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

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

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

Find out more at New Bristol Brewery

Robinsons Trooper Hallowed

Just look at the rich mahogany colour of this Iron Maiden beer brewed by Robinsons Brewery.  It has a tight, robust cream coloured head and it gets full marks for appearance as this beautiful red/brown body is what I like to see in a beer. 

It has a delicious malty aroma with a hint of roasted nuts, treacle toffee and tangy Belgian hops.  It tastes delicious too; there's a big hit of tangy hops at first followed by huge sweet and malty notes and it has a lovely dry. fruity finish.  I couldn't particularly identify plum and banana but it's definitely fruity.  It has a full body and it's quite fizzy but the carbonation isn't harsh,

It's a lovely Belgian with a British slant.  The flavour is rich and the fruity plum finish is really unusual.  I loved it and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Robinsons Brewery, Stockport
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Iron Maiden Beer

Monastère Double

Now that's what I call a BINGO beer!  Monastère Double scored a full house on my beer scoring sheet - that's a huge 50/50 covering appearance, aroma, flavour, mouthfeel and overall.

It is a beautiful mahogany brown colour with a tight tan head that retains a thin layer.  The aroma is to die for with notes of malt, caramel, treacle toffee and tangy Belgian hops.  It gets better with the taste as my tongue was hit with an explosion of sweet treacle, roasted malt, tangy hops, raisins and a hint of chocolate.  There's even a slight liquorice finish to add to the complex flavour profile.

With a full body and medium but firm carbonation, this is an outstanding double.  It is faultless and even better that it came in a 500ml can to prolong the experience.  This was a bargain from B&M and I really hope Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by United Dutch Breweries, EU
6.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 5/5

Find out more at Monastère 

Dubuisson Cuvée des Trolls

 

Well this is a lively beer and it burst from the bottle like a troll from beneath a bridge demanding a toll.  Admittedly, I left it a little close to the best before end date before opening it so I would advise drinking this one fresh.

It's a hazy, deep golden beer with a thick, tight and frothy cream coloured head.  It has a delicious aroma of Belgian hops, caramel, orange and banana.  Whilst it's quite hoppy which gives it the tang of a Belgian in its taste, it's quite sweet on the tongue with notes of caramel and malt, but what sets it apart is the slightly citrus finish.  

It's very fizzy with prickly bubbles that burst little bombs of orange peel flavour and it has a decent medium body.  It's a tangy, tasty Belgian blonde beer with a hint of bitter mischief and Ale Be Seeing You again. 

Brewed by Dubuisson Brewery, Belgium
7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Dubuisson Brewery

Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer

I like Guinness, I like coffee and I LOVE Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer!

With its black velvet body and thick, creamy head it looks just like a regular Guinness but you know it's something different when you get the unmistakeable whiff of coffee.  It's not overpowering though, it's more a hint of coffee on top of the chocolate and caramel notes of Guinness.

The flavour is lovely, it's chocolate and caramel followed by a hint of coffee.  It's not bitter at all and it works well with the full body and smooth mouthfeel we know and love from Guinness.

The rich notes of coffee and caramel are perfectly balanced and the overall flavour reminds me of the coffee creams you used to get in Milk Tray so if you liked them, you will love this.  I can't fault this Cold Brew Coffee Beer and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Guinness Brewery, Dublin
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 5/5

Find out more at Guinness Brewery

To ØI Nocturnal Stout

I am very impressed with this pastry stout brewed exclusively for Beer52 by Danish microbrewery To ØI.  It ticks all the boxes for me: it's dark, sweet and malty.

It's a very dark brown stout with a small, loose beige head that disperses to a thin layer.  As soon as you open the can, the smell is mouthwatering - it's like a warm pain au chocolat with notes of chocolate, flaky pastry, sweet candy, malt and a similar tang of hops that you get in a trappist ale.  

The taste is a sweet toothed person's dream: it's malty and sweet and I was in sweetie heaven with a tasty combination of chocolate, pastry and treacle toffee.  It's a full bodied stout that's lightly carbonated to give a beautifully smooth mouthfeel.

