One woman's ale journey

A beery boozy journey with delightful snacks along the way and a book in my hand.

Sunday 26 July 2015

Black Sheep Brewery All Creatures


This has an amazing head as it bursts out of the bottle - I didn't think it was all going to fit in the pint glass!  Full marks to the frothy white head that clings to the glass with substantial lacing.  It's a lovely crystal clear light golden colour and smells so fresh, like a summer beer garden ale.  Unfortunately it was a typical Northern summer day - cold and cloudy so I drank this in front of the TV watching the Hungarian GP qualifying!

I did have a little chuckle when I tasted this.  It's not for the faint-hearted or regular IPA drinkers - this is Pale Ale Yorkshire style!  It has a massive hoppy aftertaste that is a bit metallic at first but is unnoticeable after a few sips.  I thought there was a very very slight suggestion of citrus which takes the edge off the bitterness of the hops.  The aroma is stated as blackcurrant but unfortunately I didn't get any hint of that.

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, Yorkshire
4.0% ABV

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Guinness Golden Ale


Head: perfect
Colour: perfect
Smell: perfect
Taste: perfect

This was quite a revelation!  As you would expect from Guinness it has a thick creamy white head that lasts to the end leaving lacing down the side of the glass.  The colour is a delightful deep amber thanks to the amber malts it is brewed with.  It has a fruity aroma to the overall maltiness and I just knew it would taste as good as it smells.  It's fruity yet malty with a light and fizzy feel to it - it wouldn't be out of place in a summer beer garden or on a winter's evening.

A successful experiment by the Guinness Brewer's Project - 10 out of 10 to Guinness for this one.  Ale be seeing you again!

Brewed by Guinness, Dublin
4.5% ABV

Saturday 18 July 2015

Black Sheep Brewery Monty Python's Holy Grail


This was first brewed in 1999 to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Monty Python.  It's a lovely golden colour with the perfect amount of carbonation and a creamy head as I have come to expect from Black Sheep - there's still some left right to the very end.

It certainly smells hoppy but with none of the metallic aftertaste due to the addition of just a hint of citrus and I can definitely taste delicious malty biscuity flavours in every drop.

A quality ale just as you'd expect from Black Sheep Brewery.  It does feel like a perfect lunchtime ale but after a few of these at 4.7% you'll be clip clopping home with coconut shells like a knight who says Ni.

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, Yorkshire
4.7% ABV

Dead Crow Bourbon Beer


Just like the Rum Beer from last week, it's in the same beautiful bottle embossed with a map of the world.  This one doesn't smell as strong as the rum one and I think it has a better taste.  I probably couldn't tell you it was bourbon, although I am a bit of a whiskey drinker in my spare time.  Unlike the rum one though, I could probably have a few more of these for as long as the sun keeps shining - in the North East, I'd better drink quickly!

Brewed by SHS drinks, Gloucester
5.5% ABV

Sunday 12 July 2015

Wooden Hand Brewery Pirate's Gold


Another excellent beer from Wooden Hand Brewery.  A delicious light amber ale with a very fruity hoppy smell.  Not much of a head but what is there pretty much stays there so it gets a big tick from me!  It is very smooth with the just the right amount of carbonation and so easy to drink - it's a bit like drinking a malt loaf!  Fruity and malty perfection - Ale be seeing you again, Pirate's Gold!


Loved by me, not just by pirates.

Brewed by Wooden Hand Brewery, Truro, Cornwall
4.0% ABV

Dead Crow Rum Beer


The bottle is beautiful as it is embossed with a map of the world, and just begs to be drunk out of and admired - so who am I to resist?  It has a very strong rum smell on opening so you know without checking the label that it's a strong one.  It tastes nice as a one off drink for a sunny weekend but I couldn't drink too many of them as rum does have a slightly sickly scent after a while.

Brewed by SHS drinks, Gloucester
5.5% ABV

Wooden Hand Brewery Cornish Gribben


I got a bit overexcited when I saw the bubble bath head on this one - it's so thick and long lasting that the glass needs to be scraped at the end.  It's a lovely golden colour and smells so hoppy - like a proper beer!  It tastes ever so slightly zesty like grapefruit and is very pleasant indeed. I have to give a special mention to the label, and I never judge an ale by its label, but I really like the look of the Wooden Hand labels.  Perhaps it's the red and white of the tower (gribben) on this one that really stands out against the sepia of the label. Cornish Gribben - Ale be seeing you again!

Brewed by Wooden Hand Brewery, Truro, Cornwall
4.1% ABV

Saturday 11 July 2015

Black Sheep Brewery Golden Sheep


Everybody knows I love Black Sheep ales so it was no surprise to find this Golden Sheep on my beer shelf.  I couldn't contain my excitement as I opened it and saw the mouthwatering pale amber colour.  It has a delicious slightly malted aroma and a reasonable head which doesn't fully disappear.   It really is very tasty and so smooth that it went down far too easily.  It's almost like a lighter summer version of its big brother Black Sheep Ale.

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, Yorkshire
4.7% ABV


Wells Bombardier Burning Gold



This is a lovely deep golden colour with a good British head!  It is crisp, zesty and very refreshing, with just the right hint of citrus. It's so smooth that I felt like I was drinking molten gold itself. It has lovely carbonation with a constant stream of bursting bubbles and a head that lasts half way down.

Brewed by Wells & Young, Bedford
4.7% ABV

Find out more about Bombardier Burning Gold

Saturday 4 July 2015

Abashiri Okhotsk Blue Draft


I originally bought this as a gimmick but its actually really nice.  It's the most amazing turquoise colour that makes me think of summer holidays by the sea.  It's very refreshing with almost a slight cream soda aftertaste, but that could be my brain not recognising this as beer. It has next to no head but it tastes so fresh, crisp and clean that I almost felt like I was drinking a waterfall.

Brewed in Hokkaido, Japan
5% ABV