off-road a fair bit but it’s all in the pursuit of beery excellence. Oh and garageband stopped twice during recording so look out for special sound effects during the episode - Enjoy! Andy

1. Peter Scholey’s Organic English Beer (4.1%abv)
Ridgeway Brewing, South Stoke, Oxfordshire.
500ml glass bottle

Ridgeway Brewing was formed by a former head brewer from Brakspear. Described as a cuckoo brewer because this organisation does not own a brewery but contracts brews, primarily bottled beers for other breweries on other people’s plants mainly at Hepworth. A few beers have also appeared under the name Ridgeway Brewery.

What They Say - “The English Target hops, coupled with its unpasteurised condition, help give this great ale outstanding clarity of aroma and intensity of flavour.” [Vintage Roots]

What We Say…
Andrew - I’d drink significant amounts of it in any kind of garden 7.5
Nick - Elderflowers and honey, i’d like it with some burnt bread 7
Andy - Smells flowery but it’s not too sweet 7
Jess - Lots of honey and lemon, lovely 7

2. Riggwelter Black Sheep Ale (5.7%abv)
Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire.
500ml glass bottle

Established in the early nineties by Paul Theakston, 6th generation of Masham’s famous brewing family, the brewery has grown from strength to strength and in early 2007 it was proudly awarded ‘Brewery of the Year’ by The Good Pub Guide for the second year running. In addition, Black Sheep Bitter was chosen as the North East’s favourite cask ale in the 2007 Best of British Beer Awards hosted by Cask Marque and the Daily Telegraph.

What They Say - “Brewed with many generous handfuls of choice Golding hops, it is full flavoured premium ale with a rich fruity aroma. The bittersweet malty taste is followed by Black Sheep’s uncompromising long, dry and bitter finish” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Andrew - Surprisingly clean, hits you in the eyes a bit though 6
Nick - Bitter foretaste, not much of an aftertaste, not as complex as it should be 5
Andy - I would struggle to drink a bottle of it 5
Jess - Quite interesting, I’m getting Riggy with it 4

3. Little Creatures Pale Ale (5.1%abv)
Little Creatures Brewery, Fremantle, Western Australia
330ml glass bottle

Andrew picked this little gem up in from a wine shop in west London no-less. Beer websites tend to be bobbins but Little Creature’s website is a pleasure to visit, I’d really recommend it - (link). The brewery looks to be run very much in the spirit of the Innocent smoothie brand, with happy looking employees all having a say in the company’s progress and not a one of them sitting doing accounts on the computer. The result? Lovely beers. There’s a lesson there i think..

What They Say - “Bag loads of whole Chinook and Cascade hop flowers that we source from Washington and Oregon in the US as well as some local flowers from Tasmania are thrown at this beer, creating an intense citrus and grapefruit aroma and flavour that we balance with a careful selection of specialty malts and a local pale malt made to our own specifications.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Andrew - Lychees, pineapples, I’ll open the second bottle 8
Andy - Smells like a bag of pot pour at your aunties 8
Jess - It’s downright floral, but a nice bitter grapefruit edge 8
Nick - Tastes like lychees and lollies (Chupa Chups) 5.5

4. Gale’s Seafarers Ale (3.6%abv)
Fullers, The Griffin Brewery, London.
500ml glass bottle

Fullers say they donate 5 for every barrel of Seafarers ale sold to Seafarers UK, the leading martime charity. The ale was only released in the bottle on Sep 10th 2009. The press release from Fuller’s says “Seafarers Ale is an extraordinary cask ale, developed as a tribute to Gales’ close association with all who sail the seas. Launched as a year-round beer in April 2009, Seafarers Ale has already sailed past the 1,000 barrels sold mark, resulting in a donation to Seafarers UK, the leading maritime charity, of £5,000″ That’s pretty good, but do good intentions translate to good beer tastes?..

What They Say - “Seafarers is brewed to 3.6% abv and is a delicious, thirst quenching ale. The secret of the hugely satisfying, refreshing taste of this light, amber beer is in the blend of finest quality English malt, Admiral hops and the unique Gales yeast.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Andrew - It’s not slapping me in the face like the sea, but it has an edge of sulphur i quite like  5
Andy - A little bit watery (pun intended) 5
Jess - Disappointing, thought it would be more robust like a sailor 5
Nick - Smells like sea air, couldn’t tell the difference with Fosters 4.5

No then.

