Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne

• Name: Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne, 6.2%, Belgium
• Appearance: Dark redish brown. Nice amount of head.
• Aroma: Dark fruit. Sour/tart. Chocolate.
• Taste: Sweet fruit, though still sour. Quenching
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £1.25
• Overall score: 2/6
• Info: 31/3-2007, 165/500, 14/300M

Ward's Best Bitter

• Name: Ward's Best Bitter, 4.5%, England
  
• Appearance: Amber brown, nice amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Malt and hops.
  
• Taste: Quite malty and bitter. Bitter aftertaste
  
• Bought: Tesco, 500 ml, £1.69
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 29/3-2007

Even Stevens

Not exactly a landmark, but it is now Even Stevens between the 500-book and the 300-book as I have now reached 164 in both books. The beers I have lined up at the moment indicate that I will continue to make more progress in the 500-book than in the 300-book...

Mac Queen's Nessie

Contrary to the very Scottish-sounding name, this beer is actually brewed by Schloss Eggenberg, the people behind "the strongest lager in the world", Samichlaus.

• Name: Mac Queen's Nessie, 7.3%, Austria
  
• Appearance: Golden brown. Little bit of head. Hint of red.
  
• Aroma: Rather malty, some fruit. Caramel.
  
• Taste: Pretty fruity and sweet. Does have whiskey-like flavour.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.59
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 28/3-2007, 164/500

Hoegaarden Speciale

Nitpicking again - listed as 5.6% in the 500-book...

• Name: Hoegaarden Speciale, 5.7%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Greyish yellow. Quite a lot of head. Cloudy.
  
• Aroma: Wheat and lemony. Hoppy.
  
• Taste: Lemony. Wheat and hops. Tangy? Dry
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £1.09
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 27/3-2007, 163/500

Orkney Skullsplitter

• Name: Orkney Skullsplitter, 8.5%, Scotland
• Appearance: Dark redish brown. Nice amount of thick head.
• Aroma: Dark fruit. Malt and raisins. Alcohol when warmer.
• Taste: Dark fruit. Malty. Pretty sweet.
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.49
• Overall score: 4/6
• Info: 26/3-2007, 162/500, 13/300M

King Cobra

I have put this as "English", even though it is brewed in Poland...

• Name: King Cobra, 8%, Belgium*
• Appearance: Pale yellow. Quite hazy. Lots of head.
• Aroma: Fruity. Bit of hops and malt.
• Taste: Quite hoppy, some fruit. Strong aftertaste.
• Bought: Selfridge's, 750 ml, £4.49
• Overall score: 2/6
• Info: 23/3-2007

* Changed from England to Belgium as per Ratebeer.com 2014-07-08

Beer Lao

I started this blog 10 February 1007, and it has taken me 1.5 months to add the 300 beers I have tried so far. This is the first one I write about "live" :-).

• Name: Beer Lao, 5%, Lao
  
• Appearance: Golden. Very little head. Fizzy.
  
• Aroma: Not much. Odd. Rice?
  
• Taste: Not very nice. Some hops. Unpleasant aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 1/6
  
• Info: 22/3-2007
  

Carlsberg Elephant

• Name: Carlsberg Elephant, 7.2%, Denmark
  
• Appearance: Hazy, pale golden. Nice amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Quite fruity. Some hops.
  
• Taste: Quite fruity and malty. Warming.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 275 ml, £1.19
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 21/3-2007
  

300 bottles and counting...

Another round number. So, the first 100 bottles took me 7 months, the second 100 took me 6 months, and the last 100 also took me 6 months. The status now is 164 beers from the 300-book and 161 from the 500-book. This means that of the last 100 beers only 12 were from the 300-book and 69 were from the 500-book. Almost finished with Beers of Europe now, so I have to find a new source soon...

