Full Beer List
Below is the full list of beer tasting notes and ratings I've made over the fast few years. The beers are arranged by brewery. Where is brewery is a subsiduary they may be listed under the larger brewery. The list is also available as a spreadsheet here which includes information on the style and country of origin of each of the beers.
32 (Italy)
Atra ★★★★
A strong malty alcoholic kick is softened by notes of chocolate dipped cherries. There's a hint of corriander in there too. A well balanced strong dark ale.
1516 (Austria)
Quinoa Weisse ★★★★
Wheat beer made with quinoa. Pale gold in colour and as opaque as a normal wheat beer. A pronounced sweet citrus boiled sweet flavour fades into a bready aftertaste.
Victory Hop Devil IPA ★★★
Cloudy amber pale ale with a big foamy head and a sharp citrus hit in the taste that floats over the hops. Smooth and full mouthfeel. Quite refreshing and akin to an English pale ale but with a citrus hop.
1648 (UK)
Ruby Mild ★★★★
A good balance of roasted malts and caramel makes this mild. Full flavoured but easy drinking.
3 Brasseurs (France)
Ambree ★★★
Figs, raisins and mango waft up in the aroma. The taste adds tangy malts with a gentle roasted bitter kick at the finish. There is a build up of warming alcohol that has a hint of caramel nail varnish.
Blanche ★★★
Has more of a sour, pithy flavour than most witbier. Little spicing and quite flat. A restrained and subtle white beer.
Blonde ★★★
A big citrus hug greets you with this lager. The hops are strong but not overly dry or bitter. Friendly.
Brune ★★★★
Roasted malts, figs, bitter chocolate and red fruit vie for your attention. A dash of syrupy alcohol helps to pin it down. Akin to Robinsons Chocolate Tom.
3 Horne (Holland)
Ramses Bier Poolvos ★★★★
Dark ruby ale with a rich port flavour in amongst the malt. A fine bouquet of roasted malt, but it doesn't dominate the taste. Smooth, creamy, weighty and fine.
Wieglelier ★★★
Smooth, creamy, light malt and frankly a bit bland. Easily drinkable, but also quite forgettable. Scaring it's 8.7% abv.
3 Ravens (Australia)
White ★★★
Belgian style wheat beer that goes heavy on the coriander with a pleasing musty note. There is some orange scampering around in there too. A bit rough and ready but none the worse for it.
4 Pines (Australia)
Extra Special Bitter ★★★★
A full bodied bitter with pine, caramel and dark fruit flavours. The finish is dry with a hint of tart cherry and it even stands up to being served ice cold (as will happen in Australian bars). The aroma is big on baked caramel and orange.
Hefeweizen ★★★
Sharp German style wheat beer with a massive hit of grapefruit that is balanced out by a fairly weighty mouthfeel. A little unbalanced but it could really work for some.
5 Gaarde (Denmark)
Julianne ★★★
Dark amber ale with a dry, woody malty flavour and a gentle fizz in the finish. Quite light but with a lingering taste,
7 Stern (Austria)
Bamberger Rauchbier ★★★★
A beer smoked over large amounts of beechwood that has a massive aroma of bratwurst but a more gentle smoked meaty flavour. Basically it's a sausage beer whose novelty doesn't wear thin.
Marzen ★★★★★
Hoppy amber beer with a brightness in the middle that settles into a lingering chewiness. In the bottle it is smokier and spicier. Full but not domineering and in the style of a traditional Vienna amber beer.
Osterbock ★★★
Almost buttery tasting Easter beer with a big initial gassiness that settles into a smooth creamy finish with a gentle spiciness.
Prague Dunkles ★★★★
Dark, savoury Czech style beer with a big chocolate malt flavour that lingers smoothly in the mouth with a steadily growing bitterness and a slight hint of vanilla in the aftertaste.
A le Coq (Estonia)
Viru ★★★
Estonian premium beer, brewed by a Belgian. Easy drinking but unexciting lager with a vanilla taste (apparently).
A. B. C. (UK)
Aston Mild ★★
Looks like a mild but frankly tastes of nothing.
Aass (Norway)
Bayer ★★★
Norwegian dark lager with a gentle malty taste in amongst the gassiness. Overall the mouthfeel is pretty smooth. Decent stuff.
Bock ★★★★
Strong dark amber lager with a deep caramel taste and a hint of sweetness. There is almost a feel of carrot cake in the flavour. Gentle carbonation and a dash of bitterness. An interesting bock.
Abbaye Des Rocs (Belgium)
Blanche ★★★★
Classic German hefeweizen with a fruity banana and estery flavour. Fully flavoured, light and refreshing with a simmering carbonation. There is a sweet toffee note in there too.
Brune ★★★★
Amber beer with a tight white head, strong alcoholic edge and a taste of pineapple. A strong Belgian dark ale with a gentle malty foundation and a lingering warming alcohol finish. Double fermented with 7 types of malts and three kinds of hops (Belgian, German and Czech). At 9% it is potent but satisfying.
Speciale Noel ★★★★
Dark brown triple fermented winter beer. A tingling fizz is balanced by deep fruit flavours (raisins & dates), cardamom, ginger and a sweet hint of tropical fruit. The finish has bitter spices & liquorice mixed with a warming maltiness. Lively & unstable.
Abbeydale (UK)
Bigamy ★★
Dry and bitter light coloured beer with a slight soapy edge.
Last Rites ★
Stonkingly strong 11% beer that has elements of a Belgian triple but tastes more like fortified beer.
Moonshine ★★
Slightly sour and alcoholic beer with no real kick.
Abers (France)
Ouessanne Aux Algues ★★★★
Cloudy gold beer made with seaweed that has a frothy white head and a fresh floral aroma. It is a gentle full bodied beer with a dry, wheaty taste with the salty seaweed edge creeping in at the finish. Akin to a Belgian blonde.
Achel (Belgium)
Blond 8 (Tripel) ★★★★
Bottle conditioned trappist ale with a foamy banana taste, a bit of lemon and a gentle deep spicy taste balanced by a heavy mouthfeel and a light gassiness. Light, easy drinking and very well balanced.
Bruin 8 ★★★
Bready, sweet, yeasty Belgian trappist beer with a creamy mouthfeel. There are hints of fruit and spices. Dark brown in the colour with a large head. Overall the creaminess makes it a touch too bland.
Achouffe (Belgium)
Houblon Doublon IPA ★★★
This has a big citrus aroma with a hint of mouldy hops. The taste is very bright with a dominant warming alcohol hit. There is a dry powdery finish and a hint of white grapefruit. It develops into a very dry hopped IPA.
La Chouffe ★★★★★
Dark blonde Belgian beer with a smooth full bodied taste underpinned by a deep spiciness.
MacChouffe ★★★★
Very strong, malty tasting beer with hints of whisky, sugar and caramel. Double fermented and with a taste to match. Not as notable as La Chouffe but would work well as a winter warmer.
N'ice Chouffe ★★★★★
Dark amber winter beer. It kicks off with a gassy fizz before a deep alcoholic caramel flavour comes in. The taste lingers in the mouth like the finest fudge with hints of sour Flemish red cherry and rich port. It is not a complex taste but it is beautifully executed. 10% abv & bottle conditioned.
Acorn (UK)
Barnsley Bitter ★★★
Woody, tangy bitter with enough hoppy bite to pull it all together. Good session fare.
Gorlovka Imperial Stout ★★★
Smooth, alcoholic, malty stout that slips down with a velvety mouthfeel.
Sovereign ★★★
Robust dark brown bitter with a dash of dry cocoa and tingly hoppy note in the finish. A well crafted full bodied session.
Strongheart ★★★
Fairly bland blonde beer that slips down inoffensively but unimpressively.
Adnams (UK)
Bitter ★★
Light dry hopped beer that feels a tad watery. Feels thin and somewhat processed. Disappointing. Maybe it doesn't travel well.
Broadside ★★★
Ruby coloured ale with a firmly malty taste. A tasty beer let down by a slightly watery, soapy aftertaste.
Explorer ★★★★
Gently dry and bitter amber coloured beer that gives light refreshment with a full taste.
Fat Sprat ★★★★
A pleasing fruit edged malty bitter. Robust, but with a surprising pale ale delicacy for a bitter.
Fisherman ★★★
Powdered cocoa blends with bitter roasted malts in this no nonsense old ale. Not a great deal of subtlety or complexity but does what you'd expect pretty effectively.
Gunhill ★★★★
Ruby ale that starts off malty with a slight sweet fruitiness before developing a dry bitterness with a hint of chocolate and a dash of porter. Full flavoured but not too strong which makes it easy drinking. Can be a tad bland and creamy on draught.
Lighthouse ★★★
Chewy, biscuit malt ale that is a enjoyable, if somewhat watery, session ale. Has a hint of red fruit in the finish.
M&S Southwold 2.7 ★★★
For a summer beer that is 2.7% abv this is a surprisingly deep amber colour. The aroma has a hint of floor polish but the smoky caramel malts gently reassure the expectations that go with the beer's colour. There's a dash of honied apricot whilst citrus hops feel a slight oddity - an amber IPA? Pleasingly complex for it's strength, it just doesn't quite click enough to make it really stand out.
M&S Southwold Blonde Beer ★★★
Refreshing golden ale with a restrained dry hoppiness with a gentle citrus finish. A safe, filtered beer that very satisfying when served chilled.
M&S Southwold Dark Ale ★★★
At 7.2% abv this "barley wine style" beer appears to be a little light in it's loafers but it certainly has the malty kick you'd expect. There's a warming alcoholic edge but more bitter and dry than you'd expect. Akin to a super charged ESB or a barley wine with stabilisers?
M&S Southwold Summer Beer ★★★★
A golden ale with a generous measure of hoppy goodness. The beer has a balanced bitterness with a little tingle at the end. The malt give dry biscuity flavours and there is a light dash of grapefruit pith. A nice summer sipping session ale.
M&S Southwold Winter Beer ★★★★
This starts off with a big hit of roasted chocolate malts that feel almost powdery and push this bitter towards the edge of porter territory. There are fruity and hoppy notes lingering in the finish along with caramel and biscuit malt, but the roasted flavours dominate. The mouthfeel is fairly gassy without cutting in on the flavours. Has impressive depth for a 4% abv beer and stands up to being served slightly chilled.
M&S Southwold Winter IPA ★★★
Strong filtered IPA with mango and papaya hoppy flavours whose bitter edge is softened by a hint of demerera sugar. Gentle compared to American IPAs but well executed.
Solebay ★★★★
Strong, blonde anniversary ale with a light fluffy gassiness. There is a hint of champagne in the dry tropical fruit flavours (guava?) and a hint of lavender. Lightly hopped with a well judged sweetness from the two types of sugar used.
Spindrift ★★★
The marketing men have been at this. A fancy blue bottle and floral yet vague description. The beer kicks off with tropical fruits, followed by biscuit malt. Pleasant, but ultimately falling between the pleasures of a lager and a golden ale. Serve cold.
Affligem (Belgium)
Blond ★★★
Blond abbey beer with a robust malty flavour and a hint of bitterness in the finish. A lingering trail of hops slowly builds. The mouthfeel is gassy but with a good weight if you pour the sediment. A solid Belgian blond.
Dubbel ★★★★
Chestnut coloured with a beige head, this dubbel kicks off with strong spicy fruit notes underpinned by a deep syrupy malty flavour. Would benefit from some elements lingering in the finish.
Patersvat Blonde ★★★
Dry, peppery hopped ale with a thick mouthfeel. Somewhere between a triple and Duvel.
Airbrau (Germany)
Kumulus ★★
Hefeweizen brewed at Munich airport. Frankly it's a bit muted and disappointing - the gentle caramel malt taste reminds you of an alcohol free beer slightly.
Alhambra (Spain)
Negra ★★★
A pleasant dark lager that ticks all the boxes without doing anything exceptional.
Premium Lager ★★
Spanish beer that tastes like an own brand supermarket lager.
Reserva 1925 ★★★
Fairly middle of the road lager with a robust malty flavour. Pretty drinkable but all in all a fairly standard Spanish lager.
Alvinne (Belgium)
Dertig Erasmus ★★★
Deleriously potent strong blond beer that hits you like a Huyghe but without with tinkered spices. Very full bodied with a wheaty malty base and a slightly alcoholic edge that is not overpowering. A hint of hops in the finish. Brewed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus hotel in Bruges where it is served as the house beer.
Ama (Italy)
Biondi ★★★
Brewed with orange honey and pilsner malt this is an interesting bittersweet mix that captures the tangy caramel elements of the honey. The gassiness and the dry, slightly chalky finish give it a pilsner edge. An interesting & tasty beer.
Amarcord (Italy)
Brune ★★★★
Brewed with Brooklyn this is a fruity Belgian style bruin with corriander spicing balancing the raisin flavour maltiness. There's some chocolate and liquorice in there too. It packs quite a punch for it's 6% abv and has real depth flavour too.
Ampleforth (UK)
Dubbel ★★★★
An English trappist ale. Not too fruity, not too spicy, just a lovely malty flavour.
Anchor (USA)
Bock ★★★
At 5.5% this is quite a mild bock. Dark in colour with a very smoky nose. Roasted malts on the taste with a bitter coffee finish that quickly turns thin. There is a soured, chalky, caramel milk note. Feisty, pleasing and transient enough to be a session beer.
Brekle's Brown ★★★★
A single hop brown ale made to a 19th century recipe. The single hop attempts to beat you over the head but the brown malts keep it in check. A good balancing act.
California Lager ★★★★
Incredibly malty pale golden beer with a fresh start and a dry woody finish. There is a slight chalky sourness that gives it some real bite.
Humming ★★★
Dry pale ale with a bitter oaky fruity flavour and a lively gassiness. Pleasant but not in the same league as the Liberty Ale or Steam Beer.
Liberty Ale ★★★★★
Superb dry hopped pale ale with a gentle carbonation and a smooth light hopped taste that combine to give a full bodied and moreish beer with virtually no bitterness.
Old Foghorn ★★
Sweet, yeasty American barley wine with the aroma of sugared almonds. Very heavily hopped and clearly very strong. Disappointing.
Our Special Ale 2011 ★★★
A sweet shop of a beer with cherry bonbons, liquorice and pear drops. There is a hint of warming sake and sherry in there too. As it warms it gains a spicy bitterness that balances it.
Porter ★★★★
Deep black beer and a heavy syrup and marmite taste. Smooth but with a slight crispness from the carbonation and a gentle hoppiness emerges. The depth of flavour is striking for the 5.6% strength. Bold but could have more complexity.
Red Leaf Amber Ale ★★★
There is smokiness, a robust maltiness and some punchy hops in there. Overall it's a bit muddy and mixed rather than punchily focused.
Steam Beer ★★★★★
Initially sharp but lingeringly dry and bitter amber lager with a full taste.
Summer Beer ★★
The first American wheat beer of modern times' this venerable old beer brewed since 1984 (so not that old then) is straw coloured with a creamy head and rather bland. It is filtered, thin bodied and so lightly flavoured it is hard to discern more than a faint general hoppiness with a light carbonation. Pleasingly refreshing on a warm day - but so is breathing wet air. Not bad, just not anything much at all.
Andechs (Germany)
Doppelbock Dunkel ★★★★
A dark Bavarian lager with a great range of flavours compromised by it's strength. It has a deep mahogany colour with aromas of roasted malts, chocolate cake and fudge. The taste initially has a roasted porter edge leading in to a sweet fruity body before finishing with toasted malts and chocolate. The alcohol is evident and obscures the flavours but there is still enough left to heartily enjoy. A good winter warmer.
Hefeweizen Hefetrub ★★★★
Estery foam bananas from start to finish without a trace of cloves but a dash of caramel. Occasionally a bit on the gassy side but rather tasty and distinct from other German hefeweizen.
Hell ★★★★
Crisp, bright lager with with a slightly sweet yeasty flavour. A hint of dryness creeps in at the finish. Subtle, as you'd expect from a helles, but a very pleasant "bread & honey" beer.
Anker (Belgium)
Boscoulis ★★★
Incredibly sweet red berry flavours that are somewhere between boiled sweets and the fruits of the forest topping on a black forest gateaux. A sweet desert beer, but not badly done.
Gouden Carolus Ambrio ★★★
Dark amber strong ale with a spicy malty warming alcohol taste with hints of sweet red fruit specked in the background. Potent stuff that has a dash of refinement to it but still wearing it's potency on it's sleeve.
Gouden Carolus Christmas ★★★★★
Mahogany coloured beer with flavours of pear drops, liquorice, rye bread and nutmeg. Surprisingly light and drinkable for a 10.5% beer though there is a bit of alcohol in the aftertaste. The flavours blend together beautifully.