I absolutely loved this Nocturnal Stout.  It's sweet, tasty, malty and smooth: everything I want to experience in a pastry stout.  Without a doubt, Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by To ØI Brewery, Denmark
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at To Øl Brewery

Fierce Beer May Contain Brambles

I ordered a clearance pack of near dated/out of date beer from Beer52 and I was really impressed with this fruity porter from Aberdeen brewers, Fierce Beer.  It was a month out of date but it tasted AMAZING and I was delighted that I had three of them in my pack.

It pours a dark brown with a decent beige coloured head that disperses to leave a thin layer.  I poured carefully in case there was any sediment in the can from the fruit, but there was none.

As soon as you open the can, there is an amazing aroma of juicy blackberries on a malt and chocolate base and I couldn't wait to dive in for my first sip.  I was not disappointed at all.  

It's incredibly fruity and perfectly balanced between sweet and tart.  The rich fruit flavour is followed by a hint of roasted malt and the bramble flavour returns to leave a delicious fruity finish.  It has a thin to medium body and the perfect level of carbonation that's neither too fizzy nor too flat.

This is a really unusual porter and I would never have thought that the tartness of blackberries would work in a beer but it really does.  It's a full flavoured porter that gets extra credit for being exactly what it says on the can.  I loved it and Ale Be Seeing You again.

  
Brewed by Fierce Beer, Aberdeen, Scotland 
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Fierce Beer

Staggeringly Good Post Imperial Porter

A maple syrup and vanilla porter?  YES PLEASE!

I had my eye on this on Instagram when I saw it being brewed and ordered one as soon as it was canned.  I was not disappointed.

It's a very dark brown ale with a small, loose, rapidly vanishing tan head that leaves a patchy foam.  It smells SO boozy, which isn't a surprise as it has an ABV of 10%.  The aroma is mouthwatering with notes of malt, treacle, chocolate, maple syrup, liquorice and vanilla.  There's so much going on, it's like you smell something different with every sniff.

Full marks for flavour!  Wow, this is impressive.  It's a dark and decadent brew with treacle toffee, maple syrup pancakes, malt loaf and liquorice all having a party in my mouth.  Mouthfeel is perfect with low but firm carbonation, and a full body that looks slightly syrupy as it clings to the glass but doesn't feel sticky on the tongue.

This is a very special beer.  It's one to savour and take your time with as I didn't want it to finish.  It is everything a dark ale should be with treacle and maple sweetness balanced with burnt roastiness.  I was impressed that the high ABV didn't leave a strong alcohol taste in the mouth, simply a warming bourbon finish.

Very highly recommended and one Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Staggeringly Good Brewery, Portsmouth
10% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.75/5

Find out more at Staggeringly Good Brewery

Corsendonk Pater Dubbel

 

Pater is a dark brown, mahogany tinged Belgian dubbel with an amazingly tight and frothy cream head.  It looks absolutely splendid and I couldn't wait to dive in for a sniff and a sip.

The aroma is so deliciously malty with a hint of tangy hops, as you would expect from a Belgian beer, along with notes of boozy fruit, like you get in a Christmas cake.  It also has a slightly soapy floral fragrance that was a bit strange and prevented it from scoring full marks for aroma.

It redeemed itself in the taste though.  It's very malty with notes of dark fruit, liquorice and treacle followed by a slightly dry, bitter coffee finish.  It really does have a lovely sweet/bitter balance.  It's very well carbonated and full bodied, giving a full tongue-tingling experience and resulting in one or two bubbly burps.

This is a lovely Belgian dubbel with a sweetness that reminded me of treacle pudding and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Corsendonk Brewery, Belgium

6.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Corsendonk Brewery

Pilot Cocoa Morello

WOW!!  This Cocoa Morello stout from Edinburgh brewers Pilot is simply awesome.  It's such a shame it was only in a 330ml can as I could've drank this all day, although with a mighty 7.1% ABV I might've been a bit sozzled.

