Wednesday 31 May 2006

Jennings Sneck Lifter

  • Name: Jennings Sneck Lifter, 5.1%, England
  • Appearance: Dark brown. Like a stout. Bit of head. Creamy.
  • Aroma: Roasted hops. Coffee and malt.
  • Taste: Malty. Smoky. Stouty. Coffee and chocolate. Bitter
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.79
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 31/5-2006, 114/300

Tuesday 30 May 2006

Klinskoe Svetloe

Second bottle brought over for me from Moscow by TLL.
  • Name: Klinskoe Svetloe, 4.5%, Russia
  • Appearance: Golden. Basically no head.
  • Aroma: Hopsy. Normal lager. Hint of malt.
  • Taste: Hops and malts. Fresh.
  • Bought: Gift, 500 ml, $?.??
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 30/5-2006

Tuesday 23 May 2006

Oakham JHB

This bottled version at 4.2%, not 3.8% as in the 300-book.
  • Name: Oakham JHB, 4.2%, England
  • Appearance: Light golden. Very little head.
  • Aroma: Fruity. Honey. Bit of hops.
  • Taste: Hopsy, then malt. Little fruit. Fresh.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.65
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 23/5-2006, 113/300

Monday 15 May 2006

Stary Melnik Svetloe

TLL kindly bought this beer for me when she was on a business trip to Moscow. Always interesting to try something you can't normally find in the shops.
  • Name: Stary Melnik Svetloe, 4.6%, Russia
  • Appearance: Pale gold. Little head. Pretty fizzy initially.
  • Aroma: Hopsy. Normal lager, maybe less.
  • Taste: Very little. Bit of hops and malt. Watery, hint of bitter.
  • Bought: Gift, 500 ml, $?.??
  • Overall score: 2/6
  • Info: 15/5-2006

Saturday 13 May 2006

O'Hanlon's Thomas Hardy's Ale

I was unsure how they could justify the price before I tried it, and it is actually really nice. The bottle was at 11.7%, not 12% as listed in the 300-book (where it even says 11.7% on the pictured bottle) and the 500-book.
  • Name: O'Hanlon's Thomas Hardy's Ale 2006, 11.7%, England
  • Appearance: Red-brown. Seems cloudy. Little head.
  • Aroma: Very, very fruity. Malty.
  • Taste: Very fruity, vinous. Raisins. Doesn't taste that strong.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £3.49
  • Overall score: 5/6
  • Info: 13/5-2006, 112/300, 71/500
This beer is called "Eldridge Pope Thomas Hardy's Ale" in the 500-book, but the Eldridge Pope brewery was closed in 2003. Thomas Hardy's Ale is now luckily brewed under license by O'Hanlon's.

Update: I then tried both 2007 and 2008 editions on 30 December 2008:
  • Name: O'Hanlon's Thomas Hardy's Ale 2007, 11.7%, England
  • Appearance: Dark chestnut brown. Very little head. Bottle No. Q 00065.
  • Aroma: Dark fruit, very vinous. Prunes.
  • Taste: Very vinous, a bit too flat. Not handled the storage well?
  • Bought: Waitrose, 250 ml, £3.49
  • Overall score: 5/6
  • Info: 30/12-2008
  • Name: O'Hanlon's Thomas Hardy's Ale 2008, 11.7%, England
  • Appearance: Dark chestnut brown. Cloudy. Nice amount of tan head. Bottle No. T 12353.
  • Aroma: Dark fruit, little bit vinous.
  • Taste: Complex. Dark fruit and malt. Warming. Longlasting aftertaste.
  • Bought: Waitrose, 250 ml, £3.49
  • Overall score: 5/6
  • Info: 30/12-2008

Friday 12 May 2006

Koningshoeven La Trappe Quadrupel

The last, and strongest of the Koningshoeven beers:
  • Name: Koningshoeven La Trappe Quadrupel, 10.0%, Netherlands
  • Appearance: Orangy brown. Sunburnt orange. Quite a lot of head, shortlived.
  • Aroma: Very fruity. Orange.
  • Taste: Pretty fruity, bitter, but not too much. Orange, fizzy, fresh.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.89
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 12/5-2006, 64/500

Thursday 11 May 2006

Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout

The longest beer name ever?
  • Name: Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout, 4.6%, England
  • Appearance: Dark chocolate brown. A bit of head, shortlived. Some sediments.
  • Aroma: Burnt, chocolate. Hops. Currants.
  • Taste: Burnt, malty. Bitter, harsh aftertaste.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.79
  • Overall score: 2/6
  • Info: 11/5-2006, 111/300

Wednesday 3 May 2006

RCH Old Slug Porter

The name "Old Slug" doesn't actually make me want to drink it, but:
  • Name: RCH Old Slug Porter, 4.5%, England
  • Appearance: Dark redish brown. Little head.
  • Aroma: Woody, a bit burnt and fruit.
  • Taste: Coffee and fruit. Malt! Bitter and a bit burnt. Tiny bit sour.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.69
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 3/5-2006, 110/300

Tuesday 2 May 2006

Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout

And then one of the nicest porters/stouts I've ever had:
  • Name: Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout, 7%, England
  • Appearance: Almost black. Very little head initially. Nice, thick head when warmer.
  • Aroma: Vinous, barley, burnt, fruit.
  • Taste: Malty, burnt, coffee. Creamy. Fruit. Bitter aftertaste.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 355 ml, £1.75
  • Overall score: 5/6
  • Info: 2/5-2006, 109/300, 63/500