Gouden Carolus Classic ★★★
Dark beer with a bitter burnt sugar edge mixed with dark fruit and a malty strong alcoholic edge. There is a hint of dandelion & burdock and a dash of orange. Quite sweet and a bit tangy with a metallic soft drink edge.
Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van Der Keizer Blue ★★★
Brewed on the 24th February each year this is a stronger version of Gouden Carolus weighing in at 11% abv. It's a potent dark sugary ale with a full alcoholic malty flavour. A late night warmer.
Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van Der Keizer Red ★★★★
Blond ale brewed to mark the 10th anniversary of their red label keizer dark beer. Peppery hopped with a clean finish. Worryingly drinkable.
Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor ★★★
Potent bottle conditioned straw coloured ale that gives you a thick alcoholic thump. The taste has a warming maltiness with a rural hoppiness coming through in the finish. A bruiser of a beer with a light gassy mouthfeel that could have more depth but is pleasing stuff with elements of a turbo charged biere de garde like 3 monts.
Gouden Carolus Triple ★★★
Clear gassy beer with a big frothy head and a bright green apple and lemon taste. A hint of washing up liquid but not too much. There is a base of dry chalky alcoholic malt that reflects it's 9% strength. There is a slight spice too. Interesting enough but with a lot of rough edges and crude flavour clashes.
Maneblusser ★★★★
Dry blonde ale with peppery hoppy flavours of tropical fruit and a hint of soap. Smooth, clean, with a solidity that outstrips it's 6% abv strength. A nice mix of Duvel and an American IPA.
Annoeullin (France)
L'angelus ★★★
Strong blonde French ale made in the style of a Belgian abbey triple. The beer is filtered giving it a light sparkling mouthfeel. There is a prominent warming alcohol element to the taste with hints of biscuit and caramel. Pleasantly bracing but would benefit from the depth and weight of bottle conditioning.
Lepers Doree ★★★★
Filtered golden coloured ale with a rustic hoppy flavour, with a dry citrus pilsner edge. There is a slightly sweet caramel/biscuit malt. Light but very full flavoured.
Ansells (UK)
Best Bitter ★★★
Pale gold butter with a gentle malty flavour and a hint of cream flow smoothness (but not so much as to wreck it).
Mild ★★★★
Smooth chocolate flavoured mild with a measured bitter finish and a dash of caramel malt.
Aqula (Japan)
Belgian Single ★★★★
At 3.8% this seems a little short for a stormtrooper (sorry I mean Belgian ale). It's clean, pale gold in colour with a deep lying hop resin bitterness that sits puckeringly in the bottom of your mouth giving a huge aftertaste. It you want a finely crafted hop fix, this is for you.
Arbejdernes (Denmark)
Mork Kalder ★★★
Dark lager with an incredibly malty taste and a dry finish made for the workers museum in Copenhagen.
Stauning Klassik ★★★
Amber lager with a frothy head, sparkling carbonation and a buttery caramel maltiness with a slight dry bitterness in the finish. Slightly too gassy for my taste. Brewed for the workers museum in Copenhagen,
Arbor (UK)
Greenhorn Rising ★★★
A enthusiastically gassy ale with a hoppy pine resin tingle that is effervescent on the tongue. A spritzy take on a pale ale with a malty edge. Pleasing fare.
Tasmanian Devil ★★
A watery, soapy and sour beer with a grapefruit hop kick and an astringent, almost detergent style edge. Poor.
Archers (UK)
Best ★★★★★
Smooth, light brown ale that slides down in an agreeable quaffable way with a light taste that is neither thin nor processed. A great session beer.
Arcobrau (Germany)
Dunkelweizen ★★★
Dark, but not black, unfiltered wheat beer. It has a fruity aroma with a robust mouthfeel and a well balanced gassiness. A good easy drinking beer.
M&S Bavarian Winterfest Wheat Beer ★★★★
Dark amber dunkelweizen with a floral aroma and a malty taste. The spicing is subtle and there is a sweetness and gentle gassiness in the finish. Light but full flavoured and good any time of year.
Arkells (UK)
Moonlight ★★★
Light amber ale, malty flavour with a bland finish. Easy drinking but dull.
Wiltshire Gold ★★★
Gentle, slightly soapy pale ale with a gentle biscuit malt with a hint of honey coming through in the finish.
Asahi (Japan)
Dry Black ★★
You see a deep tan, off-black coloured beer but if tasted blindfold you could think this was a pale or amber lager. Exceptionally dry and quite gassy. There is a gentle layer of roasted malts, perhaps bitter cocoa, but it's pretty well camouflaged. The finish is shorter than oompa-loompa. If you want a dry, gassy lager this will suit you, otherwise buy something more interesting.
Munich-Type Black ★★★
An initial gassiness gives way to a gentle burnt coffee taste which fades to leave no pronounced aftertaste in this smooth dark beer.
Asia Pacific (Singapore)
Tiger ★★★
Crisp hoppy lager with a moist rounded malty finish and a gassy tingle. Refreshing but possibly a little too lightly flavoured. Perfectly pleasant though.
Augustina (Germany)
Dunkel ★★★
A very nice roasted malt edge with coffee flavours lurking about with falling into being too dry or bitter. There are traces of raisins, cocoa and hob nobs on the aroma.
Edelstoff ★★★★
Malty German lager with a hint of biscuit and a crisp finish that has a hint of green hops. Full flavoured and refreshing. A benchmark for all pale lagers.
Helles ★★★
Being kind you'd say this a subtle bready, floral flavour with a sweetness rounds it off nicely. Being cruel you'd said it was bland. Try it on a sunny day and you'll be kind.
Oktoberfest ★★★
Smooth creamy lager with a hint of honey and a caramel maltiness. Sometimes it has a more pronounced hop bitterness in the finish as it warms up. Lends itself to drinking in litre steins to let the flavour slowly build up.
Ayinger (Germany)
Altbayrisch ★★★★
Strong malty flavours of cocoa powder, currants and wood come through in this tasty, mahogany coloured beer.
Celebrator ★★★
Easter doppel bock with an apparent alcoholic edge and a dry, bitter malty finish with a touch of rye bread. Could have more complexity for it's 8% abv.
Hefeweizen ★★★★
This leans towards the banana end of the Weizen spectrum and has a chewy weight to it.
Jahrhundert ★★★★
Assertively malty lager with smooth finish that has a hint of honey and caramel.
Ur-Wei√üe ★★★
Are Ayinger scared of dark wheat beers. This is cloudy amber at most with hardly any roasted malt flavours - just a vague hint of caramel. Pleasant, but tame compared to what it should be. An amberweizen?
Badger (UK)
Blandford Flyer ★★★
Comes with a bite of spicy ginger they say. A full on ginger ale without any of the cloying sweetness I say. Could have more malt & hops going on, but works on it's own terms and pairs well with spicy food.
England's Own ★★★
This tastes like one of the pseudo-sophisticated grape juice drinks people have when they want something wine like but alcohol free. Elderflower and grape are prominent over a tangy malt foundation. Fruity and pleasant this just feels a little adulterated.
First Gold ★★★
Many Badger are overwhelmed but unusual flavours that feel a bit of a novelty. This is more traditional with biscuit malts that have a toffee veneer - a nice, but standard, bitter.
Golden Champion ★★★★
Dry, floral hoppy flavour akin to apricots and talcum powder. A well balanced golden ale that's light but with a complex flavour.
Golden Glory ★★★
Sipping a beer has never felt more like biting into a peach. The fruity mix has a hint of melon. Some will find it beautifully fruity, others will complain it tastes synthetic - spiked with Archers until there are no beer flavours left. I tend more towards the latter, but it might be better when cask conditioned.
Hopping Hare ★★★★
A thrice hopped golden ale that is hoppier than a field full of bunnies on springs. Light and refreshing and clearly a spring ale. A great base for the styrian goldings hops and a light but full flavoured ale with depth.
Poacher's Choice ★★★★
The initial impression is of a beer spiked with creme de cassis. There are damson, liquorice and blackberry but with a bitter woody hop and biscuit malt foundation that stops it being too sweet. Not for everyone, but if fruity beer is your thing poach a bottle of this.
Baird (Japan)
Darksky Imperial Stout ★★★★★
Jet black colour, oily mouthfeel and oaky chocolate covered liquorice flavours. This imperial stout has a good bed of roasted malts with a hint of sweetness to keep things in check, oh and a whacking alcoholic finish.
Balmain (Australia)
Lager ★★
Pale lager with a gentle watery smear of maltiness and very little else.
Banks (UK)
Bitter ★★
Bland, smooth, creamy bitter that isn't unpleasant but is severely lacking in flavour - may not have been best served when tasted.
Banks & Taylors (UK)
2 Brewers Bitter ★★
Dry, light and bland ale with a slight soapiness
Crooked Hooker ★★
Rather sharp blonde ale.
Barley (Italy)
Toccadib√≤ ★★★★
Full on abbey tripel with that's thick with a refreshing spritzy fizz. Dry hops bob in the warming alcoholic malty flavour with apricot and coriander notes. The aroma has a hint of Chardonnay. A subtle twist on the classic template.
Barnsley Beer Company (UK)
Shut Thi Gob ★★
Like Dandelion & Burdock spilt onto a wool rug. There are hints of marmite, toffee and nuts but generally it's just very watery.
Baron (France)
Saison Saint Metard Ambree ★★★★
The aroma is dirty rustic hops but the taste is clean smooth with a persistent gassiness in the finish that never dominates. It becomes dry and sour as it builds, but never loses it's subtle gentle touch.
Baron's (Australia)
Lemon Myrtle Witbier ★★★
Belgian style wheat beer that is heavy on the citrus with lemon, orange and curacao to the fore whilst the spices make a guest appearance in the finish. A solid witbier.
Bass (UK)
Our Finest Ale ★★★
Amber ale with a small creamy head. Slightly watery with nutty hoppy taste to it. Similar in a way to Speckled Hen.
Batemans (UK)
Black Pepper Ale ★★★
A typically tangy, malty English with black pepper added, and a sachet of pepper to add to taste. This gives it a dry, bitter edge. A bit of a salt and shake novelty but solid drinkable stuff.
Combined Harvest ★★★
Barley, oats, rye and wheat are used in this beer that is unsurprisingly malty. As it warms the malty flavours vary. An above average session beer. Nice stuff.
Dark Lord ★★★
A "dark ruby ale" that is almost pitch black. The taste is slight treacly with hints of dark fruit. It feels a bit stronger than it's 5% abv strength but could have punchier flavours or more complexity.
Dark Mild ★★★★
A beer that matches it's name. Big flavours of stewed fruit with a gentle sour vinegar finish. Only 3% but with bundles of flavour. Great session beer.
M&S Lincolnshire Best Bitter ★★★
Made with golding hops and maris otter and crystal malts this is a solid traditional bitter with plenty of flavour. Pale amber in colour it has a dry, peppery flavour with sweet caramel malt and nutty hops vying for your attention. There is a faint gassiness that stops the flavours lingering in finish. Good, but would benefit from the depth of flavour bottle conditioning would add.
M&S Lincolnshire Mocha ★★★
There's a sticky, sweet edge to this dark coffee beer that reminds you of Kahlua. It could have done something more complex & intense with bitter roasted malt & chocolate flavours, but it's a tasty beer nonetheless.
Maypole Dancer ★★★
Light amber ale with a gentle bitter malty taste. A decent session beer.
Rosie Nosey ★★★
A dry spiced bitter brewed for the Christmas season. Pale brown in colour and pleasingly woody in flavour with a spiced malt finish. It won't win awards but it will make for pleasing fare when you've just come in from the cold.
Summer Swallow ★★★
Huge aroma of metal and bubblegum with bakewell tart and fresh cut grass. An interesting summer beer but one is enough. 4.2% abv.
Victory Ale ★★★★★
Dark amber beer with a deep caramel taste. Fairly flat and slightly sweet. Probably an acquired taste.
X-Bee ★★★
Cloudy gold beer with a good sized head. A honey edge is in the taste with a bready, soapiness that clouds the flavour. There is a hint of blackberry in there too.
Bath Ales (UK)
Barnstormer ★★★★
Chestnut brown bitter with a quickly fading head. A dash of soy sauce on the aroma. Full bodied, hoppy taste with fruit flavours and a measured bitterness. A slight ground coffee edge, with elements of soy sauce, develops to round things off. There is an almost subliminal suggestion of chocolate - possibly only because the brewers claim there is.
Darkside ★★★
Dry, powdered cocoa dominates this otherwise mild ale. The finish is slightly smoky. Pleasant, but a bit one dimensional.
Gem ★★★
Chestnut brown ale. A light bitter with an earthy soapy taste that has a fruity hoppy base and nothing much except a slight sourness in the finish.
Golden Hare ★★★
Amber coloured bitter with a soapy hoppy flavour and a bit of caramel. Decent session fare with a slight dry bitterness to the finish.
Bavik (Belgium)
Boeteling ★★★
Blonde ale brewed for the town of Veurne. There is a splodge of sweet apricot jam on the taste. Otherwise it's clean and has a restrained malt flavour that slips down nicely but not blandly.
Pilaarbijter ★★
Incredibly gassy beer with a thin bready metallic flavour. Nothing in the finish. A bit Carlsberg Special Brew.
Baxters (UK)
Yvonne ★★★
Light beer with a tangy hoppiness.
Bayern Meister (Japan)
Edelweiss ★★★
This is all about the bananas. Not too sweet, with enough malty flavours to balance it out.
Prinz ★★
Dull and eminently forgettable lager with a little flicker of hoppy interest in the finish, but otherwise the bland side of subtle.
Bayreuther (Germany)
Aktien Zwickl Kellerbier ★★★★
Smooth, caramel tinged amber lager with a full bodied Marzen style maltiness. Rich, silky and full of flavour. Beats the heck of out anything served at the Oktoberfest.
Bear Town (UK)
Bearskinful ★★★★
Light ruby brown ale with a mighty malty kick in the taste and aroma. The flavour is dry and woody with biscuit malt dominant. If it was a touch fruitier and less gassy this could be a five star ale.
Kodiack Gold ★★★
Heather honey dominates the flavour and aroma of this bitter golden ale. The taste is sticky and herbal with the sweetness offsetting the dry chalky finish. Interesting stuff.
Polar Eclipse ★★★★
A stout that is light enough to be easy drinking whilst retaining a sticky roasted malt hit that a hint of sour red fruit in the finish. A rabbit punch of a stout?
Beer Geek (UK)
Dark Side ★★★
Dark and slightly bitter but eminently forgettable.
Great White ★★
Tangy and slightly sour in the wrong way. Poor.
Belga (Poland)
Wojak ★★
Smooth, ultra pale beer with a smooth floral flavour and a buttery mouthfeel. Pretty bland for it's 6% abv strength. The finish becomes quite dry.
Belhaven (UK)
Black ★★★
Smooth, but not creamy, stout with the coffee and roasted malt flavours all present, correct and well executed without anything unusual, exceptional or eye catching. A decent pint nonetheless.
Bellerose (France)
Biere Blonde Extra ★★★★
A robustly hopped blonde ale with citrus and lychee flavours. There is a honey and caramelised sugar taste with a hint of coriander spice. Feels a touch more potent than it's 6.5% abv strength but still easy to drink.
Beowulf (UK)
Dragon Smoke ★★★
The smoke dominates this stout, with a hint of smoky bacon above the roasted malts. A pleasant but not earth shattering beer.
Bergquell (Germany)
Kirsch Porter ★★
90% dark lager, 10% cherry syrup. Sweet, but not sickly, with an acidic edge and a hint of sourness and bitterness in the finish. Closer to cherry coke than a London porter, but it could be far worse.
Bernard (Czech)
Sveltly Lezak Pilsner ★★★
Champagne yeast beer that feels like an ultra-gassy lager. Bottle conditioned with variable head. Deeper taste than Kasteel Cru.
Bie (Belgium)
Helleketelbier ★★
Spiced, blonde Belgian ale with dishwater, caramelised sugar and grass cuttings all appear in this slightly sweet and musty. A mix of bland and a bit mediocre.
Binding (Germany)
Clausthaler Classic ★★★
Alcohol free lager with a curious hint of green apple that gives it a more interesting flavour that many bland mass produced beers. It's no match for a decent pils, but surprisingly good for what it is.
Schofferhofer Hefeweizen ★★★
Refreshing weizen with the banana and clove flavours you'd expect but nothing to distinguish it from the crowd.
Birds (UK)
Black Widow Stout ★★★
Dark roasted malt flavours with a rounded bitter finish.
Bitburger (Germany)
Drive ★
Even by the standards of alcohol free beer this is poor. Thin, metallic and a touch acidic.
