The BeerCast

With the latest RateBeer tasting coming only a few days after the end of the GBBF at Earl’s Court, it always threatened to be a big one. So it proved, as a combination of guest bloggers and GBBF-engorged suitcases resulted in twenty-five beers being drunk over the course of six hours. 25! Thankfully it was a week-end, so the tasting became relatively consequence-free. I say relatively, of course. Many thanks, as ever to Craig for hosting and providing most of the beers, also several from Steve at Beers I’ve Known were really good indeed.

We began with one of those – Holgate The Empress (10%), hailing from a Victoria brewery that few around the table (Australians excepted) had heard of. What a way to start – a chocolatey imperial stout, with a sweetness that gave it a chocolate brownie flavour. That may get a touch sweet after a while, but on a sample it was tremendous. We followed that with another couple of dark ones – Sierra Nevada Fritz and Ken’s Stout (9.2%), and Deschutes The Abyss 2010 Reserve (11%). The latter was a touch bourbony for me, but the SN was lovely.

Into the specials next, with the raspberry juice flavours of Redoak Framboise Froment (5%), the lemon juice flavours of Pretty Things Jack D’Or Saison (6.4%), and the Demerara sugar flavours of Sierra Nevada Brewer’s Reserve Grand Cru (7.8%). Other highlights included the remarkable O’Hanlon’s Special Reserve 2010 (12.9%) – walloping booze mixed with sweet, woody caramel – and New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red (4%), which reminded me of the triangle of mulchy jam in a cherry Muller Fruit Corner.

Next up, 3 Fonteinen Oude Gueze 2007 (6%) – a violently fruity Belgian sour, which was more dry than puckering – and very lime cordial-esque. The darker beers then came back – we fired through Brooklyn Black Ops (10.7%), Struise Pannepeut 2006 (10%), SKA Nefarious Ten Pin (8%) and Avery Czar Imperial Stout (11.6%) in short order – the Brooklyn being the pick, extremely well-balanced throughout – unlike the Ten Pin, which didn’t really do it for me.

British beers came next, as we sampled Marble’s Manchester Tripel (9%) – very nice, quite zesty. Tasted like a strong IPA at first, but the Belgian flavours appeared on the aftertaste. Kernel Pale Ale Riwaka (4.9%) showcases a hop I’d not heard of until recently, but it was lovely. Refreshing citrus and grapefruit. However, Kernel’s Pale Ale Mount Hood was frighteningly bitter – so much so that it dominated every other component, and was overly sharp. I think that’s my seventeenth different Kernel beer, and finally I found one I don’t like.*

The next slab of dark American beers came and went – Full Sail Imperial Stout (7.5%) was a highlight, a classic roasty coffeeish boozefest. South Oregon Pinup Porter (5.5%) and Pelican The Perfect Storm 2009 didn’t quite match up – the Pinup because of the abv (although it would make a terrific session porter – we’re not alcohol whores here). The Pelican was a barrel-aged barley wine, a style I just can’t get along with – whisky, syrup and woody sweetness in spades.

That was about it – by now it was approaching 1am and the tasting notes were getting a little out of focus. I’d also sustained a minor shoulder injury after being shot by the cork from one of the Sierra Nevada reserves (ceiling ricochet – we all accept the risks in this business). We had time for an Imperial Rye Munich Ale – which is a new style in my book (Short’s Brew Ginger in the Rye), and a very nice big NZIPA from Epic (Mayhem at 6.2%). To be honest, ‘very nice’ is about all I can remember.

Thanks again to Craig for hosting – you can get a second opinion of the tasting at Steve’s blog here. Considering I’d put away 25 beers, I felt pretty chipper – a new record…!

*Not that I was looking, of course. 16/17 is a pretty outstanding strike rate

We’re back after our summer podcast break with a cracking lineup of beers from three very enthusiastic British brewers – all of whom begin with the letter M (hence the dubious title of the podcast). Our 63rd edition focuses on the West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield – home to two very distinctive breweries. We also throw in a beer from Manchester – a mere 30miles across the Pennines. Beginning with Danger: Hops! (5.1%) from the prolific Mallinson’s Brewery, we move on to a new producer – Magic Rock – and sample High Wire (5.5%) and Cannonball (7.4%). In between those hoppy numbers we add the Mancunian interlude, in the shape of Marble’s Chocolate Marble (5.5%). On the panel this week, Richard, MrB, Stuart and Grooben.

