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

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

Belhaven Scottish Ale

When I poured Belhaven's Scottish Ale I hoped that it tasted as good as it looked and I'm delighted to say that it far exceeded my expectations.  It's such a beautiful chestnut brown colour, slightly hazy, with a thick frothy beige coloured head.

It has such a mouthwatering aroma of sweet malt and nutty biscuits with both flavours being replicated in the taste, along with notes of caramel and buttered bread.  The creamy buttery nutty taste melts on the tongue and is followed by a slightly quirky bitter aftertaste that I can only describe as licking stamps, which I rather strangely enjoy.  It's a full bodied ale with a decent amount of carbonation to give a little tongue tickle with each mouthful.

I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did and there's only one negative thing I about it: it was only in a 330ml bottle and like Oliver Twist, I wanted more!  It's a good quality ale that scores near to top marks on my palate.  I love a strong malty flavour so this hits the spot for me and Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by Belhaven, Dunbar, Scotland
5.2% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Belhaven Brewery

Shepherd Neame Bishop's Finger

This is my kind of colour: chestnut brown with a frothy, reasonably tight beige head.  As you'd expect from the appearance, it smells so fruity and malty with just a hint of the trademark Shepherd Neame sour hops smell that can sometimes be a bit unappealing.  I was definitely not put off by the aroma in this case as the experience so far invited me to dive right in.

This tastes deliciously malty with a fruity tanginess, sour hops and a hint of liquorice toffee, followed by a bitter chocolate aftertaste.  It is quite fizzy but not too harsh and each bubble leaves a fruity burst of flavour in your mouth.

Bishops Finger is one of the better Shepherd Neame ales and you can often pick it up quite cheap.  It's one I have drank many times so I can definitely say that Ale Be Seeing it Again.

Brewed by Shepherd Neame, Kent
5.4% ABV

My rating:

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Shepherd Neame Rudolph's Reward

This was another of my Christmas ale gifts and I think Rudolph did so much hard work over Christmas, he deserves a beer-shaped reward.  This is an amber ale which has a slight red hint to it, a real ginger ale.  Although it pours with only a medium head, the head is retained whilst drinking and laces the side of the glass.

It does smell faintly of Christmas - orange with a hint of spice and chestnuts roasting on an open fire.  It has the distinctive metallic aftertaste of most Shepherd Neame ales but first you get a fruit and nut hit of very refreshing ale.  It's actually one of the better Shepherd Neame ales I've tried.

Brewed by Shepherd Neame, Kent

3.8% ABV

Find out more at Shepherd Neame