The BeerCast

Our 34th BeerCast podcast is something of a variation on the usual theme – on this occasion we decided to run a comparison between different countries. The beer style up for discussion is stout – and we have two from the UK and two from the US. Leading the way for the home nations are Hop Back Entire Stout (4.5%) from Salisbury in Wiltshire, and Cameron’s Monkey Stout (4.4%) from Hartlepool. We then move to two dark offerings from over the pond, ramping up the alcohol factor immediately as we try Great Divide’s Yeti Imperial Stout (9.5%). Our final beer rounds off the show with a bang, as we get to grips with Left Hand Brewing’s Imperial Stout (10.4%). On the panel this week are Richard, Shovels, Grooben, and the Hopmeister Tom, who seems to have finally met his match with the US imports…

1. Hop Back Entire Stout (4.5%abv)
Hop Back Brewery, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
500ml glass bottle

Hop Back have become one of the most-featured breweries on the BeerCast - Summer Lightning is our reigning Beer of the Year, and we’ve also sampled their Christmas beer Pickled Santa, and last time out we tried their coriander beer - Crop Circle. On this occasion we taste their Entire Stout, a roasty dark beer far removed from their more renowned hoppy numbers. The Hop Back Brewery began life in 1986 in the basement of the Wyndham Arms pub on the outskirts of Salisbury, and have risen to become one of the UK’s most-awarded producers. Since moving to bespoke premises in Wiltshire they have gone from strength to strength, CAMRA beer festivals dishing out plaudits within two years - and at a steady rate ever since.

What They Say - “A rich dark stout with a strong roasted malt flavour and a long, smooth aftertaste. Suitable for vegans.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben - It’s a stout but a smooth easy drinking one 8
Shovels - Hints of chocolate but it’s not as full as other stouts 8
Tom - If I was blindfolded I wouldn’t put it down as a stout 7
Richard - I wouldn’t pair it with food, it’s almost a bitter 6½

2. Camerons Monkey Stout (4.4%abv)
Camerons Brewery, Hartlepool, County Durham.
500ml glass bottle

The Lion Brewery has been established in Hartlepool for over 150 years and has been the home to Camerons since 1865. They had been taken over by the Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery (who are now better known as Marstons), but in 2002 were bought back by members of the Cameron family, and are now the only independent regional brewery in the North East of England. They produce around 25 different beers, the majority of which are monthly specials that fit the season. Monkey Stout is their special for November - but it’s also available from the summer onwards as a cask ale. It takes it’s name from the infamous legend of Hartlepool locals who hanged a monkey they found clinging to a shipwreck, believing it to be a Frenchman.

What They Say - “The brew has a rich black colour and chocolate aroma. The chocolate malts give this stout a roasted taste with an excellent bitter sweet balance. This is a must try for all stout drinkers.” [Camerons marketing manager Yousef Doubooni]

What We Say…
Richard - Verging on an old-time milk stout 8
Shovels - Great but it’s maybe just a bit too sweet 7½
Grooben - Smells coffee-ish but it tastes smoothly sweeter 6½
Tom - A ‘Sunday afternoon fall asleep in your roast’ stout 6½

3. Yeti Imperial Stout (9.5%abv)
Great Divide Brewery, Denver, Colorado.
355ml glass bottle

Great Divide were opened in 1994 in the centre of Denver by Brian Dunn, who saw a gap in the market for a new microbrewery in the thirsty outdoors city in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. They have won 12 Great American Beer Festival medals (the first only 3 months after brewing their first batch). Great Divide produce 13 different beers, over half of them self-styled ‘big beers’ – Barley Wines, Double IPA’s, and Imperial Stouts - such as the one we’re sampling tonight. We’ve tried one of their beers before on the BeerCast, with our USA Special panel coming unstuck somewhat with the hefty Titan IPA, which unfortunately for all concerned was out of date. Thankfully this time we’ve got hold of one of their beers within the sell-by date - which can be an issue when buying American imports over here, unfortunately.