Panellists - (from top left) Andy&Jess, Andrew, Nick

BeerCast panel verdict
Little Creatures (29½/40)
Organic English Ale (28½/40)
Riggwelter Black Sheep (20/40)
Seafarers Ale (19½/40)

The concept of seasonality is now one of the hallmarks of modern cooking, pushed to the general public by the ranks of TV chefs and foodie magazines. Everything has a ‘time of year’, whether it’s the British asparagus, salty samphire, or humble mackerel (as one BeerCaster asked for in a fancy Edinburgh fishmonger’s, only to be embarrassed in front of a queue of shoppers when told there were none in the sea at that time of year). But can this approach be transferred to beer? Hops are seasonal, certainly, but after the harvest they can be dried and used at any time. It’s down to the styles and types of beer that can be varied depending on what the calendar says.

Now that Autumn is on us, it’s time to change the attitude and go for something different. The long summer (or in our case, short summer) is over, so the time for light hoppy pale ales is over. No need for urgent, tingling refreshment on a hot day now the clocks have gone back (or forward, as I put mine by mistake). Autumn brings crunchy leaves, darker nights, cool windy afternoons – and should be celebrated by the glorious British bitter. There can’t be another brewing nation on earth that can put out a finer nutty, foaming brown ale than us Brits – and now’s the time to partake.

So until the winter arrives and we all move on to warming stouts and porters, and then Christmas beers with alcohol and spice (before celebrating the return of Spring with zesty golden ales), take time out for a fruity, toffee-ish best bitter. Let the rich mouthfeel and malt characteristics reward you after that long Autumnal walk, or spot of Christmas Shopping (it’s never to early – and most breweries have online stores). Here are five choice Scottish beers for the season - Bitters, Ruby Ales, ESB’s, Amber Ales – all styles are well suited to this time of year. As we head towards November – have a seasonal beer on us.

1. Maverick (4.2%abv)
Fyne Ales, Cairndow, Argyll.
Classic fruity mahogany ale from BeerCast favourites Fyne Ales.

2. Red Kite (4.2%abv)
Black Isle Brewery, Munlochy, Black Isle.
Technically an amber ale, organically brewed north of Inverness.

3. Red Squirrel (3.9%abv)
Arran Brewery, Brodick, Isle of Arran.
Nutty, malty beer that donates to Red Squirrel charities on Arran.

4. St Magnus Ale (4.5%abv)
Highland Brewing Company, Swannay, Orkney.
Another nutty one, but with more roast than the Red Squirrel.

5. Red MacGregor (4.0%abv)
Sinclair Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo, Orkney.
Fruity ruby ale, current silver medal Champion Beer of Scotland.

(looking slightly further afield, five English beers that would go down very well on an Autumn evening are Bath Ales Barnstormer, York’s Yorkshire Terrier, Bristol Beer Factory No.7, Fuller’s ESB, and Daleside Old Leg Over).

Sticky commuters in London have recently had another piece of advertising added to torment them, as the Fuller’s Brewery in Chiswick are pushing their organic Honey Dew to the capital. Posters have appeared to try and maximise the effect of the hot spell by promoting their 5%abv honey-tinged beer on the travelling public. Made with full compliance of the Soil Association’s organic requirements, Honey Dew is (according to Fuller’s, at least) one of the fastest growing beer brands in the UK, with sales up 35% year on year. They are releasing it in a new four-pack of 330ml bottles – a sure sign of the attempt to jump into the mass market.

But is it any good? We sampled Honey Dew way back in September 2007 as part of our South-East special. One of the key target groups for the beer are female drinkers – a market that real ale brewers have been pursing for years, with mixed levels of success. Our panel that day contained both Ali and Jess, along with Andy – who despite being 100% male would also fit with the target audience as he’s a self-confessed fan of lighter, fruitier beers. Fuller’s are also advertising Honey Dew in magazines such as Heat, OK and Hello – only time will tell as to the effectiveness of the campaign.

