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

Hiver Honey Ale

 

I bought this bottle when I visited Tynemouth Priory (in the days when we could visit places) as the label caught my eye and then when I saw that it was a brown ale, I had to have it.

It's a lovely chestnut brown coloured ale with a small but tight cream head.  Unsurprisingly for a honey ale, the predominant aroma is sweet honey but I also picked up notes of malt and chocolate.

There is no mistaking the flavour of honey in the taste and it actually feels like it's an ancient recipe.  The honey is tangy and sweet with a lovely maltiness and hoppy bitterness to round it all off.  With soft carbonation giving it a smooth mouthfeel, this is a very pleasant ale to drink.  It's what I would consider an all-season ale; I think it would be a lovely winter ale to drink sitting beside a roaring fire but also perfect to drink in the garden on a sunny day with bees buzzing around.

Delicious and environmentally friendly with 10% of the profits going to pollinator charities and urban space projects, 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

Darwin Wearside Monk

Sunderland isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of Trappist ales but Darwin have brewed an absolute belter in Wearside Monk.  This Trappist ale isn't Belgian, it's Mackem and it certainly gives some of those well known Belgian ales a run for their money.

St. Peter's Church, Sunderland founded in AD 674 was one of the two churches that formed part of the Wearmouth-Jarrow monastery, with St Paul's, Jarrow following in AD 681.  Darwin Brewery had the Monkwearmouth monastery in mind when using Trappist yeast to brew Wearside Monk.  The monks were sure to have been avid home brewers so it's a wonderful tribute to our fascinating local history.

It's a beautiful chestnut brown ale with a loose beige head that disappears rapidly leaving a patchy layer.  There is a tiny bit of sediment in the bottle so I didn't pour it all into my glass in order to keep it lovely and clear.

Well it definitely smells like a Trappist beer with an aroma of sour tangy hops, malt, caramel and dark fruit.  It smells very rich and warming, almost as if it's been brewed in bourbon or whisky casks.

The taste is awesome and so complex that it's hard to describe.  I picked up hints of caramel, malt, dark fruit, tangy hops and even banana.  It has a dry/bitter finish as well as a lingering warming alcohol effect.  It has a medium body and it's perfectly carbonated to give a little fizz on the tongue without being at all harsh.

It's absolutely lovely and I'll be stocking up on more of these as soon as they're back in stock.  What a unique Mackem Trappist ale!  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Darwin Brewery, Sunderland

7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Darwin Brewery

Chimay Red

 

Chimay is one of the most well know Trappist breweries and they certainly know how to brew outstanding Trappist beer.  Chimay Red was the first Trappist beer to be brewed by monks at the Scourmont Abbey in Chimay, Belgium in 1862.  It is an amber dubbel made with water drawn from the two wells inside the monastery.

Pouring a rich mahogany colour with a tight beige head that seems to magically continue to grow, this is a beautiful red-tinged brown ale.  There is some sediment in the bottle so I poured it carefully to get a clearer ale as I'm not a fan of bits but you can of course include the yeast if that is to your taste.  

It has a mouthwatering aroma of dark fruit, particularly raisins and plums, sweet malts and a hint of spice.  Although it doesn't smell of alcohol, the aroma is so rich that you can tell it is a strong beer.  The taste is absolutely sublime: such a lovely blend of malt, treacle and fruit with a perfectly balanced citrus/metallic bitter finish.  The sweet/bitter balance is perfect and I had to remind myself of the 7% ABV to stop me glugging it down.

It's a medium bodied ale that is well carbonated, with bubbles slightly on the harsh side and they certainly left my tongue tingling.  It really is a delicious dark ale and I can definitely say that Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Chimay Brewery, Belgium
7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Chimay Brewery

Hadrian Border Newcastle Commercials

A different Newcastle brown ale to the famous one brewed and mass produced by S&N, this ale from Hadrian Border brewery was brewed to commemorate the centenary of World War I and some of the proceeds are going towards events planned to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of the great war in 2018.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

This is a deep chestnut brown ale with a small but thick frothy beige head.  It has an amazing malty, chocolate and treacle aroma that is replicated in the lovely taste.  It has a slightly bitter aftertaste once the maltiness wears off but that's easily dealt with by taking another sip, and this delicious addictive beer encourages you to do so.  

It's softly carbonated making it a very smooth drink with the thick head remaining until the end, leaving heavy lacing on the glass.  With malty sweetness, chocolate hints and a citrus burst at the end, it is indeed a fitting ale for heroes.

A very nice brown ale and, although it was a limited edition, it bears a striking similarity to Hadrian Border Brewery's Tyneside Brown so I do believe that Ale Be Seeing You Again.

Brewed by Hadrian Border Brewery, Newcastle upon Tyne
4.7% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Hadrian Border Brewery

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

Badger First Gold

Now named First Call, this Badger ale is named after the dwarf hops used in its brewing. It is a delicious dark amber ale with a hint of ruby and an amazing head.  It smells predominantly malty with a nice hint of orange fruit.  The thick creamy head shows no sign of disappearing and leaves tremendous lacing as it is supped.

It's a really pleasant taste which is nice and creamy on the palate with a slight hint of orange and a subtle spicy aftertaste followed by a mellow nutty taste.  There is just the right amount of carbonation giving it a lovely refreshing zing.

An excellent light choice for a cold winter's day and, come snow or sun, Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by Hall and Woodhouse, Dorset

4.0% ABV

My rating:

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Shepherd Neame Warlock's Broth

A Hoppy Halloween it is with a deliciously hoppy aroma bursting out of the bottle.  This is a beautiful treacle toffee colour with a bubbly beige head that disappears quickly, leaving a very thin layer.

Initial flavour is reasonably pleasant with a hint of malty sweetness and a burnt caramel aftertaste.  I've not been a big fan of Shepherd Neame ales in the past as they often taste a bit like dirty dish water, but this one isn't bad at all.  There is a bit of a harsh bitter taste in my mouth after a few gulps, like the taste you get from a really strong ale (yet this is only 3.5%), but you do get used to it after a while.

A nice gimmick for Halloween but not something I would want to drink regularly.

Brewed by Shepherd Neame, Kent
3.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Shepherd Neame