Off Axis Crimson Tide

Well just look at this beautiful ruby ale from Home Bargains!  It was very lively and produced a huge frothy cream head on top of its ruby red body. 

I gave it full marks for aroma as it's brewed with five malts so it's incredibly malty and it has hints of sweet caramel, treacle toffee and dark fruit.  The taste is pretty similar, although weaker than I expected from the intense aroma, with notes of sweet malt, dried fruit and caramel together with a nice hoppy tang from the three hops: Amarillo, Nelson Sauvin and Columbus.

It has a good medium body with relatively soft carbonation that gives you a smoothish mouthfeel.  It's another bargain beer from Home Bargains that exceeded my expectations and it's a very nice ruby ale for less than £2.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed exclusively for TJ Morris (Home Bargains), UK
4.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Trzech Kumpli NESTA

NESTA is the first Polish-brewed stout I have tried and I am very impressed.

It pours a velvet black colour with a tiny head that I had to encourage during the pour.  There is a lot of sediment left in the can but none of it came out in the pour.  I note from Trzech Kumpli's website that this beer should be poured with a complete inversion of the can to create a creamy head, rather than gently down the side of the glass like I did.

I was immediately hit with the delicious aroma of chocolate, malt and treacle.  It's a lovely stouty smell but I didn't really get any hint of fruit, despite it claiming to be a (Tropical) Foreign Extra Stout.

The taste is very impressive; it's deliciously roasty and malty, just what you would expect in a stout.  Notes of chocolate, malt and coffee combine to create a delicious roasted and slightly sweet flavour, with a lingering sweet treacle aftertaste.  I love the balance leaning slightly towards sweet rather than bitter.  

It is lightly carbonated with nitrogen rather than the more usual carbon dioxide which, together with its full body, creates a silky smooth mouthfeel.  

I really liked NESTA and I was just a little disappointed that I didn't detect any fruitiness but I absolutely loved the sweetness of the chocolate, malt and treacle flavours.   It's an absolute pleasure to drink and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Trzech Kumpli (Three Buddies), Poland
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brewery

Siren Soundwave

 

The tropical fruit notes burst out of the can as soon as you open Siren's Soundwave IPA.  It's a sweet smell that reminded me of pineapple cube sweets and there's a little floral hint too.  It's a bright golden yellow IPA that looks very inviting with its small, frothy off-white head.  The head dissipates to leave a thin, patchy layer.

The taste is predominantly tropical fruit too  but it's quite a complex flavour with an initial hit of hops, followed by sweet tropical fruits and finishing on delicious bitter notes.  The body is quite thin and carbonation is surprisingly low so it has a bit of a strange flat feeling, rather than a smooth mouthfeel.

It's a lovely tropical and hoppy IPA that's the perfect blend for someone like me, who's not a fan of too much citrus bitterness.  I loved the sweet tropical notes and it's very refreshing.  It's one for the summer I think and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Siren Craft Brew, Finchampstead, Berkshire
5.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Siren Craft Brew

BAD Co. Off-Tempo 0618

 

Off-Tempo is an experimental range of beers from North Yorkshire brewers, BAD Co.  0618 is a double dry hopped IPA with a stonking ABV of 7.4%.

It's a deep golden ale with a slight haze and a small but robust cream coloured head.  It has a fresh and fruity aroma with grapefruit zest combining with pine and caramel to create an intriguing blend.

Likewise, the flavour is an interesting one with notes of grapefruit and orange marmalade as well as floral and pine notes.  It has a lovely dry, bitter finish and it's well carbonated with a thin to medium body.

It's an unusual beer and a very aromatic experience.  It's zesty, bitter and piney with a lovely dry and bitter citrus finish that's not too pithy.  It's not my preferred style of beer (and BAD Co. are in administration) so Ale not Be Seeing You again but I liked it.

Brewed by Brewing and Distilling Company Ltd, North Yorkshire
7.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Unfortunately, Brewing and Distilling Company Ltd went into administration in June 2002.

Loch Lomond Bravehop

 

This is a hazy, golden orange-hued IPA with a tight, frothy, cream coloured head that lasts and laces.  There's an amazing smell of marmalade and pine as soon as you open the can as well as citrus notes of lemon, orange and grapefruit.

The flavour is really unusual (in a good way); it tastes of citrus and honey at first but then apricot and caramel flavours develop.  The floral, fruitiness of the apricot is lovely and it adds a nice sweetness to the bitter citrus flavour.  It has a medium body and is well carbonated with fizzy, tingly bubbles.

It's a different take on an IPA with pine and apricot taking the edge off the bitterness of the citrus flavour.  It's fruity, sweet and bitter and I really liked it.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Loch Lomond Brewery, Dumbarton, Scotland
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Loch Lomond Brewery

Hatherwood Twisted Knots

Twisted Knots is an American IPA that has been brewed exclusively for Lidl supermarket.  Priced at only 99p at the time of purchase, it really would have been rude not to try it.

