Adnams Broadside Strong Original

• Name: Adnams Broadside Strong Original, 6.3%, England
  
• Appearance: Brown-red, good amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity.
  
• Taste: Smooth and fruity.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.84
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 31/8-2005, 7/300, 4/500

Westmalle Tripel

Decided to try both Westmalle beers the same evening for comparison, but they are not similar at all. I guess I learnt this evening the difference between "double brown" and "triple blond"...

• Name: Westmalle Tripel, 9.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Light golden, a bit cloudy.
  
• Aroma: Fruity, citric.
  
• Taste: Tangy, strong, not good.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 330 ml, £1.79
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 30/8-2005, 6/300, 3/500, 3/100
  

Listed as 9.0% in the 500-book.

Westmalle Dubbel

This is also one of my favourites, a proper Belgian Trappist beer.

• Name: Westmalle Dubbel, 7%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Very, very brown. Nice bit of head.
  
• Aroma: Not much to report.
  
• Taste: Malty, very nice!
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 330 ml, £1.59
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 30/8-2005, 5/300, 2/500, 2/100
  

Listed as 6.5% in the 500-book.

Coniston Bluebird Bitter

I actually had a pint of the Coniston Bluebird back in 2001 in their pub in Coniston. I liked it so much I bought a few bottles to bring back to London. Not surprised to find this in the 300-book.

• Name: Coniston Bluebird Bitter, 4.2%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark bronze, nice amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Hopsy.
  
• Taste: Very smooth, hopsy.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 500 ml, £1.65
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 18/8-2005, 4/300

Duvel

And to round off the evening, one of my favourites:

• Name: Duvel, 8.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Light, golden. Loads of head.
  
• Aroma: Earthy and fruity.
  
• Taste: Very fruity.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 330 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 13/8-2005, 3/300, 1/500, 1/100
  

St Peter's Organic Best Bitter

Then the same evening:

• Name: St Peter's Organic Best Bitter, 4.1%, England
  
• Appearance: Pale bronze, almost no head.
  
• Aroma: Malty and fruity.
  
• Taste: Nice, smooth, bitter.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 500 ml, £1.65
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 13/8-2005, 2/300

Brooklyn Lager

Finally got started on my beer project, and first up was "Brooklyn Lager", at 5.1% instead of the listed 5% from the 300-book.

• Name: Brooklyn Lager, 5.1%, United States
  
• Appearance: Dark amber, almost no head.
  
• Aroma: Quite malty, can smell the hops. Sweet.
  
• Taste: A bit boring. Malty aftertaste.
• Bought: Waitrose, 355 ml, £1.19
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 13/8-2005, 1/300

Easy start, just 299 to go from the book ;-).

Prelude

This whole thing started when I in August 2005 bought the book "300 Beers To Try Before You Die!" by Roger Protz, and later "Great Beer Guide - 500 Classic Brews" by Michael Jackson (not the musician - he only drinks Jesus Juice as far as I have heard).

I started this blog 10 February 2007 to describe my struggles to locate and taste all the beers listed in these two books.