Burton Bridge Bramble Stout

• Name: Burton Bridge Bramble Stout, 5.0%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark brown. Quite a lot of creamy head.
  
• Aroma: Blackberries, malt. Bit of smoke.
  
• Taste: Malt, blackberries. Smokey. Bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £2.05
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 31/8-2006, 80/500

Pater Lieven Blond

• Name: Pater Lieven Blond, 6.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Cloudy golden. Lots of head initially. Pretty fizzy.
  
• Aroma: Fruity. Hint of wheat.
  
• Taste: Fruity. Hopsy. Fresh. Hint of wheat.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.39
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 30/8-2006, 79/500

Suthwyk Liberation

Third and last bottle bought from the Great British Beer Festival.

• Name: Suthwyk Liberation, 4.2%, England
  
• Appearance: Light brown. Very little head. More brown and more head later.
  
• Aroma: Hopsy. Little bit of malt and fruit.
  
• Taste: Pretty hopsy. Bitter aftertaste. Malt.
  
• Bought: Great British Beer Festival, 500 ml, £2.70
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 29/8-2006

150/300

Halfway through the 300-book now, and it has taken me 12.5 months. The first 50 took around 3 months, the second 50 around 5 months, and the third 50 around 4.5 months. Getting very tricky now to source more 300-beers, so will be ordering more 500-beers from now on to catch up there.

Westvleteren Abt 12

I had been saving the Westvleteren 12 bottle for a few months, and decided to celebrate reaching the halfway point of the 300-book with it. At 10.2%, not 11% as in the 300-book.

• Name: Westvleteren Abt 12, 10.2%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark brown. Little bit of head. Cloudy.
  
• Aroma: Vinous, malty. Alcohol?! Fruity.
  
• Taste: Vinous, very fruity. Malt. Hops. Warming.
  
• Bought: BelgianShop.com, 330 ml, $16.00
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 28/8-2006, 150/300, 14/100
  

Brains SA

• Name: Brains SA, 4.2%, Wales
• Appearance: Orangy brown. Little bit of head.
• Aroma: Malty and fruity.
• Taste: Pretty malty. Hops. Bitter aftertaste.
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.75
• Overall score: 3/6
• Info: 28/8-2006, 149/300, 78/500

Tongerlo Double Brown

• Name: Tongerlo Double Brown, 6%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Cloudy brown. Lots of thick head.
  
• Aroma: Nice and fruity. Malt. Raisins.
  
• Taste: Fruit and malt. Raisins. Hopsy and warming.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.45
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 20/8-2006, 148/300
  

Ridley's Old Bob

• Name: Ridley's Old Bob, 5.1%, England
  
• Appearance: Copper brown. Very little head.
  
• Aroma: Bit of fruit and malt. Raisins.
  
• Taste: Very hopsy. Some fruit and malt.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.85
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 18/8-2006, 147/300
  

1 year anniversary

It is today one year since this "project" started, and I managed to go through 179 bottles from 23 different countries in the first year. 146 of them were in the 300-book and 77 were in the 500-book. Almost halfway through the first book, then :-).

Score distribution:

0/6: 3
1/6: 4
2/6: 29
3/6: 66
4/6: 56
5/6: 21
6/6: 0

Country distribution:

1. United Kingdom [UK] (76)
2. Belgium [BE] (37)
3. Germany [DE] (22)
4. United States [US] (8)
5. Netherlands [NL] (6)
6. Czech Republic [CZ] (5)
7. France [FR] (4)
8. Russia [RU] (4)
9. Australia [AU] (2)
10. Canada [CA] (2)
11. Austria [AT] (1)
12. China [CN] (1)
13. Finland [FI] (1)
14. Ireland [IE] (1)
15. India [IN] (1)
16. Jamaica [JM] (1)
17. Japan [JP] (1)
18. Sri Lanka [LK] (1)
19. Lithuania [LT] (1)
20. Norway [NO] (1)
21. Nepal [NP] (1)
22. Peru [PE] (1)
23. Poland [PL] (1)
    

Hogs Back A over T

Second bottle bought from the Great British Beer Festival.

• Name: Hogs Back A over T, 9%, England
• Appearance: Redish brown. Cloudy (sediments). Very little head.
• Aroma: Ripe fruit. Apricot or peach. Bit of hops. Malt.
• Taste: Ripe fruit. Bit of malt. Strong (alcohol). Full flavour.
• Bought: Great British Beer Festival, 275 ml, £2.80
• Overall score: 4/6
• Info: 13/8-2006, 2/300M

St Austell HSD

• Name: St Austell HSD, 5%, England
  
• Appearance: Chestnut brown. Very little head, more when warm.
  
