Category: #decembeer

Spitfire #decembeer

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 1 Comment

The monthly challenge enters its second week, and after yesterday's pretty disastrous #decembeer effort, it's nice to return to a well-known, and apparently well-loved beer. Shepherd Neame's most popular and biggest-selling ale…..Spitfire….

As is normal with this month's challenge, a quick visit to the website for some background information. And the winner of the 'most nonsense about a beer's taste' goes to Spitfire:

“wonderfully generous aromas of tangy malt, soft raisins and sweet oranges,

freshened by the floral, grassy notes of three different hop varieties”

Soft raisins (yes 'soft' raisins), sweet oranges, floral grass? And all this just the aroma! Once they start describing the taste you could be mistaken it's a rollercoaster:

“the finely balanced flavour opens with a blast of rounded malt before the rousing,

almost spicy hops follow through to provide a complex, multi-layered finish”

After reading such descriptions you can imagine I was expecting something very special. Was I impressed? Well actually it was quite nice – very refreshing – more hoppy than some I think.

I do like a beer that produces a lovely creamy head!

As you can see, 8 days down and I'm beginning to sound like an expert. But in all seriousness I think I may be able to tell the different between a hoppy beer and a malty beer. As for all these amazing different fruits I should be able to taste – not a chance!!!!

 

Dedication…. #decembeer

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 3 Comments

Day 7 of #decembeer

Tonight we have a rather disgusting offering from Ridgeway Brewery, ‘Bad King John’…..

I went for this beer for one reason only, I am feeling slightly poorly and was hoping a ‘knock your head off’ 6% strength beer would help shift it. This beer, on first taste, actually doesn’t taste that bad, that is until the aftertaste develops. This is not a good beer and it hasn’t made me feel any better….

So after week one of #decembeer I have the following to report:

  • ‘Bad King John’ is bottom of the list.
  • ‘Old Peculier’ is at the top.
  • Considering it has been a very busy week at school I’m pleased to have completed week one.

A Beast of a Beer…..Old Thumper #decembeer

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 4 Comments

Day 6 of #decembeer

Tonight we welcome the first beer from the Ringwood Brewery….a beast of a beer….Old Thumper….

After only 6 days I am beginning to think that some of these breweries are taking the mick out of us. This beer is described as:

“Peppery, spicy aroma with hints of apples”

Peppery, spicy aroma with a hint of apples?! You're having a tin bath! It just smells and tastes like beer. In fact, I'm not amazingly enamoured with this brew, it leaves a bit of a strange aftertaste that is described by the brewery as “a big bold grassy finish”. And I'm not going to mention the “delicate fruit notes” that I should be able to taste.

I'm hoping tomorrow's beer is a bit better….

 

St Peter’s Golden Ale #decembeer

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 3 Comments

Day 5 of #decembeer

Chosen for a rather cute bottle, today's #decembeer is St Peter's Golden Ale…..

St Peter's Brewery situated in Suffolk has been using the flask-shaped oval bottle since 1770, don't say #decembeer isn't educational, and describes this ale as:

“highly distinctive with a delicate, fresh, grainy after-taste”

Although the description, “grainy after-taste”, doesn't make it a terribly inviting beer to try, it actually is quite nice. Tastes reasonably smooth, and reminds me a bit of lager, it definitely has a more hoppy taste.

Have you noticed that after only 5 days I'm beginning to sound like Oz Clarke!!

 

Waggle Dance #decembeer

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 1 Comment

Day 4 of #decembeer

Tonight's entry into #decembeer is Wells Waggle Dance…

I have spoken to a lot of people about beer recently and in one of those conversations I remembered the person saying it was good beer, although I can't actually remember who said it (I think the beer may be having an effect already). The big selling point of this beer is “Unusual name, unusual beer!”. After yesterday's dark and strong Old Peculier I wanted something a bit different. This is just that….

“a delicious golden beer with a superb honey aroma”

Today's beer definitely had a fresh, lemon aroma. But as for the honey? Couldn't taste that at all. It had quite a refreshing taste, reasonably smooth with a dry finish. I liked it.

 

Old Peculier #decembeer

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 3 Comments

Day 3 of #decembeer

It is only 3 days in and I'm already having a go at one of these 'blow your head off' beers. At 5.6% it is probably not best to have many of these on a school night. May I present….the legendary beer that is….Theakston's famous 'Old Peculier'……

Now as you should be aware by now, I never do anything half-hearted, so a quick visit to Theakston's website for a bit of extra information (that is sadly not on the bottle) revealed some big claims. It is described, amongst other things as: “the country's most well known and loved ales”; “beautiful brew”; and “superb”. Furthermore, an interesting use of the word “awesome” when it comes to describe the flavour:

“awesome full-bodied flavour with subtle cherry and rich fruit overtones”

Needless to say I had big expectations for tonight's #decembeer, and I wasn't disappointed. It actually tasted really quite smooth, wasn't expecting that (but don't forget I don't know what the hell I'm talking about). Didn't smell or taste as 'harsh' as the first couple of beers, no weird aftertaste, and despite the dark look of it, it doesn't taste particularly 'strong'. Peculiar? (See what I've done there!?)

Nice head going on...

I'm still struggling to taste any 'fruits', and I really am trying, just can't seem to taste anything but a beer taste!!!?

Not only do you get a rather good tasting beer, but also on the bottle is a ten-word novel, as part of the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival….

Dark House by Simon Kernick

Picked off one by one. Four…Three…Two…It's you!