Hiver Amber Beer

This is a beautiful deep amber coloured beer with a small, robust cream coloured head.  It smells deliciously malty and hoppy with a hint of honey.

It tastes absolutely lovely with flavours of sweet malt, smooth honey and tangy hops, followed by a slightly bitter finish.  It's pretty smooth to drink with soft carbonation and and a decent medium body.

I really enjoyed the amber honey beer.  It's sweet, malty and slightly bitter with a delicious hint of smooth honey.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Hiver Beers, London 
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Hiver Beers

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

Seven Bro7hers Amber Lager

Just look at that beautiful amber colour of Seven Bro7hers' Amber Lager - this is lager, Jim, but not as we know it. 

I love the colour of this lager - it's deep golden/light amber with a small, loose off-white head that vanishes quickly to leave a patchy layer.  The aroma is not like any lager I've ever smelled before - it's sweet, fruity, hoppy and malty with notes of pineapple, tropical fruit, honey and caramel.  It smells like sunshine in a glass.

The flavour is equally impressive with a delicious blend of sweet fruit, caramel, malt and hops over a dry biscuit base.  It is well carbonated with a thin body and it's so refreshing to drink.  It's sweet and fruity at first but followed by a lovely crisp, dry finish.  This is a lager with attitude and I would never have guessed it was a lager in a blind taste test.

Very impressive and perfect for summer drinking, Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co, Manchester
4.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co

Corsendonk Summum Goudblond

 

I've been impressed with the Corsendonk abbey beers and Goudblond is no exception, although it is perhaps my least favourite of all the Corsendonk beers I've tried.

It's a very dark golden/light amber ale with a thick, tight and robust cream coloured head.  On first opening, it smells a little floral with notes of caramel and hops.  The aroma then seems to develop into a more soapy smell which is a little offputting.

Thankfully, there's nothing soapy in the taste.  It tastes of sweet caramel and malt with a tangy, fruity hint of hops to remind you it's a Belgian ale.  The sweetness lingers on the lips and the whole flavour combination actually reminded me of caramel waffles.  It has a medium body and carbonation is perfect with lots of soft bubbles to tingle the tongue.

It's quite a sweet blonde ale but I have a sweet tooth so I rather liked it.  It would definitely have scored higher if it hadn't had the weird soapy smell.  Unfortunately, it's not in production any more but if it was brewed again, Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Corsendonk Brewery, Belgium
7.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Corsendonk Brewery

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

Goose Island Honkers Ale

 

No longer produced in bottles, Honkers Ale is an English style bitter from USA.  I love bitter so I was really looking forward to this one.  Let's see what I thought.

It's a beautiful warm amber colour but it has a dirty dishwater coloured head that vanishes within seconds.  There was also quite a bit of sediment in the bottle so it needs a careful pour to get a clear ale.  I got a bit of sediment in mine so it does have a bit of haze to it and the sediment seems to remain suspended in the liquid which was quite off-putting when drinking.

Rather alarmingly, it has no smell whatsoever.  I couldn't detect a whiff of anything and my nose was in full working order.  Slightly odd, but on to the taste.  Erm...there's not much taste either.  It's a little malty perhaps but I'm really pushing it to even say that.  It doesn't help that the body is very thin and watery and the bubbles are really harsh despite the flat appearance.  It's like drinking slightly malted fizzy water.

It's nothing like a beer never mind an English Bitter and Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Goose Island Brewery, Chicago
4.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 2.5/5

Find out more at Goose Island Brewery

Three Kings Tyneside Tommy

 

This is an absolutely wonderful idea from Three Kings Brewery who have produced a traditional English ale with Tyneside's First World War soldiers commemorated on the bottle.  The beer has been brewed to raise awareness of the Northumbria World War One Commemoration Project which aims to create a memorial garden and place blue plaques on 600 homes of Tyneside soldiers who fell in the conflict.  

Each bottle has a little tag around its neck with a photo and story of a real Tyneside Tommy.  I got Private Joseph Forster who was born in Cramlington and lived in North Shields with his wife and six children.  We often hear of enlistees claiming to be older than they were but in an unusual twist, as he was considered too old for military service, Joseph Forster amended his birth certificate to make him appear younger than he actually was.  Private Forster was killed in action on the Somme in October 1916, aged 44 and I raise my glass to him.  

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

Tyneside Tommy pours a lovely deep gold/light amber colour with a very impressive tight, thick, cream coloured head that lasts and laces right up to the last drop.  It has a hoppy and lightly fruited aroma that you would expect from a traditional ale.