From the BeerCast archives - September 16th, 2007…

2. Fuller’s Organic Honeydew (5%abv)
Fuller’s Brewery, Chiswick, London.
500ml glass bottle

The Griffin Brewery has been sited in a leafy corner of Chiswick for over 350yrs. Popular with rowers and boating clubs, the Hounslow location by the Thames is on the site of a late-medieval cheese fair (from which the name Chiswick derives). Fullers - full name ‘Fuller Smith and Turner plc’ are one of London’s success stories, having won the coveted CAMRA Champion beer of Britain award five times in it’s 25 year history. Their flagship brand is London Pride, which is available pretty much everywhere in the south of England. But as part of their range they also produce a summery honey ale, made with full compliance of the Soil Association’s organic requirements. Has all that hard work by the bees paid off…?

What They Say - “A light golden beer, it is a naturally palatable brew, approved by the Soil Association as 100% organic. Served chilled, it is light and refreshing, and has an appeal that reaches out to people who perhaps wouldn’t usually drink beer. It is brewed with English malt and hops and laced with the finest organic honey”. [Fuller's website]

What We Say…
Andy - It’s light, refreshing, and easy on the tongue 8
Richard - I can’t taste the honey, this is middling 5
Shovels - Doesn’t really taste of much 4
Alison - You get a rather sickly aftertaste 4
Jess - It would make me feel sick if I drank a whole pint of this 4
MrB - I don’t like honey, so I really loathe this one 1

Fuller’s Official Website

Our fourteenth podcast features beers from London, and was recorded in December 2007. At the time our Christmas and Beer of the Year specials had to take priority, but now it’s time to delve into the archives, as the ales we sampled deserved recognition - for once on the BeerCast, all four seem to meet with our approval. Panellists Richard, Shovels and Grooben tackle Young’s Special London Ale (6.4%) - which is now no longer brewed in London - before moving on to Fuller’s London Porter (5.4%). The third item on the beery menu is Meantime’s award-winning Chocolate Stout (6.5%), before we finish on a fruity note with Fuller’s Jack Frost (4.5%). Not really one for early April - but in December, far more apt…

1. Young’s Special London Ale (6.4%abv)
Wells & Youngs, Bedford.
500ml glass bottle

The Ram Brewery in Wandsworth started commercial brewing in 1581 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and produced ale for the local hostelry called the Ram’s Inn. The brewery distributed by horse and cart to the local area until 1803 when the world’s first public railway opened from Wandsworth to Croydon enabling transport by rail. In 2004 Young’s (as they had become) announced a “review of brewing operations” and two years later on the 25th September 2006 closed their Wandsworth concern and moved outside the city to Bedford. Here they merged with Charles Wells’s Eagle brewery and renamed the operation Wells & Young’s Company. So sadly Young’s Special London Ale is no longer brewed in London - but it has been CAMRA’s Champion Bottled Beer of Britain three times (1999, 2004, 2005).

What They Say - “Special London Ale is an absolute classic, a winner of many awards. Why? Despite its strength it’s sublimely drinkable. The malty richness is countered by huge amounts of hops to create a perfectly balanced, wonderfully aromatic, dry, fruity flavour.” [Label tasting notes]

What We Say…
Shovels - I quite like it, this would creep up on you 7½
Richard - Dark and strong with the higher alcohol tastes 7
Grooben - Malty and nice, with a definite fruitiness 7

2. Fuller’s London Porter (5.4%abv)
Fuller’s Brewery, Chiswick, London.
500ml glass bottle

The Griffin Brewery has been sited in a leafy corner of Chiswick for over 350yrs. Popular with rowers and boating clubs, the Hounslow location by the Thames is on the site of a late-medieval cheese fair (from which the name Chiswick derives). Fullers - full name ‘Fuller Smith and Turner plc’ are one of London’s success stories, having won the coveted CAMRA Champion beer of Britain award five times in it’s 25 year history. Their flagship brand is London Pride, which is available pretty much everywhere in the south of England. They also produce a honey beer which we sampled in episode four (although the panel didn’t really take to it), and a London Porter, which we are trying in this episode.

