Brass Castle x North Riding Sweet Spot

Sweet Spot is a light mild brewed with actual Fruit Salad sweets by Brass Castle Brewery in collaboration with North Riding Brewery.  

It's a very lively beer with a deep golden body and it produced a thick, tight off-white head but it took me a couple of slow, careful pours to get it all out of the can.  Thankfully, no sediment was evident.  The head lasts and laces.

With notes of sugary candy, it smells like a sweet shop and very much like Fruit Salad sweets.  It also has a nice hoppy smell that adds a bit of sourness to the sweetness.  It really tingled my taste buds when I had my first sip as it's fruity but a little tart.  It has a silky smooth mouthfeel with low carbonation and a medium to full body.

It's a very moreish beer and definitely one for the sweet toothed among us.  It's quite sweet and sour, it reminded me of a bitter mixed with a fruity sour, and I really liked it.  It left me licking me lips and if it's ever brewed again, Ale Be Seeing You.

Brewed by Brass Castle Brewery in collaboration with North Riding Brewery, Yorkshire
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brass Castle Brewery

Find out more at North Riding Brewery

Vocation Life & Death

 

I love the can design of this IPA from West Yorkshire brewers, Vocation, but let's see if it's as good inside as out.

It's a beautiful deep golden ale with a frothy, loose, off-white head.  It's unfiltered so there is a little bit of sediment in the can, but I managed to leave most of it behind and just had a slight haze to my beer.

The aroma is amazing - it is SO fruity.  It's a delicious aroma of juicy tropical fruits with notes of pineapple and mango on a citrus base of grapefruit and lemon.  The taste is more subtle than the smell but it's like a sweet and juicy fruit salad of sweet tropical fruits and zingy citrus, blended with a deliciously smooth maltiness.  It reminds me of fruit salad sweets but with added bitterness.

It has a thin body and it's well carbonated with tingly bubbles that kept my tongue fizzing for ages.

With the flavour being more sweet tropical than bitter citrus, I rather liked it.  It's very well balanced and refreshing; I would be more than happy to drink this in the summer.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Vocation Brewery, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
6.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Vocation Brewery

Saltaire Titus

I do love a good bitter and just look at this stunner!  Saltaire's Titus is a beautiful clear amber coloured bitter with a good sized, reasonably tight cream coloured head that retains a decent layer of foam while you're drinking it.

It doesn't have a strong smell so I needed a good sniff to pick up notes of hops, caramel and citrus.  The flavour is similar with a combination of hops, malt and caramel followed by a lingering citrus bitterness.  It's well carbonated and has a good, medium body.

It's a lovely refreshing bitter and the zingy citrus is a nice change from more metallic bitterness you often get in bitters.  With the growing popularity of IPA, Saltaire have updated a more traditional bitter that will appeal to pale ale fans looking for a new taste.

Brewed by Saltaire Brewery, Shipley, West Yorkshire
3.9% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Saltaire Brewery

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.

Brass Castle Gayle

 

Gayle craft ale is a very easy drinking ale that reminded me more of an IPA than a golden ale.  It was created to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and it’s brewed using an Australian recipe by Brass Castle Brewery in Malton, North Yorkshire.

It’s bright golden in colour with a slight haze to it as there was a bit of sediment in the can.  The off-white head holds well and laces the glass.  It smells very fruity with notes of citrus and tropical fruit over a base of caramel, biscuit and malt.

The taste is lightly fruity, like lemon and passionfruit squash, with some sweet notes of caramel, malt and a tang of hops.  There is a slight bitterness to the finish but there’s nothing at all bitter about the taste.  It’s nicely carbonated to give a good tickle of the tongue and it has a thin but not watery body.  ABV is a decent 4.5%.

It’s a very refreshing, vivacious beer that I really enjoyed.  It scored a very respectable 38/50 on my beer score sheet and it’s one I would happily recommend, especially to anyone new to real ale.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Brass Castle Brewery, Malton, North Yorkshire
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Gayle

Brew York Goose Willis

 

I love seeing what imaginitive concoctions Brew York come up with and even the names of their beers make me smile.  Goose Willis is a gooseberry fool sour brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops and lactose and it completely exceeded my expectations.

It's a hazy golden yellow beer with a loose, rapidly vanishing off-white head.  It actually poured clear at first and became hazy as there must have been some sediment, but I wanted to get as much of this one out of the can as possible.

It smells delicious; it's so fruity with a sweet undertone, and made me think of a warm gooseberry pie just coming out of the oven.  Brew York rate this sour 3/5 for puckerability and I think that's spot on.  It definitely tastes of gooseberry but it's slightly sweet rather than being too tarty so I found it really pleasant to drink and barely had any lip puckering at all.  It's well carbonated but not overly fizzy and it has a thin body.