When you can actually get through the huge head, it has a metallic bitter taste with a dash of citrus and tangy hops.  It's a lovely old fashioned bitter and you can just imagine many a Tyneside Tommy drinking a pint of this when they returned home on leave.  It's full bodied and moderately carbonated giving a lovely smooth mouthfeel.

A tangy and refreshing old fashioned bitter this is a beer for real heroes.  I wholeheartedly recommend you pick up a bottle if you see it as it's a lovely bitter and supports an amazing project.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Three Kings Brewery, North Shields
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Three Kings Brewery

McGrath's Craft Irish Amber No. 5

 

I know you often get what you pay for but now and again a little gem comes along at a bargain price and McGrath's Craft Irish Amber No.5 certainly fits the bill.  At only 79p from B&M Bargains, this is one beer I wish I'd stocked up on but of course there were none left when I went back for more.

It pours a slightly hazy chestnut brown colour with a small, loose beige head that disappears rapidly to  leave a thin, patchy layer with a little lacing.  The aroma is floral, fruity and hoppy with a hint of caramel and malt.  I was surprised to find the notes in the aroma to be turned on their head in the amazing taste; it's so incredibly malty with big dollops of treacle and caramel followed by a slightly bitter citrus finish and a lingering sweetness on the lips.  

It's very fizzy and quite harshly carbonated but mouthfeel is softened by the caramel and citrus notes that seem to glide across the tongue in their own bittersweet symphony.  With a decent medium body, it's a very dry and refreshing ale.

I do hope McGrath's brew more of these as Ale definitely Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Clanconnel Brewing Company, Northern Ireland
5.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at McGrath's Beer

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

Anchor Steam Beer

 

Anchor Steam Beer can often be found on supermarket shelves but strangely enough it wasn't a beer I'd tried until someone bought me one as a gift.  On seeing the glorious amber coloured beer with its thick and tight creamy head, I couldn't believe it had taken me so long to try it.  With the amber colour creating a beautiful orange glow in the glass, it really is a beauty to behold but let's see if it tastes as good as it looks.

The aroma is very hoppy with a hint of fruit, sweet caramel and malt.  My mouth was watering as I leant in for my first sip and I was not disappointed.  It is deliciously malty with hints of biscuit, bread and caramel, resulting in a beautifully dry and crisp flavour with a slightly metallic bitter finish.  With a decent body it is quite fizzy but not harsh.

I haven't had many American ales, but Anchor have certainly nailed the Yorkshire head; a head so thick it clings to the glass and lasts to the final drop, which you almost always experience in ales from Yorkshire and North East England.  The mid-amber colour makes it a bit of an in-between beer, being neither light nor dark, so it will definitely appeal to many palates.

I absolutely love the crisp, dry and refreshing flavour and can see why Anchor Steam Beer is a permanent feature on supermarket shelves - it should be a staple beer in any beer stash and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Anchor Brewing Co, San Francisco, USA
4.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Anchor Brewing Co

Loose Cannon Scottish Smokehouse Ale

 

I set up my blog as a record of all the beers I've tried over the years, good and bad.  Unfortunately, this post is a bad one, although not quite a drain pour it just wasn't to my taste at all and I'm not surprised to find that it is no longer in production.

A deep amber colour with a loose beige head, it looks like my kind of beer.  The head does disappear quite quickly, leaving a thin foamy layer.  It has a reasonably appetising aroma of fruit and malt with the unmistakable aroma of smoke.  

All I could taste in my first sip was smoke and a woody bonfire type smoke at that.  It's very weird, bordering on unpleasant and the aftertaste is awful, leaving a mouthful of smoke lingering on the tongue.  I couldn't taste anything but smoke, smoke and more smoke.  

Thin bodied and watery it has very harsh bubbles filled with yet more smoke that burst their evil contents over every part of my mouth.  Of course, not one to throw in the towel, I kept drinking it and although I got used to the weird flavour I was glad to polish off the last drop.

Like drinking a beer soaked ashtray, Ale NOT Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by Loose Cannon Brewery, Oxfordshire
4.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd rating: 2/5

Find out more at Loose Cannon Brewery

John Smith's Original

I do like a bitter and John Smith's is my go-to cheap as chips beer if I find myself in a pub with a poor choice of real ales.  Pubs serve the John Smith's extra smooth variety, which is in the green can, but when Amazon pantry had a 4 pack of original for £1.75 I couldn't check out fast enough.  So at just under 44p per can, let's see what I thought.

I love the colour of this, it's a clear chestnut brown ale with a frothy and loose cream coloured head.  The head disappears quite quickly, leaving a patchy foam layer.  The aroma is pretty uninspiring; it's more metallic than anything else with an underlying dirty water smell.  Sounds great, doesn't it?  I kept the faith as John Smith's had never failed me!

