Love Lane Maple Syrup Stout

 

I have a sweet tooth and I love stout so I was really looking forward to trying this maple syrup stout from Love Lane Brewery in Liverpool and whilst it is nice, I was a little underwhelmed.

It has a dark brown body with a small, loose tan head that tries to disappear as it's poured so I had to straighten my pour to get a decent head and take a very quick photo.  

I was a bit disappointed when I leant in for a smell as I only got a very slight whiff of maple syrup beneath the malt and treacle notes.  I think if it didn't say maple syrup on the can I wouldn't have noticed it at all.

The taste is more like it; it's sweet and tangy with notes of dark chocolate, treacle and maple syrup.  It has a bit of a liquorice aftertaste and weirdly, it's slightly soapy.  It has low but firm carbonation and a decent medium body.

It's a very rich and dark stout that's surprisingly easy to drink considering it's high ABV of 7.4%.  There's just nothing particularly special about it, which is a little disappointing as I was really looking forward to it.  I'm glad I've tried it but Ale not Be Seeing You Again.

Brewed by Love Lane Brewery, Liverpool
7.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Love Lane Brewery

Sheep in Wolf's Clothing & Six Degrees North Whisky Barrel Aged Black Lager

 

Look at this lager!  It thinks it's a stout!  With its dark brown almost black body and tight dark cream coloured head, you would be forgiven for thinking that you were about to drink a stout.  It even smells a bit like a stout with a strong malt aroma and a hint of whisky from the barrel ageing.

The taste is quite subtle but I picked up notes of tangy hops, malt, dark fruit, whisky and roasted nuts.  It's well carbonated but not too fizzy and it has a medium body which is surprising for a lager.

It's an interesting and unique flavour, although it is quite a weak flavour possibly due to the low ABV of 2.8%.  The head is perhaps the most impressive and long lasting I've ever experienced in a lager.  As it's a limited edition collaboration, Ale not Be Seeing You again, but I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for more Sheep in Wolf's Clothing beers.

Brewed by Sheep in Wolf's Clothing Brewery, London, in partnership with Six Degrees North
2.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Sheep in Wolf's Clothing Brewery

Thornbridge Lord Marples

 

I've had a few Thornbridge beers over the years but I didn't realise that Lord Marples was their first ever beer.  It all started here!

It's a deliciously dark  mahogany brown coloured beer with a small, loose, beige head that disperses slowly to leave a thin, patchy layer.  The aroma is mouthwatering, especially for a bitter fan like me; it's a traditional bitter smell of malt, caramel, honey, tangy hops and dark fruit.

Flavour is quite light but definitely bitter; it's a stunning mixture of caramel, honey, malt and dark fruits with an unusual bittersweet finish.  It's very well carbonated and has a thin but not watery body.

It's quite an unusual bitter in that its balance leans towards the sweet side but its light flavour make it a very nice, easy drinking beer.  I love bitter so Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Thornbridge Brewery, Derbyshire
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Thornbridge Brewery

Innis & Gunn Blood Red Sky

 

This ale is a stunning colour; it's a rich mahogany red with a loose beige head that disappears very rapidly, leaving just a few bubbles behind.

It's brewed in rum barrels and there's a definite boozy, rum aroma along with malt, fruit and a hint of vanilla.  The flavour is a bit bland at first as the vanilla overpowers the other flavours, but it gets sweeter as you drink it when the malt and spiced rum flavours start to come through.  It's thin bodied and surprisingly well carbonated considering it has no head.

It has the appearance of cola and the spiciness of the rum makes you think of cola too.  It's a shame the vanilla took over as it would've been a lovely scotch ruby ale if it had been balanced a bit more towards maltiness.

It's worth trying but it was a little disappointing, so Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Innis & Gunn Brewery, Edinburgh
6.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Innis & Gunn 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.

Wiper and True Milk Shake

 

Milk Shake from Bristol brewers Wiper and True is a dark, creamy stout brewed with lactose.

It's a very dark, black velvet stout with a small, tight, beige head that retains a thin layer.  It smells delicious: lashings of malt and loads of chocolate produce a sweet and roasted mouthwatering aroma.

The flavour is awesome.  A combination of sweet chocolate, malt and vanilla tantalises the taste buds and leaves a fabulous roasted malt taste on the tongue.  It's full bodied and lightly carbonated to give a velvety-smooth, silky mouthfeel.

It really is a delicious milk stout.  It may appear be a no-frills chocolate and vanilla stout but it's so very moreish and easy to drink that Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Wiper and True Brewery, Bristol
5.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Wiper and True Brewery

Left Handed Giant x Highland Park Brewery Intrinsic Value

Instrinsic Value is a vanilla and blueberry imperial stout brewed by Bristol brewers Left Handed Giant (LHG) in collaboration with Los Angeles brewers Highland Park Brewery.  

