The BeerCast

Our first podcast in 2010 takes place back in our regular Edinburgh haunt, after the excitement of our BOTY Show had subsided. No 32%abv beers on offer tonight, as Grooben and MrB join Richard for a last-minute BeerCast decided on the spur of the moment. Richard dashed to Morrisons at lunchtime to come up with four beers – hence the title of the podcast (and also homage to a truly great television programme of old). First up in our aisle foraging special – Everards Tiger (4.2%) from the award-winning Leicester producer. We then move slightly south-east as we sample Wychwood’s Circle Master (4.7%), and debate it’s ‘Golden Pale Ale’ description. Our third beer is from Cumbria – Jenning’s Sneck Lifter (5.1%), and we finish on a slightly stronger note with Greene King’s vintage ale Abbot Reserve (6.5%). Stay tuned also for discussions on driving, Richard’s story about the time his Grandad almost punched Tommy Cooper, and a heartwarming tale of cross-border teen romance from MrB.

1. Everards Tiger (4.2%abv)
Everards Brewery, Leicester, Leicestershire. 500ml glass bottle

Tiger is the flagship ale from one of the East Midland’s most successful family brewers. Everard’s were established in Leicester back in 1849 when one William Everard purchased the South Street Brewery. Over the years they have expanded and developed, and today are in the hands of the fifth generation of William’s descendants. Their current home is Castle Acres in Narborough, and was purpose built to push the company into nationwide levels of production. Tiger combines Maris Otter malt with the classic British bitter combination of hops – Goldings and Fuggles.

What They Say –
“A true award winning best bitter with universal appeal. Tiger Best Bitter is a classic example of getting the perfect balance between sweetness and bitterness. Crystal malt gives the beer its rounded toffee character.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben – It’s not as interesting as it makes out 5
Richard – I’ve had this on cask and I liked it a lot more 5
MrB – Malty and watery with a bit of toffee 5

2. Circle Master (4.7%abv)
Wychwood Brewery, Witney, Oxfordshire. 500ml glass bottle

Wychwood are one busy brewer. Alongside their varied and expanding range of ales, they also contract brew all bottled beers put out under the Duchy Originals label, not to mention their acquisition of the troubled Brakspear. There are two brew plants at their Witney headquarters to cope with the demand, which is understandable. In 2002 (the same year they bought Brakspear), they were themselves taken over by the pithily-named Refresh UK, a subsidiary of Marstons plc. Their most popular beer is Hobgoblin, famed throughout real ale circles for it’s “…afraid you might taste something?” advertising.

What They Say –
“Whole leaf target hops, naturally grown in a single garden in Kent, are added to create a beer of exceptional taste and character. The Circle Master conducts a melody of refreshing citrus and delightful malt flavour, rounded off with a spicy bittersweet finish.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – They may be stuck between two styles here 7
Grooben – There’s an extremely lingering dry aftertaste 6
MrB – Bitter and fizzy, too much like a lager 6

3. Sneck Lifter (5.1%abv)
Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth, Cumbria. 500ml glass bottle

Like Everards, Jennings are another 19th Century family brewer – they began in the village of Lorton, between the Cumbrian towns of Keswick and Cockermouth. In 1874 the Castle Brewery in the latter of those two towns was purchased, and Jenning’s moved to increase production. Cockermouth made global news in November 2009 when enormous floods caused by the rising rivers Cocker and Derwent inundated the town to a depth of eight feet. The Jennings Brewery – situated on Brewery Lane almost at the confluence of the two rivers – was also flooded, but has since re-opened for production.

What They Say –
“In northern dialect sneck means door latch and a sneck lifter was a man’s last sixpence which enabled him to lift the latch of a pub door and buy himself a pint, hoping to meet friends there who might treat him to one or two more. This dark beer with a reddish tinge, derived from the use of coloured malts, perfectly balanced with specially formulated brewing sugars and English aromatic hops.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – I love the smokiness that gives way to bitter taste 8
MrB – Once the smokiness goes down the hops come out 7
Grooben – I didn’t expect it to be this complex 7

4. Abbot Reserve (6.5%abv)
Greene King plc, Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. 500ml glass bottle

Greene King aren’t a family brewer – but they do have a history, as they claim to have started production in 1799 in the Suffolk town of Bury St Edmonds. Having a head start seemed to help, as they are now the largest British-owned brewery in the UK. Trading on the ftse stock exchange, they have helped their position by an aggressive series of acquisitions of smaller brewers – Morland, Ruddles and Ridleys have all been bought and closed, and they also own Dunbar’s own, Belhaven. We sampled their 5.0% flagship beer, Abbot Ale way back in BeerCast #4 in September 2007, where it scored 36/60 (60%).

What They Say – “Abbot Reserve has an abv of 6.5% and is a perfect winter warmer on a cold night. It is a distinctive full-bodied smooth and mature beer, bursting with rich fruit cake and toffee flavours.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben – A brown sugary blast, not offensive but not pleasing 5
Richard – Fruitcake taste but nothing else to give it substance 4½
MrB – Gets far too sweet as it warms up 4½

Panellists – (clockwise from top left) Richard, MrB, Grooben

BeerCast panel verdict
Jennings Sneck Lifter (22/30)
Wychwood Circle Master (19/30)
Everards Tiger (15/30)
Greene King Abbot Reserve (14/30)

Stay tuned for our next podcast, as our Southern studio get together for BeerCast #46 – a celebration of Mexican beer….