1. Danger: Hops! (5.1%abv)
Mallinson’s Brewery, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
500ml glass bottle

Opened in May 2008 in a converted garage, Mallinsons are one of the busiest English breweries around, having released literally hundreds of beers (their website’s latest is #233 Io – a Sorachi Ace hopped blonde ale). Production is overseen by the brewster/owner – Tara Mallinson, ably assisted by her partner Elaine Yendall. Being so prolific, they need plenty of names for their beers – Io is the ninth ‘space themed’ – they have also done series on viaducts, wonders of the world, long rivers, and a classic British bus series. Since 2010 they have bottle conditioned four of their best sellers – Stadium Bitter, Station Bitter, Lindley Pale, and Danger: Hops!

What They Say -
“A re-brew which is stronger and hoppier. Each cask is dry hopped with Citra. Pale straw coloured beer with a hoppy passion fruit and mango nose, a bitter strong taste and a long bitter citrus finish.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Smells pineappley, quite sharp citrus on the taste 7
Stu – Danger Hops should slap you around the face a bit more 6
Grooben – Every Citra beer smells the same apart from this one 5
MrB – Not even mildly dangerous, it’s actually quite tasty 5

2. High Wire (5.5%abv)
Magic Rock Brew Co, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
330ml glass bottle

Magic Rock Brewing are a brand new Yorkshire brewery, having also begun in Huddersfield, but in mid-2011. Brothers Richard and Jonny Burhouse founded the business, after employing ex-Kelham Island, Acorn and Crown head brewer Stuart Ross to be their head brewer. The Burhouse brothers already run the online beer shop mybrewerytap, and also their family business which wholesales new age gifts – leading to their brewery name Magic Rock. High Wire is their tribute to the pale ales of the West coast of America. But how does it compare?

What They Say -
“Let your taste buds walk this test of balance. Mango, lychee and lip-smacking grapefruit flavours harmonise against a smoothly composed malt base, which develops into a crisply bitter finish. Are you ready for our tightrope of taste?” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB – There aren’t many beers in the UK like this, it’s really good 8
Richard – Not as hoppy as Sierra Nevada, good in it’s own right 7½
Stu – Not enough of a kick in the nuts, but I’m warming to it 7
Grooben – Smells great, I don’t think it’s flavoursome enough 6½

3. Chocolate Marble (5.5%abv)
Marble Beers, Manchester.
500ml glass bottle

Our dark offering for the podcast doesn’t hail from Hudders, but then Manchester is only 30 or so miles away. The Grade 2 listed Marble Arch public house in the city has had a microbrewery operating since 1997. They have been a fantastic success story, winning numerous awards and going from strength to strength. All their beers are vegan, many are organic, and they are branded with distinctive pantone-eqsue labels that clearly state what they are about. Their session beer is rather brilliantly called Pint. Today however, we’re tasting their porter(ish) beer – Chocolate

What They Say -
“Strong, rich and stout-like, full plated malts balance against an assertive bitterness. Organic.” [Label Tasting Notes] “Bittering herb notes blossom in the swallow, with dark roasty malt on the finish still characterised with a sweetish chocolatey slick and some gritty mineral notes.” [Des de Moor]

What We Say…
Richard – Chocolatey background, some bitter coffee in there, I think that’s great 8
Grooben – More flavoursome than other beers, I’m liking this 7½
Stu – Great full, rounded flavour, I’d drink a few of these 7½
MrB – Smells particularly malty, it’s like a session stout 7½

4. Cannonball (7.4%abv)
Magic Rock Brew Co, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
330ml glass bottle

Magic Rock currently have a small plant situated in an adjacent building to their crystal business, and as they concentrate on American-style bold, hoppy beers, have a large hopback to get the flavours into their products. Cannonball is Magic Rock’s strong IPA – although they also release a 9.2% Imperial IPA called Human Cannonball. They also produce a 4.6% red ale called Rapture, a 6.0% stout called Dark Arts, and Curious, their 3.9% flagship pale ale. In case you hadn’t guessed it, they have a circus theme – and at a recent launch at the North Bar in Leeds the entire pub was converted into an impromptu big top.