As you would expect from a beer brewed with fruit, there is some sediment in the can so it needs a careful pour.  It pours a very dark brown with a huge, tight deep tan coloured head which is possibly the darkest coloured head I've ever seen.

It has a very distinctive and appealing aroma of chocolate, vanilla, malt and fruity blueberries so this is a beer that smells as good as it looks.  The all-important taste is not disappointing at all; it is delicious.  Smooth milk chocolate, fruity blueberries, sweet malt and vanilla all combine beautifully.  It's actually not as sweet as I expected, it's a bit earthy, woody and dry with a bitter chocolate finish.  A hint of blueberries keeps appearing every now and again.

It's a very full bodied beer that's well carbonated to give a bit of a tingle to an otherwise smooth mouthfeel.  With such a high ABV of 11% there's not even a hint of raw alcohol in the taste but it's quite warming which makes it feel incredibly boozy.  

LHG have produced some cracking beers and Intrinsic Value is no exception.  I would definitely recommend this imperial stout and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Left Handed Giant Brewing, Bristol
11% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Left Handed Giant Brewing

Staggeringly Good Post Imperial Porter

A maple syrup and vanilla porter?  YES PLEASE!

I had my eye on this on Instagram when I saw it being brewed and ordered one as soon as it was canned.  I was not disappointed.

It's a very dark brown ale with a small, loose, rapidly vanishing tan head that leaves a patchy foam.  It smells SO boozy, which isn't a surprise as it has an ABV of 10%.  The aroma is mouthwatering with notes of malt, treacle, chocolate, maple syrup, liquorice and vanilla.  There's so much going on, it's like you smell something different with every sniff.

Full marks for flavour!  Wow, this is impressive.  It's a dark and decadent brew with treacle toffee, maple syrup pancakes, malt loaf and liquorice all having a party in my mouth.  Mouthfeel is perfect with low but firm carbonation, and a full body that looks slightly syrupy as it clings to the glass but doesn't feel sticky on the tongue.

This is a very special beer.  It's one to savour and take your time with as I didn't want it to finish.  It is everything a dark ale should be with treacle and maple sweetness balanced with burnt roastiness.  I was impressed that the high ABV didn't leave a strong alcohol taste in the mouth, simply a warming bourbon finish.

Very highly recommended and one Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Staggeringly Good Brewery, Portsmouth
10% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.75/5

Find out more at Staggeringly Good Brewery

Sadler's Peaky Blinder

 

A festive ale from West Midlands brewers Sadler's, Peaky Blinder is a Christmas pudding stout brewed with first gold and goldings hops.  It's a very dark brown ale with a loose frothy beige head that disappears quickly to leave a patchy foam.

It actually smells of Christmas, with notes of dark fruit, cinnamon, orange peel and pine.  It also has floral and spicy hints and it would make a lovely scented candle.  The flavour isn't very strong but it's very nicely done, it's a treacly stout with hints of spice and dark fruit and a subtle bitter chocolate finish.  With a medium body and decent carbonation, it has a relatively smooth mouthfeel as you'd expect for a stout.

I got this from B&M so I won't have paid more than £1.59 for it and it's not bad at all.  Apart from the smell, it's not overly festive so I'd be more than happy to drink this all year round.  If it hadn't been marketed as a festive ale, I would have scored it higher so Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Sadler's Brewery, 
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Sadler's Brewery

Cassels New Zealand Milk Stout

I picked up this little beauty for 99p in Home Bargains and what a bargain it is!  I was gutted (but completely unsurprised) that they'd sold out when I went back for more.

Popping the lid off this 328ml bottle produces the most mouthwatering aroma of malt, chocolate, coffee and a hint of dried fruit.  It's a beautiful black velvet colour but it has a very rapidly disappearing beige head that rather disappointingly doesn't even leave a single bubble behind.  Appearances can be deceptive though, so on to the taste...

This is delicious!  Complex flavours of chocolate, malt, roasted coffee and liquorice results in a different taste in every sip.  The balance is tipped towards sweet and there's a lovely sweetness that lingers on the tongue - it's right up my street with me being sweet-toothed.  It has a medium body and carbonation is quite low but firm and I could feel little sugary bubbles bursting on my tongue.

I can see why this was voted number 1 in its category in the 2020 World Beer Awards and I'll be keeping my eyes peeled to see if Home Bargains get this in again.  Make sure you grab one if you can!  Ale Be Seeing You again (hopefully).

Brewed by Cassels Brewery, New Zealand
5.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Cassels Brewery

S43 You're Not You When You're Thirsty

I bought two cans of You're Not You When You're Thirsty and drank them 10 months apart.  Whilst both experiences were quite similar, I do feel that the nutty flavour was intensified in the can I'd kept for a while.