It pours a beautiful amber colour with a small, reasonably robust cream coloured head.  The head disappears slowly but leaves a patchy layer behind.  It smells very hoppy, which is no surprise as it's jam packed with seven varieties of hops (Herkules, Columbus, Chinook, Cascade, Citra, Centennial and Amarillo), and it also has a slight metallic bitter hint.

The first sip really tingled my taste buds as flavours of malt, hops and spicy rye combined to give a surprisingly flavoursome ale.  It has a lovely bitter finish which is more metallic than citrus.  It's thin bodied with relatively low carbonation but the bubbles are quite tingly.

It's actually very nice for a budget beer.  With the bitterness being more metallic than citrus and the lovely spiciness of the rye, it's my kind of IPA.  Although it didn't score highly, I really can't complain for under £1 for a 330ml can, so Ale Be Seeing You again.

  

Brewed by Hatherwood Brewery for Lidl UK
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

BrewDog Nanny State

 

As you can tell by the fact that I blog about it, I love real ale but drinking too much of it makes me look like a beer barrel.  So these days, I'm turning more and more to low or zero alcohol beers when I fancy a beer.  Whilst a lot of alcohol free beers taste like beer flavoured spring water, BrewDog's Nanny State is one of the best I have tasted.  It actually tastes like a craft beer, albeit a weak and thin-bodied one, but you can't really expect it to taste like a 6% full-bodied ale because it isn't.

Brewed with Centennial, Amarillo, Columbus, Cascade and Simcoe hops, Nanny State is a lovely malty, hoppy ale with a bitter citrus finish.  The flavour is like a cross between an IPA and a bitter as you've got a hint of citrus as well as a delicious maltiness.  It's thin-bodied and a little watery but with only 20 calories per can, I'm happy to lose a bit of body to have a guilt-free beer.

Currently, a pack of 24 cans is £24.95 from Amazon (or £4.00 + delivery for 4 cans from BrewDog) so at just over £1 per 330ml can, it's not the cheapest alcohol-free beer around but it might very well be the best.  It looks and tastes like a craft beer and it's so moreish and so low in calories that you don't feel bad having just one more.

Brewed by BrewDog Brewery, Ellon, Aberdeenshire
0.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Maltsmiths IPA

This is a lovely dark American IPA from The Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh and it looks like molten toffee in the glass.  It's an orange hued amber coloured ale with a small but very tight cream head.  There is a bit of sediment in the bottle so I left a bit behind to ensure a clear pour.

It smells very citrussy, but more oranges than grapefruit, and it has a slight hint of caramel and malt.  The flavour is quite weak, although this means that it's not too citrussy or bitter for me, and

thanks to the dry-hopping it has a lovely dry finish.  Body is thin but it's very fizzy which maintains the head nicely.  

It just seems a little too weak on flavour so Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by The Caledonian Brewery, Edinburgh
4.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Find out more at Maltsmiths Brewing

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

Allendale Pennine Pale

Pennine Pale is a traditional looking pale ale from Northumberland brewers, Allendale.  It's a lovely golden yellow colour with a thick, bright white head that leaves thick lacing on the side of the glass.

It has an intensely fruity aroma, mainly citrus but with some tropical fruit notes and a hint of hops too.  The flavour is unsurprisingly citrus initially but it combines with the hops and malt flavours to take the edge off the bitterness. It's zesty and refreshing without being too pithy and is one of the few citrusy ales I find palatable.

Quite softly carbonated, it has a smooth mouthfeel with little bubbles of bitterness bursting on the tongue.  Pennine Pale is another quality ale from Allendale and a cold one would be perfect to quench your thirst on a hot summer day.  When I fancy something a bit zesty, Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Allendale Brewery

BrewDog Clockwork Tangerine

There are a lot of fruit infused beers around at the moment and I find them lovely and refreshing, so let's see what I thought of Clockwork Tangerine, the citrus session IPA from BrewDog.

This pours a beautiful deep golden or light amber with a lovely orange hue.  If it didn't have the frothy cream coloured head, you could almost mistake it for a glass of Irn Bru.

I was expecting a huge whiff of tangerine when I popped the lid off the bottle but instead got more of a light hoppy aroma.  It does have a hint of tangerine when it develops but if I wasn't looking for it I wouldn't really have noticed it.

On to the taste and there is a definite flavour of tangerine, although it isn't overpowering, coupled with hops and caramel.  The tangerine hint adds an initial bit of sweetness followed by a bitter pithy aftertaste.  The bitterness lingers slightly too long for my liking and builds up over time, turning into more of a grapefruit than orange citrus.  It's fizzy but a bit thin-bodied and watery, but that's what you'd expect in an IPA.

Crisp and dry, there's a little too much pithy bitterness to be refreshing but I have to applaud BrewDog for getting the tangerine flavour absolutely spot on.