I really liked this one, it's very refreshing and easy to drink for a sour.  It's not too tarty and not too sweet, just perfectly balanced to fully experience the fruitiness of the juicy gooseberries.  I don't often say this about a sour, but Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Brew York Brewery, York
5.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brew York Brewery

Beer Ink Lampblack

This is a very dark brown stout with a loose, cream coloured head.  The head disappears so rapidly that it almost disappeared during the pour so I had to straighten my glass and add a bit of force to get some semblance of head at all.

It has a good stouty smell; the aroma is intensely chocolately, malty and slighty fruity.  The aroma is replicated in the taste with notes of chocolate, malt and a tangy fruit flavour (blackberries according to the can).  The chocolate flavour intesifies and lingers.

The body is quite thin for a stout, I'd say it's thin to medium bodied but more on the thin side.  Carbonation is decent but there's not enough of it to maintain a head for more than a few seconds.

The addition of tangy, tarty blackberries gives it a very unusual taste but it didn't mix well with the chocolate for me.  It's a bit too tarty for a stout but well done to Beer Ink for trying something different.  Worth trying but Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Beer Ink Brew Co., Huddersfield
4.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Beer Ink Brew Co.

Brass Castle Bad Kitty

  

Bad Kitty is a vanilla porter that is so dark and velvety when it's poured that you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a stout.  It has a very impressive huge, frothy and tight tan head that lasts and laces.

It has a very light aroma of chocolate and vanilla and it smells a bit like a glass of cola.  The flavour is also quite light, it reminded me of a very milky chocolate milkshake.  I think all of the vanilla has sapped all of the flavour out of the porter.

It's quite softly carbonated with a medium body so it has a lovely smooth mouthfeel and it's very easy to drink.  It's just a bit too weak on flavour for me.  It's very vanilla all round and there's nothing bad about this kitty.  Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Brass Castle Brewery, Malton, North Yorkshire
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Find out more at Brass Castle Brewery

BAD Co. Off-Tempo 0518

Off-Tempo is an experimental range from BAD Co. brewed to explore flavour and style and their milkshake IPA 0518 is a cracking result.

It's a deep golden, slightly hazy ale with a decent sized, loose but surprisingly robust off-white head.  I poured it slowly and carefully, leaving just a tiny bit of sediment in the can.

The aroma is a tropical fruit explosion.  It's so fruity with notes of pineapple, mango, lemon and grapefruit bursting out of the can the moment it is opened.  The overall flavour is juicy tropical fruits but the addition of lactose gives it a smooth, creamy taste and adds some sweetness to the initial bitterness.  It's thin bodied with relatively low carbonation but the bubbles are quite prickly and left my tongue pleasantly tingling.

It's a very refreshing and easy drinking IPA.  I much prefer a sweet rather than pithy IPA so this one was spot on for me.  Hopefully BAD Co. will deem the experiment a success and brew this milkshake IPA again in the future.  Ale Be Seeing You!

Brewed by Brewing & Distilling Company Ltd, North Yorkshire
5.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at BAD Co.

Black Sheep Milk Stout

Black Sheep is one of my favourite breweries so I had high hopes for their award winning Milk Stout and I was not disappointed. 

Brewed with lactose, it's a velvety black stout with a tan head that is thick, tight, creamy and robust, as we have come to expect from Black Sheep.  The head lasts a lot longer than the beer did, that's for sure!

The aroma is quite light with notes of malt, chocolate and hops that you would expect in a stout.  The flavour is delicious; it's so chocolatey and malty that it's almost the same sort of flavour as a chocolate Horlicks.  It's so smooth, creamy and full-bodied that it's silky smooth in the mouth.  It's perfectly carbonated - it's not too fizzy so it retains a lovely smooth mouthfeel.

It's a very well-balanced stout with an initial hit of sweet malt and vanilla contrasting with a slightly bitter chocolate and coffee finish.  It feels like a hug in a glass - it's so delicious and easy to drink that Ale definitely Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire
4.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Black Sheep Brewery

Brew York Mos Eisley Catharina 2020

 

As a Star Wars fan I just had to try this guava, coconut and lime sour from Brew York and I was not disappointed.  It looks, smells and tastes like it could be served at the Mos Eisley Cantina.

It's a hazy golden yellow beer with a small, loose, rapidly vanishing head that ends up looking like a glass of fruit juice.  It smells like juice too with a delicious fruity aroma of guava, sour fruit and a hint of coconut.  It has a strange sweaty smell too so it's not an overly appealing fragrance.

Thankfully, it didn't taste sweaty!  The mix of guava, lime and coconut is delicious and although the tangy fruit flavour isn't mouthpuckering, it's definitely a sour.  It has a medium body and low, prickly carbonation so it has a smooth mouthfeel like fruit juice but with an added bit of fizz.