Score distribution:

0/6: 6
1/6: 11
2/6: 56
3/6: 119
4/6: 84
5/6: 24
6/6: 0
Country distribution:

1. United Kingdom [UK] (116)
2. Belgium [BE] (75)
3. Germany [DE] (37)
4. United States [US] (13)
5. Norway [NO] (11)
6. Czech Republic [CZ] (7)
7. Netherlands [NL] (7)
8. France [FR] (5)
9. Russia [RU] (4)
10. Cuba [CU] (3)
11. Austria [AT] (2)
12. Australia [AU] (2)
13. Canada [CA] (2)
14. Japan [JP] (2)
15. China [CN] (1)
16. Finland [FI] (1)
17. Ireland [IE] (1)
    
18. India [IN] (1)
    
19. Italy [IT] (1)
    
20. Jamaica [JM] (1)
    
21. Lebanon [LB] (1)
    
22. Sri Lanka [LK] (1)
    
23. Lithuania [LT] (1)
    
24. Nepal [NP] (1)
    
25. Peru [PE] (1)
    
26. Poland [PL] (1)
27. Portugal [PT] (1)
28. Thailand [TH] (1)

Petrus Speciale

• Name: Petrus Speciale, 5.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Light brown, amber? Lots and lots of head.
  
• Aroma: Quite fruity, some hops.
  
• Taste: Pretty smooth. Fruit and hops. Herbs? Some malt.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 19/3-2007, 161/500

Verhaeghe Vichtenaar

• Name: Verhaeghe Vichtenaar, 5.1%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark redish brown. Quite a lot of head.
  
• Aroma: Tannin, tart fruit. Bit sour.
  
• Taste: Sweet, sour fruit. Red wine-ish. Tart.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £0.99
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 15/3-2007, 160/500, 19/100
  

Timmermans Kriek

Weaker than than the 5.0% listed in the 500-book.

• Name: Timmermans Kriek, 4.0%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Ruby red. Quite a lot of head.
  
• Aroma: Just cherry, very much so.
  
• Taste: Very cherry, very sweet. Not quenching at all. Surprisingly nice.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £1.19
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 12/3-2007, 159/500

Petrus Oud Bruin

• Name: Petrus Oud Bruin, 5.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark, redish brown. Quite a lot of head.
  
• Aroma: Dark fruits.
  
• Taste: Pretty fruity, dry, though sweet... Some sourness.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.09
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 11/3-2007, 158/500

Peroni Gran Riserva

• Name: Peroni Gran Riserva, 6.6%, Italy
  
• Appearance: Golden. Little bit of head.
  
• Aroma: Malt and fruit. Honey.
  
• Taste: Quite malty, bitter. Some fruit. Dry. Alcohol in aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 6/3-2007, 157/500

Meantime Chocolate Beer

This bottled version stronger at 6.5% instead of the 4.5% listed in the 300-book.

• Name: Meantime Chocolate Beer, 6.5%, England
  
• Appearance: Dark brown. Not much head.
  
• Aroma: Chocolate, malty. Maybe coffee.
  
• Taste: Chocolate, quite malty. Coffee. Bitter.
  
• Bought: Utobeer, 330 ml, £2.00
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 3/3-2007, 164/300
  

Mort Subite Kriek

Slightly stronger than the 4.3% listed in the 500-book.

• Name: Mort Subite Kriek, 4.5%, Belgium
• Appearance: Brownish red. Nice amount of head.
• Aroma: Cherry, not much else.
• Taste: Very cherry and rather sweet. Still quenching.
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £1.29
• Overall score: 1/6
• Info: 3/3-2007, 156/500, 12/300M

Mater Wit Bier

• Name: Mater Wit Bier, 5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Pale yellowish orange. Cloudy, little bit of head.
  
• Aroma: Wheat and lemon. Hint of yeast.
  
• Taste: Wheat and hopsy, very lemony. Alright.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £0.95
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 2/3-2007, 155/500

Cairngorm Stag

This beer is called "Tomintoul Stag" in the 500-book. Tomintoul Brewery hit financial trouble in 2000, was taken over by Aviemore Brewery and has since 2001 used the name Cairngorm Brewery.

• Name: Cairngorm Stag, 4.1%, Scotland
• Appearance: Dark, redish brown, mahogany? Quite a lot of head.
• Aroma: Quite malty. Fruity.
• Taste: Pretty malty, some fruits. Slightly bitter aftertaste.
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.89
• Overall score: 4/6
• Info: 1/3-2007, 154/500