What They Say -
“Crack the cap and let the flavour explode on your palate. Tropically fruity, resinous hops compete against a sweet malty backbone, while a rasping bitterness builds to a mouth puckering crescendo. Our hop bomb might just blow you away…” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Stu – I like it better than their High Wire, this brewery has potential 7½
MrB – Sweet and toffeish, amazing that an English brewer is doing this 7½
Grooben – I just think you need to put more flavour in 7
Richard – These guys only just started, this is very impressive 7

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

BeerCast panel verdict
Marble Chocolate Marble 30½/40
Magic Rock High Wire 29/40
Magic Rock Cannonball 29/40
Mallinsons Danger: Hops! 23/40

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Please keep those comments and emails coming in, and check back in a couple of weeks for our next podcast, which should be from our Southern branch of BeerCasters – as they work their way through the beers of Edinburgh micro Knops Beer Company…

Another month, another colossal tick-taste at RateBeer king Craig Garvie’s. Every few weeks Craig assembles a list of beers that would have any self-respecting beer fan salivating with anticipation, and as many people as possible turn up to share the goodies. As with the others (which you can read about here), I headed down with high expectations, and left fifteen beers later having had them totally exceeded in every way.

There’s no messing about with a tasting if Craig is involved – we piled straight into the big hitters with the 13% Parabola Reserve I from Firestone Walker. Most of his hefty Americans are the result of trades – and the generosity of the widespread community on RateBeer. There are a few UK importers of such beers, but it really is fascinating to get to try beers such as this.

Thick, chewy, barrel-aged molasses from the Parabola gave way to the next beer, the sublime Pliny the Elder (8%) from Russian River. The perfect American IPA? Clear gold, fluffy white head, dark pine aromas with grapefruit bitterness, wonderfully balanced. And all in such an understated bottle. Really, really something. I’ve chewed my way through many a big IPA, but Pliny is a rare beast in that it does not punish you in any way – it’s totally rewarding.

We moved to a British stylemate – Marble Utility Special 2010 (6.5%), which was difficult to compare as they are clearly quite different. The Marble was maybe slightly fruitier – more pineapple than grapefruit – and seriously nice. We then blasted through Marble’s Stouter Port Stout, Kernel Suke Quto Coffee IPA (which I reviewed in detail here), and the really drinkable London Brewer’s Alliance Porter (5.3%).

Back Stateside the next two up were bourbon barrel-aged beers. Craig’s not a huge fan of the style, preferring the Imperial Stouts – I have to agree that sometimes they can just be too much. The perfect example was Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine (14.5%) – interesting to taste a whiskey barley wine, but quite cheesy and almost unpleasant. Also quite sweet was Rockyard’s Imperial Red (10%), with Central Waters Bourbon Barley Wine being the pick of the imported darker beers, due to the smooth nature of the bourbon flavours (probably due to our bottle being a mellowed 2008 vintage).

It wouldn’t be a RateBeer tick-taste without a Mikkeller beer or two, so we then put away Ris a la M’ale (8.0%), a surprisingly mild-flavoured cherry, vanilla and almond beer (apparently brewed to taste like trifle), before moving on to a spicy Christmas beer – Santa’s Little Helper (10.9%) – which was big in every category. Spices, cinnamon, dark fruit, booze – sickly in parts but not too bad overall. Another cloyfest was Weyerbacher XIV (11.8%) – large wheaty marzipan flavours throughout.

The two standout beers (not including the Pliny) came from Scandinavia, however. Nogne Ø Dark Horizon 3 (15.5%) was hugely sweet, but with a matching coffee bitterness to offset. Really drinkable – well, sippable – we followed it up with the incredibly rare Amager Ølbutikken IIIII (10.5%). Only 120 bottles were ever produced – of course Craig managed to trade for one, with his connections. Black, fluffy cream-coloured head, it had an odd nose of bourbon, coffee and tobacco. It was all this on the taste, plus oaky, with some sourness, and then massive alcohol burn. I still can’t decide whether I like it or not – it was just so complex. Which, of course, is what you really hope for from a tasting…

Massive thanks as ever to Craig for hosting – you can visit his blog here.