What They Say - “An onslaught of the senses. It starts with big, roasty malt flavor that gives way to rich caramel and toffee notes. YETI gets its bold hop character from an enormous quantity of American hops. It weighs in at a hefty 75 IBUs.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Opens with sweetness then roasty tastes later 8
Grooben - Smacks you about the head but in a good way 7½
Shovels - Tasty but I couldn’t drink more than a bottle 7½
Tom - I’d file this under interesting and then never go back 1

4. Left Hand Imperial Stout (10.4%abv)
Left Hand Brewery, Longmont, Colorado.
355ml glass bottle

On Christmas Day 1990 Dick Doore was given a homebrew kit as a present by his brother, which began a passion for brewing. Three years later he moved to Colorado and met an old school friend called Eric Wallace. The two of them founded a brewery in November 1993 in a former meat packing factory in Longmont. Naming themselves the Indian Peaks Brewery after some local mountains, they were undone by copyright issues and renamed themselves after local historical Indian chief Niwot – ‘Left Hand’. Their mighty Imperial Stout contains Magnum and US Goldings hops, with Pale 2-Row, Munich, Crystal, Chocolate malts and roasted and black barley. And alcohol.

What They Say - “A traditional unfiltered Russian Imperial Stout. A smooth, warming stout with hints of raisins, black licquorice, coffee and dark chocolate. A variety of intensely roasted malts and the aggressive use of hops temper the pleasant sweetness of the beer.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - It comes and goes, has a much longer aftertaste 6½
Grooben - Smooth but too sweet to pick up the licquorice 6
Shovels - Subtle difference to the Yeti that makes it not as nice 4
Tom - I’m not enjoying the Imperial Stouts - they sound like something from Star Wars. I’m with the rebel alliance 1

Panellists - (from top left) Shovels, Tom, Grooben, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Hop Back Entire Stout (29½/40)
Camerons Monkey Stout (28½/40)
Yeti Imperial Stout (24/40)
Left Hand Imperial Stout (17½/40)

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with our 35th BeerCast - an episode recorded by our London panel on the real ale treats to be found in your local branch of Marks & Spencer. Stay tuned for that, and in the meantime keep the emails and comments coming in. Cheers!

We return to our Edinburgh studio for the 33rd BeerCast podcast, as an extended panel tackle beers from the South West of England - well, more or less. Panellist Shovels picked up the contenders on a recent trip to The Bottle in York, where they were all shelved in that particular geographic section. We have the self styled ‘ale of Cornwall’ up first - St Austell Tribute (4.2%), before moving on to Hogs Back T.E.A. (4.2%), which stands for Traditional English Ale and hails from Surrey - not exactly the South West. Our third beer definitely is from the correct region - Hop Back Crop Circle from Salisbury in Wiltshire (4.2%). We had high hopes for this, coming from the same producer as our reigning Beer of the Year, Summer Lightning. Finally we end on the typical strong note with Exmoor’s Exmoor Beast, at 6.6%. On the five-man panel this time are Richard, Shovels, Grooben, Stu and Steve.

1. St Austell Tribute (4.2%abv)
St Austell Brewery, St Austell, Cornwall.
500ml glass bottle

Now one of the largest private companies in Cornwall, the St Austell Brewery were founded in 1851 by a young local man named Walter Hicks, who mortgaged his farm for £1500 to get the necessary funds. Over 150yrs later they still remain in the hands of the Hicks family. They have 167 pubs in Britain’s most southwesterly county, but are expanding into and throughout the region. St Austell have won many awards, and their Admirals Ale was recently voted Supreme Champion of the 2008 International Beer Challenge. Tribute is their flagship ale, however, and is increasingly being found further away from it’s homeland. Brewed using Maris Otter and Cornish Gold malts, and hopped with Fuggles, Williamette and Styrian.

