Thursday 29 June 2006

Arkell's Kingsdown Ale

This bottled version at 4.5%, not 5.2% as in the 300-book.
  • Name: Arkell's Kingsdown Ale, 4.5%, England
  • Appearance: Amber, copper brown. Little head.
  • Aroma: Fruity. Pear/Orange.
  • Taste: Nice malt, hops. Fresh. Bit fruity.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.99
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 29/6-2006, 133/300

Wednesday 28 June 2006

RCH Ale Mary

  • Name: RCH Ale Mary, 6%, England
  • Appearance: Orangy brown. Very little head.
  • Aroma: Orangy. Fruity. Ginger.
  • Taste: Herby. Ginger and coriander. Bitter.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.79
  • Overall score: 2/6
  • Info: 28/6-2006, 132/300

Tuesday 27 June 2006

Elgood's Black Dog Mild

  • Name: Elgood's Black Dog Mild, 3.6%, England
  • Appearance: Very dark brown. Little bit of head.
  • Aroma: Toffee, coffee, prunes.
  • Taste: Vinous fruit, kinda. Malty. Coffee.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.79
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 27/6-2006, 131/300

Monday 26 June 2006

Caledonian Golden Promise

  • Name: Caledonian Golden Promise, 5%, Scotland
  • Appearance: Golden. Nice amount of head, shortlived.
  • Aroma: Fruits and flowers. Nectar/Honey.
  • Taste: Fruit, hops, malt. Bitter.
  • Bought: Waitrose, 500 ml, £1.70
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 26/6-2006, 130/300

Sunday 25 June 2006

Highgate Old Ale

This bottled version at 5.3%, not 5.1% as in the 300-book and the 500-book.
  • Name: Highgate Old Ale, 5.3%, England
  • Appearance: Dark brown. Little bit of head. Shortlived.
  • Aroma: Malty. Fruity. Berries/Raisins.
  • Taste: Nice malt. Vinous fruit. Burnt.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.49
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 25/6-2006, 129/300, 70/500
Called "Highgate & Walsall Old Ale" in the 500-book.

Dragon Stout

  • Name: Dragon Stout, 7.5%, Jamaica
  • Appearance: Very dark brown. Nice amount of head.
  • Aroma: Coffee. Malt. Hops. Bit of fruit. Metallic.
  • Taste: Coffee. Very malty. Bitter.
  • Bought: Costcutter, 284 ml, £1.29
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 25/6-2006

Friday 23 June 2006

Lech Premium

  • Name: Lech Premium, 5.2%, Poland
  • Appearance: Pale, golden yellow. Very little head.
  • Aroma: Bit of hops. Not much. Hint of fruit. Off fruit.
  • Taste: Hopsy, fresh. Standard lager. Bit of aftertaste.
  • Bought: Costcutter, 500 ml, £1.89
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 23/6-2006

Thursday 22 June 2006

Manns Original Brown Ale

  • Name: Manns Original Brown Ale, 2.8%, England
  • Appearance: Dark brown. Little head.
  • Aroma: Coffee and fruit. Caramel-like toffee.
  • Taste: Coffee, malt. Toffee. Fruit. Sweet.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.29
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 22/6-2006, 128/300, 69/500

Tuesday 20 June 2006

Burton Bridge Empire Pale Ale

  • Name: Burton Bridge Empire Pale Ale, 7.5%, England
  • Appearance: Orange, cloudy. Little bit of head.
  • Aroma: Fruity. Definitely orangy too.
  • Taste: Fruity, bitter, tangy.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £2.59
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 20/6-2006, 127/300, 68/500

Friday 16 June 2006

Westvleteren Blond

Trappist beers being my favourite beer type, I had been trying to get hold of Westvleteren for a long time. I finally found all three of them on BelgianShop.com, not cheap though.
  • Name: Westvleteren Blond, 5.8%, Belgium
  • Appearance: Pale yellow. Nice amount of head. Cloudy. Champagne-like bubbles.
  • Aroma: Hopsy. Bit of fruit. Yeast.
  • Taste: Hops, fruit and malt. Complex. Bitter aftertaste.
  • Bought: BelgianShop.com, 330 ml, $12.00
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 16/6-2006, 126/300, 67/500, 13/100

Thursday 15 June 2006

Wells Banana Bread Beer

  • Name: Wells Banana Bread Beer, 5.2%, England
  • Appearance: Bronze. Little bit of head.
  • Aroma: Very banana-y. Not much else.
  • Taste: Loads of banana. Bit of malt. Bitter.
  • Bought: Costcutter, 568 ml, £1.89
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 15/6-2006, 125/300

Wednesday 14 June 2006

O'Hanlon's Original Port Stout

  • Name: O'Hanlon's Original Port Stout, 4.8%, England
  • Appearance: Dark brown. Bit of nice head.
  • Aroma: Fruity, vinous. Burnt grain.
  • Taste: Vinous. Fruity. Burnt grain. Pretty bitter.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.85
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 14/6-2006, 124/300