Our 54th BeerCast revolves around the theme of names – and highlights five unusually titled-beers. Our panel also discuss the wacky real ale stereotypes of such (genuine) examples as Crafty Shag and Hairy Helmet. Thankfully the examples tonight aren’t quite as extreme – although we do begin with Old Slap and Tickle (4.0%), produced by Integrated Bottling Solutions in Gloucestershire. We follow that with Marble Dobber (5.9%) from Manchester, and then head over the Pennines to Tadcaster for Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo (9.0%). Our fourth beer is Criminally Bad Elf (10.5%) from Ridgeway via Hepworth’s, before we finish with a bonus beer – the newly released Kernel Brewery IPA S.C.A.NS. (7.7%). On the panel today are Shovels, Richard, Grooben, and back for his third BeerCast appearance – Stuart.



1. Old Slap and Tickle (4.0%abv)
Integrated Bottling Solutions, Coleford, Gloucestershire.
500ml glass bottle

Integrated Bottling Solutions – or Branded Drinks – are a contract brewery previously known as the Wessex Craft Brewery Co-op. Based in Gloucestershire, most of their beers have unusual names (Jockstrap, Old Gee Spot, Old Shag) and ‘cheeky’ labels. They also used to brew beers for other producers, such as Freeminer. Old Slap and Tickle is a 4% bitter.

What’s In a Name? – Slap and Tickle -
A British euphemism for sexual activity, informal playful kissing or caressing, foreplay, or, now, often, sexual intercourse. Also refers to a funky style of bass guitar. “Slap And Tickle” was the fourth and final single released from Squeeze’s second album, Cool for Cats. [yourdictionary.com]

What They Say -
“Hops, malt & water slapped together. Enough to tickle anyone’s tastebuds.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels – Smells slightly smoky, and of burnt caramel 5
Grooben – Manages to be sweet and really bitter at once 4
Stu – Didn’t like the first taste, second not too bad 3
Richard – Soapy and medicinal, I don’t like that in any way 2

2. Marble Dobber (5.9%abv)
Marble Brewery, Manchester
500ml glass bottle

The Marble Arch on Rochdale Road is one of the most heralded pubs in Manchester. Nestled behind the main building is a small five barrel plant microbrewery, which many beer writers tipped to be worth watching in 2010. So it proved, as their range of organic and vegetarian-approved beers have been winning fans all over the blogosphere. Visitors to the pub can watch the brewing equipment operating behind glass display doors, and they produce a range of bottled beers for drinkers around the country. Dobber is one of their strongest, at 5.9% abv.

What’s In a Name? – Dobber -
A tool used to play bingo, a member of the working class in Scotland with poor taste in clothes and no social skills, an Australian who informs on others, a small electrical device that plugs into a larger one, a float used by anglers, a type of wasp, Scottish slang for the male genitalia, and…a large marble. [Wikipedia]

What They Say -
“The balance of hops provides a great aroma which follows through in the taste and lasts long afterwards. A massive beer in all senses and a perfect IPA.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Big citrus hops, really can’t taste much alcohol 6½
Shovels – Hop stuff I like but grapefruit aftertaste I don’t 6½
Stu – Not as smooth as other IPA’s but I am enjoying it 6
Grooben – Gone too far with the citrusy acid thing for my taste 6

3. Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo (9.0%abv)
Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery, Tadcaster, Yorkshire.
500ml glass bottle

Taddy is home to two giant brewers – the distantly related John Smiths and Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery. The former are owned by Scottish and Newcastle, the latter are still independent – although they were started by members of the same family back in the mid-19th Century (Samuel being a cousin of John). These days, Sam Smith’s use Yorkshire square fermenters and retain their links to tradition by delivering their products on a shire horse-driven dray (within a certain distance of Tadcaster).

What’s In a Name? – Stingo -
”A fashionable slang word of the eighteenth century for strong beer originating in the North of England. It was first mentioned in literature before 1700, and derives from the word sting.” [encyclo.co.uk]

What They Say -
“Yorkshire Stingo is aged for at least a year, matured in these well-used oak casks in the brewery’s underground cellars deriving fruit, raisin, treacle toffee, Christmas pudding and slight oaky flavours, before being further naturally conditioned in bottle.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Stu – I’m a man with a sweet tooth so I’m enjoying that 7½
Richard – Syrupy sweetness with some sherry in there as well 7½
Grooben – I’m usually dead against this kind of beer but it works 7
Shovels – Smells whisky-like, with some prunes. I was expecting it to be bad, but it’s quite well balanced 7

4. Criminally Bad Elf (10.5%abv)
Ridegway Brewery, South Stoke, Oxfordshire (brewed at Hepworth’s, Horsham, West Sussex)
500ml glass bottle