Kostritzer Schwarzbier ★★★
Dark pilsner that is more gassy, acidic and lagered than you would think from the black colour. A fruity aroma with a malty flavour. A bit like Asahi dark. Solid but a bit bland.
Pilsner ★★
Exceptionally smooth pilsner that crosses into the territory of the bland. The glass is more interesting than the beer inside.
Black Country (UK)
Pig On The Wall Mild ★★★
Fairly dark, malty mild with a taste that is not overpowering.
Black Hole (UK)
Bitter ★★
Straw coloured ale with no head. Crisp dry citrus hop flavour without much in the finish. Not to my taste.
Star Gazer ★★★
Watery beer with a distinctly dry and bitter taste that is redeemed by a building maltiness. Would go well with food or snacks.
Black Isle (UK)
Blonde ★★★★
Full flavoured lager with a robust mix of bready biscuit malt and a light citrus hop balanced with am assertive big bubble gassiness on the finish. A pleasingly chewy lager with elements of an IPA.
Goldeneye Pale Ale ★★★★
Light golden coloured ale with a large frothy head that steadily fades. Bright floral aroma with fresh hoppy taste wavering somewhere between a Belgian ale, an IPA and a biere de garde. When chilled it has a nice crisp edge. The light gassy mouthfeel is anchored by the hoppy base and a creamy finish.
Hibernator ★★★
An oatmeal stout that, at 7% abv, is verging on the imperial territory. There is a lively gassiness and a warming alcoholic roasted malt taste. There is a burnt edge with a solid oaty note that rounds out what, otherwise feels like a regular imperial stout. Well balanced, but over alcoholic for it's flavour profile.
M&S Heather Honey Ale ★★★
A thick malty ale with no real sweetness from the honey, just a spicy herbal flavour that lingers. A pleasant bitter golden ale, but nothing particularly striking.
Organic Porter ★★★
A rather metallic tasting porter with subdued roasted malt flavours. OK, but not great.
Red Kite ★★★
Filtered bottled light amber bitter with a nutty malty flavour and surprisingly not very bitter at all. There is a fizz in the finish and a moreish biscuit note. Good session fare that would probably get a 4 if cask conditioned.
Scotch Ale ★★★★★
Bottle conditioned red ale made with peat smoked malt and bog myrtle. It has a full malty flavour with a hint of caramel, a dash of gueuze like sourness and biscuity finish with a hint of bitterness. Slightly fruity and sharp with a smooth mouthfeel. A superb, near faultless scotch ale.
Yellowhammer IPA ★★★
Filtered golden IPA with a light hoppy taste & a smooth mouthfeel akin to a creamy wheat beer. A hint of citrus in the finish with a hint of biscuity malt but a dash of soap too. Well rounded, well balanced and refreshing.
Black Sheep (UK)
Ale ★★★★
Regular strength ale with a solid bitter taste.
Best Bitter ★★★
Session bitter with a gentle dry hoppy taste with a hint of nuts. Slightly creamy mouthfeel and fairly light. The finish has a dry malty note that has a hint of fried potato crisps. Decent session fare but nothing special.
Emmerdale ★★★★
Light Ale with a bitter finish. Very pleasant
Golden Sheep ★★★
Buttery, caramel malt flavoured ale with an interesting green fruity finish. Light, but not too gassy with a bitter hoppy finish.
Holy Grail ★★★★
Light golden brown ale with a bitter and hoppy taste. There is a slight fruitiness and a dash of fizz in the finish.
Riggwelter ★★★
Smooth, porterish Wensleydale strong ale with a coffee taste. There's a hint of burnt treacle in there. Very drinkable but lacking the subtlety or spark of something different to make it exceptional. As good as slightly plain beer gets.
Sainsbury's TtD Celebration Ale ★★★
Stout on steroids? The nose has dark fruit mingling with the roasted malts. The body is gassy with hints of sticky pan juices whilst it's abv is 6%. It feels like it's puffing it's chest out somewhat, but still nice.
Yorkshire Square Ale ★★★
A dry malty bitter brewed in slate squares that has a bitter puckering hoppy flavour and a robust caramel edge. A good session bitter with character.
Black Water (UK)
Baroque ★★★
Intensely hoppy pale ale with a taste that goes from peppery to citrus.
Block (Belgium)
Satan Gold ★★★★
Spritzy straw coloured beer with a champagne fruitiness to it. Light and gassy with a biscuity malt flavour and a dry finish. When the sediment is poured it gives it more body and depth. Has similarities with Duvel.
Satan Red ★★★
Amber ale with a very lively gassy mouthfeel. There is a dark malty flavour with a dry alcoholic finish with some hints of spice and ginger. There is a burnt sugar caramel taste amongst the malt. There is also a hint of fruit slowly emerging.
Blue Anchor (UK)
Spingo Special ★★★
Warming alcohol, caramel and fruit cake. Slightly thin but a decent strong ale that slips down easily.
Bluebear (UK)
Wanderlust ★★
Creamy, smooth golden ale with the briefest hint of hops but generally bland.
Bockor (Belgium)
Bellegems Bruin ★★★★
A great example of a Flanders brown ale. The oak ageing gives a sour flavour with hints of cherry and a robust weight. Stands comparison with Rodenbach Grand Cru.
Bellegems Wit ★★★
Gassy Witbier that has an expansive spice and orange peel flavour that seems to float away at the finish. Pleasingly lightweight.
Boelens (Belgium)
Santa Bee ★★★
A beer that improves as it warms. Chilled it has astringent pine flavours but as it warms there are bitter roasted malts, dark fruit and cherries.
Bofferding (Luxembourg)
Christmas Beer ★★
Amber coloured lager with a slight smoky edge to it's dry malty flavour. It's feels a tad like varnished wood with a chemical edge to it's dryness. Underwhelming.
Bohemia Regent (Czech)
Dark Lager (Tmav Lezak) ★★★
Smooth dark malty lager with a biscuity flavour. There is a tight hit of roasted bitterness at the start that spreads and fades. There is also a hint of figs in the finish and some gassy mineral water to the mouthfeel.
M&S Czech Lager ★★★★
Bohemian pilsner made with Zatec hops and water from artesian wells. Full flavoured with the hoppy aroma balanced by a fruitiness in the taste. Smooth rather than gassy with the merest hint of bitterness in the finish.
Prezident ★★
Rocket powered 6% abv lager that has a buttery malty flavour and a warming finish. Underwhelming.
Boon (Belgium)
Duivels 8 ★★★
Deep ruby coloured ale with a strong malty flavour and warming alcoholic finish. The dark fruit flavours are restrained and it could do with a bit more complexity.
Faro ★★★
Mahogany coloured sweetened lambic. It has a gentle fizz & a dry caramel flavour without too much sweetness, just a hint of syrup. No real lambic flavour. The finish is watery with a hint of malt. A gentle dark beer suited to hot days.
Geuze ★★★★★
Smooth, assured gueuze with a sweet pear flavour floating over it's sour apple and grapefruit foundation. The late gassy tingle provides a lovely contrast. A fine gueuze that is much livelier if the sediment is not poured from the bottle.
Geuze Mariage Parfait ★★★★★
A special reserve lambic blend that is smoother and subtler than most. There is a musty apple typical of the type balanced with a refreshing fizz. The aroma is like an orchard whilst the finish has a satisfying bright fruity complexity. Quieter than Girardin or Cantillon but still highly accomplished. Lighter in taste than it's 8% abv strength. Easy to drink with subtlety and depth.
Horal's Oude Geuze Mega Blend 2011 ★★★★
A blend made with contributions from 8 lambic brewers made as part of the 2011 Toer de Geuze. Blended at Boon it is a freshness to the classic gueuze sourness. Not the most distinctive gueuze but a very pleasant fruity, spritzy beer.
Kriek ★★★★
Light and floral lambic cherry beer with a tart edge and a light sourness. The cherry taste comes through in the finish with a hint of boiled sweets. Would suit hot weather.
Oude Kriek ★★★★★
Made with 400g of cherries per litre of beer (that's a lot). Almost feels more like cherry juice than beer. There is a lambic sourness in the finish that balances it out. If you want an intense cherry hit without any saccharine sweetness, this is for you.
Vat 44 ★★★★★
A monoblend aged for 2 years in their giant vat 44 before having 3 years of bottle conditioning. This is a dry and refined gueuze with a spritzy mouthfeel and zingy citrus that has a hint of witbier orange peel. The sourness is well judged, becoming more dominant as it warms. Brewed for the opening of their new brewery, this is a suitably special gueuze. It's 8.5% abv, but it is so easy to drink.
Borg (Iceland)
√öl Fur IPA (Nr. 3) ★★★★
Initially seems like an identikit American style IPA. However the hopping is well judged with dry citrus flavours being given time to linger before the peppery finish. A potent IPA with a hint of restraint and refinement.
Bjartur (Nr. 4) ★★★
Pale golden ale with a gentle hoppy tingle and a honey flavour sharpened with a hint of citrus. A sugar puff IPA?
Su Marlidi Hveitbj√≥r (Nr. 11) ★★★★
Thick Hefeweizen with a restrained dusty clove and banana flavour. Like a Hefeweizen with the volume at a pleasant Sunday afternoon volume but with a kickass subwoofer.
Bosteels (Belgium)
Deus ★★★★★
Belgian ale aged and re-fermented in France using method champagnoise. Dry, malty and yeasty with a biscuit flavour that builds up into a beautiful tropical fruit brut flavour. A luxury beer that lives up to the hype. 11.5% abv but it's as easy drinking as champagne.
Pauwel Kwak ★★★
Amber beer with a large head, especially when served in it's fancy mini yard of ale glass. The faint orange aroma is overtaken by a gassy, malty hoppy taste with a hint of sour orange in the finish. The brewers were keen on the sugar but despite being a bit dry it is pleasant enough.
Tripel Karmeleit ★★★★
Smooth tripel enhanced with wheat and oats. Slightly herbal, light in colour and feels a bit bottom heavy. There is a also a champagne fizz with a sweet banana taste. The subtle restrained flavours can be very appealing if you are in the right mood. Lighter mouthfeel when tried on draught which enhances the spritzy gassiness without taking away from the flavour.
Boston's Mill (Australia)
Pale Ale ★★★★
Malty, fruity pale ale that is crisp and refreshing. The fruitiness is quite tropical with a hint of lychee and a dash of biscuits in it's slightly dry bitter finish that has a gassy tingle.
Bowmans (UK)
Swift One ★★★
Dry and bitter light coloured ale
Box Steam (UK)
Chuffin Ale ★★★
Dark, powdered chocolate lingers in this woody hopped session ale with a peppery tingle in the finish.
Brains (UK)
SA Gold ★★★
Smooth creamy ale with enough bite in the biscuit malt and citrus hop to give it character. Clean and refreshing.
Brakspear (UK)
Gold ★★
Generic golden ale with a bland creamy flavour. Uninspired.
Triple ★★★★
Lively chestnut coloured ale with a big malty aroma and a hint of liquorice. There is a strong alcoholic edge to the finish with a bit of a bitter dryness. A cruise liner of a beer made with 3 hops and triple fermented.
Brass Monkey (UK)
Golden Monkey ★★★
Light gold ale with a gentle hoppy taste. There is a background citrus note. It becomes a bit thin and bitter towards the end but is a decent session beer.
Brau Union (Austria)
Puntigamer ★★
Bland mass produced unremarkable lager that shares it's lack of flavour with beers that are only 3%. This is 5.1% abv.
Wieselberg Spezial ★★★
Full bodied lager with a bitter hoppy taste that is lifted by a sweet maltiness in the aftertaste. Not overly gassy and pleasing enough.
Braugirgl (Germany)
Dunkel ★★★★
If you forced rye bread through a blender then this is what you might expect to taste. Roasted malt flavours without bitterness or burnt edges.
Braukunst (Germany)
Klosterhof Naturtrub ★★★
Naturally cloudy pale lager with a really acidic edge that feels well judged and intentional rather than corner cutting. Fizz with bite.
Schwarzbier ★★★
All the elements of a Schwarz are here, just in a relaxed and subtle fashion. It builds nicely as you drink your way through it.
Breconshire (UK)
Ysbrid Y Ddraig ★★★★
Strong malty beer aged on oak casks that has a pronounced whisky and vanilla flavour. Akin to Innis & Gunn.
Bretagne (France)
ArMen Blanche ★★★★
Cloudy witbier with a deep orange and coriander taste balanced by a broad gassy bed that lingers on the back of the tongue. There is a slight zestiness at the start but nothing too bright or sharp. A good summer refresher.
ArMen Blonde ★★★★
Belgian style amber ale with a stronger taste that it's alcoholic strength. Deep and smooth in flavour with a subtle caramel edge with a rustic feel. A good subtle beer that occasionally makes you want one of it's stronger and more complex Belgian cousins but is in fact a quiet easy going success. Goes well with food.
ArMen Doree ★★★
Bottle conditioned golden ale with a balance of hops and caramel malts spread over the mouthfeel of a wheat beer and a deep bubbling gassiness. A fuzzy mix of witbier and biere de garde. Slightly dry & watery in the finish.
ArMen Rousse ★★★★
Cloudy brown smoked whisky malt beer with a big creamy head. The smoked taste has the feel of German sausage but overall the beer is quite light with a dash of rustic French charm and a slight artificial feel.
Sant Erwann ★★★★★
Bottle conditioned amber abbey ale with seven types of grain. Rose & lychee on the nose, floral malt on the taste with a gentle wheaty mouthfeel & biscuit notes in the finish. A light triple with a great balance of flavours.
Brew Company (UK)
Winter Warrior ★★★
Dark brown creamy ale with a woody hop taste and a dry bitter finish that is slightly too thin. Good session fare though.
Brewdog (UK)
5am Saint ★★★★
Big, woody hopped, 5% abv 'iconoclastic' dark amber coloured ale with a very tangy finish that's like varnished caramel. Has elements of a classic English bitter but is lighter and gassier. A dry ale for hopheads - it's an amber IPA.
Alice Porter ★★★
A dark, bitter, no-nonsense porter that has the aggressive edge you'd expect from the brewery. Alcoholic, malty finish that punches above it's 6.2% abv strength.
Dead Pony Club ★★★
At 3.8% abv you might think this Californian pale ale is quite gentle for Brewdog. However the strong resinous hoppy taste with a dry, puckering finish is just like them. Not overpowering, but not half baked either.
Dogma ★★★★
Nectar coloured strong ale flavoured with heather honey, guarana, poppy seeds and kola nut. The alcohol and honey tastes dominate with malt and nut tastes giving a good balance. A good offbeat beer but one a night is enough.
Hardcore IPA ★★
Amber beer with a dry woody pine flavour, gassy tingle and gooseberry flavour. There is a winey tropical fruitiness and a hint of caramel. Strong alcoholic kick and overly heavy on the hopping.
Libertine Black Ale ★★★
Black IPA with citrus hops, smoke and rubber inner tube on the aroma lead into Serengeti dry resin and grapefruit on the taste with a dash of roasted malts and dark fruit. Delivers less than it promises, but pleasing enough.
Paradox (Batch 16 - Isle Of Arran) ★★★
Imperial stout aged in oak casks that previously held Isle Of Arran whisky. The flavour is burnt and dry with fruit and a hint of ginger present. There is a spicy note that has spirity whisky edge to it. The gassiness makes it feel lighter than you'd expect for the 10% strength, like a Scandinavian imperial stout. Develops an alcoholic brightness with a very short finish that is unusual for the style. Interesting but doesn't quite achieve special status for my taste. Quite pricey.
Punk IPA ★★★
Dry, incredibly bitter, peppery and hoppy IPA that has all the no nonsense attitude the bottle promises and a hint of acidity. The intensity of the hops gets somewhat distorted and overwhelming, masking the fruity flavours the brewers claim, but that is probably in keeping with the punk ethos. Akin to US IPAs. 6% abv version.
Santa Paws ★★★
A dark brown scotch ale made with heather honey and spices. Dry, malty and slightly syrupy with a bitter caramelised roasted malt finish.
Zeitgeist ★★★★
Jet black lager with a gassy mouthfeel, coffee taste and dry bitter chocolate powder finish. There is a porter like maltiness that underpins it all. A faint taste of raspberries steadily builds in the background. Satisfyingly fully flavoured without being too strong.
Bristol Beer Factory (UK)
Acer ★★★
A mellow 3.8% abv but with a hefty IPA dose of citrus hops with a musty, malty base and a hint of elderflower. A well crafted session beer with a bit of a punch to it.
Blackcurrent & Licquorice Stout ★★
There's a dash of blackcurrent in the background but no licquorice. Basically a sour & astringent stout. It's OK, but not what it says on the tin.