It's a deliciously dark stout with a loose, frothy beige head that dissipates to a patchy layer.  The aroma is amazing: chocolate, vanilla and tarty cherries create a sweet and sour smell that had my mouth watering.  My first sip did not disappoint as I drifted off to beer heaven with the flavour of tart cherries dipped in sweet chocolate on my tongue.  It's well carbonated with bubbles that are robust but not too harsh and it has a full, almost syrupy body that clings to the glass.

I really can't fault this stout and it scored full marks across the board.  It's something a little bit different that works surprisingly well.  The overall flavour is perfect: it's not too sweet and not too sour.  The chocolate flavour is more sweet than bitter and it blends beautifully with the slight sourness of the cherries.  Absolutely AWESOME and without a doubt Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Pilot Beer, Edinburgh
7.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 5/5

Find out more at Pilot Beer

Anspach & Hobday The Ordinary Bitter

 

Bitter is one of my favourite styles of beer so I was really looking forward to trying The Ordinary Beer from London brewers Anspach & Hobday and I was not disappointed.  It is awesome and it definitely gets a big thumbs up from me.

It's a very lively beer and it couldn't wait to burst out of the can complete with a huge frothy and tight cream coloured head.  The beer itself is a deep golden, amber colour (as you would expect from a traditional bitter) and it has a slight haze to it.  The head lasts very well and laces thickly on the glass.

Notes of caramel, biscuit and malt combine to create a mouthwatering aroma, along with a slight hoppy sourness and hint of sweet dark fruit and fresh pine.  The flavour is equally mouthwatering with a combination of caramel, malt, toffee and biscuit exploding on the tongue and finishing with a subtle bitterness.  Low, soft carbonation and a medium body give a super-smooth mouthfeel and with an ABV of 3.7% it's a very easy drinking bitter.

This should be called The Extraordinary Bitter as it is absolutely lovely.  I love the added sweetness and the light bitter finish with no hint of pithy citrus at all.  Perfectly balanced, it leaves a lovely sweetness on the lips and a bitterness on the tongue.  I highly recommend The Ordinary Bitter and it's no surprise that  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Anspach & Hobday, London
3.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Anspach & Hobday

Seven Bro7hers Honeycomb Pale Ale

This beer was very eager to get out of the can.  It was very very lively and it took four pours to get it in the glass so it ended up a bit cloudy.  The colour is amazing, it is the deep golden colour of honeycomb and it's topped with a huge, frothy cream coloured head.

The aroma is very sweet and it does actually smell like honeycomb with some underlying maltiness.  I couldn't wait to taste it and I was not disappointed.  It is SO good; sweet honeycomb, malt and hops combine to create a taste explosion in the mouth.  It's actually not as sweet as I expected so Seven Bro7hers have got the balance just right with this one.

It's well carbonated but it's not as harsh as I expected from its lively appearance.  My tongue got a good tingling as little bubbles of honeycomb burst to release their amazing flavour. 

Seven Bro7hers have got this one spot on; it really is a Crunchie in a glass and I could drink it all day long to satisfy my sweet tooth.  Ale Be Seeing You again and again!

Brewed by Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co, Manchester
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co

Moorhouse's Pride of Pendle

 

What a beauty!  Moorhouse's Pride of Pendle looks right up my street!  It's a deep golden, amber ale with a tight cream head that smells of hops and delicious malts.  I was very excited to get my first sip of this one and I was not disappointed.

With a base of dry biscuit malt and slight citrus fruit bitterness, this ale is so perfectly balanced.  It's bitter but not pithy and sweet but not sugary - just perfect!  It's so softly carbonated and very smooth to drink, my only disappointment was when I emptied the glass.

Deliciously malty and definitely one for my repurchase list: Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Moorhouse's Brewery, Burnley, Lancashire
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Moorhouse's Brewery

S43 You're Not You When You're Thirsty

I bought two cans of You're Not You When You're Thirsty and drank them 10 months apart.  Whilst both experiences were quite similar, I do feel that the nutty flavour was intensified in the can I'd kept for a while.

This boozy 9% imperial peanut butter fudge stout pours a very dark brown with a small, loose tan head.  The head does shrink quite rapidly but it leaves a decent foam layer.  There doesn't appear to be much sediment in the can but I did leave a little bit behind just in case.

