BrewDog Hoppy Xmas

Christmas time is here again and you can always count on BrewDog for a festive beer. 

Hoppy Xmas is a festive IPA and it's very lively so it took me a couple of pours to fit it all in my 330ml glass.  It pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a tight, thick, robust off-white head that lasts and laces.

The aroma is deliciously fruity with notes of lemon, orange and tropical fruit as well as the expected blast of hops.  It tastes like it smells with a lovely blend of citrus and tropical fruits and hops that give it a lovely dry/bitter finish.   The pineapple and papaya flavours add a note of sweetness that takes the pithy bitter edge off the citrus.

It has a good medium body and it’s very well carbonated, as you can see from the head, but the bubbles aren't harsh and they give the tongue a nice tickling.  

I don't think there's anything particularly festive about it apart from the name, but it's a lovely IPA that's just the right level of bitterness for me.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire 

6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Kees Baby Caramel Fudge Stout

 

This pastry stout is a lighter version of Brouwerij Kees' imperial caramel fudge stout but it still packs a punch at 5.3%.  I couldn't see any best before date on the can so I've got no idea whether or not it was in date when I drank it.  

It has a dark brown mahogany coloured body with a small rapidly vanishing tan head.  The aroma is surprisingly light for a sweet stout and although I didn't smell any caramel I did pick up notes of malt and chocolate.

After the slightly disappointing smell and appearance,  it totally redeems itself in the taste test as it is delicious.  It's like sweet, creamy candy covered in milk chocolate and it's so malty.  The sweetness really lingers so it's definitely a beer for the sweet toothed among us.  It has a full body and medium carbonation which gives it a relatively smooth mouthfeel.

It's a lovely sweet stout but it tastes more chocolate than caramel fudge to me.  I'd be really interested to try its big brother in the future and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Brouwerij Kees, 
5.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brouwerij Kees

Hatherwood Twisted Knots

Twisted Knots is an American IPA that has been brewed exclusively for Lidl supermarket.  Priced at only 99p at the time of purchase, it really would have been rude not to try it.

It pours a beautiful amber colour with a small, reasonably robust cream coloured head.  The head disappears slowly but leaves a patchy layer behind.  It smells very hoppy, which is no surprise as it's jam packed with seven varieties of hops (Herkules, Columbus, Chinook, Cascade, Citra, Centennial and Amarillo), and it also has a slight metallic bitter hint.

The first sip really tingled my taste buds as flavours of malt, hops and spicy rye combined to give a surprisingly flavoursome ale.  It has a lovely bitter finish which is more metallic than citrus.  It's thin bodied with relatively low carbonation but the bubbles are quite tingly.

It's actually very nice for a budget beer.  With the bitterness being more metallic than citrus and the lovely spiciness of the rye, it's my kind of IPA.  Although it didn't score highly, I really can't complain for under £1 for a 330ml can, so Ale Be Seeing You again.

  

Brewed by Hatherwood Brewery for Lidl UK
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Innis & Gun Mangoes on the Run

Mangoes on the Run is a beautiful deep golden, orange hued ale with a large, frothy, and surprisingly robust off-white head.  There is no sediment at all so I got every last drop out of the can.

I was expecting a strong smell of fruit when I opened it but it's mainly just hops with a slight hint of fruit that's more citrus than mango.  Although I was a little disappointed with the aroma, it redeemed itself in the taste.  It's definitely mango!  The flavour is very hoppy with notes of caramel, biscuit and citrus and it has a very bitter, pithy citrus aftertaste that lingers.

It's thin bodied with low, reasonably soft carbonation that feels quite smooth in the mouth with a little bit of a tingle on the tongue.

It's what it says on the tin and Innis & Gunn deserve a round of applause for getting the unmistakeable taste of mango just right.  The pithy aftertaste was a little too harsh for me which is where it lost marks so although Ale not Be Seeing You again, it's worth trying if you like pithy bitterness.

Brewed by The Innis & Gunn Brewing Company, Edinburgh, Scotland 
5.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Find out more at The Innis & Gunn Brewing Company

Allendale Wanderlust

 

Wanderlust is a golden honey coloured IPA from Northumberland brewers, Allendale.  It has a small off-white head that disperses to a patchy foam.