Briseltoe ★★★★
A mahogany coloured festive beer brewed with raisins and oats. It's thick and woody with hints of dark fruit and dry spice. It doesn't have the punchy flavours you might expect from a Christmas beer, but it's very well balanced, full flavoured and a pleasure to drink.
Bristol Stout ★★★
A Scandinavian style stout with biscuit malt to the fore. Not particularly strongly flavoured and quite gassy. An inoffensive session stout.
Chilli Choc Stout ★★★
Where's the chilli? Seriously it's so AWOL you want to call the trade description folk. Perfectly nice chocolate beer though.
Choc Orange Stout ★★
The orange flavour is bitter, acidic and very dominant but there's little chocolate to be found. A little acerbic.
Chocolate Stout ★★★
Full bodied stout with the dark chocolate nibs just adds extra roasty bitterness. Doesn't stand out.
Creme Br√ªl√©e ★★★★
No vanilla or creme brûlée flavours, but this 8.5% abv imperial stout has picked up the flavours of the rum casks it's been aged in.
Glenlivet Cask Stout ★★★★
An imperial stout that is light in body but with one hell of a warming, alcoholic punch. Has the lingering spirit of the Glenlivet underpinned by gentle roasted malts. A one note beer but a nice note.
Gold ★★
A big, sweet caramel aroma doesn't prepare you for a tangy, biscuit malt flavour. There is a hint of sourness in there too alongside a soapy citrus hop.
Hazelnut Latte Stout ★★
Absurdly strong coffee aroma greets you but the hazelnut latte element makes it feel like watery coffee and Tia Maria. They should have gone for a full on espresso.
Hefe ★★★
This has more eatery aromas than a banana plantation. Very gassy, light and bright. A hefe with real refreshment.
Imperial Stout ★★★★
Thicker than stupid syrup with the 8.5% abv making it sweet rather than bitter. There is a gassy tingle that lightens this deep black brew.
Imperial Stout: Bourbon Cask ★★★★
White oak cask bourbon bleeds through into 10.5% abv stout. A more distinctive whisky would be better, but as a potent late night fare it hits the spot.
Imperial Stout: Whisky Cask (2012) ★★★★★
Aged in Speyside whisky casks this has the floral spirity flavours of the scotch with the roasted smoky stout. Superb.
Independence ★★★
The hoppy bite of an American IPA mixed with the creaminess of Greene King IPA. The hops win out in the end. USA 1 UK 0?
La Tripalle ★★★★
The warming alcoholic spiced edge of a tripel but with restrained banana flavours. There is the malty edge of a English golden ale. Deceptively drinkable for it's 8.5% abv strength. Co-brewed with Arbor and Harbour breweries.
Laphroaig Cask Stout ★★★★★
Matured in casks of smoky Islay whisky and no mistake. Captures all the smoky charm of Laphroaig but with a silky smooth malty base. Gorgeous - and apparently similar to Tactical Nuclear Penguin but without the alcohol burn.
Milk Stout ★★★★
Gentle stout where the lactose fills it out nicely to give it a soothing creamy feel. Subtle, but you could drink quite a bit of it.
Mocha ★★★★
After the initial roasted coffee bean rush it's softened and sweetened by the chocolate. Does exactly what you'd want.
Nova ★★★★
A clean US style pale ale with a good mix between dry malt and tropical fruity hops. Very drinkable and very refreshing.
Number 7 ★★★★
By the book session bitter with a pleasing malt flavour that lingers long in the finish. There's enough hoppy bite to keep it interesting for a whole evening.
Port Stout ★★★
Smooth, velvety and dry. There's a hint of port in the finish, but it's needs a dash more to be memorable.
Raspberry Stout ★★★
Huge amounts of raspberries create this Gu pudding of a stout. A strange mix of bitter roasted malts and sharp berries that feels a little like a liquor.
Saison ★★★
The rustic yeasty flavours of a traditional Belgian saison are tempered by the clean creaminess of a British golden ale. This could easily feel like neither fish nor fowl, but the end result is a gentle beer with hoppy edge that is restrained, yet rough enough to be very agreeable and very easy to drink.
Smoked Chilli Chipotle ★★★★
Warming and peppery with a hint of smoke. After a while it has quite a dry burn to it. More than a gimmick, but a bit of a niche.
Southville Hop ★★★
Tutti frutti, guava, mango and passion fruit on the aroma. The taste is a sharp fizzy rush like lilt marinated in socks. An intoxicatingly fruity and assertive American IPA with a dry, grapefruit pith finish.
Sunrise ★★★
Sits in a town half way between a bitter and an IPA. Dry and peppery but with a good whack of earthy hops.
Ultimate Raspberry ★★★★
The sweet raspberries blend with warming alcohol of the imperial stout. A nice balance.
Ultimate Stout ★★★★
Earthy, full bodied, stout with the 7.7% abv giving it a warm viscous charm. No fireworks, but a very pleasing strong, velvety stout.
Vanilla Milk Stout ★★★
It may not look like a stout based vanilla ice cream float but it sure tastes like it. Lactose comes through in the finish. Interesting but unbalanced.
Vintage 2012 ★★★★
Made during a 20 hour brewing session with 5 malts and 4 hop varieties. Pale brown in colour it is thickly malty with hints of caramel and chocolate and a spicy tingle to it. A richly complex beer with a nicely judged dry finish.
West Coast Red (Bourbon Aged) ★★★★
The aroma gives you the bright vanilla notes you expect from the bourbon barrel ageing. The body is thick and resinous with bitter smoky caramel dominating before a dry hoppy finish. A beer of three well executed taste flavours.
Brodie's (UK)
Ginger Stout ★★★★
As bracing and invigorating as a charge along a cold English seafront. The ginger and carbonation leap at you like enthusiastic dogs whilst the roasted stout flavours struggle to hang onto the leashes. More balanced than you'd think. Well worth trying.
Smoked Rye Porter ★★★★
This appears to be a smooth porter giving you a streamlined hit of roasted malts and hops. Closer inspection shows this to be a 7.3% abv heavyweight that could easily reconfigure your plans for tomorrow morning. The flavours are a nicely rounded bitter experience that's pleasing, of surprising subtle for it's strength.
Bronckhorster (Holland)
Night Porter ★★★
Baltic porter that has a sulphuric hit of overboiled cabbage mixed with dark roasted malts in the background (akin to burnt meat juice on a pan). In one sense, it's a Sunday roast gone wrong, on the other hand it's a smooth, chunky and interesting beer. There's even a dash of ovenproof cherry brandy in there.
Brooklyn (USA)
E-IPA ★★★
Tastes like a dry hoppy ESB but looks surprisingly pale. The robust woody caramel malts are very pleasant but the hops have a metallic edge that keeps it from being really satisfying.
East India Pale Ale ★★★
Huge hops dominate this light coloured beer. There is a dry, musty taste that has a citrus flavour in the background. Typical of an American IPA.
Lager ★★★★
Brooklyn's pre-prohibition beer. Amber in colour it has a great balance of hoppy and malty flavours with a refreshing floral edge. A gentle bitterness appears in the finish. More full flavoured ale than fizzy American lager. Good stuff. Sometimes tagged as a Vienna lager.
Local 1 ★★★
Strong spirity, beer, spicy, peppery flavour & a powerful malty finish. The mouthfeel is gassy but not overpowering with a hint of creaminess. Good and interesting, but not the stunning beer it hints at. Akin to a simplified 3 Monts.
Local 2 ★★★
Dark malty ale with a robust spice mix underpinned by warming alcohol flavours. Good - but not distinct from similar Belgian ales of the style.
Monster Ale ★★★★
Thick, potent ale with a light mahogany colour. The malty flavour is thick and woody with a real warming kick to it.
Oktoberfest ★★★
Dry, chalky pale golden ale with a heather honey note that's masked by over carbonation and a hint of iron fillings. Mildly more interesting than a generic lager.
Winter Ale ★★★
Malt overload! Tangy, sticky caramel flavours are offset by a bitter woody note.
Broughton (UK)
Double Champion Ale ★★★★
A blend of a Scotch style strong ale and a porter. Tastes like a smoother porter with a slight coffee note.
Merlin Ale ★★
Starts out promising to be a shimmering and ephemeral golden ale with a gently pungent taste but ends up bland and watery. Could work well as an accompaniment to food but an anticlimax on it's own.
Tibbie Shiels ★★★
Dark mahogany premium bitter with a creamy head. The taste is bitter, fruity and malty with a warming alcoholic finish. There is a gassy tingle to liven it up too. A traditional premium bitter that would perhaps benefit from being slightly less dry. Plenty of character though.
Bruery (USA)
Rugbrod ★★★★
Light brown in colour but this tastes like a pitch black porter. Deep, bitter and granular. It has a smooth malty rye bread feel. Nice.
Saison De Lente ★★★★★
Rustic blonde ale that's pitched half way between a gueuze and Orval (and uses the same type of yeast as both). A sour mix of bubblegum fruit and IPA style white pepper hops with a tight spritzy gassiness. Superb stuff.
Bruggsmidjan (Iceland)
Kaldi Dokkur ★★★
Mahogany coloured lager, no head. Gassy and malty with a hint of porterish coffee grounds in the background. Light and easy drinking with a nice aroma and little that lingers in the finish.
Kaldi Lager ★★★
Golden lager with a rich gassy taste that brings maltiness to the fore. The gassiness lingers into the finish. Fairly standard stuff but OK.
Kaldi Lite ★★★
Pale lager that has a pleasing malty bite but which is only 4.4% abv. Does it's job anonymously but well.
Kaldi Stennings ★★★
Tastes like caramel spread on well done toast. Made with the herb angelica - though you wouldn't know it. A nice amber ale that's not too sweet.
Nordan Kaldi ★★★
Restrained dark amber coloured beer with a flat but morish malty flavour.
Brunehaut (Belgium)
Daas Blond ★★★
Restrained, cloudy straw coloured Belgian organic ale. Gassy with a dry bitter spicy base that has the volume turned down low. A beer to go with something rather than one to drink on it's own. Delerium Wallflower?
Brunswick (UK)
Triple Hop ★★
Pale golden ale with dry malty biscuit flavour that feels rather thin. Could be decent session fare for some folk but lacks depth and complexity.
Budejovice (Czech)
Budvar ★★★
Dry, hoppy lager with a gentle malty aftertaste. Perfectly drinkable but a little on the thin side.
Budels (Holland)
Lentebok ★★★
Golden lager with a bright, bubbly mouthfeel and a restrained malt flavour. Decent session fare.
Burton Bridge (UK)
Bramble Stout ★★★★
Dark, roasted malt flavour stout with a smooth and slightly fruity finish.
Festive Porter ★★
Flat, smooth dark ale with restrained roasted malts that have a hint of flat coke. There is a bubblegum or opal fruit nor in the finish. The finish is short and dry. Underwhelming.
Burts (UK)
Traditional ★★★
A bland and unexceptional light brown beer with a soapy taste. However it is light and refreshing.
Busch (USA)
Budweisser ★★★
The king of beers, due to it's popularity, is often sneered at. It was brewed to be the lowest common denominator of US beer. There is the dominant gassiness you would expect but there is an interesting woody hoppiness that is appealing.
Butcombe (UK)
Blonde ★★
Golden ale with a dry bitter base and a generic citrus hop taste. Workmanlike and rapidly becomes slightly bland.
Butts (UK)
Mudskipper ★★★
Sweet malty beer akin to a scotch ale with hints of toffee and a dash of red fruit.
Traditional ★★★★
Dry, bitter, woody flavours are tempered by a hint of toffee sweetness in the finish that creates a wonderfully balanced beer.
Buxton (UK)
Imperial Black ★★★★
Black IPAs should deliver a balance of roasted malts and assertive hops. This beer gets that balance just right. Smooth and easy to drink despite it's 7.6% abv with flavours that punch their weight.
Byatt's (UK)
Columbo Pale Ale ★★★
Dry, dry, dry grapefruit pith greets you from start to finish. Heavily hopped but not overwhelming bitter. A very craft beer take on a pale ale.
Coventry Bitter ★★★
Light, gassy, amber coloured ale with a dry citrus hop flavour and a peppery finish. A good session bitter with a hint of IPA.
Crystal Cookie ★★★
A dry dark bitter with a bitter crystalline roasted malt edge. There is some burnt dark chocolate in there and a gentle hoppy tingle at the end.
Phoenix Gold ★★★★
A very pleasing mix of tropical fruit and citrus flavour hops with enough tangy bitterness to give it a very full flavour. What golden ales should be.
Regal Blond ★★★★
Dry, peppery ale that is verging on an IPA. Has a wonderfully woody finish.
Urban Red ★★★★
Dark red, bottle conditioned ale with a dry, hoppy flavour that has a gentle peppery bitterness. A red IPA?
Vienna Pale Ale ★★★
A robust pale ale where the tropical fruit flavours you'd expect are weighted down by the robust Vienna malt flavours. Tasty session fare.
XK Dark (Bottled) ★★★★
Coffee and chocolate backed up by a robust hoppy flavour I'm this gassy dark ale. Bitter, but the roasted flavours are well rounded with a warming alcoholic finish. Tastes like an Imperial Porter but it's a a 3.6% abv mild.
XXV Anniversary Ale ★★
Strong, but fundamentally underwhelming amber with a gently dry malty flavour and a whiff of spice & some sour cheese rind.
XXXmas Ale 2012 ★★★★
Bitter coffee and powdered chocolate with a sour edge of gherkins and a mountain range of a head. Triple hopped, potent, with a bit of a burn but not overpowering.
XXXmas Ale 2013 ★★★
Intensely, dark, dry and bitter ale with a hint of dry Christmas spice. The mouthfeel is quite gassy giving a carbonated edge to the dry hops. An incredibly robust beer that doesn't have the flair and delicacy of the previous year's brew.
Cairn's (UK)
Premium Export Lager ★★★★
Full bodied, fresh lager with a robust malty base punctuated by a lemony freshness and a hint of chive flavoured wholemeal crisps. Very satisfying.
Cairngorm (UK)
Black Gold ★★★★
Traditional Scottish stout, that is very similar to a Scandinavian stout. Roasted nutty flavours with a gassy mouthfeel & a burnt edge. At 4.4% it is mild in strength with a dry finish & a hint of sweetness to balance it out.
Blessed Thistle ★★★
Traditional ale brewed with thistles instead of hops for primary bittering. The taste is herbal and malty with a tingle in the finish from the ginger added late on. Interesting without being overpowering or too strange.
M&S Scottish Ale ★★★
A dark amber ale with heaps of heather and ginger on the taste. There are some roasted malts and hops in the finish. A bit gimmicky and over the top but still interesting.
Trade Winds ★★★
Award winning golden ale with a dry bitter malty flavour that has citrus and elderflower notes and a hint of washing up liquid. Decent session fare but not to my taste.
Wildcat ★★★★
Amber coloured bitter with a dry hoppy & fruity flavour and a light but lingering bitterness in the finish. Nothing revolutionary but a very satisfying traditional English ale that feels like it's been made with care and attention.
Caledonian (UK)
80/- ★★
A Greene King IPA style take on a shilling ale. A massively synthetic cream flow style mouthfeel enlivened with some malty highlights. Anonymously drinkable, but no more than that.
Deuchars IPA ★★★
Sharp bitter tasting dry-hopped fizzy IPA with a slight citrus edge. May prove too dry for prolonged drinking. Nice and light tasting at 4.4%
Double Amber ★★★
Tangy, malty ale with a hint of sour cherry that's light enough to drink and drink and drink.
Double Dark ★★★★
Tasty oatmeal stout that's a mixture of chocolate and molasses. There's a warming finish but it's still light and none too bitter.
Flying Scotsman ★★★
Roasted malts, raisins and a gentle hoppy spice note vie for attention. Alas the gassiness is somewhat overpowering and distracting. An ESB for lager drinkers?
Golden XPA ★★★★
Gentle golden ale with biscuit and toffee malt to the fore. The finish is dry and slightly smoky. A pleasant session ale with appreciable depth.
Kiss Me Quick ★★★
Fruity brown bitter with a gentle hoppy note. It basically wants to be bottled Hobgoblin when it should try to be like the draught.
Camden Town (UK)
Gentleman's Wit ★★★★
Thin, dry witbier with lemon and bergamot flavours bubbling up in it's gassiness. A great, light refreshing beer that leaves the perfumed fruit flavours floating round your mouth.
Hell's Lager ★★
Anonymous, bland lager with fizz but little in the way of flavour profile. It doesn't taste bad, but doesn't offer anything more than a mass produced lager.
