ALDI France Bière Triple Traditionnelle

I picked up this huge 750ml Belgian tripel from an Aldi beer festival and it's not bad at all for a budget beer.  

It's a deep golden beer with a frothy, robust off-white head.  It has a sweet and hoppy aroma with the distinctive tang of a Belgian ale.  I could smell notes of caramel, honey and banana in addition to the hops.

The taste isn't as much of a Belgian ale as the smell implied, although it is a very easy drinking ale.  It's a sweet taste of honey, fruit and hops all blended together beautifully.  It has a thin body and is very well carbonated with prickly bubbles that are a little on the harsh side.

It's a lovely, sweet honey beer that's not as hoppy as I expected but enjoyable nonetheless.  It's a good attempt by the French but it just goes to show that nobody does a Belgian ale as good as the Belgians!  The huge size is a little too much for me so whilst I enjoyed it, Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed in France for ALDI
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Harper's North Bridge Brown Ale

 

North Bridge Brown Ale is a budget beer from Aldi and although it's not a patch on Newcastle Brown Ale, it's not bad at all.

It's a lovely chestnut brown colour but it's let down by the very small, rapidly disappearing beige head so you very quickly end up with a flat looking headless ale.

It has a lovely malty smell with a dash of sweet caramel which is replicated in the taste, along with some chocolate and burnt toffee.  The chocolate is more sweet than bitter so it has a lovely balance for the sweet-toothed among us.  Most surprising is the harsh carbonation, which considering its flat appearance came as quite a shock to the palate. 

Not bad at all for a budget beer and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed for Aldi by Harper's Brewing Co
4.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

The Great British Brewing Co/Hogs Back All 4 One

 

All 4 One is a 4 hop lager produced for Aldi by Surrey brewers Hogs Back, although unfortunately there's no mention on the label as to what hops they are.  I don't drink much lager as I find it too gassy but you can't beat a lager in the garden on the odd occasion when the sun is shining. 

This is a golden yellow beer with a loose off-white head and it does have a little more colour than most mass-produced lagers.  It has a lovely aroma of hops (no surprise there as it's got 4 varieties in it), citrus fruit, grassy earth and a dash of sweet honey.

The first thing I noticed with the flavour is how very dry it is.  It's has a grassy citrus bitter taste followed by some mellow caramel but it is drier than the Sahara.  It's not too fizzy though so if it wasn't so dry, I'd have definitely given it a higher score.

It's not bad at all for a budget craft lager but it's a little on the dry side for me so if this comes back into production, Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed for Aldi by Hogs Back Brewery, Surrey
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Find out more at Hogs Back Brewery

Twickenham Red Rye IPA

  

Brewed for Aldi by Twickenham Brewery this is a lovely deep amber coloured ale with a small, tight beige head.  There might not be much of a head but it stays really tight and laces the glass.

It has a bit of a strange aroma; it's definitely malty but it almost has a hint of sour cherries mixed in with the underlying aroma of citrus and hops.  I found the flavour equally odd; roasted malt and caramel with a bitter citrus and spicy rye aftertaste.  The whole effect is quite understated really and I felt like I had to hunt for the flavours.  It's also quite harshly carbonated with a thin body and feels a little oily on the tongue.

This is a beer that looks a lot better than it tastes.  I didn't like the lingering aftertaste of citrus and rye and felt like I needed to brush my teeth in between sips.  Unfortunately, Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Twickenham Brewery, London for Aldi 
4.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 2.75/5

Find out more at Twickenham Brewery

Aldi Beer Festival 2016

I am fortunate to live within walking distance of an Aldi, but put some beer in the special offer leaflet and it's time to clear out the boot and drive there instead.

I can't remember a better selection of ale than the current range in store now.  Obviously I picked up mainly ambers and reds but there really is something for everyone.  At a bargain £1.25 each, it would be rude not to.

I chose Camerons Strongarm, a ruby red ale; Wadworth 6X, an amber ale with a 'malt loaf' finish; Unicorn,a golden ale; Castle Tawny Bitter, a hoppy malty ale; Wizard Amber Beer, a fruity zesty ale; Maple Gold, a golden ale with a hint of maple; and Double Dragon, a copper ale with a nose of apples and pears.

The full range can be seen below and you can click the image to visit Aldi:

Happy Beer Shopping!