It smells SO fruity and more sweet than bitter; think sugar coated pineapple cubes and freshly cut grapefruit segments.  Flavour swings towards bitterness with notes of tangy marmalade, pine and a lingering grapefruit bitter finish.

Well carbonated and thin bodied, it tingles the tongue nicely but the abundant grapefruit bubbles made the taste a little too pithy for me.  I'm not a huge IPA fan but I can appreciate that this is a pretty nice one and I probably would have one again so Ale Be Seeing You!

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Hexham, Northumberland
6.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Allendale 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

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

Williams Bros. Joker

 

Joker is a lovely golden yellow IPA with a very tight, thick off-white head.  You can often find Joker in supermarkets and it's especially good value when you can pick one up in Aldi or Lidl so make sure you grab one in your next shop.

It smells deliciously hoppy with notes of citrus and a delightful freshness from the hint of cedar.  The taste is the perfect bittersweet combination; it's slightly sweet at first with just a hint of citrus bitterness in the aftertaste.  It has slight herbal and pine notes that develop more as you drink it.

Medium bodied and perfectly carbonated, I loved the bittersweet balance of Joker IPA.  It's so delicious it had smiling from ear to ear just like the Joker and Ale Be Seeing You again!  

Brewed by Williams Bros. Brewing Co., Alloa, Scotland
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Williams Bros

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

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

BrewDog Clockwork Tangerine

There are a lot of fruit infused beers around at the moment and I find them lovely and refreshing, so let's see what I thought of Clockwork Tangerine, the citrus session IPA from BrewDog.

This pours a beautiful deep golden or light amber with a lovely orange hue.  If it didn't have the frothy cream coloured head, you could almost mistake it for a glass of Irn Bru.

I was expecting a huge whiff of tangerine when I popped the lid off the bottle but instead got more of a light hoppy aroma.  It does have a hint of tangerine when it develops but if I wasn't looking for it I wouldn't really have noticed it.

On to the taste and there is a definite flavour of tangerine, although it isn't overpowering, coupled with hops and caramel.  The tangerine hint adds an initial bit of sweetness followed by a bitter pithy aftertaste.  The bitterness lingers slightly too long for my liking and builds up over time, turning into more of a grapefruit than orange citrus.  It's fizzy but a bit thin-bodied and watery, but that's what you'd expect in an IPA.

Crisp and dry, there's a little too much pithy bitterness to be refreshing but I have to applaud BrewDog for getting the tangerine flavour absolutely spot on.

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire

4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Morland Old Golden Hen

You can't really go wrong with Morland's (now Greene King) Hen range so I thought I'd give award winning Old Golden Hen a try.  Just look at that beautiful golden pint - it's like sunshine in a glass!  It's a deep golden beer with a loose, frothy cream coloured head.  The head doesn't last long, although what is there does cling to the side of the glass.

The aroma is very hoppy with hints of tropical fruit, along with some malty biscuit and caramel once it settles in the glass.  It's so hoppy at first that the aroma wafts out of the bottle as soon as it is opened.

Unsurprisingly, with such a strong hoppy aroma, it tastes deliciously hoppy with a hint of fruit drizzled with caramel.  It's very crisp dry and refreshing with medium body and an abundance of hop filled bubbles that fizz around your mouth with each sip.

Although I felt like I should be enjoying it in a beer garden on a sunny day, it can also bring the sunshine indoors on a grey day.  Old Golden Hen is a lovely golden beer that Ale Be Seeing again.

Brewed by Morland Brewing, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Morland Brewing

BrewDog Slot Machine

It's not an optical illusion (or a very small glass), this is a 660ml gigantic bottle of Slot Machine, a red rye IPA from Scottish brewers, BrewDog.  It pours a beautiful russet brown colour with a huge frothy but tight beige head.

The aroma is mainly malt and biscuit with hints of citrus fruits and warm spice.  The initial flavour is predominantly citrus followed by a floral, spicy taste.  As you drink it, the citrus flavour seems to diminish and more toffee and caramel flavours develop.  The citrus flavour remains throughout to give a lingering bitter aftertaste.