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire

4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Allendale Golden Plover

You're always guaranteed a good ale from Allendale Brewery and Golden Plover is no exception, in fact it's an award winning golden ale and it's easy to see why when you experience it.

It's like summer in a glass with a golden straw coloured ale and excitable bubbles giving a lava lamp appearance.  The loose frothy white head is disappointingly small and disappears to a thin foam but it leaves surprising lacing on the glass,

There is no mistaking the citrus aroma from this one!  The bitter citrus is mixed with sour hops and something rather herby and floral to give an unusual aroma that is very appealing.  All of these wonderful aromas transfer into the taste and are perfectly blended to leave an explosion in the mouth of citrus, floral, hops and malt flavours.  There is a subtle bitter aftertaste to round off the perfect experience.  Softly carbonated, it has a moderate to thin body which, after all, is not unexpected in a golden ale.  

Surprisingly delicious, I expected an overpowering taste of citrus but I was very pleasantly surprised with the blend of flavours.  Golden Plover is a very crisp and dry ale that is so pleasant and moreish that Ale Be Seeing it Again.

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland

4% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Allendale Brewery

Allendale Double IPA

If tropical fruit is your thing then this beer is for you!  I think you can tell it is a citrus fruity beer from the cloudy golden yellow appearance and it has quite an impressive tight off-white head that lasts and laces.

It smells strongly of tropical fruit and is actually quite refreshing as the aromas of pineapples and lemons make me think of distant shores.  The taste, however, isn't totally tropical but is more grapefruit overload for me.  It is very very VERY bitter and the grapefruit flavour takes over to the point where that's all I could taste.

Very fizzy and very bitter, it wasn't my kind of beer and Ale not be Seeing You Again.

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland

7.4% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Allendale Brewery

Adnams Innovation IPA

A lovely deep golden IPA with a frothy off-white head that lasts right to the end, leaving impressive lacing.  The aroma is amazing with a very strong smell of tropical fruits and a slight hint of lemon citrus.

I was expecting a very bitter lemon taste but was surprised to find it wasn't as lemony as I imagined.  It has a definite citrus taste but more of a bitter grapefruit with a sprinkle of biscuity sweetness that takes the edge off the bitterness.

The bubbles are quite harsh at first but it becomes very easy to drink and for me, not being a great fan of lemony citrus, it is one of the more pleasant IPAs I have tried.  The effervescent fizziness and mouthwatering tropical fruit aromas would make this a lovely summer drink.  Perfect to glug on a sunny day in the garden with a good book.

Brewed by Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk

6.7% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Adnams

Ilkley Brewery Joshua Jane

A delicious dark brown/deep copper ale as if all of your 1p and 2p coins had been melted down to create the perfect colour of ale.  Although it looks like copper coins, it smells fruity and malty.

I expected a metallic copper coin taste but it is a surprisingly nice spicy bitter with a hint of grapefruit lingering on the tongue.  The frothy beige head does disappear but it leaves some lacing on the glass.  It's from Yorkshire, so you're always guaranteed a good pint!

Brewed by Ilkley Brewery, Yorkshire

3.7% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Ilkley Brewery

Allendale Curlew's Return

This has a lovely light ruby colour with a distinct floral and citrus, yet malty, smell.  It has a really good head on pouring but it is quite loose so disappears after a few minutes to a thin foamy layer which does lace on the glass.

The citrus is very subtle in the taste, but mixes excellently with a floral bitter aftertaste.  It has a really nice mixture of flavours with malt giving way to floral and then citrus.  It's quite unusual and certainly not a traditional red ale, with the additional of the floral and citrus notes.  Curlew's Return is very nicely carbonated with just enough bubbles to give a pleasant explosion on the tongue.

A highly unusual red that Ale Be Seeing Again.

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland
4.2% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Allendale Brewery

Allendale APA

Allendale Pale Ale is certainly something a little bit different for IPA drinkers.  It is a lovely deep golden ale, although slightly cloudy, with a very fine head that unfortunately doesn't last very long.  It smells very hoppy but also of tropical fruit.

It's reasonably fizzy so I was surprised the head disappeared so quickly.  As you know, I'm not a huge fan of pale ales but this isn't bad at all as it's more on the grapefruit side of bitterness than the usual lemon.  APA is an easy drinking, refreshing pale ale that would be a perfect drink on a sunny day.

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland

5.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Allendale Brewery

Beavertown Gamma Ray American Pale Ale

This is such a funky can that I wasn't surprised when the ale burst out full of fizz and tropical fruit smells.  It has an abundant bright white head and the ale is a slightly cloudy golden colour.  It tastes intensely fruity with hints of grapefruit, pineapple and mango due to the Citra and Calypso hops - it sounds like I am describing a can of Lilt but it couldn't be more different.  

It's well named Gamma Ray as zingy citrus bubbles burst on my tongue and I felt like I had been (pleasantly) zapped with a beery taser gun.

Brewed by Beavertown, London

5.4% ABV

Find out more at Beavertown