What They Say - “Tribute is a magnificent example of a bronze coloured English bitter, with a rich aroma of biscuity malt and tart citrus fruit from the Willamette hops. Juicy malt, hop resins and tangy fruit coat the tongue, while the finish is long and lingering, with a fine balance between malt, hops and fruit, finally becoming dry and bitter.” [Roger Protz]

What We Say…
Steve - Digestive biscuit taste to it with some citrus 9
Richard - Great hop aroma with a long malty bitter aftertaste 9
Grooben - A good drinking beer, it’s right up my street 8
Shovels - Lingers all around the mouth but it’s pretty good 7½
Stu - Just a little too bitter for me in the aftertaste 7

2. Hogs Back T.E.A. (4.2%abv)
Hogs Back Brewery, Tongham, Surrey.
500ml glass bottle

Surrey’s not exactly in the south west, but at least it’s in the south - and if a bottle shop chooses to shelve ales slightly out of alignment then that’s good enough for us. The Hog’s Back Brewery are situated in the small village of Tongham, and take their name from a geological feature nearby - the raised ridgeline of the North Downs that runs from Farnham to Guildford. Their first batch was completed on the 4th of August 1992 following the efforts of two men, Tony Stanton-Precious and Martin Zillwood-Hunt, who were put together by the editor of The Grist after Tony wrote to the magazine looking for a prospective partner to open a brewery. Like Tribute with St Austell, T.E.A. is Hog’s Back’s flagship beer, and in 2007 was a finalist in the bottled beer class at the GBBF’s Champion Beer of Britain.

What They Say - “T.E.A. is pale brown, with a hoppy and slightly fruity aroma supported by malt in the taste. A well crafted, bittersweet beer with a long dry finish. A classic Best Bitter.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Stu - I enjoyed it much better than the Tribute 7½
Shovels - A classic best bitter that’s nicer with the sediment 7½
Steve - It’s almost like drinking a Terry’s Chocolate orange 7½
Richard - Very malty but I don’t get any citrus or sweetness 7
Grooben - Smells of not much, and it does taste a bit like tea 7

3. Crop Circle (4.2%abv)
Hop Back Brewery, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
500ml glass bottle

Hop Back began in the basement of a pub - the Wyndham Arms, on the outskirts of Salisbury. When bought by John and Julie Gilbert, John decided to use the cellar to experiment in brewing beer for the pub, and made such a success that CAMRA beer festivals were dishing out plaudits within two years. The couple bought another pub in 1991 – the Waterloo Arms in Southampton – and once capacity was reached they went all out and opened the Hop Back Brewery. Renowned for Summer Lightning, our reigning Beer of the Year. But they are far from a one-trick pony, and Crop Circle is brewed with added coriander.

What They Say - “A very clean, flaxen-coloured beer with wonderful thirst-quenching properties. The subtle blend of aroma and bittering hops give a crispness on the tongue which is delicately fruity, giving way to some dryness. The inclusion of flaked maize in the grist subtlely hints at crisp corn flavours.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels - Refreshing and drinkable with not much body 7
Steve - The herby taste does fade very quickly 6½
Richard - Has a sharp bitterness but not in a good way 6½
Grooben - More like Cobra than Summer Lightning 6
Stu - I think it would go well with something spicy 6

4. Exmoor Beast Strong Ale (6.6%abv)
Exmoor Ales, Wiveliscombe, Somerset.
500ml glass bottle

We’ve never featured a Somerset Brewery on the BeerCast before, but Exmoor Ales are one of the most successful producers in the UK. Founded in 1980, they had a flying start by winning the Best Bitter national award at that year’s GBBF…with only their 13th brew. That beer was known simply as Exmoor Ale, and was a classic 3.8% session beer. They didn’t rest of the laurels of that quick success, as in 1986 they then produced Exmoor Gold, widely regarded as the first Golden Ale (along with Hop Back’s Summer Lightning) - a pioneer of the quintessential British summer ale style. Exmoor Beast is a full-bodied dark porter that was first brewed in 1992.

What They Say - “Its strength means this is a beer to be respected, sipped slowly to warm up a winter’s night while the weather does its worst. Brewed with a mix of pale ale, chocolate and crystal malts, and hopped with Goldings, Challenger and Brewers Gold, it is dark mahogany-brown in colour, with the merest hint of crimson tints at its edge.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Steve - Would be nice with a fruit cake, it’s a winter one 8
Richard - There’s definitely a rum background in there 7½
Shovels - A raisiny sipper - just one pint would do I think 7
Grooben - More complex than I thought but isn’t my type of beer 7
Stu - Drinking beer with fruit cake scares the hell out of me 7

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

BeerCast panel verdict
St Austell Tribute (40½/50)
Hogs Back T.E.A. (36½/50)
Exmoor Beast (36½/50)
Hop Back Crop Circle (31½/50)

“A BeerCast of all the talents”

“Ask not what The BeerCast can do for you, but what you can do for The BeerCast”

“We have nothing to fear but beer itself”

These are just a few of the inspirational quotes from (then minister) Richard’s call to arms when he took the high office of BeerCaster in chief in the summer of 2007. It was with this spirit of public service, that the London constituents of The BeerCast sat down to record our thoughts on The BeerCast’s Beers of the Year 2008 (or BOTY for short).