Ridgeway can be loosely pushed into two pigeonholes – as a phoenix brewery, and a cuckoo brewery. They were founded from the ashes of a defunct producer, as ex-Brakspear head brewer Peter Scholey left and managed to start up another company in his own right. He named the new operation Ridgeway, after the ancient upland pathway that meanders along the South Downs, first trod by the Druids. They contract brew, so Peter leases time from brewers with the capacity to spare, most commonly Sussex’s Hepworth. They export a lot of their beers to North America, and revel in the use of elf puns, increasing in strength from Bad Elf through Very Bad Elf, to Insanely Bad Elf. We featured Bad Elf on last year’s Christmas Special podcast.

What’s In a Name? – Criminally Bad Elf -
It turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, of course – wrong place at the wrong time…but Claus was soon back on the street with the polite apologies of the authorities – no questions asked. All’s well that ends well, surely, but still, the reporters wanted to know…it takes its toll, doesnt’t it? “Indeed” sighed Claus, “my elf is going crazy, and I fear I shall soon go crazy as well” And with that he hoisted a great flagon of his favorite barleywine-style ale, silently contemplating the future and straining to remember why he got into this particular line of work in the first place. [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels – Not quite criminally bad, but bad enough 3½
Grooben – Unpleasant aftertaste is not sitting right with me at all 3
Richard – Thick, syrupy, medicinal barleywine kick 3
Stu – Tastes like cough syrup and Special Brew, It’s not good and I’m not enjoying it 2

5. Kernel IPA S.C.A.NS. (5.5%abv)
The Kernel Brewery, Bermondsey, London.
330ml glass bottle

Two podcasts ago we featured London’s Kernel Brewery in a Kernel Showcase, after paying a visit to Evin O’Riordain’s Bermondsey brewery. If Marble were one to watch for 2010, Kernel are undoubtedly one to watch for 2011 – their mix of traditional recipes and strong abv’s without doubt appeal to craft beer fans everywhere. When you consider that Evin does everything himself – even hand-stamping each label – it’s a remarkable operation. In ordering some Kernel IPA C.S.C. (7.1%) for our upcoming Beer of the Year show, Evin told me his newest IPA – called S.C.A.NS. was even better. Clearly, we had to get some to find out…

What’s In a Name? – S.C.A.NS. -
Evin names his IPA’s after the hops that he adds to them – his IPA C.S.C. contains Centennial, Simcoe and Chinook for example. It makes a good quiz for hop fans (play along at home) – S.C.A.NS. contains Simcoe, Chinook, Apollo, and Nelson Sauvin.

What They Say -
“One of the finest Double IPA’s on the market from the up and coming Kernel Brewery. Drawing “wow” from brewers and beer lovers from afar, even hop-head Californian brewers. I can’t express how impressive this beer is. Hopped with Apollo, Simcoe, Chinook and Nelson Sauvin for a good hit of fruit over a refined malt body.” [BeerMerchants.com]

What We Say…
Richard – More bitter punchiness than CSC, there’s a bit more malty sweetness 7½
Shovels – How good a smell is that? Not as citrusy as the Dobber 7
Stu – One of the best beers I’ve ever smelled, this would make a great Glade plug-in 6½
Grooben – I think I preferred CSC, this one may be too far for my personal taste as it’s slightly too bitter 6

Panellists – (clockwise from top left) Richard, Shovels, Stuart, Grooben

BeerCast panel verdict
Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo 29/40
Kernel India Pale Ale S.C.A.NS. 27/40
Marble Dobber 25/40
IBS Old Slap and Tickle 14/40
Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf 12½/40

Thanks to Jeff Pickthall at Pump Clip Parade for the photos of wacky beer names and pump clips. You can also visit Jeff’s regular beer blog – It’s Just the Beer Talking

Please keep those comments and emails coming in, and check back next week for our fourth annual Christmas Special – half a dozen festive warmers for our panel to enjoy, before the excitement of our 2010 Beer of the Year Show in January. Will any of the Christmas beers make a late surge into the final four? Stay tuned…

Beer drinking is meant to be a social pastime, but often when it comes to websites and reviews it can become a solitary experience. Not that a moment of quiet contemplation over an imperial smoked porter or three is a bad thing – but some things are made for sharing. The online beer databases Ratebeer.com and Beer Advocate encourage the searching of bottle shop shelves for unusual wares, which are then often drunk at home. However, one way to convert the sampling of something new into a social occasion is to host a group tasting.

