Monthly Archives: May 2016

Brewdog – Nanny State – alcohol free

Alcohol Free, Brewdog, Craft Beer, Scotland, , ,

Brewdog – Nanny State 0%

Brewdog Brewery - Nanny State
Brewdog Brewery – Nanny State

Well what can one say but… It’s Brewdog at it again!

This ale is a chestnut coloured, non-alcohol beer, with a fresh, sharp grapefruit aroma. It’s taste is strong dry grapefruit taste, without any sweetness. making an interesting option on a non-alcohol beer.

Like a number of the Brewdog offerings this alcohol free ale is very much the acquired taste typically needed for Brewdog beers. It does carry a gluten warning for the barley used in the beer to go with the zero alcohol – and it would have to be called ‘Nanny State’

It is brave for a craft brewery to produce an alcohol free ale to compete with the bigger names in this sector. Look out for a Brewdog Bar.

Brewdog Brewery

James Street- Big Red

Bitter, Craft Beer, James Street Brewery, Real Ale, Somerset, UK, , , , ,

James Street- Big Red 4.5%

James Street Brewery - Big Red
James Street Brewery – Big Red

This is a dark chestnut ale, with a good malt aroma. The taste is malty with a bitter follow on. I would place this ale between a Bitter and an IPA in taste, well hopped with a dry bitter finish.

This ale is produced by the James Street Brewery, headed up by brewster Anna, based in The Brew House, James Street in Bath. Giving not only the environment of an old style pub, with barrel tables, in which to try the beer offerings and food but you can see the brewery inside, behind a glass wall.  Well worth a visit… or two!

Cotleigh Brewery – Long Eared Owl

Bitter, Cotleigh Brewery, Craft Beer, Real Ale, Somerset, UK, , , , ,

Cotleigh Brewery – Long Eared Owl 4.9%

Cotleigh Brewery - Long Eared Owl
Cotleigh Brewery – Long Eared Owl

This is a chestnut coloured ale, with a good malt and hop aroma balance. It has a rich hop and malt taste of a good English bitter.

This is another of Somerset’s Cotleigh Brewery bird themed ales, which if you are looking for a traditional bitter ale with good malt and hop balance this is a good choice.

ÖL MÖRK Lager 4.7%

Lager, Sweden, Winter Ale, ,

ÖL MÖRK Lager 4.7%

IKEA - ÖL MÖRK
IKEA – ÖL MÖRK

This is a Swedish dark red ale with a strong dried fruitcake aroma, which would be expected of English porter ales. It has a good heavy dried fruit or prune and malt taste, with the lighter bitterness of a lager.

 This ale is produced by the lager method of bottom fermentation followed by cooling, normally down to about 4°C.
Of the two light and dark lagers offered by IKEA, this dark ale would be my preferred choice and is more suited to winter drinking

Nethergate (Growler) Brewery – Old Growler

Essex, Nethergate Brewery, Porter, UK, Winter Ale, , , ,

Nethergate (Growler) Brewery – Old Growler 5.5%

Nethergate Brewery - Old Growler
Nethergate Brewery – Old Growler

This is a dark ale with a sweet plum aroma. The taste is bitter sweet, moving to a bitter chocolate finish.

This beer is a porter style dark ale from this Essex based brewery. The Ale is named after the head brewer’s dog and has twice won the CAMRA Winter Beer of Britain.

Hopshackle Brewery – Double Momentum

Autumn Ale, Hopshackle Brewery, IPA, Lincolnshire, Real Ale, Strong Ale, UK, , , , ,

Hopshackle Brewery – Double Momentum 7.0%

Hopshackle Brewery - Double Momentum
Hopshackle Brewery – Double Momentum

This is an amber coloured ale with a strong malt and dried hop aroma. It has a strong malt taste with a heavy resinous hop bitterness. A strong IPA rather than a barley wine type that may be expected at this strength.

This ale is based on a historic 18th century recipe.
The Hopshackle Brewery is based in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire have originated from The Saracens Head in Cambridge via Cox’s Yard Inn in Stratford on Avon and the brewing equipment was built by the engineers at Charles Wells, Eagle Brewery in Bedford.

Schlenkerla Brauerei Heller – Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen

Germany, History, My 5* Rating, Real Ale, Schlenkerla Brauerei, Wheat Beer, Winter Ale, ,

Schlenkerla Brauerei Heller – Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen 5.2%

Schlenkerla Smoke Beer
Schlenkerla Smoke Beer

This is a dark beer with a strong blackened wood smokey aroma. It has a sweet German weiss beer taste with an overriding wood smokiness, with clove notes.

This is a very unusual weiss beer with the smokiness cutting through the typical sweetness of a wheat beer. It is a great drink for the winter in a pub with an open fire.
5*.
This beer is from the original Schlenkerla Smokebeer Brewery in Bamberg in the Franconia region of Germany, first mentioned in 1406 and brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516.
The barley malt portion of the grain bill is smoked over beechwood logs. The wheat malt is unsmoked.