This was our first BeerCast flying solo. The professionals up in Edinburgh have perfected the art of pre-recording warm-up beers, and so we started off a little stilted but we soon loosened up (especially after the Hardcore IPA!) and started to meander wildly off-topic, as is the BeerCast way.

We only managed to source 3 of the 4 BOTY beers and so decided to throw in a random 4th beer for fun, with surprising consequences. Listen out for factiods from BeerCast first timer Francis Booth, meanderings into BeerCast favorite topic - labels, musings on hampster bedding and what exactly is a ‘two stemmed glass’?

1. Theakston XB (4.5%abv) 500ml glass bottle
Theakstons Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire.
BeerCast#17 scored 25½/30 (85%) 19th Jun 2008
Originally tasted by Tom 9; Shovels 8½; Richard 8

Jess - I’ve got no complaints 7
Francis - Tastes like a 9 volt battery 7
Andy - It’s fine, but it’s not bowling me over 5

2. Summer Lightning (5.0%abv) 500ml glass bottle
The Hop Back Brewery, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
BeerCast #19 scored 27/30 (90%) 4th Aug 2008
Originally tasted by Shovels 9; Grooben 9; Richard 9

Francis - Less complex than XB, but perfect for summer 6
Andy - Zesty, but slightly watery 7
Jess - I find it very bitter 5

3. BrewDog Hardcore IPA (9.0%abv) 660ml glass bottle
BrewDog, Fraserburgh, Scotland.
BeerCast#15 scored 33½/40 (84%) 27th Apr 2008
Originally tasted by MrB 9½; Richard 9; Grooben 8; Shovels 7

Francis - It’s a bit syrupy, i see what they’re doing though 8
Jess - I find it too sweet, you can feel it on your teeth 4
Andy - I quite like it actually, but it’s a bit full on 7

4. Ridgeway Blue (5.0%abv) 500ml glass bottle
Ridgeway Brewing, South Stoke, England

What They Say - ”Bottled. Copper colour with small white head. Aroma is sweet fruity hops at first, then turns quite earthy and grassy. Flavour is very dull fruity, grassy, earthy and some butter & yeasty notes. Not very pleasant.” [ratebeer.net]

What We Say…
Jess - Ahh, this is lovely 8
Andy - Fruity and refreshing, but i preferred Summer Lightning  6
Francis - This would dovetail with my evening nicely 8

Panellists - (from top left) Andy, Francis, Jess

• Listen to the episode here:BeerCast #29 - London BOTY extra
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

BeerCasting is a fine art and the London branch has just set up it’s easel.

We disagreed with Edinburgh HQ on the beers, scored them even though Richard told us not to and ended up almost unable to speak. It was a thoroughly enjoyable 40 mins though, i hope you enjoy it too and we’ll be back with some more very soon.

Since our highly enjoyable Beer of the Year Show 2007 where Anchor’s Special Ale 2006 was crowned our first ever BOTY, we have tried and tested all manner of ales here on the BeerCast. Nine different panellists sampled their way through 73 different beers over the course of 2008, spread over 16 podcasts. As tradition now dictates, we ended up with a ‘final four’ - those that scored the highest marks last year - which we then pitted against each other to see who would take Anchor’s crown.