What They Say - “Fuller’s London Porter is smooth, rich, and strong (5.4% a.b.v.), and is brewed from a blend of brown, crystal and chocolate malts for a creamy delivery balanced by traditional Fuggles hops.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Dark and strong but really nice right from the off 8
Grooben - Classic burnt chocolate and coffee flavours 8
Shovels - Flavourful without being overpowering - a fine porter 7

3. Meantime Chocolate Stout (6.5%abv)
Meantime Brewery, Greenwich.
330ml glass bottle

Founded in 1999 by a group of friends in London, production at the Meantime brewery first started in April 2000. It was the only British brewery to win medals at the 2004 World Beer Cup (for it’s Viennese lager), and repeated the feat in 2006. They went considerably better in 2007, collecting five ‘world’s best’ at the World Beer Awards, then having four of their range included in the International Beer Challenge’s 50 best beers in the world. One of the heralded varieties is their Chocolate Stout, which was one of the five to win at the aforementioned World Beer Awards. Will our panel think it’s a world beater?

What They Say - “A silky-smooth suppertime beer, created using dark malts and chocolate. Pronounced vanilla notes fuse the chocolate and malts together to give a rich, warming, flavour that also works well as a complement to fruity desserts, summer puddings and autumn berries.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben - Not to be glugged at but I’m pleasantly surprised 8
Richard - Chocolatey bitterness in the aftertaste, it’s really nice 7
Shovels - Cold drinking chocolate, I preferred the Fuller’s 6½

4. Fuller’s Jack Frost (4.5%abv)
Fuller’s Brewery, Chiswick, London.
500ml glass bottle

Our final beer is another from the Griffin Brewery, London’s most successful independent producer. But moving past London Pride, ESB, or any of their regular beers (which are all pretty good - ESB in particular), the BeerCast tackle one of their seasonals - Jack Frost. An impressively dark reddish beer with added Blackberries (or Brambles, if you’re from north of the border). We’re unsure if this counts as a bona fide fruit beer, or is just a beer with fruit in. We’re not even sure if there’s a difference - but are we sure about Jack Frost?

What They Say - “Full flavoured, deep red in colour and exceptionally moreish, Jack Frost is the perfect accompaniment to many a cold winter’s day. Brewed with crystal malt and a dash of blackberries, Jack Frost delivers a fruity, robust yet refreshing flavour that lingers long on the palate.” [Label Tasting Notes]

What We Say…
Shovels - Clean, refreshing, all year round this would sell well 7
Grooben - Not really that blackberryish, doesn’t justify itself 6½
Richard - No warmth, nothing to draw you in 6

BeerCast panel verdict

Fuller’s London Porter - 23/30
Young’s Special London Ale - 21½/30
Meantime Chocolate Stout - 21½/30
Fuller’s Jack Frost - 19½/30

Panellists - (from bottom right) Grooben, Richard, Shovels

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #14 - London Beers
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with episode 15 - a romp around the world of Scottish IPA’s. Stay tuned for details…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!

The south of England - historically some of the world’s oldest breweries are found here. The second half of the BeerCast’s English two-parter ventures beyond the Midlands and into the home counties. Three of the region’s giant beer producers make it into the show this time - Greene King, Shepherd Neame, and Fuller’s. Between them, they own several thousand pubs, have many city shareholders, and have been known to absorb the odd smaller brewery here and there. Even in the distant north of Scotland, it’s possible to find many of their beers (bottled if not on draught), so the BeerCast panel sampled three of their flagship brands, respectively - Abbot Ale, Bishop’s Finger, and Organic Honeydew. For this episode - one of the first we recorded - our Edinburgh tasters are joined via the magic of the internet by London-based reporters Andy and Jess. Somehow it managed to work out, as both groups discuss the beers, despite being 331.98 miles apart (give or take).

1. Abbot Ale (5%abv)
Greene King, Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk.
500ml glass bottle

East Anglian brewing giants Greene King have been producing beer in Suffolk since 1799. They are now the largest British owned brewery in the UK, and as one of the UK’s largest companies Greene King PLC are a member of the FTSE 250 share index. They own more than 2000 pubs across the South-East, and have an aggressive history of takeovers – Morlands, Ruddles and Ridleys have all been acquired and subsequently closed, and in Scotland Greene King also own Dunbar-based BeerCast favourite Belhaven. Abbot Ale is their flagship beer, and it takes it’s name because the Domesday Book of 1086 recorded the town’s brewers as being in service of the Abbot of the Abbey of St Edmundsbury. Good enough for the clergy - but is is good enough for the panel…?