I joined up with Ratebeer a few months ago – ostensibly to add the various reviews from the BeerCast into some kind of order (hence my username BeerCast_Rich). Now that I’m up to 224 ratings, I can see where the attraction comes in finding and rating as many beers as possible. The current Ratebeer king in Scotland is Craig Garvie, who (at the time of writing) has notched 5,974 entries – putting my three-figure tally into perspective. Craig – who chose the slightly more European-leaning Ratebeer over Beer Advocate – was hosting a tasting session last Sunday, and notebook in hand, I went along.

Craig is – as you’ve probably guessed – incredibly keen on beer, but is also careful not to go too far. Some of the top-raters (or ‘tickers’ as they are referred to) have astonishing numbers – again at time of going to press the person with the most ratings has reviewed 16,986 beers. The mind boggles. What must their liver be like? Or their recycling? Are there even 17,000 beers out there?

Anyway, keen to get my score up a bit – well, I was actually more keen to drink some interesting beers I’d never tried before (and this is the key point that separates tickers from the non-tickers), I turned up at Craig’s house. The first beer we sampled was suitably spectacular – Haandbryggeriet/De Molen Menno & Jens (7.5%), a hop-free collaboration between two of Europe’s most exciting brewers. The Norwegians behind Haanbryggeriet revel in experimenting with old recipes, and together with Menno Olivier of De Molen came up with a gruit herb ale. It’s complex stuff, the total lack of hops compensated by piney herbs, smoky flavours, and a sweet syrupy roundness before the bitter finish.

After that we pounded through the beers, moving on to the only UK beer in Ratebeer’s current top 50 – Good King Henry Special Reserve (11.0%) from the Old Chimneys Brewery in Norfolk. Flat, black and viscous with rich woody notes from the oak chips – it was really nice. More like a thick red wine than a beer, although with a dose of vanilla and dates. The marzipan chocolate flavours of Stone’s Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (9.2%) came next, before another from Norway’s Haandbryggeriet – the slightly sour cranberryness of Wild Thing (9.0%).

Portland’s Cascade Brewery have recently opened a new bar that specialises in sour beers, so I was interested to sample Cascade Apricot Ale (9.0%). Highly effervescent, the vinegary aromas gave way to a bitter apricot flavour that made it pretty interesting. We powered through the US craft producers, as Three Floyds Alpha Klaus (7.0%) fell down only as the archetypal non-Christmassy Christmas beer. Otherwise, it was outstanding. Cigar City’s strangely-named 110k+OT Imperial IPA (10.0%) was like syrupy pineapple cordial with a fantastic pine hop aroma.

Back to the UK next, as we tried Manchester’s Marble Chocolate Dubbel (8.5%), which was extremely good – followed by a couple of Italians from Birrificio Lambrate. Then it was back to the sours with Odell Saboteur (10.0%), a brettanomyces beer which had some barrel flavours, but wasn’t as tart as Jolly Pumpkin Baudelaire EYO (iO) Saison (6.8%) – you’ve got to love some of these names. Rosehips and hibiscus gave it a flowery yet punchy tang, which was thankfully not as perfumey as Buckbean Orange Blossom Ale (5.8%), which was like chewing a urinal cake with it’s soapy, chemical finish.

Anyway, we had more beers than that – including a rare taste of Bolvig Calling (4.3%), a beer brewed by Craig in conjunction with Loanhead’s Stewart Brewing – a very good mix of their Stewart 3 and added coffee. However, the highlight was when Craig asked if there was any beer I hadn’t yet sampled with the BeerCast that I wished I could. Being a trappist fan, the obvious answer was Westvleteren 12, as the Abbey only sell it on site – you can’t buy any in shops. It also happens to be the top-ranked beer in RateBeer history. Of course, Craig had half a case upstairs.

It poured a very hazy dark brown, with a few floating clumplets of yeast coming from the famous label-free bottle. There was a fantastic aroma, dark caramel malts, cloves, all kinds of sweet dark aromas coming off the beer. Tastewise the thing that surprised me was the balance – there was hardly any trace of the 10% alcohol because the mouthfeel was so smooth. A sweet, fruity finish really made the beer stand up all the way – just fantastic.

Thanks to Craig for the tasting – this post could have easily been twice as long…