Surprisingly softly carbonated, it has an almost smooth mouthfeel and is a full bodied ale.  The head leaves good lacing on the glass and I loved the developing toffee flavour which takes the edge off the initial citrus hit.  The spicy rye flavour is well balanced, giving more of a hint than a full hit which can often take over.  

It's a decent red rye IPA and very drinkable, which is just as well as I got two full 330ml glasses out of the oversized bottle.

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire 
5.2% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Allendale Golden Plover

You're always guaranteed a good ale from Allendale Brewery and Golden Plover is no exception, in fact it's an award winning golden ale and it's easy to see why when you experience it.

It's like summer in a glass with a golden straw coloured ale and excitable bubbles giving a lava lamp appearance.  The loose frothy white head is disappointingly small and disappears to a thin foam but it leaves surprising lacing on the glass,

There is no mistaking the citrus aroma from this one!  The bitter citrus is mixed with sour hops and something rather herby and floral to give an unusual aroma that is very appealing.  All of these wonderful aromas transfer into the taste and are perfectly blended to leave an explosion in the mouth of citrus, floral, hops and malt flavours.  There is a subtle bitter aftertaste to round off the perfect experience.  Softly carbonated, it has a moderate to thin body which, after all, is not unexpected in a golden ale.  

Surprisingly delicious, I expected an overpowering taste of citrus but I was very pleasantly surprised with the blend of flavours.  Golden Plover is a very crisp and dry ale that is so pleasant and moreish that Ale Be Seeing it Again.

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland

4% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Allendale 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

Samuel Adams Rebel IPA

There was quite a lot of sediment in the bottle so it was a slow and careful pour in order to retain the clarity of the beer.  It's a traditional looking golden yellow ale with a tight and frothy off-white head.  There is a strong citrus aroma but rather than it being too acidic, the edge is taken off with an underlying buttery hoppiness.

Soft and feather-like on the tongue, there is an initial sweetness followed by a lovely bitterness that isn't overpowered by citrus.  I was really surprised by the taste as I expected a full citrus blast but it's the complex mix of hops that results in an initial crisp and refreshing taste that lingers into the aftertaste to counteract the citrus bitterness.

So easy to drink with a head that lasts to the end leaving impressive lacing, I would definitely have it again despite IPA not being my preferred ale.

Ale happily Be Seeing You Again, Rebel IPA.

Brewed by Samuel Adams, Boston and imported by Shepherd Neame, Kent

6.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Samuel Adams

Greene King IPA

I loved the colour of this one but unfortunately that's all I loved.  It's a beautiful copper toffee colour but it has a very loose head that disappeared in a matter of seconds.  It also has a very strange aroma: at first it is hoppy and metallic but then it reminded me of smelly stagnant water, like I often experience with Shepherd Neame ales.

It tastes a little bit malty, quite fresh and with a bitter aftertaste.  I was surprised that there was no hint of citrus as you would normally expect with an IPA, making me think that this should be labelled as a bitter rather than an IPA.  Despite its flat appearance the carbonation is quite harsh and it was an overall disappointing experience.

Brewed by Greene King, Bury St Edmunds

3.6% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Green King

Anchor Steam Beer Dry Hopped

How have I not tasted Anchor Steam Beer before now?  It's not something I would usually pick up as I tend to stick to 500ml bottled ales but I received this as a gift and I'll certainly be adding it to my shopping list in future.  Anchor Steam Beer is one mighty fine beer that ticks all the boxes and my only disappointment was that it only comes in a 330ml bottle.

It is a beautiful cloudy amber colour with a blood orange glow and a HUGE frothy cream coloured head.  It hissed and fizzed out of the bottle on opening along with subtle aromas of hops, orange citrus and tropical fruit.  It has a lovely dry bitter taste and it wasn't as fizzy as I expected.  The carbonation is very soft making it a smooth, refreshing, perfectly balanced and easy drinking beer.

This is definitely a beer Ale Be Seeing Again, and it certainly shows that good things come in small packages.

Brewed by Anchor Brewing, San Francisco, USA
4.9% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Anchor Brewing

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