This boozy 9% imperial peanut butter fudge stout pours a very dark brown with a small, loose tan head.  The head does shrink quite rapidly but it leaves a decent foam layer.  There doesn't appear to be much sediment in the can but I did leave a little bit behind just in case.

Oh my goodness the nutty aroma is simply mouthwatering.  The aroma of nuts coupled with chocolate and caramel does actually make it smell like a Snickers bar.  The taste is where I found the biggest difference between my two cans.  My first impression (of the fresh can) was that it was lovely but not really nutty enough whereas the second can was perfect and tasted like it said on the tin.

It's a lovely imperial stout with flavours of chocolate, bonfire toffee, treacle, and fudge with a sprinkling or good handful of nuts, depending on how fresh you drink it.  It's well balanced, with chocolate and toffee tipping the scales towards sweet at first but bringing it back to the centre with the added nuttiness.

Well carbonated with sweet sticky bubbles of fudginess, it's so full bodied that it's almost syrupy and it actually clings to the glass leaving a brown pearlescent sheen behind - if only I could have got my tongue right in!

This is an amazing imperial stout from S43 and I've loved everything I have had from them so far.  It's really something special and there is absolutely no hint of alcohol in the taste which is unusual for such a high ABV.  It's so very moreish that it's surprisingly easy to drink and if it's brewed again (under a different name so Mars don't get upset), Ale definitely Be Seeing You.

Brewed by S43 Brewery, Durham
9% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.75/5

Find out more at S43 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

Tyne Bank Down Drury Lane

I recently downloaded the Real Ale Finder app and spotted that one of my favourite local breweries had released a gingerbread stout.  I absolutely love ginger spices and it's not just for Christmas in my house!  The very next day I made my way down to The Steamboat in South Shields to try Tyne Bank's Down Drury Lane for myself.

It's a lovely dark chocolate brown colour but very opaque, more milky than cloudy due to the use of oat milk in the brewing process.  The light brown head is amazingly tight and it's one that Guinness would be proud of.  I was almost quivering with anticipation to get my first mouthwatering whiff of ginger, but sadly couldn't detect anything remotely ginger-like in the aroma.  The smell is hard to describe, it's perhaps most reminiscent of sweet raisins and bitter chocolate.

Ok, so no ginger in the smell...on to the taste.  The first thing I noticed is that there is NO GINGER!  Oh no, I could have cried.  My only concern before tasting it was whether it would be gingery enough; I didn't expect it to not be gingery at all.  The taste is very odd indeed, tangy, sour and bitter but no spiciness.  If I had to describe it, I'd say it was a chocolate milkshake that had been made with sour milk and had a dash of coffee added to it then mixed into a stout.  Rather thin-bodied but very smooth, as a funky stout experiment it's not bad by any means but it was just not what I expected.

Not one I'd recommend or Ale Be Seeing Again, unfortunately.  I desperately wanted to detect some ginger but I don't think even Sherlock Holmes could have detected it.

Brewed by Tyne Bank Brewery, Newcastle

5.4% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Tyne Bank Brewery

Adnams Broadside

Adnams Broadside is the first beer listed in World Bottled Beers by Adrian Tierney-Jones, and you can find out more about this bottle-shaped book here in my beer books section.

This ale is my kind of colour: a deep ruby red with a reasonably tight beige head.  It smells mouthwateringly malty along with the kind of aroma you get when you first open a dark fruit cake.  I didn't smell it for long as I couldn't wait to take a sip!

The taste is predominantly fruity and bitter chocolate but more flavours are apparent as you drink it.  It's quite fizzy and I could taste some spiciness and liquorice, which is very reminiscent of dandelion and burdock, followed by a metallic copper coin bitter aftertaste.  It's a strong one at 6.3% so just aswell the metallic taste is there so you don't mistake it for dandelion and burdock pop.

It definitely tingled my tastebuds and I can see why it is such a popular beer.  I think it would have been a 5 pint rating for me if the metallic taste had been toned down a notch or two; I'm not averse to metallic bitterness but I don't want to feel like I am licking all the copper coins in my purse.

I wouldn't mind another pint of Broadside, perhaps on a chilly winter's evening beside the fire to accompany a slice of fruit cake.

Brewed by Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk

6.3% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Adnams

Black Sheep Riggwelter

I have to say that Black Sheep Brewery always seem to deliver when it comes to good ales and I consider Black Sheep to be one of my favourite breweries.  When I first saw Riggwelter I got the impression from the label that it would be a very dark almost stout style ale, so you can imagine my delight when this mouthwatering mahogany dark ruby ale poured out of the bottle.  As we've come to expect from Black Sheep it has a thick tight beige head that doesn't budge a millimetre.