Very fruity and refreshing, it tastes quite boozy and the flavour develops as you drink it to really bring out the lime and coconut flavour that had originally been overpowered by the guava.

I'm not sure I would call a sour a beer so they're not my usual tipple but with a Star Wars theme, it had to be done.  I'd recommend trying it but I wouldn't necessarily have another one as it was a bit of a gimmick for me. 

Brewed by Brew York Brewery, York
6.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Brew York Brewery

Abbeydale Salvation Steadfast Stout

 

This is a deliciously dark vegan and gluten free stout with a huge, frothy, robust tan head.  It was very lively on opening so it took a few pours to get it all out of the can. 

Abbeydale have said on the back of the can that they're keeping it simple with this one, so it doesn't have a strong aroma but I picked up notes of malt and a hint of chocolate.  With flavours of malt, chocolate and coffee this very fizzy stout prickles the tongue and the flavour seems to intensify as you drink it.  It's lovely and chocolatey but with a medium body, it feels a little on the thin side for a stout.

It's a pleasant, easy drinking normal stout but the intense fizziness is a bit weird so I don't think Ale Be Seeing You again.  

Brewed by Abbeydale Brewery, Sheffield
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Abbeydale Brewery

Saltaire Raspberry Blonde

 

Saltaire's Raspberry Blonde is a golden yellow ale with a small, very loose, rapidly vanishing cream coloured head.  There isn't even a hint of a  bubble after a few minutes which is a bit disappointing, but we shouldn't judge a beer by appearance alone so on to the smell and the all-important flavour.

It has a delicious aroma of raspberries, it's so strong and fruity that you'd expect the beer to have a red tint.  Raspberry is not as strong in the flavour as in the aroma but it's definitely there and leaves a nice tartiness in the mouth after the initial taste of malt biscuit, spicy hops and hint of bitterness.  Mouthfeel isn't great though, the body is quite thin and watery and it feels quite flat in the mouth as there is so little carbonation.

So where it loses in appearance and mouthfeel it gains in aroma and flavour and it's a very refreshing ale that would be a perfect summer beer, especially with a bowl of raspberries on the side.  It's not currently in production but I'd definitely give another one a go and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Saltaire Brewery, Shipley, West Yorkshire
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Saltaire Brewery

York Guzzler

Guzzler from York Brewery is a crisp and refreshing golden ale and it certainly lives up to that description.  It's a beautiful golden ale with a small, loose off-white head that disappears quickly to leave a thin layer.

With an appealing aroma of hops, sweet caramel and zesty citrus fruit I couldn't wait to have a guzzle of Guzzler.  It seems quite lightly flavoured at first; it's a hoppy ale with a tang of bitter citrus and a hint of caramel but it becomes more malty as you drink it.  I really like the crisp bitterness, it's in between metallic and citrus but it isn't too overpowering as there's an added sweetness from hints of fruit and caramel that smooth out the bitter kinks.  With medium carbonation and a medium body, it feels quite smooth to drink and lives up to its name as it quickly disappears from the glass.

Light in flavour and ABV, Guzzler is a very refreshing and easy drinking golden ale.  I picked this up from Lidl and although I can't remember the exact price, it'll have been around £1.50 so it's an absolute steal.  Definitely one where I can say: Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by York Brewery, York
3.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at York 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

Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale

 

Pouring a beautiful golden amber, Black Sheep's Yorkshire Square Ale looks like molten toffee in my glass.  It has a small but robust cream coloured head that retains a thin layer while you drink.

The aroma is quite light for this one.  There's a bit of malt and hops but nothing else that stands out for me.  Thankfully, it redeemed itself in the flavour!  It's deliciously malty with a lovely dry finish.  There's also a hint of sweetness (from the addition of demerara sugar) which tastes quite treacly when blended with the malt.  To please bitter fans, there's a slight metallic bitter taste to the dry finish that rounds it all off nicely.

It's quite a fizzy medium bodied ale but the bubbles aren't harsh so it's very easy to drink.  As the bubbles burst on my tongue, I did feel like I could detect a little fizz of demerara sugar.

It's not up there with my favourite Black Sheep ales but it's a decent ale nonetheless.  Being sweet, dry and bitter, it has a bit of everything to appeal to many palates.  I would have it again, but I wouldn't actively seek it out; I'd definitely recommend you give it a try if you see it (you can also find it in Sainsbury's labelled as Yorkshire Bitter).

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire

5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Black Sheep Brewery

Black Sheep My Generation

 

A bright golden yellow, slightly hazy session pale ale, My Generation is a collaborative brew between Black Sheep and My Generation Beer Co.  As we have come to expect from Black Sheep, it has an amazing thick tight frothy head that leaves excellent lacing.

