Monthly Archives: March 2016
CAMRA
CAMRA
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) believes it has achieved its primary aim of promotion of Real Ale. It was founded in the days of Watneys Red Barrel, with a red barrel keg tap on the bar, later reduced to Watneys Red and a red keg shaped bar tap. Other keg beers at the time were Whitbread Tankard, Worthington E and Ind Coope’s Double Diamond; all thankfully long gone.
We now have a thriving collection of small and micro breweries producing real ales, such that even the big brewers and combines try to compete, either buying up real ale breweries, or setting up their own so called smaller ‘craft’ breweries within their main breweries.
Does this mean that CAMRA has now finished its job. No, it will need to continue to support real ale against the conglomerates but will now also campaign to keep our British pub heritage against the continuing closure of pubs in both towns and rural areas.
Caledonian Brewery – Flying Scotsman
Caledonian Brewery – Flying Scotsman 3.5%/4.0%

A dark chestnut ale with plum and chocolate aroma notes. It has a smooth malt taste with smokey and chocolate notes. A good smooth, malty ale worth the experience of trying. My 5*
Sadlers Brewery – Reindeer Ale
Oakham Ales – Scarlet Macaw
Oakham Ales – Scarlet Macaw 4.8%

Brewers and Union – Beast of the Deep
Twisted Oak Spun Gold
Twisted Oak Brewery – Spun Gold 4.5%

This is a golden ale with the aroma of a German Weiss bier. It’s taste starts clean and sharp with Weiss bier notes and a strong citrus bitter finish and a hint of the spice found in Belgian White beer.
L’Ambrée d’Esquelbecq
Brasserie Thiriez – L’Ambrée d’Esquelbecq 5.8%

Biere Artisanale des Flandres
This is a chestnut coloured ale with buttery toffee and deep malt aromas. It has a rich malty taste with toffee and sweet molasses and fruit notes. This ale is brewed at Brasserie Thiriez in Esquelbecq France.
This is an interesting ale from Flanders in northern France. It is not the typical ‘lager’ type French beer often foundin the UK but is more closely matched to the darker beers found in Belgium just across the border. A good ale if you prefer darker malty beers. 5*
Ordinance City Brewery – Claymore
Ordinance City Brewery – Claymore Porter 4.5%

This is a black potter ale with aromas of toasted malt and rich fruits, it has a strong toasted malt and rich roast coffee taste notes moving to a blackstrap molasses bitter aftertaste. A good porter style ale.