It definitely pulled its socks up in the taste.  It's so easy to drink with delicate notes of sweet malts and bitter hops along with a delicious nutty flavour.  It's light, fizzy and so very easy to drink.  I do think I prefer the John Smith's Smooth but I'm glad I tried this one; indeed who wouldn't try it for the amazing bargainous price I paid?

John Smith's is my not so guilty pleasure and I'm not ashamed to say Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by John Smith's Brewery, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
3.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at John Smith's Brewery

Andwell King John

This is a very special review today as I'm posting my review of King John from Andwell Brewing Co on what would have been my Uncle John's 70th Birthday.  My Uncle John loved his beer and I always thought of him as the fastest drinker in the West; he certainly managed to drink his home brew long before it was ready, that's for sure!  

I inherited my love of beer from Uncle John; he bought me my first legal drink (a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale that I thought tasted like a bag of rusty nails) and he taught me that a good pint should be filled to the brim.  If your pint is looking a bit short ask the bar if they can put a shot of whisky in it, if the answer is 'yes' then ask them to top it up with beer.  I know he would have loved drinking some of these beers with me so this one's for you, Uncle John.

Uncle John and my Dad in 2009
There's no way they were neck and neck in the pint stakes.
Uncle John would have been at least 2 pints ahead.

So from Uncle John to King John.  Let's see if I love them both.

King John is quite the little beauty; a beautiful chestnut brown colour with a small but long lasting tight beige head.  The aroma is absolutely mouthwatering; so malty and fruity with a hint of caramel and hops.  I couldn't wait to have a sip and it was like all my malty dreams had come true!  The blend of flavours is absolutely spot on.  Malty perfection with a hint of fruit and a very subtle bitter aftertaste.

It's quite fizzy with decent body, although a little on the watery side.  The lacing is superb for such a small head and it's a top notch amber ale.  I was only disappointed it was in a tiny 275ml bottle.  Uncle John would have definitely asked for a top up of this one!

If I find an online or local stockist of Andwell's King John, Ale Be Seeing You Again and Again!

Brewed by Andwell Brewing Co, Hook, Hampshire
4.2% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Andwell Brewing Co

Wychwood King Goblin

I do think that you are always guaranteed a good beer from Wychwood and King Goblin is no exception.  I love the look of this one: a warm amber, ruby tinged colour topped off with a loose beige head, however, the head does disappear quite quickly, leaving a thin foamy layer.

There isn't a strong aroma, although what I could smell reminded me of dark red fruits, sweet malts and warm spices.  It's quite fizzy to start with but it has a lovely treacle taste and a liquorice aftertaste.  The taste of sweet black treacle lingers on the tongue until your next mouthful...and in my case, I didn't have long to wait.

It's a shame the head didn't last very long at all as it gives it a flat appearance which belies the yummy taste you're about to experience.  For me, King Goblin was absolutely divine and Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by Wychwood, Oxfordshire
6.6% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Wychwood Brewery

Wadworth 6X

Just my kind of colour!  A beautiful dark copper coloured amber ale with a thick frothy cream head that, despite first appearances, disappears to a thin layer.  It has a mouthwatering aroma of fruit and sweet malts with a slight hint of hops so I couldn't wait to dive in.

I was certainly not disappointed as the sublime malty flavour exploded on my tongue.  The bitterness of the hops is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the malts, which left a very pleasant sweet aftertaste.  The carbonation is perfect for an amber ale with gentle bubbles giving a very smooth feel as it slips down far too easily.

Wadworth 6X really surprised me; I think I was perhaps a little guilty of judging a book by its cover as the label did nothing to entice me.  6X can be perfectly described by 2 idioms (is it just me that thinks of the 2 silly bulls moment in Blackadder whenever I think of grammatical nouns?).  Anyway, the two very apt idioms I was thinking of are: appearances can be deceptive and it's what's inside that counts.

Ale be delighted to see Wadworth 6X again!

Brewed by Wadworth Brewery, Wiltshire

4.3% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Wadworth Brewery

Wickwar Bob

A beer called, Bob!  I saw this in B&M Bargains and had to have it as my mouth was watering once I'd seen the beautiful molten toffee amber colour.  It is crystal clear with a small loose beige head and has an aroma of traditional old-fashioned beer: hops, metallic bitter and slightly sweet.  It actually reminded me of the smell of Stones.

What a surprising taste!  It is not metallic at all but is more dry and refreshing with flavours of malt biscuit and sweet toffee.  Despite the rapid loss of the head, it is surprisingly well carbonated.