We had intended to record the podcast just before the turn of the new year, but unfortunately a procurement issue meant we had to delay until the end of January. After a few weeks we managed to find all four beers once again, and the BOTY show could take place. The worthy finallists were - Thwaites Double Century, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Theakston XB, and BrewDog Hardcore IPA. As scoring had been done in each individual BeerCast, for the final we re-sampled each one and gave our general thoughts, before going round the panel and simply picking a winner. For this BOTY edition, the panel consisted of Richard, Shovels, Grooben, and the Hopmeister Tom. First up, Thwaites Double Century…

1. Double Century (5.2%abv) 500ml glass bottle
Thwaites Brewery, Blackburn, Lancashire.
BeerCast #12 scored 26/30 (87%) 23rd Feb 2008
Originally tasted by MrB 9; Stuart 9; Richard 8

Grooben - Very dry and bitter at the end
Richard - Great hoppy session beer with a hint of orange
Tom - Really nice but gives you ‘hangover tongue’
Shovels - I don’t get the wow factor but it’s decent stuff

2. Summer Lightning (5.0%abv) 500ml glass bottle
The Hop Back Brewery, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
BeerCast #19 scored 27/30 (90%) 4th Aug 2008
Originally tasted by Shovels 9; Grooben 9; Richard 9

Grooben - It’s a summer beer, maybe a bit incongruous for winter
Richard - Very hoppy and pleasant, but you can’t tell it’s 5%
Tom - I’ve tried this before independently and it’s really quaffable
Shovels - On tap it’s one of my favourites and I always look for it

3. Theakston XB (4.5%abv) 500ml glass bottle
Theakstons Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire.
BeerCast#17 scored 25½/30 (85%) 19th Jun 2008
Originally tasted by Tom 9; Shovels 8½; Richard 8

Grooben - Nicer than I would have expected, but a bit sweet
Richard - Just one would be very nice, bit molassey and treacly
Tom - No nasty aftertaste, it’s a lovely session ale
Shovels - I really like it, the sweetness isn’t too much

4. BrewDog Hardcore IPA (9.0%abv) 660ml glass bottle
BrewDog, Fraserburgh, Scotland.
BeerCast#15 scored 33½/40 (84%) 27th Apr 2008
Originally tasted by MrB 9½; Richard 9; Grooben 8; Shovels 7

Grooben - It must be very difficult to make a beer as strong as this but as palatable
Richard - You’d have to savour this one almost like a trappist ale
Tom - This one really stands out because of it’s individuality
Shovels - It’s like an American IPA but tastes less hoppy

So the beers had been re-tried and thoughts given - but only one thought counted, the overall winner of the four. The final step of the Beer of the Year show was to go round the table and pick the one that stood out the most…

Grooben
“I’ve never had XB and darker sweeter beers aren’t for me, but I really liked it. The Hardcore IPA was a bit much for my personal tastes, and was above the other two, but overall the XB was the best.”

Tom
“Hardcore IPA was the only beer that was trying to do something different, and you aren’t going to forget your first taste. The others would eventually become forgotten I think. Hardcore IPA made me stand up and take notice so I vote for that.”

Shovels
“My favourite was Summer Lightning as of the four I’d drink a lot of it either in the pub or from bottles, it’s a really great session ale - light and refreshing.”

Richard
“My favourite had to be Summer Lightning, it’s the kind of beer you can really drink. Hardcore IPA is tremendous but you can maybe only savour it - you can get pleasure from Summer Lightning all throughout the year.”

So that was it. A depleted panel compared with last year maybe, but the responsibility of selecting our beer of the year was still just as great. In the end, our winner was Hop Back’s Summer Lightning, a superb golden ale in the classic English tradition. Congratulations to them, and thanks to all the panellists for their opinions over the course of last year.

• Listen to the episode here:BeerCast #27 - Beer of the Year 2007
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back soon with another podcast episode. Stay tuned for details…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas from all at the BeerCast! To celebrate what is traditionally a time for hefty drinking we have put together a seasonal podcast - and following on from last year’s spectacular we have ramped up the festive factor. This time we try no less than SIX Christmas and Winter Ales, the drinking order chosen at random by panellists MrB and Grooben. First beer in front of the fearsome foursome is BOCQ Christmas (8.1%) from the Brasserie du Bocq in central Belgium. Following our strongest beer of the night (which had to come out first) we move back to the UK and BeerCast favourite Hop Back, for their seasonal offering Pickled Santa (6.0%). The next beer in front of the panel is one we were all looking forward to - Anchor’s Special Ale 2008 (5.5%), bearing in mind their 2006 Ale is our reigning Beer of the Year. It’s a tough act to follow, but the fourth beer that gamely tries is Shepherd Neame’s Christmas Ale (7.0%) from Kent. Next on the mammoth podcast lineup is a seasonal porter from Burton Bridge in Staffordshire (4.5%). Eventually we bring the Christmas special to a close with the festively titled Rudolph’s Revenge (4.6%) from the Cropton Brewery in Yorkshire. Also on the panel with drink selectors MrB and Grooben were Shovels and Richard. Alongside our usual scoring system, we also judged each beer critically on the Christmassy nature of the label - we’re nothing if not getting into the spirit…