Oh my goodness the nutty aroma is simply mouthwatering.  The aroma of nuts coupled with chocolate and caramel does actually make it smell like a Snickers bar.  The taste is where I found the biggest difference between my two cans.  My first impression (of the fresh can) was that it was lovely but not really nutty enough whereas the second can was perfect and tasted like it said on the tin.

It's a lovely imperial stout with flavours of chocolate, bonfire toffee, treacle, and fudge with a sprinkling or good handful of nuts, depending on how fresh you drink it.  It's well balanced, with chocolate and toffee tipping the scales towards sweet at first but bringing it back to the centre with the added nuttiness.

Well carbonated with sweet sticky bubbles of fudginess, it's so full bodied that it's almost syrupy and it actually clings to the glass leaving a brown pearlescent sheen behind - if only I could have got my tongue right in!

This is an amazing imperial stout from S43 and I've loved everything I have had from them so far.  It's really something special and there is absolutely no hint of alcohol in the taste which is unusual for such a high ABV.  It's so very moreish that it's surprisingly easy to drink and if it's brewed again (under a different name so Mars don't get upset), Ale definitely Be Seeing You.

Brewed by S43 Brewery, Durham
9% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.75/5

Find out more at S43 Brewery

Brew York Imperial Tonkoko

Awarded the 9th Best Stout in the World in the 2018 RateBeer Awards, this imperial milk stout from Brew York is brewed with coconut, tonka beans and Madagascan vanilla.  Weighing in at a stonking 7.5% this is definitely one to savour rather than glug.

Pouring a dark brown, almost black with a thick, tight tan head this imperial stout is a thing of beauty.  The impressive head hardly budges at all, leaving a good layer throughout and thick lacing on the glass.  It's an unfiltered beer so it needs a careful pour; I managed to get most of it out of the can without any sediment but there were some lumpy bits when I rinsed out the can.

The aroma is mouthwatering.  Roasted coconut, sweet malt and chocolate means that it does actually smell like a Bounty bar.  My first sip was an OMG moment as coconut, malt and chocolate swirled around my mouth in a liquid Bounty experience.  It has a bitter finish which is quite metallic and I found it a bit off-putting at first but you do get used to it and I hardly noticed it after a while.

It is so full bodied that I felt like I could have used a spoon to devour it and it feels very smooth in the mouth with low carbonation.

Imperial Tonkoko is an absolutely awesome stout; it is so decadent and rich that it makes you want the experience to last for as long as possible so make sure to take your time with this one.  I actually think the flavour developed into a sweeter richer taste by my taking so long to drink it and the bitter aftertaste seemed to disappear altogether.  

I really don't think you'll be disappointed if you decided to splash out on an Imperial Tonkoko; I don't usually spend over £5 on a can/bottle but I'm so glad I made an exception to spend a few extra pennies (RRP is currently £5.40).  It's my absolute pleasure to say, 'Ale Be Seeing You again!'

Brewed by Brew York, York
7.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Brew York

Brasserie D'Achouffe La Chouffe

 

I'd wanted to try La Chouffe for quite some time as I couldn't resist the cute elf on the label so I added one to my BeerWulf order.  There are quite a few Chouffe beers to collect, each with the own individual named elf on the label, but La Chouffe Blonde (with Marcel the elf on the label) seems to be a good one to start with.

This stunning blonde ale pours a delicious golden colour with a frothy and tight off-white head.  It's well carbonated as evidenced by the abundance of bubbles rushing to the surface to maintain the head, which leaves excellent lacing on the glass.

What a mouthwatering aroma it has.  It has the most amazing smell of fruit such as pineapple, banana, mango and citrus along with an underlying aroma of hops and a hint of spiciness.  The flavour is equally amazing and surprisingly complex with notes of straw, biscuit, caramel and hops as well as floral and spicy hints followed by a slightly bitter citrus finish.  I was so impressed that there wasn't even a hint of raw alcohol in the taste despite it's relatively high ABV of 8%.  It's absolutely delicious!