Wheat ★★★
Deep amber coloured Hefeweizen whose thick, malty caramel flavours are heading towards a dunkelweizen. The gassiness lightens it. An autumnal refresher.
Camerons (UK)
Monkey Stout ★★★
Dark beer with a tar feel. Heavy with a gentle roasted malt in the mix and a mild dry bitter finish. The mouthfeel is akin to stout with a whisper of chocolate. Slightly bland.
Canardou (France)
Biere Aux Noix ★★★★★
Beer with nuts! It's nutty aroma prepares you for it's sweet honey nut flavour with a light caramel malt flavour in the background. Strongly flavoured and cloudy with sediment with the sweetness of a wheat beer, rather than it feeling sugary or syrupy. Very moreish and very well balanced.
La Nonnette ★★★★
Dark Belgian style beer with no head. Has the roasted coffee and liquorice elements of a porter but with a sweetness that lifts it. Full and well rounded. A bitter maltiness lingers in the finish. Punches above it's strength.
Cantillon (Belgium)
Cuv√©e Saint-Gilloise ★★★★★
Another mighty fine Cantillon lambic. The dry, grapefruit pith thumbprint is evident, but this is flatter and drier than the regular lambic. There is more of a bitter hoppy finish as well, thanks to the dry hopping. A lambic with a nod to IPAs? Nice.
Cuvee St Gilloise ★★★★
A flat gueuze made with dry hopping. The taste is smooth and restrained while maintaing the thumbprint of sour, musty white grapefruit. The hops give it a bitterness that rounds it out and give a full aroma.
Faro ★★★★
Mahogany brown sweetened lambic. The sugar gives it a malty caramel edge and balances the sourness without becoming too sweet. Good depth and distinctive from the other Cantillon brews though the sourness comes through in the finish.
Grand Cru Broscella ★★★
Completely flat beer with the distinctive Cantillon musty and citric base. Slightly floral and very sharp. Is likely to be best served with sauerkraut, sausage or spiced meat. A very acquired taste - their gueuze appears much less challenging in comparison.
Gueuze ★★★★★
Dry acidic beer with bundles of citrus (grapefruit?) flavour. Has an odd sweetness on the back of the tongue, but not at the front as there is little sugar. Swiftly develops a deep and balanced taste as you drink it.
Iris ★★★★★
Gueuze made with a high wheat content. It has a brighter citrus note than the standard Cantillon Gueuze with a performed floral note. Light, but exceptionally tasty.
Kriek Lambic ★★★★★
Zing, zing, zing. A fruity and sharp beer with big hits of cherry and grapefruit (or at least the distinctive Cantillon taste) followed by a deeper interesting after taste. One to enjoy slowly but a very impressive cherry beer. Also tried at 3 years old when the deeper taste had faded - still good but better when drunk young.
Lambic ★★★
Very dry with a refreshing citrus edge and a sour base with hints of must. Distinctively the base for their gueuze but with a much, much lighter flavour. Pale amber in colour.
Lou Pepe Kriek ★★★★
A blend of 2 year old lambics made with a high proportion of cherries (300g per litre). Lively and gassy with a bright full cherry taste, a hint of grapefruit and a gentle sourness. A more accessible, less complex beer than their regular kriek, with a purer cherry taste.
Rose de Gambrinus ★★★★
Sour, musty cherry beer with a sharp citrus note to it. Like the gueuze it has a distinctive full taste that is disconcerting at first but grows into a fuller, balanced flavour as you continue.
Vignerone ★★★★
A murky pale amber beer made with mixing 2 year old lambic with white grapes. It has a tarter flavour than the Gueuze whilst retaining a dry sourness in the base. There are hints of white wine in the background with a gentle gassiness. A beer of depth and character but an acquired taste.
Caou (France)
Kaou'et Brune ★★★
Deep, dark pan juices with a heavy, but not overpowering, bitterness. Fairly flat. There is bisto and thyme in the mix as well. Interesting and surprisingly easily drinkable for 7% abv, but could be nicer if it is was a more robust late night sipping ale.
Caracole (Belgium)
Biere Ambree ★★★
Weighing in at 7.5% abv this deep amber coloured beer has a kick to it. Alongside the traditional smoky and sweet caramel notes there is a dry chalky and metallic malty flavour that lingers.
Forestine Ambrosia ★★★★
Spicy amber ale with a robust alcoholic kick that has the merest hint of sweet caramel & red fruit in place of the dark bitterness of a dubbel. Traditional yet distinctive.
Forestine Nordika ★★★
Spiced orange and liquorice hit you from every side in this amber Christmas ale. The spiciness and warming alcohol feels like mulled wine.
Forestine Wysteria ★★★
This kicks off with a wave of tropical opal fruit aromas while the taste has juicier mango and papaya flavours. Has a very warming alcoholic finish with a hint of Tia Maria. A fruity Duvel.
Nostradamus ★★★★
Dark beer with a real mix of flavours. Sweet piney syrupy flavours with a deep bitter base and a warming alcohol feel. Gassy and lively with a little powdery feel. There are hints of rum and port. A pleasing and potent mix (9%).
Troublette ★★★★
This smells of cider vinegar crisps. The taste is a restrained wit beer, but with a dash of sour gooseberries in place of any orange or coriander. A perfect partner for fish and chips.
Carlsberg (Russia)
Baltika 7 ★★★★
Crisp lager with a confusing name, it's actually only 5.5% abv. It has a full malty flavour with a gentle hoppy finish. There is a dry bitter edge akin to a pilsner with a well judged gassiness that gives it a light feel. A cut above most regular lagers.
Carl's Porter ★★★★
A typical porter: oil black with a tan head and coffee grounds in the taste. There is a savoury biscuit flavour in the aroma and finish that adds a nice balance. Clean, easy drinking and enjoyable.
Carnegie Stark Porter ★★★
Tan head, dark body and moderate gassiness. This Swedish porter packs the expected bitter coffee grounds taste with a slight biscuit note round the edges. Similar to Carlsberg Carl's Porter but with more of a dry bitter finish.
Falcon Bayerskt ★★
Fairly nondescript dark lager with a malty taste and gassy mouthfeel but somewhat thin and unrefined overall.
Okocim Mocne ★★★
Bright and bubbly lager that has a gentle taste which belies it's stonking 7% strength. Should have more flavour for it's strength - a quaffing beer.
Okocim Porter ★★★★
Strong Baltic porter with a biscuit flavour amongst the roasted malt which gives it depth. Warmingly alcoholic, with a heavy, almost syrupy, feel. The nose is smoky, like an Islay whisky having a cigar. Sold in 500ml bottles despite being 8% abv.
Special Brew ★★
Strong pale gold beer with a sour alcoholic edge with some vinegary fruit. Very soon it becomes distressingly bland.
Carlton (Australia)
Abbotsford Invalid Stout ★★★★
Thick, rich stout with a tan head and a meaty roasted barley flavour that has a slow building burnt edge. There is enough creaminess to keep it smooth without impinging on the flavour. The finish is dry and malty with a dash of carbonation.
Mid ★★★
Twice hopped mid strength lager that majors on the gassiness.
Cascade (Australia)
Stout ★★
There is little head atop this gassy stout that has a feisty roasted taste to it and a very dry burnt finish that gradually gets a hint of chocolate to it. Feels somewhat thin and overly bitter due to the excessive carbonation.
Castelain (France)
Ch'ti Ambree ★★★
Earthy, rustic biere du garde with a hoppy yeast, a hint of orange peel and a gassy feel. Good, but not up there with the best of the Ch'ti beers.
Ch'ti Blanche ★★★★
Wheat beer that has been cave aged for 6 months. It has a gassy tingle and a cloudy straw colour. There are oranges on the aroma with a faint spicy note joining it in the taste with a robust hoppy finish. A blend of the best of witbiers and biere du garde with a lager fizz that steadily builds to the exclusion of the nuances of the flavours. It has a mix of flavours that are pitched at a level that works just as well on it's own as it does with food. Quite light at 4.5% abv too. Best served cold.
Ch'ti Blonde ★★★★
Rustic dry hoppy biere de garde with a gassy mouthfeel and a hint of apricot. The finish is mellow, slightly sour and bitter. There is a warming alcoholic burn that slowly builds. Pleasant but could have more punch for it's 6.4% strength.
Ch'ti Brune ★★★★
Smooth dark beer with a gentle fruity caramel aftertaste. Very pleasing in a unchallenging way.
Ch'ti Tripel ★★★
Crisp, gassy tripel with a light malty flavour backed up with a hit of alcohol. Sour, grassy aroma. Dry finish that could have more depth, but is very refreshing.
Castello (Italy)
Birra Pedavena ★★★
Crisp Italian lager with a dry bitter edge that doesn't kill it's refreshment.
Premium ★★
Cheap Italian lager that tastes like (hey!) cheap lager. Drinkable but not anything special in the slightest.
Rosso ★
In short, unpleasant. Not worth drinking even if bought by accident.
Castle Rock (UK)
Great Crested Glebe ★★★
Golden ale with gentle bitter taste.
Harvest Pale ★★★★
Pale ale with a clean buttery hop taste with a hint of biscuit malt. A very easy drinking and refreshing. Subtle but builds nicely.
M&S Cascade Pale Ale ★★★★
A pale golden coloured ale with a restrained dry hoppy aroma. The flavour has bitter pine resin to the fore - but without becoming overpowering. Pitched somewhere between a US style IPA and a golden ale, this is an accomplished ale.
Preservation Fine Ale ★★★★
Reddish brown ale with a gentle taste - very drinkable.
Caulier (Belgium)
Bon Secours Blonde ★★★
Cloudy gold beer that smells of honey on crumpets. The taste is initially flat then the finish explodes with sour raspberries, hops and yeast. A bit dry and weird to appeal but it is at least interesting.
Bon Secours Brune ★★★
Dark with a small creamy head. Alcoholic and fruity in flavour with a sherry and meths finish and a dash of sour bitterness. A tad overpowering but drinkable and not lacking in character.
Cazeau (Belgium)
Saison ★★★
Dry blonde ale with a refreshing gassy tingle. It has elderflowers added to it but they are crushed by the peppery hops. There's a lambic sourness but overall it feels quite fresh. One for IPA fans.
Tournay Noire ★★★★
Strong, malty stout with a gentle smoky finish but a more intense aroma. Gassy enough to keep it light.
Champs (France)
La Gatine Ambree ★★★★
Strong cloudy amber beer with a creamy and gassy mouthfeel alongside rustic hints of a biere de garde and a Belgian triple. The taste is dry hopped with toffee apples and a dash of warming alcohol.
Chang (Thailand)
Lager ★★
Bland but functional lager.
Chevreuse (France)
Volcelest Ambree ★★★★
Amber ale with a caramel nose and taste backed up by a roasted malt base. A good balance of sweet and bitter, almost like a toffee apple abbey dubbel.
Volcelest Printemps ★★★★
Dry spritzy, aromatic, rustically hopped blonde ale. A fizzing springtime pleasure.
Chiltern (UK)
Chiltern Ale ★★★
Light brown ale with a slightly sweet taste. Very easy drinking.
Chimay (Belgium)
Chimay Blanche/Triple (Cinq Cents) ★★★
A tripel whose mouthfeel can vary from creamy to abrasively gassy. The coriander spicing and alcoholic pale malt flavours feel a bit fuzzy mixed in with each other, lacking clarity and punch. The finish has some chalky dry hop bitterness with a hint of hairspray. A solid beer whose rough edges have their charm.
Chimay Bleue (Grand Reserve) ★★★★
Dark and heavy malty beer with a strong kick and slight fruity sweetness. A slight gassy edge lightens the beer without disturbing it's rounded flavours. Akin to the heavily caramelised edge of a fruit tart.
Chimay Rouge (Premiere) ★★★
Gassy, lightly spiced, chestnut coloured dubbel with a slightly sour malty finish. The carbonation and warming alcohol are to the fore, meaning that it lacks the creamy complexity of Westmalle Dubbel or Maredsous 8. Pleasing enough, but evidence that not all Trappist beers are world beaters.
Mont Des Cats Biere Trappist ★★★
A salted caramel of a strong ale. Sweet toffee flavours initially dominate before the bitter hops steadily come through in the finish. There is a bit of buttery, malty spicing in there too as well as an alcoholic kick. Brewed by Chimay for the French Mont Des Cats abbey. An assured beer.
Christofele (Belgium)
Dubbel ★★
Overly yeasty, gassy, sour beer that tastes a little like the sick of someone who has been drinking bitter. Tastes better with meat, which brings out a spiciness.
Christopher Noyon (2 Caps) (France)
Blanche de Wissant ★★★
Pale yellow beer with a big frothy head. The taste is very light and gassy with a creamy citrus hop finish. Almost akin to a Helles.
Noire De Slack ★★★★★
Pitch black beer with a frothy tan head. Creamy and gassy in equal measure with a rich porterish coffee ground taste. There is a deep hoppiness and a hint of sweet berry flavours in the background. Not too strong either. Very impressive.
Church End (UK)
Boston Fat Boy ★★★
Pale yellow beer made with green hops. Drinkable but nothing special.
Cuthberts ★★★
Tangy session ale with a smooth maltiness. Decent session fare with a steadily building hoppy finish but nothing special.
Have Two Brute ★★★
Pitch black with a dark bitter roasted taste with hints of dark chocolate. The finish is lingeringly burnt. A solid porter.
IGA ★★
Anonymous Church End fare with a vaguely sour biscuit malt flavour.
Low Rider ★★
Thin and rather reedy golden ale. Only 2.8% abv - which may explain it being underwhelming - or it's just a bit lame.
Pew's Porter ★★★
Dark porter with little head. Alongside the typical roasted coffee taste is a watery hop flavour. There is something slightly acid on the finish.
Vicars Ruin ★★★
Straightforward golden ale with a gentle hoppy citrus edge to the taste. Fairly non descript and not to my taste.
What The Fox's Hat ★★★
There's a bit of biscuit malt and a hint of citrus in this golden ale - but not much to get excited about.
Ciney (Belgium)
Cuvee Blonde ★★★
Strong blonde ale with an alcoholic, almost chalky edge and a gentle mix of spices including some coriander. The mouthfeel is quite gassy. A dry blonde that is well balanced and distinctive.
Cuvee Brune ★★★★
Almost black abbey beer with a strong fruity taste and an alcoholic malty base. Not overpowering, but potent with an almost port like finish and a dash of sweetness.
Cittavechia (Italy)
Chiara ★★★★
A bottle conditioned lager that feels a bit like a Hefeweizen with the banana and clove flavours taken out. A great example of how to showcase the basic building blocks of beer.
Coach House (UK)
Blueberry Classic Bitter ★★
There is probably a good idea here somewhere. Alas this is like someone firing blueberry air freshener at you whilst you are trying to have a quiet bitter - that's possibly been spiked with fruit squash. A car crash, but it's what it says on the label.
Cobra (India)
Premium ★★★
Clean, dry lager with little gas. Unsurprisingly goes well with curries but a bit bland on it's own.
Coedo (Japan)
Hoppy Wind Session Ale ★★★
The hoppiest pilsner you'll ever taste. Dry as a bone with an astringent citrus hop that has the sting of strong cleaning chemicals. The body is much lighter and thinner than similarly hoppy IPAs. An effective brewing experiment but certainly no session ale.
Kyara ★★★
This lager is sufficiently hopped up to feel like an IPA. A thick layer of caramel malt and pine resin with a floating hint of white grape and a bitter finish.
Ruri ★★★
This isn't your average pilsner. The taste is hoppy enough to feel salty and chalky with the dry grassy bitterness. There's a bit of maltiness in the background. Distinctive.
Shikkoku ★★★★
A dry jet black beer that starts out much like other Japanese black beers, but amongst the roasted malts there is a bit of liquorice, soy sauce and sour cherry that gives it added depth.
Collective Sao Gabriel (Germany)
Berne ★★★
A gentle amber lager with a pleasantly quilty bitter caramel malt flavour with honied notes. Pleasing crisp, but a tad anonymous. Brewed at Arcobrau.
Steph Weiss ★★★★★
Brewed over 8 weeks, this shows the benefit of taking your time with the estery banana and clove flavours landing softly on the tongue. Solid but not heavy - perfect for crisp day. Everything you'd want from a weiss.
Concertina (UK)
Bengal Tiger ★★
Watery light amber beer with a gentle maltiness that is overpowered by an orange flavour that makes it feel like someone has poured orange squash into your beer.
Coniston (UK)
Bluebird ★★★
Bright, citric beer with a light gold colour and a very thin laced head. A classically styled ale made with Challenger hops and Maris Otter malts.
