Wells Bombardier

This bottled version at 5.2% instead of the 4.3% listed in the 300-book and the 500-book.

• Name: Wells Bombardier, 5.2%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark brown, good head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity. Hopsy.
  
• Taste: Smooth and malty. Fruity.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 568 ml, £1.54
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 30/9-2005, 29/300, 97*/500
  

* Called "Charles Wells Bombardier" in the 500-book, so should really have been 15/500...

Baltika 3 Klassicheskoe (Classic)

Version bought in the UK:

• Name: Baltika Classic No 3, 4.8%, Russia
  
• Appearance: Not even golden, very pale. Little head.
  
• Aroma: Honey, fruity.
  
• Taste: Honey, very light. Touch of malt.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.50
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 29/9-2005, 28/300
  

"Local" version bought in Moscow, Russia by TLL:

• Name: Baltika 3 Klassicheskoe, 4.8%, Russia
  
• Appearance: Pale yellow. Little bit of head, not that shortlived.
  
• Aroma: Honey, fruity. Not much.
  
• Taste: Honey. Pretty watery. Maybe some malt.
  
• Bought: Gift, 500 ml, $?.??
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 19/6-2006, 28/300

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

• Name: Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, 7.5%, Ireland
  
• Appearance: Totally black, loads of thick, creamy head.
  
• Aroma: Smoky, oaky, burnt.
  
• Taste: Bitter, long aftertaste. Smoky, woody.
  
• Bought: Sainsbury's, 330 ml, £1.43
  
• Overall score: 4/6*
  
• Info: 28/9-2005, 27/300

* I originally gave this one 2/6, but I changed this to 4/6 after a re-taste in December 2008. I think I wasn't used to stouts back in 2005...

Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer

• Name: Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer, 6.6%, Scotland
• Appearance: Light brown, good amount of creamy head.
• Aroma: Smoky, oaky. Wood.
• Taste: Oaky, smoky.
• Bought: Sainbury's, 330 ml, £1.49
• Overall score: 2/6
• Info: 26/9-2005, 26/300

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

• Name: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, 5.6%, United States
  
• Appearance: Amber, little head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity, very fresh.
  
• Taste: Hopsy, a bit fruity. Very bitter aftertaste
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 350 ml, £1.39
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 23/9-2005, 25/300
  

Kronenbourg 1664 Premier Cru

• Name: Kronenbourg 1664 Premier Cru, 6%, France
  
• Appearance: Amber, little head.
  
• Aroma: Normal lager-smell, citrusy.
  
• Taste: Very citricy, fruity.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 500 ml, £1.99
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 23/9-2005, 24/300
  

Fuller's ESB

Another Fuller's beer, bottled version at 5.9% instead of the 5.5% listed in the 300-book. Again this difference is explained in the 500-book as the draught version is 5.5% and the bottled version 5.9%.

• Name: Fuller's ESB, 5.9%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark amber, good amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Very fruity, malty, hopsy.
  
• Taste: Fruity, very malty.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 500 ml, £1.92
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 23/9-2005, 23/300, 14/500

Fuller's London Pride

Since I live in London, I have obviously had this one quite a few times in local pubs, and I do rather like it. Bottled version was at 4.7% instead of the 4.1% listed in the 300-book. This difference is actually explained in the 500-book as the draught version is 4.1% and the bottled version 4.7%. Doh!

• Name: Fuller's London Pride, 4.7%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark brown, nice amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Citricy, fruity.
  
• Taste: Malty, particular aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 500 ml, £1.80
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 21/9-2005, 22/300, 13/500

Goose Island India Pale Ale

• Name: Goose Island India Pale Ale, 5.9%, United States
  
• Appearance: Dark golden, creamy foam/head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity (again...).
  
• Taste: Hopsy, very bitter.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 355 ml, £1.39
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 19/9-2005, 21/300
  

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

I tried Samuel Adams for the first time in New York in 2002, and whenever I drink it now, it brings me back to New York. This is one of my favourite US beers. The bottle is at 4.8% instead of the 5% listed in the 300-book.