What They Say - “A full-bodied distinctive beer with a bittersweet aftertaste.” [Good Beer Guide]. “It has masses of ripe fruit character, a malty richness and superb hop balance, followed by an intense bittersweet finish”. [Abbot Ale official website].

What We Say…
Shovels - It’s a fine tipple 8
MrB - I’d be happy drinking this in a pub 7
Richard - It’s a grower 7
Jess - Lovely bitter aftertaste 7
Alison - Once you get past the smell, it’s alright 5
Andy - Smells like an old man’s pub 2

2. Fuller’s Organic Honeydew (5%abv)
Fuller’s Brewery, Chiswick, London.
500ml glass bottle

The Griffin Brewery has been sited in a leafy corner of Chiswick for over 350yrs. Popular with rowers and boating clubs, the Hounslow location by the Thames is on the site of a late-medieval cheese fair (from which the name Chiswick derives). Fullers - full name ‘Fuller Smith and Turner plc’ are one of London’s success stories, having won the coveted CAMRA Champion beer of Britain award five times in it’s 25 year history. Their flagship brand is London Pride, which is available pretty much everywhere in the south of England. But as part of their range they also produce a summery honey ale, made with full compliance of the Soil Association’s organic requirements. Has all that hard work by the bees paid off…?

What They Say - “A light golden beer, it is a naturally palatable brew, approved by the Soil Association as 100% organic. Served chilled, it is light and refreshing, and has an appeal that reaches out to people who perhaps wouldn’t usually drink beer. It is brewed with English malt and hops and laced with the finest organic honey”. [Fuller's website]

What We Say…
Andy - It’s light, refreshing, and easy on the tongue 8
Richard - I can’t taste the honey, this is middling 5
Shovels - Doesn’t really taste of much 4
Alison - You get a rather sickly aftertaste 4
Jess - It would make me feel sick if I drank a whole pint of this 4
MrB - I don’t like honey, so I really loathe this one 1

3. Bishop’s Finger (5.4%abv)
Shepherd Neame Brewery, Faversham, Kent.
500ml glass bottle

Located in Faversham, five miles west of Canterbury, Shepherd Neame claims to be Britain’s oldest brewer, starting operations in 1698. They still use the same water source today, along with giant Russian teak mash tuns that date from 1914. Bishop’s Finger is brewed only on Fridays by the head brewer, and was awarded ‘Protective Geographic Indicator Status’ by the EU, meaning it’s the only beer in the world that can be called a ‘Kentish strong ale’ - all ingredients used come from within a few miles of the brewery. It takes it’s name from the distinctive signposts that used to point the way to Canterbury for weary pilgrims. When first produced in 1958, Bishop’s Finger was sold for 7.5p a pint. Is it worth the money…?

What They Say - “This ember-warm Kentish ale takes the dense, rich fruit notes of gently roasted malts and mixes them with a profusion of locally grown Kent hops to give a satisfyingly clean, dry, lingering Seville-orange finish” [Andrew Jefford, BBC Radio 4 Food Programme]. “It is Britain’s most distinctive premium ale, with an intense taste that is more challenging than other brands.” [Bishop's Finger official website].

What We Say…
MrB - I do like this, it’s very hoppy 7
Richard - It’s a decent generic aley beer 7
Alison - Quite pleasant but I’m not blown away by it 6
Shovels - Starts alright tastewise, but lingers a little too long 5
Jess - I had this once some time ago, from what I can remember 5
Andy - I’ve never tried it 4

BeerCast panel verdict

Greene King’s Abbot Ale - 36/60
Shepherd Neame’s Bishop’s Finger - 34/60
Fuller’s Organic Honeydew - 26/60

Panellists - (from top left) MrB, Ali, Shovels, Jess, Andy, Richard

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #4 - Southern Delights
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with Episode 5 - our first foray outside the UK. Which country will it be? Our panel of four BeerCasters will reveal all….soon. Stay tuned for details…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!