Coopers (Australia)
Best Extra Stout ★★
Dark stout with an incredibly tan head. Fairly bland with a burnt taste and a dry chalky finish. There is a hint of espresso and a surprising gassiness for a stout.
Dark Ale ★★★
Gassy dark beer with a roasted flavour balanced by a gentle hint of fruit. Decent session fare but nothing more.
Extra Strong Vintage Ale ★★★
Amber ale with a strong malty fruity taste & a burnt carbonized edge. Smooth & wheaty mouthfeel. A smoother, less bolshy, version of the ultra strong Belgian ales like Bush. It's strength is 7.5% abv & that's just about right.
Pale Ale ★★★
Smooth beer with a medium mouthfeel and a slightly bright citrus finish. Easy drinking, quite refreshing but nothing memorable. Slightly dry in the finish.
Sparkling Ale ★★★
Gassy bottle conditioned amber ale. The taste is malty and fruity with a dry bitter finish. It has the heft of an ale in the mouth but with the fizz of a lager. Best served in hot weather.
Coppice (UK)
Gold ★★
Dry soapy and rather underwhelming. A thin vaguely hoppy taste with little else going on.
Cornelius (Belgium)
Bruges Bier ★★★★
Blonde beer that tastes a lot like a triple. The gentle carbonation fades to reveal a beer with a blend of hop and citrus fruit flavours. Well balanced and refreshing with a gentle bitter finish.
Cotleigh (UK)
Kookaburra ★★★★
Made with Australian hops this is a mix of sweet toffee and dry bitter toffee that balances beautifully.
Monument ★★★
Light coloured ale with a slightly watery sour taste.
Tawny Owl ★★★
A classic English bitter. Pale brown in colour with a balance of woody hops and slightly sweet malts.
Cotswold Brewing Co (UK)
3.8 Lager ★★★★
Straw coloured lager with a fading frothy head. A light and refreshing lager with a citrus edge and a pronounced hoppy aroma. A shining example to Becks, Grolsch et al on how to do a weaker lager.
Premium Lager ★★★★
Brewed to the German purity laws this lager is pale gold in colour with no head and a light carbonation. It is mildly crisp with a full bodied hoppy taste (liberty and hersbrucker) and a hint of onion. Slightly dry and bitter In the aftertaste. A great example of an English lager.
Wheat Beer ★★★
Cloudy bright yellow wheat beer with no head that the brewers claim is made in the style of a Berlin style beer. Quite sweet and lemony in taste without tasting like an alcopop. Could have more depth but very refreshing.
Cottage (UK)
Broadgauge ★★
Chestnut coloured ale with a nutty processed taste that is on the dry side.
Goldrush ★★
Sharp, citrus (slightly washing up liquid) gold coloured ale with a hint of apple. Somewhat thin for it's 5% strength.
Western Star ★★★
Porter with a coffee edge that glides down nicely
County Carlow (Ireland)
M&S Irish Stout ★★★★
Bottled stout with little head and a gassy mouthfeel. The taste is bitter coffee with a hint of hops and dark chocolate. The aroma is malt and coffee, the finish is dry. A good stout with a dry tingle.
Crabbie's (UK)
Ginger Beer ★★★★
A landslide of German all spice and ginger. Has a warm tingle to it as the ginger dances on your tongue. You wouldn't want to drink too much of it.
Craig Allan (France)
Cuvee D'Oscar ★★★★★
Dry hopped dark amber wheat beer. The aroma has apricots, elderflower and hops. The taste is more rounded but retains sour apricot to the finish with a bitter peppery hop flavour. A fruity IPA mixed with a weizen - a brown IPA? Brewed at De Proef.
Cristoffel (Holland)
Blonde ★★★
A "double hopped" beer that leaps out at you like an American IPA. Dry and slightly peppery with a tight carbonation and a hint of citrus.
Cropton (UK)
M&S Christmas Ale ★★★
A seasonal brew for Marks & Spencer with extracts of cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise & more. The taste is dominated by chocolate malts but the additions make it distinctively festive. Light for 6.2% abv. Tastes a tad artificial.
Crouch Vale (UK)
Amarillo ★★
Premium' golden ale with synthetic citrus taste that veers too close to fairy liquid.
Crouch Best ★★★
Chestnut brown ale with a light hoppy taste that sours a little but slips down easily. A solid session beer.
M&S Essex Summer Ale ★★★
Golden ale made with lager & maris outer malts. The aroma is very floral with a bright peppery flavour & a hoppy tropical fruit flavour. Quite startling & a bit too lively for a simple refresher, but it's distinctive. It starts out like a golden ale but develops a gassy bitter finish like a lager.
Croucher (New Zealand)
Pils ★★★★
Bright grapefruit and hop tasting pilsner with a real freshness - almost a salty seaweed edge in the finish. An enthusiastic pilsner.
Crown (Australia)
Lager ★★
Dry, smooth lager with a mix of malt and hops that has a hint of liquorice to it. A distinct contrast to the typical bright and bubbly lagers but a bit bland.
Cumberland (UK)
Corby ★★★
Smooth golden ale with gentle biscuit malt taste that slides across the palette with a hint of hoppiness in the finish. Good session fare.
Daleside (UK)
Special Bitter ★★
Thin, sharp and slightly acid beer with a dry citrus hop. The creamy head helps to fill out the flavour but it is not enough. Light amber in colour.
Damp fibre Zweisel (Germany)
Pfeffer Hell ★★★
Clean, buttery straw coloured lager with a gassy mouthfeel and a hint of dry straw. You could easily drink a stein of this.
Dark Star (UK)
Espresso ★★★★
Pure espresso on the aroma. The taste is big on coffee with a hint of bitter chocolate. Despite it's dark taste it is not too heavy at 4.2%. Has coffee beans mixed in.
Hophead Extra ★★★
Smooth straw coloured beer with a citric hoppy taste. Well balanced and a good smooth session beer with a nice lingering bitterness.
Sussex Extra Stout ★★★
Run of the mill stout with a robust mouthfeel that has a creamy edge tempering the roasted malt flavour. Perfectly pleasant.
Dauphine (France)
Mandrin Blanche Chartreuse ★★★★
Made with Chartreuse herbs, this Witbier has a beautiful blend of citrus grapefruit, briny water and vegetal herbs. Only 3.3% abv, but it feels like a potent mix of Hoegaarden beer and Chartreuse liqueur.
Davenport (UK)
Fox's Nob ★★★
Amber coloured bitter with a dash of apricot on the aroma. Dry, bitter hops in the taste with a gentle fruity creaminess that rounds it off nicely. A good English session bitter.
Witches Brew ★★
Watery light coloured bitter with a gentle malty flavour. A bit thin and chemical but not too bad. Forgettable.
De Beiaard (Holland)
Blonde Ros ★★★
Smooth blonde beer with a pronounced malty flavour. Not too gassy, slightly dry. There is a subtle mix of spices in the background that is quite appealing. Pleasant gentle session fare.
Manke Monnik ★★★★
Well rounded tripel with a balanced mix of foamy banana sweets and coriander. The gassiness is just enough to make it lively without overpowering the flavour. The finish becomes buttery.
Witte Ros ★★★
A summer refresher witbier that is at the gassier and citrusy end of the spectrum. Decent stuff, but wait for hot weather to get the best out of it.
De Dochter Van De Korenaar (Belgium)
Bravoure ★★★★★
Smoke gently mingles through robust malty flavours with a hint of caramel and sour fruit in this russet coloured ale. One of the subtlest and most pleasing smoked beers you'll taste.
Embrasse (Oak Aged Blended) ★★★★
This deep brown beer is an assault on the taste buds with warming alcohol, roasted malt and heavy oak all charging through lobbing hand grenades. So thick it has you licking your chops. The makers also suggest trying it hot - when it tastes like bonkers Bovril.
Noblesse ★★★★
Smooth blonde ale with restrained malts and spicing that makes it interesting whilst remaining easy drinking.
de Dolle (Belgium)
Ara Bier ★★★
Light and bright beer with a sharp dry hoppy taste and a citrus and orange edge. A gassy mouthfeel and slowly develops a coriander aftertaste. Best suited to a summers day for when you want something to pep you up, but overall a little confused.
Bos Keun ★★
Bitter, gassy amber ale with a florally sweet edge to it. Very interesting but not to my taste.
Extra Export Stout ★★★★
Intensely black 9% abv stout with powdered chocolate and roasted malt flavours lashing down on you. The bitterness is tempered by the sweetness of the alcohol. The spritzy gassiness stops it becoming too heavy or syrupy. An intense, but not overwhelming, beast.
De Gaillon (France)
La Briarde ★★★
Dry and slightly chalky blonde ale with a citrus flavour that verges on the sour - grapefruit pith perhaps. The tight carbonation keeps it light. A refreshing palate cleanser.
De Koninck (Belgium)
(Red Label 5%) ★★★
A gateway Belgian ale that has the gentle malty flavour with a toffee edge and a faint hoppy bit. Gassier than an English ale and with a slight spicy edge but otherwise safe.
Triple ★★★
Strong amber ale with a warm malty flavour and a creamy mouthfeel. Pleasant to drink, not overpowering and with a moreish biscuit finish.
Winter ★★★
Sweet woody amber ale with dry, crystalline caramel and a spritzy mouthfeel. There is a bit of cherry cola in there and some warming alcohol. The finish is bitter and slightly burnt. A
Winterkoninck ★★★
Light brown beer with hints of pear drops, nail varnish and a metallic tang. Has an alcoholic edge but a thin main taste. 6.5% in strength.
De Leckere (Holland)
Pontificale ★★★★
Dark beer with a bitter fruit and malt flavour that is akin to Maredsous 8 but without the sweetness.
De Leite (Belgium)
Cuv√©e Mam'Zelle ★★★★
The dry hoppy edge of strong Belgian blonde fused with the sour apple edge of a Gueuze. A potent beer that's never overwhelming and whose sour edge cuts through the chalky dryness.
Ma Mere Special ★★★
Dry, chalky Belgian pale ale with a gentle peppery hop finish. A well balanced Belgian take on an IPA, but not as special as it's name implies.
De Proef (Belgium)
Babbelaar Blond ★★★
Blond Belgian ale that is a sweeter version of Duvel with a pronounced malty alcohol finish.
Boerinneken ★★★
Strong bottle conditioned blonde Belgian ale with a full mouthfeel, a gentle fizz and a dry, bready finish. Somewhat akin to Duvel with the heft of a wheat beer. The alcohol is evident without affecting the flavour.
Gageleer ★★★
Roast chicken crisps and sweet malt on the aroma of this strong pale ale made with bog myrtle. The taste is gently spicy with hints of soap, hops and mint along with the roast chicken. Possibly tries to do a bit too much flavour wise, but decent stuff.
Gandavum Dry Hopping ★★★★
Belgian IPA that is one of the housebeers of Het Waterhuis Aun De Bierkant in Ghent. 7.5% abv and with the dry hoppy flavour the name would imply without becoming too extreme. Well balanced and a good example of the style that showcases the hop flavour well.
Greens Premium Golden Ale ★★★
It starts with a tangy malty aroma before a gassy watery body underwhelms slightly. Made with deglutenised wheat.
Jessenhofke ★★★★
Thick triple that goes heavy on the malty flavours with an alcoholic kick in the finish. More akin to a strong Belgian blonde than a spicy triple, but still very nice.
Prearis Blonde ★★★
Pale straw coloured ale. Chalky, dry taste with a peppery hop tingle in the finish. There's also a hint of grapefruit pith from the American hops and a touch of Duvel. Tight carbonation with a narrow taste in the mouth, but certainly not thin. You could easily drink quite a bit of this.
Reinaert Amber ★★★★
Deep honey colour with papaya and candy sugar on the aroma. Tropical fruit in the taste with very little malt. Distinctive flavours but with a clean balanced finish.
Reinaert Grand Cru ★★★★
Bitter malty ale with a brisk gassy mouthfeel and big blobs of strawberry jam. Hints of black forest gateau and cherries in the complex flavour with a bit of burnt roasted malts in the background. More levels than an overly long computer game. Would benefit from being slightly less gassy to help the flavours come through but still very complex.
Reinaert Tripel ★★★★
Intensely buttery, caramel Belgian tripel which develops a fuller spicy flavour. Hints of candy sugar and fruit with black pepper finish. The mouthfeel is heavy with a yeasty feel, akin to a wheat beer. Striking and very tasty.
Slaapmutske Blonde ★★★★
Curious. Mango, banana, candy floss, caramel, soap and a hint of citrus. A very clean finish. Gassy enough to feel light and refreshing (and hide it's 6.4% abv strength).
Slaapmutske Bruin ★★★
A rounded, traditional Belgian brown ale that delivers what you'd expect.
Slaapmutske Triple ★★★
Thick caramel, sweet malt and a slightly dry finish. Possibly a hint of chewy sweets. Feels lighter than it's high abv.
De Ranke (Belgium)
Guldenberg ★★★★
Bottle conditioned strong ale with a fresh, green hopped citrus taste. There is a spicy, bready taste to it with a kick in the finish. The mouthfeel is gassy but this helps to bring out the maltiness whilst the finish is dry.
Noir De Dottinges ★★★★
Dark bitter ale made with 6 types of malt. Coffee grounds, raisins and plums to the fore with hints of hops and biscuits. There is a burnt note that lingers in the finish & a malty marmite note. There is a gassiness akin to a Scandinavian imperial stout.
Pere Noel ★★★★
Cloudy gassy beer with a big creamy head and a bitter fruity taste. A strong Belgian pale ale that feels like a triple. Potent, robust and well balanced. Like Duvel but with stronger hops and yeast.
XX Bitter ★★★
Puckeringly dry and chalky ale with an IPA style intense hoppy flavour that stays the right side of overwhelming.
De Troch (Belgium)
Chapeau Banana ★★
Smells of bananas, tastes of pear drops. Too sweet, too chemical and tastes of penny sweets. Improves the more you drink, but too unbalanced.
de Zenne (Belgium)
Betchard Blonde ★★★★
The draught beer of t'Spinokoepke - a restaurant specialising in beer cuisine. Light, sharp and gassy. Seems to go well with food as a bracing palette cleanser.
De Zette (Belgium)
Rebel Local ★★
Chalky, gassy blonde beer with a hoppy tingle and a hint of washing up liquid citrus. Far too bubbly to taste anything.
Dickensian (UK)
Ale Of Two Cities ★★★
Dry, gassy pale golden colour bitter. The flavours are very subtly with a piney woodiness and a faint waft of hops in the finish. Gentle session fare at 3.8% abv.
Martin Guzzlewit ★★★★
A crisp, dry yellowed gold colour bitter. The taste has a reassuring soapy and yeasty base with a gentle bitter punch of citrus hops that give it an air of distinction. A light and bright session beer.
Diebels (Germany)
Altbier ★★★★
Copper coloured German ale with a bready yeasty smell. Starts out with a taste like and English Christmas ale with strong malt and plum fruity tastes. Further tasting allows the gentle carbonation to provide a building sourness with a hint of tea in the dry aftertaste. Would be improved if were smoother to allow the malt and fruity flavours to shine through but would make a good session beer.
Dilewyns (Belgium)
Vicaris Generaal ★★★★
Dark ale that clocks in at 8.8% abv. Strong and malty with a sweet sherry finish that has a hint of sour cherries. Gassy enough to take edge off without losing it's potency. A whisker away from being superb.
Donnington (UK)
BB ★★★
Dry, woody bitter that tastes like a mix of biscuits and twigs - in other words a characterful session bitter that's only 3.5% abv.
Diamond Queen (bottled) ★★
Incredibly gassy ale where the carbonation overwhelms the slightly sour malty flavours.
Double Down (bottled) ★★
Ruined by over carbonation in the bottle, there are some toffee malt flavours, but they are utterly obscured by the fizz.
SBA ★★★
A bitter ale with a toffee sweetness to the robust malt flavour and a bitter woody finish. Has more of a kick than session bitters but without the overpowering feel of some ESBs.
Dorset BC (UK)
Chesil Ale ★★★
Dry and bitter light pilsner that is similar to Tuborg.
Durdle Door ★★★★★
Strong bitter with a slightly sweet taste that leads into a big hoppy finish. A slight bitterness creeps in at the end. Well balanced, well judged and very enjoyable.
Jurrasic ★★★
Soapy bitter that slides down well on a warm summer day. Nothing particularly distinguished about it though.
Dortmunder Actien (Germany)
Hovels Original ★★★★★
A hoppy, top fermented beer from Northern Rhineland. Amber coloured, hoppy and citrus smelling, strongly malty with some caramel and bready undertones and dark raisiny fruits. Semi-dry, bitter finish.