Monday 12 June 2006

Bateman XXXB

  • Name: Bateman XXXB, 4.8%, England
  • Appearance: Amber brown. Little bit of head.
  • Aroma: Fruity. Lemony. Malt and hops.
  • Taste: Fruit. Pretty bitter. Hops and malt.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.85
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 12/6-2006, 123/300, 66/500

Sunday 11 June 2006

Black Sheep Emmerdale Ale

  • Name: Black Sheep Emmerdale Ale, 5%, England
  • Appearance: Golden brown. Quite a lot of head, shortlived.
  • Aroma: Nice fruit, orangy. Hops and malt. Honey.
  • Taste: Fruity. Malty aftertaste. Honey.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.85
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 11/6-2006, 122/300

Coors Fine Light Beer

Last bottle from the four-pack gift from MG.
  • Name: Coors Fine Light Beer, 5.0%, England*
  • Appearance: Pale yellow. Very little head. Fizzy.
  • Aroma: Just hopsy, really.
  • Taste: Hopsy, bit of fruit. Boring.
  • Bought: Gift, 330 ml, £?.??
  • Overall score: 2/6
  • Info: 11/6-2006
* Changed from United States to England as per Ratebeer.com 2014-07-08

Saturday 10 June 2006

Hogs Back BSA

  • Name: Hogs Back BSA, 4.5%, England
  • Appearance: Bronze, little head. More when warmer. Cloudy. Sediments.
  • Aroma: Fruit, orange. Little bit of malt.
  • Taste: Bit of fruit. Pretty bitter afterwards.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.85
  • Overall score: 2/6
  • Info: 10/6-2006, 121/300

Friday 9 June 2006

Exmoor Gold

At 5.0%, not 4.5% as in the 300-book.
  • Name: Exmoor Gold, 5.0%, England
  • Appearance: Yellow. Slightly golden. Little head.
  • Aroma: Hopsy and fruity.
  • Taste: Hopsy and pretty fruity. Fresh. Smooth finish.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.79
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 9/6-2006, 120/300, 103/500*
* Should have been 66/500, but is listed as "Golden Hill Exmoor Gold" in the 500-book, so didn't initially find it.

Thursday 8 June 2006

Shepherd Neame Master Brew Bitter

This bottled version at 4.0%, not 3.7% as in the 300-book.
  • Name: Shepherd Neame Master Brew Bitter, 4.0%, England
  • Appearance: Copper/brass coloured. Very little head.
  • Aroma: Malt and fruit. Sultana.
  • Taste: Malt and hops. Pretty bitter.
  • Bought: Costcutter, 500 ml, £1.89
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 8/6-2006, 119/300

Wednesday 7 June 2006

Hook Norton Double Stout

  • Name: Hook Norton Double Stout, 4.8%, England
  • Appearance: Dark, redish brown. Bit of head, not lasting.
  • Aroma: Coffee and bit of chocolate. Bit of fruit.
  • Taste: Coffee and fruit. Bit of chocolate. Bitter. Burnt.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.69
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 7/6-2006, 118/300

Tuesday 6 June 2006

Moorhouse's Black Cat

  • Name: Moorhouse's Black Cat, 3.4%, England
  • Appearance: Dark brown. Little bit of head.
  • Aroma: Burnt malts. Chocolate.
  • Taste: Malt and chocolate. Bitter aftertaste. Not that fizzy.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.95
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 6/6-2006, 117/300

Saturday 3 June 2006

Broughton Scottish Oatmeal Stout

  • Name: Broughton Scottish Oatmeal Stout, 4.2%, Scotland
  • Appearance: Very dark brown. Bit of head, shortlived.
  • Aroma: Malt, chocolate and coffee (roasted).
  • Taste: Coffee and malt. Bit of chocolate. Oatmeal.
  • Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.85
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 3/6-2006, 116/300, 65/500

Thursday 1 June 2006

Adnams Bitter

This bottled version at 4.5%, not 3.7% as listed in the 300-book.
  • Name: Adnams Bitter, 4.5%, England
  • Appearance: Redish brown. Little bit of head.
  • Aroma: Malty, bit of fruit.
  • Taste: Pretty malty. Hops. Nice bitter aftertaste.
  • Bought: Waitrose, 500 ml, £1.79
  • Overall score: 4/6
  • Info: 1/6-2006, 115/300
The below bottle of Adnams Suffolk Strong Bitter was actually bought by mistake, as I thought it was the Adnams Bitter from the 300-book. Turned out that the beer was in the 500-book (where it is called Adnams Suffolk Strong Ale).
  • Name: Adnams SSB Bitter, 4.5%, England
  • Appearance: Bronze, good head.
  • Aroma: Berries, malty.
  • Taste: Full flavour, malty.
  • Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.58
  • Overall score: 3/6
  • Info: 5/10-2005, 20/500
But then, according to Ratebeer, they are all the same beer anyway :-).