This award winning, full bodied, strong blonde ale is definitely a top Belgian beer and it's one I'd consider a staple in my beer stash.  Ale Be Seeing You again, La Chouffe.

Brewed by Brasserie D'Achouffe, Belgium
8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Brasserie D'Achouffe

Mordue Howay in a Manger

A beauty to behold, Howay in a Manger is a nutty brown colour with a HUGE frothy Mr Whippy style head.  It was quite excitable on opening and came whooshing out of the bottle but I was ready for it and didn't spill a drop.  As Yoda would say, 'Lively one, this is'. 

The aroma is deliciously malty with a hint of sweet caramel, spice, fruity orange and hops.  The smell seems to evolve as it smells of sweet malt and caramel at first, followed by a whiff of slight citrus bitterness and then another hit of malt.  I couldn't wait to dive in for a sip.

Wow!  My eyes closed in ecstasy when I took my first sip and it felt like there was a Christmas party in my mouth as flavours of malt, sweet spice, toffee and dark fruit combine to create a taste explosion.  It's quite fizzy with a decent body and has a lovely creamy mouthfeel.  This really is an amazing winter ale, and just like Wizzard, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day so I could have a pint of this delicious ale.

More malty than a bag of Maltesers, this is an outstanding winter ale with a huge malty kick and I hope Santa puts a bottle of Howay in a Manger in my stocking this Christmas.  Although, just like a puppy, Howay in a Manger isn't just for Christmas and I could happily drink this all year round.  Ale Be Seeing you Again!

Brewed by Mordue Brewery, North Shields
4.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.75/5

Find out more at Mordue Brewery

Leffe Biere de Noël/Kerstbier

  

Leffe Biere de Noël is a stunning beer; it's a mid-brown colour with a lovely amber hue and a bubbly cream coloured head.  The head is quite loose so it's not surprising to see it disappear but it does retain a thin foam layer. 

The aroma is so malty with a huge hit of spicy mixed fruit and a hint of smooth, sweet toffee.  It's not a terribly strong smell but it is so appealing and I knew I was in for a real treat as I leaned in for my first sip.  The taste is HEAVENLY; tangy toffee, sticky treacle, sweet malt and a slight hint of cinnamon - this is a dark ale lover's dream.

It's medium bodied and well carbonated which gives the feel of champagne bubbles bursting on the tongue, however, I would have preferred the bubbles to be a little less harsh.  It's a shame it's so fizzy as it was looking like it would score full marks across the board.

An absolutely delicious malty ale with sweet toffee notes and a pinch of festive spice, I'd be more than happy to drink a Biere de Noël again so Ale Be Seeing You!

Brewed by Leffe, Belgium

6.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Leffe

Grimbergen Brassin de Noël

 

This is a little beauty, with only 250ml in the bottle it pours a mid-mahogany brown with a beige frothy head that only disperses a little to leave a good layer of tight creamy foam.

Wow the aroma is Christmas cake in a glass: malt, dark fruits, caramel, a sprinkling of sugar and a hint of spice.  Grimbergen should recreate this smell in a scented candle as it really is a delicious Christmas brew (which is the translation of Brassin de Noël).  I could sniff this for hours but I couldn't wait to find out what it tasted like.

Oh hallelujah!  This is perfection in a glass: dark fruits, sweet malts, a hint of liquorice and spice are combined perfectly to produce an outstanding, intensely malty ale.  It has quite a complex aftertaste, what starts as slightly sour and hoppy evolves into more of a spicy and mixed peel bitterness.  It is perfectly carbonated and full bodied and appears to lovingly caress the tongue with every mouthful.

What a little gem!  It might be in a small bottle but it's definitely a case of quality over quantity as Grimbergen Brassin de Noël scored full marks in every category: appearance, aroma, flavour, mouthfeel and overall.  It's far too nice to keep just for Christmas so Ale Be Seeing You whenever I can get my hands on you, Brassin de Noël, and I'll definitely be looking out for the 330ml and the heavenly 750ml bottles.

Brewed by Grimbergen Abbey Brewery, Belgium

6.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 5/5

Find out more at Grimbergen Abbey Brewery