Downton (UK)
Chimera Dark Delight ★★★★
A seasonal winter ale which has a chunky hoppy taste with a smooth edge. Subtle tastes of chocolate and coffee are evident. Somewhere between a stout and a premium bitter.
Chimera Honey Blonde ★★★
A slightly chalky, pale straw coloured beer with a metallic edge. There is a fresh grapefruit pith hint to the hops and a dash of lemon cough sweets. Made with honey that adds a herbal edge. A dry thin IPA.
Chimera IPA ★★
Cloudy bottle conditioned beer with an aroma that varies between doggy carpet and lemon sweets. The taste is a damp hoppy flavour that feels like a potent hoppy IPA left out in wet drizzle for an afternoon. Not great.
Drie Fountain (Belgium)
Oude Gueuze ★★★★★
Dry, lemony beer with a base and colour that has elements of cider. More highly carbonated than other gueuze I've tried. Akin to Cantillon Gueuze but far cleaner, without the musty haze to the flavour. Bright with great depths of flavour. A superb beer that is highly recommended though maybe not quite the equal of the Girardin or Cantillon.
Oude Gueuze Vintage ★★★★★
Less gassy than their regular gueuze which allows the apple and citrus flavours to come through clearly. Punchy without being sharp and full flavoured whilst remaining light. A gueuze to savour.
Oude Kriek ★★★★
Dry, fruity cherry beer with a sour and bitter edge. Oddly not really sweet at all.
Du Bocq (Belgium)
Corsendonk Agnus (Abbey Pale Ale) ★★★
Light gassy blonde beer with a massive frothy head and a typically Belgian spicy flavour. Very pleasant and easy drinking but nothing stunning.
Corsendonk Christmas ★★★
A pear drop and pineapple aroma greets you. The taste starts out like a bitter but there are champagne bubbles and acidity that come through with a faint spicy fruit flavour.
Corsendonk Dubbel ★★★★
Figs, dates and prunes dominates the aroma and taste. Robust malty flavour with a warming caramel and syrup edge combined with a hint of smoke.
Corsendonk Rousse ★★★
Pale amber Belgian ale with some sweet red fruit and typical Belgian spicing. Feels a touch thin, artificial and underwhelming - though it's not bad.
Deuginet ★★★
Smooth blonde beer with a herbal twist. Not too gassy or dry.
M&S Belgian Bruin ★★★★
Bitter caramel malt is offset by corriander and stewed dark fruit combine in this textbook example of a Belgian Bruin. The finish is dry and warming, but at 6.5% it's actually lighter than most of it's contemporaries. Another strong M&S beer.
Dubisson (Belgium)
Bush Ambree ★★
The strongest beer in Belgium. Potent, almost vinegary brew with a bitter edge and little going on.
Bush Scaldis Noel ★★★
Amber beer with elements of fruit, melting butter, dairy and gentle toffee apple in the background and maybe a hint of brandy with an alcoholic edge. 12% abv in strength but much nicer than Bush Ambree.
Cuv√©e De Troels ★★
Beer or mirage? A gassy pale golden beer that has a buttery maltiness, a hint of straw and a lot of nothing. Forgettable.
Ducato (Italy)
Blonde ★★★★
Golden with a generous measure of floral hops giving a dry perfumed flavour that isn't overly bitter or peppery. Executed with scientific precision.
Chimera ★★★★
Deeply malty ale with coffee, toffee and dark fruit all present. Maybe a hint of liquorice too. At the bitter end of the Dubbel spectrum - and the better end.
New Morning ★★★★
A refreshing and spritzy saison. A thick mouthfeel with gentle, floral spicing, a bit of bitter orange and a dash of dry, peppery hops in the finish. Somewhere between a saison, an IPA & Hoegaarden.
Duchy Originals (UK)
Old Ruby Ale 1905 ★★★
Dry amber coloured ale with a bitter hoppiness balanced by a tangy caramel malt finish. The mouthfeel is light, gassy and perhaps a little thin. Made with a type of barley that dates from 1905.
Dupont (Belgium)
Biolegere ★★★★
Lies pleasantly between a Belgian ale and a Witbier with a hoppy fruit hit of kiwi or lychee with the thick creamy feeling of a wit. Only 3.5% abv but with more flavour of many beers that are twice the strength.
Blanche Du Hainaut ★★★★
Belgian white beer that has a slight fruity sharpness and a hint of wheat in the base that fills out that taste. A strong flavour without being a particularly high percentage (5.5%). Made organically and better than the average witbier.
Bons Voeux ★★★
Strong alcoholic cloudy ale with a slight yeasty edge. Potent, with hints of Scaldis Bush, but with hints of a triple and subtleties that creep through the strength. A seasonal super-charged Saison brewed annually for Christmas. The name means """"best wishes"""".
Moinette Brune ★★★★
From the off, roasted malt and caramel flavours are battling for attention in this ale that has bitterness lifted with a hint of sugary sweetness. The finish has a slight dryness. The head does not linger too long. A beautiful balance.
Monk Stout ★★★
Gassy, malty, dark ale with warming alcohol as evident as roasted malt. There is powdered chocolate in the finish. It tastes like an imperial stout or a baltic porter but it's only 5.2% abv. Interesting, but perhaps a tad too dry.
Saison ★★★★
Bottle fermented Belgian pale ale. Light gold in colour it has a robust mouthfeel with gentle gassiness and spicing. Smooth and subtle with a lingering biscuit malt finish. Better when served without the sediment. A classic of it's style.
Saison DuPont Cuv√©e Dry Hopping 2013 ★★★★
A full bodied textbook example of what Belgian beer tastes like. Spritzy, spiced and malty. This is a rich and easy drinking beer with a gentle lacing of hops to top it off.
Durham (UK)
Bede's Chalice ★★
Overpowered ale that is 9% and not shy about the fact. Amber in colour with a fast fading head. The taste is warming alcohol and tangy malt with zero complexity. Makes you think the English should leave strong beer to Belgians.
Temptation ★★★
Pitch black beer with a very deep tar and coffee flavour and a hint of chocolate in the aroma. The mouthfeel is flat and heavy. There is something metallic and oily in the background.
White Stout ★★★
Dry, pale straw coloured ale with a bitter puckering hoppy finish. It tastes like a effervescent IPA but claims to be a white stout - whatever that is.
Dux (New Zealand)
Black Shag ★★★★
A stout that is heavy on the roasted malts without losing it's smoothness. There are oat and chocolate flavours that come through to give it depth. The finish is dry.
Blue Duck ★★★
Robust amber lager with a tangy biscuit malt flavour. The finish is dry and short. Not bland but not memorable.
Ginger Tom ★★★
A feisty, acerbic hit of ginger greets you with this beer, underpinned by a fresh green note beneath it's fire. Not too sweet and does what it says.
Hereford Bitter ★★★
Dark brown bitter with a roasted bready taste. Confusingly it is sometimes labeled as a Munich style dark lager. Decent session fare.
Lager ★★★
Pale lager with a gentle citrus taste and a faint hoppiness that feels a muted pilsner. The finish is gentle and dry. Somewhat akin to a helles in it's strength of flavour. Very quaffable.
Norwester ★★★
Deep amber strong ale with a gassy mouthfeel and a dry malty taste with a woody hop note that comes through in the finish. It's builds into the flavour profile of a traditional IPA with a hint of breadcrust. Voted Grand Champion at the Australian International Beer Awards and slips down very pleasingly. Would go well with food.
Souwester ★★★★
A stout that at 6.5% abv exists in a great area between regular and imperial stouts. The flavour is roasted, but not at all burnt, with chocolate and caramel in support. Smooth and substantial with a gentle hint of warming alcohol in the finish.
Duyck (France)
Jenlain 6 ★★★★
Straw coloured beer with a lingering smidge of head. It has a full bodied rustic hoppy taste balanced with a sweet hint of caramel and apples. It fizzes on the top of your mouth to give a pleasing mouthfeel. Dangerously easy to drink for it's strength and a restrained experience for all it's depth with a quiet finish.
Jenlain Ambree ★★★★★
Strong (7.5% abv) top fermented beer made with 3 types of hops grown in the Alsace. The taste is reminiscent of a dark, malty, Czech lager and is very, very nice.
Jenlain Noel ★★★★★
A fruitier flavour than the regular Jenlain and very nice.
Ecaussinnes (Belgium)
Cookie Beer ★★★★
Ginger, lavender, pot pourri , honey, caramel and banana are all present in this rather bonkers beer. The finish is quite dry with a bit of resinous hoppy pine. Bizarre, sticky, but actually really nice. A speculous biscuit beer.
Echigo (Japan)
Organic Beer ★★
A thin, Kolsch like golden beer with straw and butter on the aroma and a sour and bitter dry hoppy flavour. All of this is quite restrained leaving the beer being more notable for how it's made rather than what it tastes like.
Red Ale ★★★★
A heavily malted mahogany coloured ale with a smoky hop bitterness in the finish. There is a hint of sweet caramel and tart raspberry floating above it all. A good all rounder with a crisp edge that would make fine session fare.
Stout ★★★
A bone dry stout where the heavy carbonation duels with strong roasted malts. This gives a finish that is dry and bitter. An effective demonstration of the style that lacks a certain spark to make it exceptional.
Eem (Holland)
Bitter ★★★
Blonde ale with a vague malty flavour that has hints of coriander. Weighs in at 6.8% abv but feels very smooth and drinkable. Pleasant but forgetable.
Egger (Austria)
Marzen ★★★
Brewed to the German purity law this Austrian Marzen beer is gold in colour with a restrained maltiness that nonetheless makes itself evident early on. A bitter hoppiness pokes it's head round that door about 75% of the way through a pint to add a little depth. Moderately gassy, slightly above average but nothing special.
Egils (Iceland)
El Grillo ★★★
Icelandic export lager. Gassy with a thick malty base. Well rounded and enjoyable, though nothing special.
Gull ★★
Uncomplicated and fairly generic lager with a gentle taste of Icelandic barley. Not bad, just too bland for it's 5% strength.
Malt Extrakt ★★★
The low alcohol beer that the drinkers of Iceland had to make do with until full strength beer was made legal in March 1989. Dark, malty and sweet - it is basically rye bread in a glass. Fair enough stuff but not exactly subtle.
Maltbjor ★★★
Gassy dark mahogany beer with a malty taste, a fruity note in the background and a hint of warming alcohol. Would benefit from being less gassy to allow the flavour to come through more.
Einstöck (Iceland)
Pale Ale ★★★
Dry, heavily hopped pale ale with a light gold colour and a lively gassiness. The finish is bitter and slightly chalky.
Toasted Porter ★★★★★
Smooth, but potent porter with a steely edge. Gently warming alcohol, softened by a hint of caramel gives a sticky edge to the aromatic roasted malts. A slightly dry, focused beer.
White Ale ★★★
Incredibly citrusy ale with a hint of lemon fresh jif. Possibly a little sharp but very refreshing.
Elgoods (UK)
Black Dog ★★★
Dark mild that initially feels flat and slightly watery but a gentle blackberry flavour starts building with some roasted malts. A gentle pleasure.
Hawkwind ★★
Amber coloured bitter with a biscuit malt flavour and no real head. Somewhat thin and processed.
Elland (UK)
Dobbie's Drop ★★★
Clean and light with a fruity citrus hop that doesn't make you think of cleaning products. That's a bigger compliment than it sounds.
Ellezelloise (Belgium)
Hercule Stout ★★★★★
Dark, deep, heavily roasted, almost marmite tasting beer which is possibly the finest intense imperial stout around. Too potent for regular drinking but it's burnt taste is something stunning.
Quintine Ambree ★★★★★
Dark amber beer with a thick body, deep caramel flavour and a slow building bitterness. It has a roasted caramel aroma and deep spiced coriander finish and a nice sweet edge. An intoxicating (8.5%) spiced toffee apple of a beer.
Quintine Blanche Bio ★★★★
A selection of deserts in a beer. An apple and blackberry pie mixed with pineapple and a hint of custard. The mouthfeel is dry, powdery and tingly with a hint of bitterness in the finish. A witbier with a lot more clout than most.
Quintine Blonde ★★★★★
A beer with a big fruity flavour undercut with a lagerish bitterness and a slight spiciness. Strong but not overpowering. Equally good on it's own or with food. Very impressive.
Saisis ★★★★
Fruity Belgium wheat beer with a hoppy aroma. Fairly weak (5.9%) in comparison to many Belgium beers but certainly not lacking in taste and more easily drinkable than many.
Saison 2000 ★★★★
Cloudy deep amber coloured beer with a rural malty flavour that brings to mind a biere de garde. There is a slight tanginess and a sweet caramel note. The carbonation is tight and restrained. Dash of bitter hops in the finish.
Emelisse (Holland)
Dubbel ★★★★
Robust malty brown ale with a syrupy caramel sweetness and possibly a dash of dark fruit and orange too. The finish is warmingly alcoholic, like a bitter orange cocktail. Well rounded and holds it's own against Belgian dubbels.
Lentebok ★★★
Amber lager with a dry, chalky, bitter flavour with the socky hops and biscuit malt both coming through strongly. Slightly puckering in the manner of an American IPA.
Emerson's (New Zealand)
Bookbinder ★★★★
Light amber ale with an assertive citrus hop flavour backed up by a tangy malty finish. The powerful flavours are not overbearing and the finish has a gentle dry bitterness. Refreshing and distinctive.
Dunkelweiss ★★★
The label proclaims ""caramelised chocolate bananas"" and the beer delivers on the promise. The beer is strong (6.3% abv) and has the depth to match with the roasted notes kept under control and a warming alcoholic dry finish. The mouthfeel is fairly gassy and there is a pale white head. A limited edition but a good beer.
London Porter ★★★
Gassy porter that goes on heavy on the roasted malts, and then goes with them again just to be sure. Dry and hoppy on the finish. Needs more complexity but still solid.
Pilsener ★★★
At the dry end of the pilsner spectrum this has a mineral citrus taste with a light floral aroma. The mouthfeel is lightly gassy.
Weizenbock ★★★★
Strong dark wheat beer that weighs in at 8.5%. The taste is roasted and spicy with a warming alcohol finish that is mingled with gassiness. As it warms up chocolate and caramel flavours come through bringing out subtleties of the beer. Feels a lot like a Belgian Dubbel. Well balanced and not overpowering.
Engel (Germany)
Keller Dunkel ★★★
Malt dark lager with a little on the way of roasted malts. There are hints of chocolate and caramel but like a schwarzbier it's not too sweet. Solid but not special.
Engelszell (Austria)
Gregorius 8 ★★★★
Strong, dark, syrupy, viscous ale with cherry and cocoa powder but with a blistering dark rum and demerera sugar. Feels a bit like a scorched, overpowered Westvleteren - but has real potential.
Ennerdale (UK)
Darkest ★★★
Creamy dark ale with a bitter porterish taste that is quite restrained. The finish has a slow building malty marmite finish.
Epic (New Zealand)
Portamarillo ★★★
A Christmas beer That has tree tomatoes smoked using woodchips from the Pohutakawa tree. The base of the beer is a porter with roasted malts laying the foundations but the tomatoes add sweet and sour notes to give it added complexity. A slightly odd mix but an interesting and distinctive beer.
Erdinger (Germany)
Alkoholfrei (Blue) ★★★
Sweet and tangy beer which compares well with beers that are not alcohol free.
Dunkel (Black) ★★★
Dark wheat beer with a smooth taste whose sweetness makes it feel light. There is fruit and caramel to the taste but they are not dominant. Pleasant but unexciting.
Hefeweizen Oktoberfest ★★★
A smoother, maltier take on the regular Erdinger with a gassier mouthfeel. Clearly trying to appeal to the lager drinking hordes of the Oktoberfest but without losing it's way.
Pikantus (Gold) ★★★★
A smooth 'dark bock wheat beer' which has a full wheaty feel. It has a sweet roasted aroma but is slightly lacking in depth of flavour for it's strength (7.6%) but generally very pleasant and gently warming.
Schneeweisse ★★★
A gassy, winter version of the regular Erdinger hefeweizen that goes heavier on the cloves and lighter on the fruit to make it more suitable for fireside drinking. Nice, but too gassy for it's own good.
Urweisse ★★★
Unfiltered German wheat beer with a smooth weighty body and a strong taste of cloves. There is a sweet estery foam banana aroma although the taste is quite dry. There is a gentle gassiness but the mouthfeel is quite creamy.
Weissbier (White) ★★★★
Smooth German wheat beer with light hint of cloves and a floral, almost honey edge. The fruity esters are very restrained. The carbonation lingers in the dry gently bitter finish.
Estrella (Spain)
Damm ★★★
Fairly unexciting dry European lager. Not bad.