1. BOCQ Christmas (8.1%abv)
La Brasserie du Bocq, Purnode, Wallonia, Belgium
330ml glass bottle

In 1858 Belgian landowner Martin Berlot decided his farmhands needed some gainful employment during the long winter months, so he put together a brewery - the Brasserie du Bocq. Starting locally, they expanded after the end of World War I with the help of a strong brown ale called La Gauloise. In 1967 they produced their first Christmas beer - called simply BOCQ Christmas. A typically strong Belgian festive ale, it’s the strongest of the night for the panel - but the random beer selector throws it up first…

What They Say - “BOCQ Christmas is dark in colour and has a rich flair with a scent of coriander and liquorice. It is full mouthed and heady, with a pleasant aroma. A typical beer for the end of the year to taste together with family or friends.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels - Strong, full in the mouth, tastes of pontefract cake 7
Richard - Classic standard brown beer with Christmas sweetness 5
Grooben - Hides the alcohol well, but is cloyingly sweet 4
MrB - It’s too sweet and it tastes of bum 3

Label Christmas Rating - 9

2. Hop Back Pickled Santa (6.0%abv)
Hop Back Brewery, Salisbury, Wiltshire
500ml glass bottle

Wiltshire’s Hop Back Brewery began life in 1986 in the basement of the Wyndham Arms pub on the outskirts of Salisbury, and have risen to become one of the UK’s most-awarded producers. Currently their tremendous Summer Lightning tops the BeerCast rankings - so possibly another gong awaits. We’re sure they’ll be clearing a space on the label just in case. Pickled Santa is their seasonal offering proving they offer more than just hoppy session beers.

What They Say - “Chestnut in colour, strong in flavour, hints of cinnamon, coriander and nutmeg.” [Label Tasting Notes] “In the mouth it is initially malty, but the spices soon take over. A syrupy sweetness is offset by some hop bitterness, and there is a little caramel and treacle, especially towards the finish. It leaves a strange aftertaste of peppery malt, with lingering cinnamon and nutmeg.” [Oxford Bottled Beer Database]

What We Say…
Shovels - Unlike most Christmas beers I’d order this in a pub 7½
Richard - Tastes like the nutmeg from on top of custard tarts 7
MrB - Smells Christmassy, the more I drink of it the less I like it 5
Grooben - It’s intriguing, you can’t really taste the alcohol 5

Label Christmas Rating - 7

3. Anchor Special Ale 2008 (5.5%abv)
Anchor Brewery, San Francisco, CA
355ml glass bottle

San Francisco’s Anchor are one of the giants of the American craft brewing industry, and have a wide range of beers in their armory. Every November they put out a festive beer for the season, and every year it’s different. Since 1975 their head brewers have been constructing subtly different offerings for the lucky public - their 2006 Special Ale is our current BeerCast Beer of the Year, for example. Their 2007 Special Ale also went down well during the same BOTY edition - but what will the 2008 vintage bring?

What They Say - Anchor never reveal the exact ingredients of their Special Ales, but speculation on the RateBeer forum is that the 2008 contains hints of citrus and circus peanuts (whatever they are), but also that it’s one of their nicest and is similar to the 2007, but not the 2006.