• Aroma: Ripe fruit. Bit of malt and hops.
  
• Taste: Ripe fruit. Malt and hops. Nutty.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.85
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 13/8-2006, 146/300
  

Zum Uerige Alt

Bought on my first ever visit to the Great British Beer Festival. At 4.7%, not 4.6% as in the 300-book or 4.5% as in the 500-book.

• Name: Zum Uerige Alt, 4.7%, Germany
  
• Appearance: Brown. Not much head. More when warm.
  
• Aroma: Hops and fruit. Malt.
  
• Taste: Very hopsy and bitter. Malt. Very long, bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Great British Beer Festival, 500 ml, £3.00
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 12/8-2006, 145/300, 77/500

Isle Of Skye Black Cuillin Dark Scottish Ale

Gift, second of two bottles from a four-pack bought by GR on holiday in Isle of Skye.

• Name: Isle Of Skye Black Cuillin Dark Scottish Ale, 4.5%, Scotland
• Appearance: Very dark brown. Little bit of head.
• Aroma: Malt. Very smokey.
• Taste: Very smokey. Malt. Bitter.
• Bought: Gift, 500 ml, £?.??
• Overall score: 4/6
• Info: 12/8-2006

Cains Formidable Ale

• Name: Cains Formidable Ale, 5%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark yellow. Very little head.
  
• Aroma: Hops, bit of fruit.
  
• Taste: Hopsy and bitter. Bit of lemony fruit.
  
• Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.68
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 10/8-2006, 144/300, 76/500

Meantime Coffee Beer

This bottled version at 6.0%, not 4% as in the 300-book.

• Name: Meantime Coffee Beer, 6.0%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark, dark brown. Basically no head.
  
• Aroma: Coffee. Vanilla.
  
• Taste: Just like coffee! Strong coffee. Roast beans.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 330 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 7/8-2006, 143/300
  

Isle Of Skye Red Cuillin Scottish Export Ale

Gift, one of two bottles from a four-pack bought by GR on holiday in Isle of Skye.

• Name: Isle Of Skye Red Cuillin Scottish Export Ale, 4.2%, Scotland
• Appearance: Dark redish/brown. Very little head.
• Aroma: Smoke and malt. Bacon.
• Taste: Smokey. Bacon? Malt. Bitter.
• Bought: Gift, 500 ml, £?.??
• Overall score: 3/6
• Info: 7/8-2006

Traquair House Ale

• Name: Traquair House Ale, 7.2%, Scotland
• Appearance: Very dark, redish brown. Not much head.
• Aroma: Dark chocolate. Malt. Coffee.
• Taste: Chocolate, malt, coffee. Warming. Bitter
• Bought: Utobeer, 330 ml, £2.12*
• Overall score: 3/6
• Info: 6/8-2006, 142/300, 75/500

* Average price over four different bottles of beer.

Affligem Blonde

At 6.8%, not 6.7% as in the 300-book.

• Name: Affligem Blonde, 6.8%, Belgium
• Appearance: Orangy brown. Quite a lot of head.
• Aroma: Hops and fruit. Hint of malt. Lemon?
• Taste: Ripe fruit. Malt. Hops. Fresh. Very fruity.
• Bought: Utobeer, 330 ml, £2.12*
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 6/8-2006, 141/300

* Average price over four different bottles of beer.

Newcastle Brown Ale (Alan Shearer Lim Ed)

One I drink quite a lot in pubs in London. This limited edition "Alan Shearer Testimonial 2006" bottle bought by HG in a pub(!) in Newcastle.

• Name: Newcastle Brown Ale (Alan Shearer Lim Ed), 4.7%, England
  
• Appearance: Redish brown. Very little head. A bit more when warmer.
  
• Aroma: Malt. Bit of hops.
  
• Taste: Malty and nutty. Sweet. Bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Gift, 550 ml, £2.99
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 5/8-2006, 74/500

Du Bocq Blanche de Namur

• Name: Du Bocq Blanche de Namur, 4.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Very pale yellow. Cloudy. Lots of head.
  
• Aroma: Wheat, hops and fruity/orangy.
  
• Taste: Wheat - bit of fruit. Watery.
  
• Bought: Utobeer, 330 ml, £2.12*
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 2/8-2006, 140/300

* Average price over four different bottles of beer.