Dark fruit and malty aromas are released as you pour the Riggwelter followed by a metallic whiff of copper coins, almost like you've emptied a money bag full of 2p coins.  There is an initial metallic taste but this quickly disappears to be replaced by flavours of liquorice, fruit, sweet treacle and malt.  Each mouthful tastes different, giving a hint as to the complexity of flavours that have gone into making the Riggwelter.

It's also fizzy yet smooth and goes down far too easily for such a strong ale, with the thick creamy head leaving impressive lacing down the sides of the glass.  Oh yes Riggwelter, Ale Be Seeing You Again.

Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, Yorkshire

5.9% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Black Sheep Brewery

Allendale Black Grouse

This deliciously dark porter smells amazing with aromas of treacle, chocolate and coffee and a slight smokiness due to being brewed with oak chips.  The loose beige head disappears very quickly, so don't blink or you'll miss it, and it leaves you with a glass of something that resembles coke but the mouthwatering taste definitely compensates for the lack of head.

The mouthfeel is quite an experience as you start to taste treacle and liquorice whilst dark chocolate bubbles stroke and lightly tickle your tongue before bursting in a mini chocolate explosion.  It's so delicious that it goes down far too easily and would be a perfect drink on a cold winter's night sitting beside the fire with a good book.

I love the strong treacle and liquorice toffee taste, it has a bit of a fruity sweetness at first closely followed by a bitter chocolate aftertaste.  There is also a hint of flavour that reminded me of whiskies brewed in sherrywood casks, so don't be put off by the description of this ale being brewed with oak chips.  The flavours are perfectly balanced, making Black Grouse a top notch porter and Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland

4% ABV

My rating:

Find out more from Allendale Brewery

Bath Ales Barnsey

I've never seen a bitter this dark before and with a hint of ruby I was naturally eager to let my taste buds sample this little beauty.  It doesn't have very much of a head but it retains its layer of foam and even attempts some lacing on the glass.  The smell is predominantly malty with a slight hint of chocolate.

The taste is absolutely amazing!  The chocolate taste is so subtle and coupled with the delicious malt makes for a very pleasant experience.  Sometimes dark ales are quite hard going and spoiled by harsh flavours but this is so smooth it feels like velvet on my tongue. There is no bitter aftertaste at all and it's simply sublime.  Ale definitely be Seeing this one Again and I look forward to it immensely.

Brewed by Bath Ales, Warmley

4.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Bath Ales

Allendale Wolf

Time for one of my favourite coloured ales.  Wolf is a strong ruby ale from the Allendale Brewery and it has been on my wishlist for quite some time.  Will it live up to my expectations?

On opening it smells deliciously malty, fruity and sweet.  It is a lovely ruby colour and has an outstanding thick beige frothy head that shows no sign of dispersing.  It's one of those heads that will need a brillo pad to clean the glass afterwards.

It has a lovely malty chocolate taste and, as you would expect from the high alcohol content, it leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste on the tongue.  It's quite carbonated and the bubbles feel a bit harsh on the tongue but then the malty chocolate flavours kick in.  The flavour is so complex that I even felt as if there was a hint of pepper thrown into the mix after a few mouthfuls.  Not quite a 5 star rating, but not far off, and Ale probably be Seeing You Again.

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland

5.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Allendale Brewery

Tyne Bank Cherry Stout

There's a definite whiff of dark chocolate on opening and an underlying fruity aroma, although I couldn't have identified it as cherry.  It is as black as Guinness but you can see that the head is more bubbles than froth.  A few seconds after taking the photo, the head disappeared and it was as if it had never been there at all.  If I didn't know better I would have thought that I was about to drink a pint of coke.

With it's coke-like appearance, it was a confusion for my brain to taste a fizzy thin Guinness with a fruity aftertaste.  It's actually a really nice taste, slightly smokey followed by a burst of dark fruit.  I just couldn't get it into my brain that it was a beer as it looked and slightly tasted like coke.  If you mixed Guinness and coke, I'd expect Cherry Stout to be the result.

Although I'm a big fan of Tyne Bank brewery's ale selection, especially Monument, Cherry Stout is not one Ale be Seeing Again, I'm afraid.

Brewed by Tyne Bank Brewery, Newcastle

5.2% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Tyne Bank Brewery

Hatherwood The Ruby Rooster

This is a gorgeous dark ruby colour with a very thin and fast disappearing head.  It has a distinct metallic smell so I was expecting a bitter taste.  It is actually slightly sweet with hints of chocolate and toffee, and does have a metallic aftertaste.  Once the head disappeared (within the first minute), and with it being a bit thin, it resembled Coca Cola.

Brewed by Wychwood, Oxfordshire for Lidl

3.8% abv