• Name: Samuel Adams Boston Lager, 4.8%, United States
  
• Appearance: Bronze, good head.
  
• Aroma: Nice and very fruity.
  
• Taste: Fruity and bitter. New York for me.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 355 ml, £1.10
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 18/9-2005, 20/300
  

Wychwood Hobgoblin

Weaker than the 5.5% listed in the 500-book.

• Name: Wychwood Hobgoblin, 5.2%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark brown, red. Nice head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity.
  
• Taste: Fruity, then bitter, then malty.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 500 ml, £1.70
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 18/9-2005, 19/300, 12/500

Greene King Abbot Ale

And to round off the evening:

• Name: Greene King Abbot Ale, 5%, England
  
• Appearance: Golden brown, nice amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity, malty.
  
• Taste: Particular taste, malty.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 500 ml, £1.82
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 17/9-2005, 18/300, 11/500

Kirin Ichiban

Second one that night:

• Name: Kirin Ichiban, 5%, Japan
  
• Appearance: Blond, very pale, almost no head.
  
• Aroma: Not much, hint of fruit and malt.
  
• Taste: Hopsy, bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 330 ml, £1.29
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 17/9-2005, 17/300
  

Pauwel Kwak

Bought in Paris, France, August bank holiday weekend:

• Name: Pauwel Kwak, 8%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark amber, little head.
  
• Aroma: Very fruity, honey.
  
• Taste: Hint of banana and liquorice. Malty.
  
• Bought: France, 330 ml, €1.76
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 17/9-2005, 16/300, 10/500

Anchor Liberty Ale

Double Anchor evening:

• Name: Anchor Liberty Ale, 6%, United States
  
• Appearance: Golden, nice head.
  
• Aroma: Extremely fruity.
  
• Taste: Very fruity, nice bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 355 ml, £1.55
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 16/9-2005, 15/300, 9/500

This one is by the way listed as 6.1% in the 500-book.

Anchor Steam Beer

And now for something completely different - Steam Beer. This one was at 4.8% instead of the listed 5% in the 300-book.

• Name: Anchor Steam Beer, 4.8%, United States
  
• Appearance: Golden, good head.
  
• Aroma: Nutty, honey and fruity.
  
• Taste: Complex, loads of different tastes. Malty, citric.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 355 ml, £1.39
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 16/9-2005, 14/300
  

Worthington's White Shield

• Name: Worthington's White Shield, 5.6%, England
  
• Appearance: Light brown, almost too much head...
  
• Aroma: Honey and fruity.
  
• Taste: Fruity, malty and bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.79
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 15/9-2005, 13/300, 8/500

Young's Bitter

• Name: Young's Bitter, 3.7%, England
  
• Appearance: Musty, pale brown. Nice amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Hopsy, citric, fruity.
  
• Taste: Not much, hopsy and fruity. Bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 660 ml, £1.54
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 14/9-2005, 12/300
  

Theakston Old Peculier

Also one I had tried before (at 5.6% instead of the listed 5.7% from the 300-book).

• Name: Theakston Old Peculier, 5.6%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark, dark brown, redish. A bit of head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity, honey.
  
• Taste: Nutty, not too bitter.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.54
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 13/9-2005, 11/300, 7/500

Marston's Old Empire

Tenth beer from the 300-book. Still a long wait to go...

• Name: Marston's Old Empire, 5.7%, England
  
• Appearance: Golden, little head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity, citric, not malty.
  
• Taste: Fruity, tingling. Hopsy.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.54
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 12/9-2005, 10/300
  

Wadworth 6X

• Name: Wadworth 6X, 4.3%, England
  
• Appearance: Copper-colour, basically not head at all.
  
• Aroma: Hint of malt, not much else.
  
• Taste: Very bitter aftertaste, tingling tongue.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.50
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 7/9-2005, 9/300, 6/500

Marston's Pedigree

• Name: Marston's Pedigree, 4.5%, England
  
• Appearance: Bronzy, little head.
  
• Aroma: Nothing stands out.
  
• Taste: Malty, but not too much. Little aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.84
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 4/9-2005, 8/300, 5/500