One woman's ale journey

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

Monday 19 February 2024

BrewDog Mail Order Martian

 
Well this was an unexpected surprise; I think it's the first time I have awarded full marks to an IPA.  Yes, that's a full 50/50 and I don't hand that score out very often.

I usually try to keep the sediment in the can but this is a milkshake IPA so I just poured it all in the glass.  It looks like orange juice with a thick cream coloured head.

It smells SO fruity with a combination of tropical fruits and citrus.  I picked up notes of mango, peach, lime, grapefruit and lychee and it smells like there's a full and varied bowl of fruit crammed into this can.

The taste is DIVINE!  It's sweet and juicy with tropical fruits and citrus combining with the lactose and oats to give a smooth and perfectly balance flavour.  It's definitely one for the sweet toothed beer drinker, but it's not too sweet and it has a lovely bitter finish.  There isn't even a hint of raw alcohol taste, despite the stonking 7% ABV.

It's full bodied and well carbonated to give a nice tingly mouthfeel that reminds you it's beer not juice that you're drinking. 

I couldn't fault this beer at all and it was well deserving of a perfect score from me.  I'll be stocking up on this if BrewDog brew it again and hopefully, Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire
7% ABV

My rating:





My Untappd score: 5/5

Monday 12 February 2024

Goose Island Midway

 
This session IPA is a beautiful deep golden colour with a frothy off-white head that retains a thin layer on dispersal.  It smells incredibly fruity with notes of citrus and tropical fruits bursting out of the can along with a tang of hops and a metallic bitter hint.

The citrus and tropical fruits combine beautifully to create a very refreshing beer with a big dollop of hops.  It's well carbonated and has a thin body, as you would expect for an IPA.

This is what I would call an everyday beer; it's light, easy to drink and refreshing .  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed for Goose Island Brewery, Chicago, USA
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Monday 5 February 2024

Prime Time Session IPA


Prime Time brew low calorie beer that's only 95 calories per can but you really can't tell that this is a low calorie beer at all.  It's also gluten free and vegan

It pours a beautiful golden colour with a frothy, robust off-white head that disperses slowly to leave a patchy foam layer.  The aroma is quite light but I could smell citrus fruit and hops. 

The flavour is stronger than the smell and the hops/citrus balance definitely swings more towards hops.  I'm not a huge fan of too much citrus as it can be a bit too pithy so this more hoppy version of an IPA is right up my street.  It's well carbonated and has a thin body, as you would expect for an IPA.

It's a very crisp, dry and refreshing beer that's very easy to drink and you don't have to worry about the calories.  As it's heavy on the hops, it tastes more like a premium lager than an IPA to me (which is where it lost marks on my score sheet) but I liked it so Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by The Innovative Brewing Co, London
4.2% ABV

My rating:





My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Monday 29 January 2024

Cullercoats Shuggy Boat Blonde


Shuggy Boat Blonde is a bottle conditioned blonde ale from Tyneside and there isn't much sediment in the bottle so I filled my glass with this beautiful sunny golden yellow, slightly hazy ale with a frothy and clingy cream coloured head.

It smells deliciously fruity and hoppy.  There's nothing complex in the aroma but it's so juicy, sweet and tangy that I couldn't wait to dive in.  It tastes pretty much what I would expect for a blonde ale: fruity and sweet citrus combined with tangy and dry hops.  It's very well balanced and has a lovely dry/bitter finish.  A medium body and good carbonation give a nice tingly mouthfeel.

The bitterness in the finish seems to intensify as you drink it and it was a teeny bit too harsh for me at first, although I did get used to it and I enjoyed the beer.  I would definitely have a pint of this in a beer garden in the summer so Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Cullercoats Brewery, Wallsend, Tyne & Wear
3.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Monday 22 January 2024

Prime Time Lager+


Prime Time's Lager+ is a caffeine infused low calorie lager.  I have to applaud Prime Time for creating a low calorie lager that tastes like a regular lager but the addition of caffeine feels a bit like too much of a gimmick for me.

It pours a deep golden colour with a frothy, robust off-white head that lasts and laces.  It smells delicious with a sweet and juicy aroma of citrus, hops and caramel.

The flavour is so light that it's quite disappointing after the amazing smell, but I had to remind myself that it's a lager and I wouldn't really expect an explosion of flavour.  It has a very watery taste of hops and a slightly soapy hint of citrus.  The hint of caffeine is perhaps in the aftertaste that I can only describe as 'a bit weird'.  As you would expect from a lager it's thin bodied and well carbonated so it has a proper lagery mouthfeel.

It's a refreshing light lager but it's more of a Lager minus than a Lager plus for me.  The caffeine leaves too much of a weird taste in my mouth and I much prefer a beery aftertaste so  unfortunately, Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by The Innovative Brewing Co, London
4.2% ABV

My rating:





My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Monday 15 January 2024

Prime Time Premium Lager


I was attracted to Prime Time's premium lager by the 95 calories per can as I often drink alcohol free beer when I'm on a diet.  So, I have to give Prime Time extra credit for creating a low calorie lager but as you know I like my dark ales, so lager is never going to be a high scorer for me.

The lager is a deep golden colour with a frothy and surprisingly tight off-white head that lasts and laces.  I was really impressed by the aroma; it smells lovely and beery with a traditional combination of hops, malts, caramel and light fruit.

The flavour is very light but not unexpected for a lager, however, after getting a whiff of the lovely beery aroma, it tastes like a watered down beer.  There's a metallic aftertaste that is really the only hint of flavour I picked up.  It's well carbonated and nicely fizzy with a thin body.

I expected a bit more taste from a 'premium' lager so I was disappointed with the very weak flavour.  It's a very subtle lager that will appeal to novice palates but I prefer my beer with a bit more oomph.  Unfortunately, Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by The Innovative Brewing Co, London
4.2% ABV

My rating:





My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Monday 8 January 2024

BrewDog Lost in Blood Orange


This is no ordinary lager from BrewDog, it contains a massive helping of blood orange citrus and it smells absolutely divine.

It pours a light golden yellow colour with a slight haze and a robust, frothy off-white head.  It has the most amazing smell of blood orange and the aroma is strong and distinct.

The flavour is more subtle with the orange citrus taking more of a back seat and letting the hops and biscuit notes shine through.  Body is thin and it's well carbonated to give it that lovely fizzy and refreshing lager mouthfeel.

It's very refreshing and zesty and it's a lovely twist on a standard lager.  It is what it says on the can and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire 
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Monday 1 January 2024

New Bristol Coffee & Biscotti Stout


Wow!  You can smell the delicious aroma of coffee as soon as you open the can of this Coffee & Biscotti stout from New Bristol Brewery.  It's a lovely looking stout with a dark brown body and a deep tan head.  The head disappears quite quickly and leaves a very patchy layer behind.

The aroma is coffee, coffee and a bit more coffee with a slight hint of milk chocolate and malt biscuits.  The flavour is sublime as my taste buds were hit with a lovely biscotti taste followed by a generous helping of creamy white coffee that isn't bitter at all.  It does have a slight bitter aftertaste but it's very pleasant.

Carbonation is very light, which gives it a beautiful silky smooth mouthfeel, and it's so incredibly full bodied that I was almost tempted to stick a spoon in it to see if it would have stood up.

I was very impressed with this stout; it is what it says on the can and it has the perfect balance between sweet and bitter, being neither too much of one nor the other.  If you love coffee cream chocolates then I would definitely recommend trying this one.  Ale Be Seeing You again!


Brewed by New Bristol Brewery, Bristol
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5