Cristal

Flashback to Cuba - had a lot of these while in Varadero.

• Name: Cristal, 4.1%, Cuba
• Appearance: Pale golden. Tiny amount of head, shortlived.
• Aroma: Some malt, fruit and hops.
• Taste: Hoppy. Some malt and fruit. Not very exciting.
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.19
• Overall score: 2/6
• Info: 30/11-2006, 10/300M

Bacchus

• Name: Bacchus, 4.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark, redish brown. Very little head.
  
• Aroma: Tart fruit, bit sour.
  
• Taste: Tart fruit. Quite quenching and a bit sour.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £0.99
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 28/11-2006, 117/500

Castelain Ch'ti Blonde

• Name: Castelain Ch'ti Blonde, 6.4%, France
  
• Appearance: Golden, very little head. More when warmer.
  
• Aroma: Yeasty, some fruit.
  
• Taste: Fresh, hopsy. Some fruit. Bitter-ish aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Budgens, 750 ml, £3.02
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 27/11-2006, 159/300
  

Hoegaarden Hougaerdse DAS

Stronger than the 4.0% listed in the 500-book.

• Name: Hoegaarden Hougaerdse DAS, 5.1%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Orangy brown. Cloudy. Not much head.
  
• Aroma: Pretty wheaty. Yeast. Some fruit.
  
• Taste: Not too wheaty. Spices. Some fruit and hops.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £1.09
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 26/11-2006, 116/500

Lindemans Framboise

• Name: Lindemans Framboise, 2.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark/Blood red. Almost no head.
  
• Aroma: Strong raspberry aroma. Not much else.
  
• Taste: Strong raspberry. Quite sour. Good for a lambic.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £1.39
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 25/11-2006, 115/500

Celis Pale Bock

• Name: Celis Pale Bock, 5%, United States
  
• Appearance: Dark, redish brown. Not much head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity and malty.
  
• Taste: Fruity and fresh, some hops and malt. Some aftertaste. Flowers, pollen, honey.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £0.99
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 22/11-2006, 114/500

This beer is listed as being 3.9% in the 500-book.

Lefebvre Saison 1900

• Name: Lefebvre Saison 1900, 5.2%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark, orangy brown. Cloudy. Quite a lot of head.
  
• Aroma: Pretty fruity. Bit of hops.
  
• Taste: Fruit and bit of hops. Nice bitterish aftertaste. Some malt.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.19
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 21/11-2006, 113/500

Liefmans Goudenband

• Name: Liefmans Goudenband, 8%, Belgium
• Appearance: Dark brown, slightly red. Nice amount of head. Pretty longlived.
• Aroma: Earthy, bitter grains. Dark fruit?
• Taste: Fruity, bittersweet. Bit of sourness. Not too bad.
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 355 ml, £2.35
• Overall score: 3/6
• Info: 20/11-2006, 112/500, 9/300M

Gambrinus Premium

• Name: Gambrinus Premium, 5.0%, Czech Republic
• Appearance: Light, golden brown. Little bit of shortlived head.
• Aroma: Malt and hops - not much.
• Taste: Malty at first, then hoppy. Slightly bitter aftertaste.
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.49
• Overall score: 4/6
• Info: 19/11-2006, 111/500, 8/300M

Küppers Kölsch

• Name: Küppers Kölsch, 4.8%, Germany
• Appearance: Pale golden. Short fizz, then no head at all.
• Aroma: Bit of hops and fruit. Honey. Not much.
• Taste: Hops and malty. Some fruit. Refreshing. Bitter aftertaste.
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.69
• Overall score: 4/6
• Info: 16/11-2006, 110/500, 7/300M

Gaffel Kölsch

• Name: Gaffel Kölsch, 4.8%, Germany
  
• Appearance:Pale yellow/golden. Short fizz, then absolutely no head.
  
• Aroma: Bit of hops and fruit. Not much.
  
• Taste: Mix of malt, fruit and hops. Nice, bitter-ish aftertaste. Bit boring, though.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.69
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 14/11-2006, 109/500

Jennings Cocker Hoop

Slightly weaker than the 4.8% listed in the 500-book.

• Name: Jennings Cocker Hoop, 4.6%, England
  
• Appearance: Pale golden. Little bit of head. Shortlived.
  
• Aroma: Fruity. Raisins? Pretty hopsy. Bit of malt.
  
• Taste: Quite hopsy. Fruity, just a bit of malt. Bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.79
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 11/11-2006, 108/500

Badger Tanglefoot

• Name: Badger Tanglefoot, 5%, England
  
• Appearance: Golden brown. Little bit of head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity. Bit of malt. Lemony.
  
• Taste: Malty, pretty malty. Bit of fruit. Bitter afterwards.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.55
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 10/11-2006, 107/500

Meantime Raspberry Grand Cru

In case you wonder (probably not, but here goes), this one is not the same as the "Meantime Red Beer" in the 300-book. I emailed Meantime Brewery and asked them about the "retired" Red Beer, and I received a nice reply from Alastair Hook, their brewmaster. He said that the Red Beer is the same as the seasonal raspberry beer sold in Sainsbury's Taste The Difference range, but they only sell it in spring and summer. So I have to wait a bit for that one...

• Name: Meantime Raspberry Grand Cru, 6.5%, England
  
• Appearance: Cloudy orangy-red. Quite a lot of head, though shortlived.
  
• Aroma: Raspberry. Maybe some wheat.
  
• Taste: Raspberry, bit of wheat. Bit weird.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 330 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 9/11-2006
  

Meantime Pilsner Organic

Support your local brewery? Meantime is brewed in Greenwich, London, so the number of food/beer miles is pretty low.

• Name: Meantime Pilsner Organic, 5.4%, England
  
• Appearance: Pale golden, bit of clouds. Very little head.
  
• Aroma: Quite fruity. Bit of hops.
  
• Taste: Pretty hoppy, fresh. Bitter-ish aftertaste. Bit of fruit.
  
• Bought: Waitrose, 330 ml, £1.45
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 4/11-2006
  

Bucanero Max

Bought at Varadero airport for 2.50 Cuban Dollars after a fantastic beach holiday.

• Name: Bucanero Max, 6.5%, Cuba
  
• Appearance: Dark yellow. Amber. Very little head.
  
• Aroma: Pretty fruity. Hint of hops and malt.
  
• Taste: Hops and malt. Bit of fruit. Bit of bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Cuba, 350 ml, CUC 2.50
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 2/11-2006