Hatherwood The Amber Adder

Red and amber ales are my favourite so I was looking forward to trying this amber ale from Hatherwood, brewed for Lidl.  It is a lovely dark amber colour with an impressive head but rather oddly smells of citrus.  The head is robust and remains to the last drop, leaving plenty of lacing on the glass.

The taste is really weird, it is surprisingly citrus flavoured for an amber ale.  On first tasting, the citrus is quite overpowering so I didn't get any toffee or coffee notes at all.  There is perhaps a slight hint of toffee after a few sips but the taste doesn't reconcile to the look so if it was a blind taste test I'd say this was a pale ale filled to the brim with citra hops.

The Amber Adder certainly does have a bite!  I got used to it after a while as the lemon taste faded to toffee and dark coffee notes.  The consistency is nice as it is quite smooth and not overly carbonated but I just couldn't get away with the overpowering lemon taste. Unfortunately, Ale Not Be Seeing You Again.

Brewed by Hatherwood Craft Beer Company via Marstons for Lidl

4.3% ABV

My rating:

Camerons Strongarm

I think it is time for a treat so I picked a ruby red ale for today.  This looks like an absolutely stunning ruby ale, it is a deep shiny mahogany colour with a thick beige head.  There is a lovely malty aroma and a sweet treacle smell so I couldn't wait to dive in for a taste.

Strongarm tastes like sweet malt loaf coated in thick black treacle.  It has a smooth consistency and feels slightly thin but the taste is something else.  It is an outstanding taste experience as sweetness battles with bitterness leaving an explosion of treacle and malt in your mouth.  It is so delicious that  Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by Camerons Brewery, Hartlepool

4.3% ABV

My rating:

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Allendale Wagtail

Wagtail is a superb amber colour, the traditional colour you'd expect for a bitter.  It smells unusually of oranges and some kind of sweet spice.  It pours with only a small creamy coloured head which leaves a thin layer as it disappears.  What remains does leave a slight lacing on the glass and a quick swirl creates a bit more foam.

It has a very unusual taste and there is no hint of the metallic taste you often get with bitters, instead it has a slightly sweet toffee taste with a spicy citrus aftertaste.  It is definitely more of an orange than lemon or grapefruit flavour, leaving a very pleasant taste on the tongue.

Wagtail is an impressive local bitter that I purchased in a mixed pack from the lovely folk at Best of British Beer.  Ale Be Seeing it Again.

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland

3.8% ABV

My rating:

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Bavaria Aguila

Brewed in Colombia and imported by Miller, I found this Aguila in B&M Bargains for only 59p so it would have been rude not to try one.

There was absolutely no head so it would be perfect for drinking straight out of the bottle, and it is a lovely golden straw coloured lager.  It smells of fresh cornfields and has a slightly sweet fruity aroma.  It's not terribly fizzy for a lager, which I like, and it has a creamy, slightly hoppy, taste.  Very refreshing and well worth the few pennies I paid for it.

Brewed by Bavaria S.A., Bogota, Colombia

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:

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Allendale APA

Allendale Pale Ale is certainly something a little bit different for IPA drinkers.  It is a lovely deep golden ale, although slightly cloudy, with a very fine head that unfortunately doesn't last very long.  It smells very hoppy but also of tropical fruit.

It's reasonably fizzy so I was surprised the head disappeared so quickly.  As you know, I'm not a huge fan of pale ales but this isn't bad at all as it's more on the grapefruit side of bitterness than the usual lemon.  APA is an easy drinking, refreshing pale ale that would be a perfect drink on a sunny day.

Brewed by Allendale Brewery, Northumberland

5.5% ABV

My rating:

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Wells Waggle Dance

I absolutely love the stripey label on Waggle Dance and think it's especially clever to include the W as part of the bee's wing.  I really must applaud Wells for their ability to take unusual ingredients and add them to beer.  Some beers claim to have honey in them but the taste is so subtle as to be almost non-existent but Wells leave no room for doubt - their beer tastes exactly as they claim on the label.

I was really surprised to get such a hoppy aroma on opening as I thought the honey would have been the dominant smell.  It's a beautiful deep golden, almost light amber, colour with a creamy off-white head and I couldn't wait to get stuck in.

Wow!  What a taste explosion!  There is no doubt that honey is in this ale.  As the liquid rolls across your tongue you get the unmistakable taste of fresh golden honey, without being too overpowering to confuse your taste buds into thinking you're not having a pint of beer.

It's absolutely sublime and brewed to perfection.   Ale definitely be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by Charles Wells, Bedford

5% ABV

My rating:

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