What We Say…
Shovels - Not as full-bodied as the 2006 but still bloody tasty 8½
MrB - They may all pale into comparison with the 2006 7½
Grooben - Made specially for Christmas which sets it apart 7½
Richard - Sweeter than the 06/07, not as good as either 7

Label Christmas Rating - 6

4. Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale (7.0%abv)
Shepherd Neame Brewery, Faversham, Kent
500ml glass bottle

If there’s anyone who should know about producing warming hoppy liquids it will be Shepherd Neame - their oft-repeated claim is that they are Britain’s oldest brewery. There may be some debate as to whether or not they actually started in 1698, but they certainly have a long and varied production history. We’ve featured their wares on the BeerCast before - Bishop’s Finger made a decent impression back in BeerCast #4. But their 7% Christmas Ale is another story, and has yet to pass the panel’s attention.

What They Say - “Our Christmas Ale is a glowing amber winter ale with a beady, fruity nose. Crystallised winter fruits combine with festive spicy hops on a platform of smooth warming alcoholic notes, leaving a refreshing cleansing hop finish.” [Label Tasting Notes]

What We Say…
MrB - It’s lager and lime only with ale, has a warming finish 7
Grooben - The beer tastes normal, the label screams Christmas 7
Richard - Smells like lime cordial, tastes only reasonable 6½
Shovels - For me it’s just not Christmassy enough 5

Label Christmas Rating - 9

5. Burton Festive Porter (4.5%abv)
Burton Bridge Brewery, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire
500ml glass bottle

If you stop to think about brewing in the UK, the small town of Burton has to feature. The inhabitants of the monastery of Saint Mowden and Burton Abbey laid the beery foundations, only for later generations to discover a local water source high in gypsum salts. As a result, more hops could be added to Burton-area beer and they could be stored and transported for longer, and by the 1880’s there were thirty breweries there. An astonishing one quarter of all beer drunk in Britain came from this small Staffordshire town. Burton currently has five producers - one of them being the Burton Bridge Brewery which was established in 1982 in the Fox and Goose pub. By 1990 it had won Brewpub of the Year according to the Good Pub Guide.

What They Say - “Very dark brown fruity porter with a distinctive bitter after palate. Target and Challenger hops combine with pale, crystal and chocolate malts.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels - Swill it round and all you taste is stewed apples 4
Grooben - Smells very yeasty and really tastes of nothing 3
Richard - It’s not Christmassy and it’s not a porter 3
MrB - Even the Santa on the label isn’t drinking it 3

Label Christmas Rating - 9

6. Rudolph’s Revenge Winter Ale (4.6%abv)
Cropton Brewery, Cropton, N Yorkshire
500ml glass bottle

Happen we ‘ad to ‘ave a Yorkshire beer in t’podcast - and Cropton’s Rudolph’s Revenge comes in a particularly festive bottle. Established in the cellars of the New Inn, the Cropton brewery began in 1984 solely to supply the pub. But when their debut Two Pints Bitter was so well-received, they started to supply other outlets. In 1996 a 100 barrel per week facility was opened in the grounds of the Inn and production increased rapidly. Their festive offering is Rudolph’s Revenge, a bottle-conditioned bitter…but is it festive enough?

What They Say - “A dark bitter, using finest Cascade and Styrian Goldings hops and English malt, providing a unique hoppy beer with a fruity aftertaste.” [Label Tasting Notes]

What We Say…
MrB - It’s almost too fruity but is a tasty tasty beer 7
Shovels - This one goes hopsFRUIT!!! 7
Richard - This is hoppy like none of the others tonight 6
Grooben - Doesn’t taste Christmassy but crucially it tastes nice 6

Label Christmas Rating - 8

BeerCast panel verdict
Anchor Our Special Ale 2008 (30/40)
Rudolph’s Revenge Winter Ale (26/40)
Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale (25½/40)
Hop Back Pickled Santa (24½/40)
BOCQ Christmas (19/40)
Burton Festive Porter (13/40)

Panellists - (from top left) Shovles, MrB, Grooben, Richard

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #26 - Christmas Special 2008
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back in the first week of 2009 with our biggest podcast of the year - our second annual BeerCast Beer of the Year episode. Join our greatly enlarged panel for a sampling of the four highest-scoring beers reviewed during 2008, as we gather together to pick a winner. See below for the contenders. Until the new year then, Merry Christmas from all at the BeerCast, and have a happy new year. As ever, please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!

BOTY finalists - Hop Back Summer Lightning, Thwaites Double Century, Theakston’s XB, BrewDog Hardcore IPA