Wylam Red Kite

So I looked at my beer notes before writing my review and they were very helpful indeed:

'Wylam yum yum yum'

Luckily, Red Kite is a beer I know and love so I can share a bit more of exactly what I meant by 'yum, yum, yum'.

Red Kite is a deep ruby red, brown coloured ale with a teeny tiny thin beige head.  It is very highly carbonated as you can see from the many bubbles clinging to the glass.  As we say in the North East, it smells 'MALTY AS OWT' with aromas of treacle, fruity malt loaf and a slight metallic hint.

The malty aroma is replicated in the taste which is delicious (hence the 'yum yum yum').  It has a perfect helping of maltiness with a balance that is more sweet than bitter.  There is a very faint metallic aftertaste, which is not unexpected from a traditional 'scotch' type ale.

Despite all the bubbles, there isn't much head but you forget about that the moment it hits your lips.  As soft bubbles caress the tongue and burst with malty fruitiness, you find yourself savouring every drop.

Another cracking local ale; perfectly balanced and deliciously malty, Ale most definitely Be Seeing Red Kite Again.

Brewed by Wylam Brewery, Tyneside

4.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Wylam Brewery

Wylam Jakehead IPA

I was looking forward to this one as I had heard so much about it and it surprised me on every level.  Firstly the colour, I would have expected an IPA to be golden yellow but this is a ginger orange.  I got the impression that this wasn't going to be a regular IPA.

It smells very medicinal and orangey with an absolutely massive beige head. The head is so thick that I thought I might have needed a spoon to get through it.  So I love the colour, I love the head, the smell is intriguing now on to the taste...

The taste is far too strong for me, I felt like I needed to brush my tongue afterwards.  I often find that by increasing the alcohol volume the taste is overpowered and this was the case for me with Jakehead.  It just tasted of 'strong' ale, I couldn't differentiate between tastes and was disappointed that some of the orangey smell wasn't replicated in the flavour.  I'm not a big fan of citrus ales, so this just wasn't for me.

Brewed by Wylam Brewery, Northumberland

6.3% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Wylam Brewery

Tyne Bank Brewery Monument

Monument is described as a copper beer with a fruity taste and hints of caramel.  That's pretty much spot on.  This is an absolutely delightful beer.  The fruity notes are evident as your taste buds do a little jig and the subtle hint of caramel ensures that there is no nasty aftertaste.  This one goes in to my favourites list and would give Wylam's Angel a run for its money.

Brewed on Tyneside

4.1% ABV

Visit Tyne Bank Brewery's website