I really liked Bob, it is a very moreish beer with a pleasant sweet aftertaste that counteracts the initial bitterness.  Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by Wickwar Wessex Brewing Company, Gloucestershire
4.0% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Wickwar Brewing

Portobello Star

I bought a mixed real ale pack from Laithwaites and found THE HOLY GRAIL OF BEERS.  As I was drinking it I could hear Obi Wan Kenobi saying: 'This is the beer you are looking for.'  Just look at it!  It's a perfect crystal clear amber colour with a thick, tight cream coloured head.

Mouthwatering aromas are released on pouring: sweet malts and fruity hops combined with a hint of floral spice and nutty bread.  I just couldn't wait to dive in and I was not disappointed.

This really is delicious!  It is sweet and bitter with an ever so slight metallic bitter aftertaste at first.  It is perfectly smooth with extra soft bubbles that caress your tongue as you partake in the amazing experience of Portobello Star.  The head remains right to the last drop whilst lacing the glass and I loved every second of this.  Talking of seconds...I wish I could have had seconds but there was only one in the pack.  

If you follow my book blog, The Book Magnet, you will know that I often refer to Disney's Cinderella to identify something extra special.  When I was a very young child, my parents took me to the cinema to see Cinderella.  As we came out of the cinema I was in floods of tears and my Dad asked me why I was crying.  My answer was: 'Because I didn't want it to finish.'  That's exactly how I felt about Portobello Star.  As much as I was loving it and could have greedily gulped it down, I savoured every mouthful as I didn't want it to finish.  I have found my Cinderella beer, although it is proving as elusive to find as the owner of the famous glass slipper who Prince Charming was searching for.  I will wear out my F5 button soon, Laithwaites!

Ale DEFINITELY Be Seeing Portobello Star again and like Prince Charming, I will never give up searching for my Cinderella beer.  

Brewed by Portobello Brewing, London

4.3% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Portobello Brewing

Badger Golden Glory

As you can see, I didn't quite manage to get a full pint as there was a bit of sediment in the bottle, which is unusual for Badger ales but I think perhaps it had something to do with the peach.  Peach?  It's not a misprint, Golden Glory is a peachy beer!  It's an absolutely glorious colour like melted toffee with a loose, thin creamy head.

The initail hoppy aroma gives way to the most amazing peach smell.  Even if it didn't have peach on the neck label there is no mistaking this aroma.  I admit I wasn't looking forward to tasting it but I was pleasantly surprised.  The peach flavour is not overbearing at all, it's dry and slightly sweet at first with an unusual peach flavour lingering on the tongue.  Despite the small head, it's very fizzy with hard bubbles full of flavour.  Golden Glory is so very refreshing and perfect for a sunny day.

Much better than I thought, it's more likely Ale Be Seeing You Again than seeing the sun in North East England.

Brewed by Hall & Woodhouse, Dorset
4.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Hall & Woodhouse

Bath Ales Gem

This is a fabulous deep amber, toffee coloured ale with a subtle aroma of hops and malt that almost smells like you have a glass of rich melted toffee.  There's not much head to write home about and what is there very quickly disappears leaving a flat looking ale.  Like I would never judge a book by its cover, I wouldn't judge a beer on appearance alone so let's dive in for a taste.

There isn't really a predominant taste, it's all very subtle.  It's equally sweet to start and bitter to finish with a slight spicy/floral hint throughout.  Now and again I get a hint of bread or biscuit but it's all so very subtle that no sooner have I tasted it than it has gone.  It's a very smooth ale but it just feels as if it should be more carbonated almost as if it's been open too long, making it slightly flat.  

It's a bit of a ghost of a beer so just a 3 pint rating from me, which is slightly disappointing as I was looking forward to this one.  It just needs a bit more oomph!

Brewed by Bath Ales, Warmley
4.8% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Bath Ales

Felinfoel Double Dragon

A gorgeous dark amber ale spills out of this bottle smelling of toffee, malt and something a bit fruity like apples.  It has quite a little head which disappears very quickly and the ale looks quite flat, but appearances can be deceptive.

Double Dragon has a delightful smooth toffee nutty taste with a bitter aftertaste of copper coins.  The metallic taste becomes unnoticeable after a few sips and the apple fragrance intensifies.  It really does smell like appletise! 

It is surprisingly full-bodied with bubbles bursting on the tongue despite there being no head.  It really is surprisingly carbonated with such a flat appearance.

It has a very addictive taste, and is certainly very moreish.  With an aroma of freshly cut green grass, I can almost smell and taste the Welsh valleys bursting out of my glass.  Ale Be Seeing You Again, Boyo!

Brewed by Felinfoel Brewery, Llanelli

4.2% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Felinfoel Brewery, the oldest brewery in Wales