There are plenty of places or organisations that claim something as their own, and so like to be known as ’The home of…’. For example, St Andrews is the home of golf, Lord’s the home of cricket, and Bury the home of black pudding. The county of Suffolk prides itself on being both the home of horse racing and the home of brewing – which may come as a surprise to the beer producers in Burton on Trent. But these claims are always subjective, and as it was Suffolk-based brewing behemoth Greene King who made that claim, maybe we can take it with a pinch of salt.

They stake a claim to horse racing as the fabled Newmarket track is located within Suffolk’s borders, having witnessed its first recorded race back in 1622. Greene King like to say they began operations in Bury St Edmonds in 1799, so they have plenty of history in common. They were joined again last week at the Newmarket Horse Racing Museum for the launch of their new bottled beer – Suffolk Springer.

Named after a racehorse whose odds shorten dramatically just before a race begins, it’s made in very interesting circumstances as two different beers are made and then blended together – unfortunately the press release didn’t elaborate on exactly what was mixed with what, only that they were of ‘different characters and strength’. Greene King’s take home and export Director Neil Jardine describes Suffolk Springer as a “highly crafted, strong, dark ale for people who appreciate excellent beer.”

Well, it pours with a large but quickly dispersing head to become almost flat, with a dark, dark ruby, almost purple/black colour. It smells very malty, and this comes through on the taste, which is extremely smooth and rich with those dark malts coming right to the fore. Sweet, fruity molasses and fruitcake with even a bit of over-ripe banana in there, it’s a heady mix of winter tastes – I’m not sure why it would be launched in July for racegoers. At 6% abv it’s a fireside sipper, not a summery quencher, but has a fantastic roasty prune aftertaste and reminds me very much of Theakston Old Peculier, and I would say on balance the Yorkshire version beats it by a nose.

Suffolk behemoths Greene King aren’t shy of putting out the odd press release about their products, and neither do they mind blowing their own trumpet. “Think about the Mini, an updated English icon, or Paul Smith who revolutionised traditional tailoring – Greene King is doing the same for beer,” said their marketing director Fiona Hope. Fair enough, although I don’t think I’ve seen Paul Smith suits for 99p, unlike Greene King IPA. In fairness, that quote was from a product launch two years ago, long before Wetherspoons decided to slash their prices to attract drinkers smarting from the credit crunch.

That quote and press release was regarding Greene King’s Beer to Dine For (5%), which in 2007 was re-named and re-launched as simply Greene King Hop. Apparently aimed at the ‘discerning 30-something urban male’ it is supposed to sit beside the imported lagers and take away some of their custom. Neatly fitting that category, if I wanted to ‘step up from premium lager’, would it be something to consider? Well, it pours like a pint of flat lager – the sizable 750ml bottles give you that discerning man-sized portion, but mine wasn’t exactly appetizing in prospect.

Tastewise though, it’s a pretty refreshing option if you are sick of those lagers – the Tettnang hops give it a Germanic flavour (although they are from Oregon). Personally however, if I wanted something from that category I’d rather stick to something it’s clearly trying to emulate, such as a Budvar or Paulaner. In truth, Greene King Hop isn’t that spectacular – it’s nice enough, solid, and probably would go well with dining if you didn’t want to drink a more complex beer that might get lost. I can see how it might appeal to lager drinkers, so if that was their aim then I suppose they have to be satisfied. The customers might not be, however.

Suffolk behemoths Greene King are primarily known for their IPA, ubiquitous in the south of England but rarely seen up here. But they have plenty of other beers in their portfolio, many obtained via aggressive takeovers of rival brewers. Because of this they are now the largest solely British-owned producer in the UK. To my knowledge (and correct me if I’m wrong), they don’t currently produce a lager – but when Lagerboy was wandering around his local bottle shop he spied what looked very much like one – Greene King St Edmund’s Ale.

There’s also a (potentially) interesting subplot to this particular beer when drunk in pubs – the buyer can choose how to have it poured. At 6-7°C, the ‘unique beer engine reflects regional tastes. Drinkers can opt for a ‘northern head’ – tight and creamy or a ‘southern head’ – a crowning glory of loose bubbles.’ The MD of Greene King described the thinking behind it – “St Edmund’s has the flavour and provenance of a cask beer and the dispense kit offers the theatre and choice you get from a brand like Guinness.” Theatre and choice.

Anyhow, the one Lagerboy had was in a bottle, and although technically a ‘blonde ale specially brewed to be served cooler’, it sounds pretty much like a lager to me – the bottle is certainly adorned with a rather lagery-looking label. At 4.2% the tasting note thereon describes it as a ‘golden beer with a fresh crisp finish’. Well, without the flash dispenser the bottled variation had no head whatsoever, with streamers of rising bubbles making the whole thing look like a pint of Strongbow. A very green, gassy taste, it smells like lager and tastes like one of those pinchingly bitter lagers where you have sweetness and battery acid at the same time.

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
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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!