The aroma is very fruity with underlying hoppiness and a little malt.  It's definitely a citrus fragrance but seems a little sweeter more like pineapple.  The hops gives it a slightly sour aroma too.

The taste of tangy hops and citrus blended with sweet malt give a lovely fresh, bitter finish.  The bitterness is slightly metallic at first but transforms to more palatable citrus as you drink.  Although you can see bubbles, which maintain the head beautifully, it is quite softly carbonated and medium bodied.

With just the right level of citrus for me, this is an easy drinking pale ale and I'd have one again; it's a lovely refreshing beer to drink during the day in Spring/Summer.  Yet again, award winning brewers Black Sheep can do no wrong in my eyes.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire
4.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Black Sheep Brewery

Black Sheep Glug M'Glug

If you follow my blog, you'll know that I am a huge fan of Black Sheep Brewery and I still think of the original Black Sheep Ale as one of my favourite beers.  Although I don't think they can improve on perfection, the Yorkshire brewery have expanded their range and today I'm taking a look at their dark IPA, Glug M'Glug.

Oh isn't it a thing of beauty?  A dark nut brown ale with a thick, tight and creamy trademark Black Sheep head.  The head is robust and leaves amazing lacing on the glass; now that's what I call a proper Yorkshire head.

With appetising aromas of treacle, malt and citrus I couldn't wait to dive in and see if it tastes as good as it looks and smells.  Oh indeed it does!  With a massive hit of dark, tangy maltiness with a dry, bitter citrus finish, Black Sheep have got the perfect sweet/bitter balance for me.  The citrus is stronger in the aroma than in the taste and that makes it definitely more my kind of thing, as I'm often put off IPA due to the overpowering citrus flavour.

It has a thin to medium body and it isn't overly carbonated but leaves a nice tingly feeling in the mouth, along with a frothy moustache on the lips!  

I was very impressed with Glug M'Glug; it's a superbly different, perfectly balanced dark ale and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Yorkshire
6.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Black Sheep Brewery

Rudgate Ruby

 

As the nights are drawing in, it's definitely time to get back to the dark side.  Ruby is one of my favourite styles of ale so I was very excited to try Rudgate's Ruby mild ale.  What a beauty it is when it's poured into a glass.  It's a beautiful deep mahogany red ale with a thick, tight beige head that lasts really well and clings to the side of the glass.  It is well named as it shimmers like a ruby when it's held in front of the light of the window.

Oh the aroma is so malty it made my mouth water.  There is also some sweet caramel and dark fruits coming through like raisins, sultanas and possibly cherries.  It's a mouthwatering mix of smells and so very inviting that I dived right in.

My first sip left a huge smile on my face; this delicious ale is definitely my kind of thing.  With flavours of sweet malt, dark fruits, treacle toffee, smooth caramel and a hint of nuts this ticks all the boxes and scores top marks for flavour.  With an initial sweetness followed by a slight bitter finish, it's a delicious well balanced ruby with a medium body and decent carbonation that provides a nice bit of fizz without being too harsh.

This is a beer I'd be more than happy to buy a case of and at £28.75 delivered for a 12 pack direct from Rudgate's online shop, it's an absolute bargain.  If you want a bit more variety, you can also get Ruby in a mixed pack of 12 for the same price of £28.75 including delivery.

Ruby is an absolute gem.  Dark, malty and delicious, Rudgate show just how a ruby should be done and I'm not surprised to learn that Rudgate Ruby has been winning awards since 2002.  It gets a big gold star from me and Ale Be Seeing You again.  

Brewed by Rudgate Brewery, York

4.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Rudgate Brewery

Black Sheep Pathmaker

 

I am a huge fan of North Yorkshire brewery Black Sheep and consider their bitter to be one of my favourite beers of all time.  I don't hesitate to pick up anything new that they brew as you're always guaranteed a quality beer.  

Pathmaker is an American style pale ale, it's a slightly hazy golden colour with a loose frothy head. Unfortunately, it's not a standard Black Sheep head as it does dissipate to a thin layer.  It has a very strong citrus aroma but with a sweet malty edge and a hint of hops and some floral notes coming through.

I was a little worried this would be too much of a citrus flavour for me but it's not as citrusy as the smell would suggest.  It is predominantly citrus flavoured but there is a sweet malt flavour that adds a caramel sweetness to balance out the citrus.  It's fizzy with a decent body and has a dry/bitter finish.

It hasn't quite tempted me over from the dark side, but it's a lovely full-flavoured pale ale in keeping with the quality you expect from Black Sheep.

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire

5.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Black Sheep Brewery