Everard's (UK)
Beacon ★★★
Hoppy light brown ale with a distinctive taste of chocolate malts and marmalade. Slightly soapy in the finish. A full bodied and interesting beer.
Original ★★★
Oaky, nutty, piney, malty, sherried burnt caramel flavours dominate this pale brown ale. An assertive, but rather top heavy, beer.
Tiger ★★★
Smooth amber bitter with a full creamy mouthfeel but a mild malty flavour that lingers a little with a tiny bitter note. Decent fare that's widely available in chain pub
Föroya Bjor (Faroe Islands)
Black Sheep ★★★
Strong alcoholic and malty with a sweet, honeyed, malty flavour. Nice - but a light brown lager should really be called "black sheep".
Slupp √òl ★★★
Malty amber lager with sweet fruity, caramel edge and a big alcoholic kick. Has a hint of a Belgian Dubbel.
Fantome (Belgium)
Dark White ★★★★★
Intensely yeasty and spicy. This amber coloured punches way above it's 4% abv strength. It has a sour yeasty edge, blending saison and gueuze notes, with a dry smoky finish. There is a dash of sweet caramel and a hint of sharp apple too. Has way more levels of flavour than a 4% beer should have.
Noel ★★★★
Cloudy, pale brown 10% abv seasonal ale. The taste is heavy on spruce wood, coriander spice and warming alcohol. The finish is dry, chalky and flat with a hint of saison and sour yeasty lambic to it.
Pissenlit ★★★★
Cloudy golden beer made with a type of dandelion tea. This is malty beer with a hoppy tingle mixed with interesting spicing. The dandelion flavours are hard to find but this is still a complex beer. Distinctive but very drinkable with it.
Saison ★★★★
A really mixed up that has flavours of iron ore, musty gueuze, sweet caramel malt and smoke. Incredibly cloudy and slightly spritzy. A crazy bottle conditioned mix that could do pretty much anything. Worth taking a chance on.
Fat Yak (Australia)
Pale Ale ★★★★
Golden amber coloured ale with a dry, bitter, hoppy flavour that lingers in the finish. Crisp easy drinking that is not too gassy and with a spicy character that is rewarding.
Felstar (UK)
Indian Pig Ale ★★★★
A cruise liner of a beer. Very strong and robust with big hoppy flavours and maybe a dash of coffee too. A little lacking in subtlety but not really brash either. A solid, very solid, beer that fails to excite.
Peckin' Order ★★★★
Full flavoured bottle conditioned lager that would hold it's own against the likes of Duvel despite only being 5% in strength. Slightly soapy taste at first but develops a very rounded mouthfeel.
Fentimans (UK)
Shandy ★★★
Low alcohol botanically brewed beer mixed with sugar and lemon juice. The taste is malty, tangy and moreish with the lemon coming through in the finish. The sweetness cancels out the bitterness without becoming too much.
Feral (Australia)
White ★★★
An incredibly orangey wheat beer that almost feels like it has orange syrup in it. There is a gentle spiciness in the background. Tasty but lacking in subtlety.
Fischer (France)
Adelscott ★★★★★
A malty beer whose taste is finished off by an edge of smooth blended whisky. Lighter than Innis & Gunn it has a broader range of flavours (though not as much as the rum cask). When tasted from a can it is smokier with a more processed flavour and not as nice.
Desperadoes ★★★
Tequila flavoured beer that has the strong malty flavour you find in Innis & Gunn and Adelscot, but with a lighter edge, particularly when a wedge of line is added. It all feels a tad artificial, but it's certainly not bad beer.
Reserve Ambree ★★★★
Amber-brown coloured beer with a malty brandy style kick. There is an alcoholic edge but this is still easy to drink and well crafted.
Tradition ★★★★
Malty golden lager with little head but a slight creaminess that gives it body. There is a light bitterness in the finish. Well balanced and full flavoured.
Fischer Brau (Austria)
Helles ★★★
Gentle, gassy, unfiltered lager with a cloudy light gold colour. The flavour has a hint of lemon and the faintest waft of hops. A breadiness slowly develops. Refreshing, but like a toned down, gassed up version of their superior Weiss beer.
Osterbock ★★★
Solid, light amber beer with a faint hoppiness, a gentle gassiness and with a trace of bitterness in the end. Pleasant but a bit shy and retiring.
Weiss ★★★★★
Light yellow, cloudy wheat beer with a gentle lemon and banana flavour that is not very sharp and feels quite natural. Fantastically refreshing and with a surprising lightness for something with the mouthfeel of a typical wheat beer, possibly due to having a slight gassiness in place of the usual bready head. Incredibly drinkable.
Flensberger (Germany)
Gold ★★★
Gentle golden beer with a slightly sour, bready, honey taste. not very gassy. OK, but not exceptional.
Winter Bock ★★★
This is 7% abv but it's worrying drinkable. Pale gold in colour, it starts out like a Kolsch but there is a warming rum infused alcohol edge alongside some clean malts.
Flying Dog (USA)
Dog Schwarz ★★★
Pitch black, with a tan head, this is a strong dark lager made with smoked malt. The taste is bitter and burnt with hints of chocolate and peat. It also has a lingering smoked bacon taste. An ambitious attempt to blend styles that is challenging but interesting.
Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale ★★★
Dry hopped pale ale with a gentle bitter aftertaste. Decent body without feeling heavy. Well balanced and typical of the American pale ale style.
Dogtoberfest ★★★
The aroma is alcoholic and malty with the dry caramel tinged flavour. Slightly metallic, gassy and deceptively easy to drink. Could have more depth but very quaffable.
Double Dog ★★★
Rustic hoppy beer with a tangy flavour. At 11.5% abv it's intense and aggressive. Powdery, dry, bitter and akin to drinking perfume it's floral aroma is so potent. Very peppery, but should please hop-heads.
Garde Dog ★★★★
A US take on a biere de garde. Smooth, IPA hoppy with a dark agricultural edge and a dash of porter. Smooth tasty and well balanced.
Gonzo Imperial Porter ★★★
Dark, dry, bitter ale with a mix of liquorice, powdered chocolate and smoke. Quite gassy but the taste feels a little flat.
Horndog ★★★
Strong dark beer with alcohol dominating the flavour initially. It is heavy and syrupy with a burnt caramel flavour. A sipping beer with a dry spirity finish akin to the Brewdog Paradox stout aged in whisky casks. There are hints of banana and cough medicine.
K9 Cruiser ★★★
Light, gassy and dominated by caramel malt. Maybe a hint of orange juice too.
Old Scratch ★★★★
Dark and fruitily bitter malt heavy lager made in the style of steam beers. Like a Belgian Dubbel but without the kick.
Raging Bitch ★★
A vibrant sweet shop of a Belgian style IPA. Banana, strawberry and under-ripe nectarines atop a fizzy thin alcoholic body. Dry chalky finish driven by hefty hopping. There's a hint of sweetened lambic in there along with refresher sweets. A 'strawberry IPA'?
Snake Dog IPA ★★★
Sweet and hoppy IPA that has a smooth foretaste followed by a rougher lagerish aftertaste. An interesting beer but there are finer IPAs available.
Underdog Atlantic Lager ★★★
This has got a bit of low end malty bite but doesn't have enough to make it special.
Wildeman Farmhouse IPA ★★★★
Heavily hopped and slightly oily IPA with the hefty body and rustic edge of saison. Like a Belgian ale with added hoppy punch.
Fordham (UK)
Copperhead ★★★★
Nicely balanced copper coloured ale with a caramel tinged malt flavours backed by a refreshing, slightly citrus flavoured, hoppiness.
Tavern Ale ★★★
Toffee malt and molasses dominate this deep amber coloured beer. Not particularly complex but fairly easy drinking.
Wisteria Wheat ★★★
Hefeweizen where the bottle conditioning gives widely varying results. Could be heavy on bananas or cloves. Could be thick and heavy or thin as kristallweizen.
Forge (UK)
Dreckly ★★★
Amber coloured malty ale fortified with gorse and heather. Dry and quite herbal finish. Leafy.
Fosters (Australia)
Pure Blonde Naked ★★
A mid strength, low carb, all malt brew made with the ""unique"" galaxy hop. It claims to be full flavoured but it's a fairly forgettable lager that is smooth and fairly refreshing but with little to make it stick in the memory. Confusingly it is sometimes labeled as a premium ale.
Sheaf Stout ★★★
Thickly black and oily stout with a forthright roasted malt flavour and a gassy mouthfeel. Fairly rough and ready but pleasant enough.
Victoria Bitter ★★★
Forget Fosters, this is Australia's national beer if anything is. Served is squat, stubby bottles it is a smooth full bodied lager with a foamy head and a gentle malty taste. Not too gassy and very pleasing to drink, even if it fails to redefine the world of lager.
Founders (USA)
All Day IPA ★★★★
Dry, resinous hops dominate this amber coloured ale. Orange, grapefruit and mango give it a tropical feel with a dash of roasted malts to avoid too much sweetness. Very nice.
Centennial IPA ★★★
A sticky pale brown ale with dry woody hops and a chalky finish. There is a bit of violets in the aroma. Not exactly complex but a professional executed hop hit.
Dirty Bastard ★★★
Dark brown ale with a huge malty hit. Malt loaf, treacle, figs and powdered chocolate. There's an alcoholic kick with aged rum and smoky whisky notes. A little acidic and metallic in the finish, but otherwise a nice potent beer.
Fox (UK)
Bullet ★★★
Slightly hoppy sweet ale with a dry lingering aftertaste.
Mr Tod ★★★
Dry hoppy beer. Fairly gentle and pleasant enough for session drinking.
Old Hushwing ★★★★
Straw coloured with a fast fading head. The aroma has a light spice note which is joined by citrus to give a Belgian feel to this British ale. Light in strength and subtle but complex in flavour. Very refreshing.
Frankenheim (Germany)
Altbier ★★★
Mahogany coloured ale with a gassy mouthfeel. Like an English mild mixed with a tame Belgian brune. A deep malty flavour with a crusty bready flavour and a hint of fruitiness. Clean robust session fare with a dry finish.
Franklin (UK)
Bitter ★★★
Smooth, gentle pale brown bitter with a tangy malty edge that isn't too strong.
Franziskaner (Germany)
Dunkelweizen ★★★★
Beautifully sweet caramelised bananas are dominant here - a desert-weizen? - but it's not sickly sweet so good for anytime in the afternoon or evening.
Hefe-weizen ★★★
Classic German hefeweizen with a fruity banana taste, smooth full mouthfeel and a building carbonation. Lively and full bodied and feeling like it might kick above it's 5% strength. A well made beer that is slightly too gassy for my taste.
Freedom (UK)
Four ★★★
Clean, light, refreshing lager that has the crispness of a pilsner with a hint of heather honey. Pleasant enough and only 4%.
Organic Dark Lager ★★★★
Deep, deep amber in colour, this lager has a note of apple that gives it a real freshness. There are hints of amber ale smokiness and a rich, full bodied mouthfeel with a bitter malty finish that make it assured yet easy drinking.
Stout ★★★
4% abv stout that has the hit of roasted malt you'd expect, but it's all quite restrained. An easy going session stout.
Frodshom (UK)
800 ★★★
Pleasant session ale with a even balance of malt and hops and a gently hoppy citrus finish.
Aunoch ★★★
An 80 shilling style ale with a full malty flavour that has a toffee sweetness. Overly gassy when tried - probably due to a rogue bottle.
Gold ★★★
A golden ale with the profile of a light bitter - no citrus flavours here but a pleasingly woody and peppery hop taste.
Fruh (Germany)
Kolsch ★★★
Pale gold, light gassy ale that feels close to a lager. Clean and refreshing with just enough hoppiness to save it from blandness. Develops a crisp dry finish.
Frydenlund (Norway)
Bayerol ★★★
This dark lager starts off with an assertive gassy tingle with a bright malty flavour following swiftly behind. The gassiness lingers in the roof of your mouth. Has a slight creaminess.
Fullers (UK)
Bengal Lancer ★★★
Typical mass produced IPA with little in the way of hops but without the forced creaminess of Greene King IPA. The most it musters is a faint but pleasant bitterness in the finish. Underwhelming.
Chiswick Bitter ★★★
Chestnut coloured ale with a tangy sulphurous nutty flavour and a dry finish with a hint of gassiness. Reasonable session fare with a woody hop character.
Discovery ★★
Pale golden ale with a light malty taste and a slightly bitter mineral finish. Overall the beer feels quite watery, which isn't too much of a surprise as it is 3% abv. If you want something light it beats an alcohol free beer.
ESB ★★★★
The original premium bitter. Woody amber in colour with a dry woody flavour to back it up. The finish is malty with a hint of tanginess. Truly a benchmark for strong bitters that showcases it's ingredients wonderfully with a chewy bitterness that is not overwhelming. A robust session ale with bite.
George Gale Seafarers Ale ★★
Amber ale with a very light malty flavour that is hidden behind a bland zesty soapiness. Gentle, dry and underwhelming.
Golden Pride ★★
Strong, tangy, malty beer with a slight orangey edge. Sour and overpowered - nearly undrinkable to my taste though it has been called the "Cognac of beers"
Honeydew ★★★
Light and sweet almost lagerish golden ale with the slightest honey edge. Refreshing but a tad bland.
Jack Frost ★★★★
Ruby red winter ale made with blackberries. A bitter hoppy flavour is dominant with fruit notes. The finish is dry with the blackberry taste being quite faint. Very pleasant and easy to drink.
London Porter ★★★★★
Incredibly full bodied black porter with big hits of peat and coffee. The mouthfeel is gassy with a burnt malty finish. Deep ruby in colour. A superb intense porter with hints of oak aging.
London Pride ★★★
Slightly hoppy, slightly processed amber ale with a faint nuttiness that is a solid benchmark beer but isn't anything special. A solid pub staple.
Fyne Ales (UK)
Avalanche ★★★
Dry hoppy straw coloured ale that fades into a biscuit malt finish. Part IPA, part session bitter, all very drinkable.
Cool As A Cucumber ★★★★★
Brewed with the Wild Beer Co as "Fyne & Wild" this is a summer saison made with cucumber, mint and wild yeast. The foundation is the full bodied rustic feel of a gassy saison. The cucumber and mint make it light, fresh and summery and at 2.9% you can drink a lot of this. The finish is mildly dry with a fresh hoppiness and dash of dry spice that keeps the beer characteristics to the fore. Equally refreshing and complex and would pair beautifully with salmon.
Hurricane Jack ★★★★
A golden ale that has learnt from US IPAs. There is a real bite to the citrus hops and a dry finish whilst still being light and refreshing.
Piper's Gold ★★★
A crisp, dry, hoppy amber coloured ale where malty flavours dominate with a hint of tropical fruit. The finish is slightly tangy.
Gædinger (Iceland)
Lager ★★★
Incredibly malty lager with a pleasing golden colour. There's a rough hint of thick salted caramel in there but with enough dry bitterness to keep it balanced. Not really clean or crisp - but tasty.
Pale Ale ★★★★
Fruity hopped pale ale with mango and papaya on the taste and a floral aroma. Dry and slightly bitter finish. Has a pleasing hint of Thornbridge's Jaipur to it.
Stout ★★★★
Roasted malts from start to finish giving off intense bitter coffee aromas with a dash of warming alcoholic malt. Has the bold flavours you'd associated with beers that have much higher abv.
Gaffel (Germany)
Kolsch ★★★
A more full bodied take on the traditional Cologne pale ale with a nice nutty hoppiness. Still very light & easy to drink. Has an initial gassiness that fades before creeping into the finish. The tastes fades as you drink more of it.
Gage Roads (Australia)
IPA ★★★
Gassy, amber coloured ale with a dry hoppy taste characteristic of the style with a tangy woody edge. The finish is a gentle mix of the flavours. Pleasant but could have more depth.
Wahoo ★★
Gassy lager that bills itself as a ""premium ale"". Light and refreshing but lacking in any real flavour bar a faint waft of citrus. The finish is dry and bubbly.
Garrigues (France)
Feu Follet Grand Cru 2009 ★★★★★
Dark deep ale with a smooth bitter coffee taste with fruit and dark chocolate on the aroma and a warming alcohol malt in the finish. Akin to an abbey dubbel. Would go beautifully with bread, cheese and celery salt.
La Belle En Goguette Blonde ★★★★
Blonde, pilsnerish beer with a hit of bitter hoppiness leading to a dry finish. Fairly heavy bodied like a wheat beer, with a slightly rough edge. Gold in colour with an enduring head.
La P'tite Biere Brut'ale ★★★
Gassier than a British ESB, this seasonal special from a French brewery still packs a traditional taste. A dry hoppiness with dark fruits and a hint of nuttiness. Good session fare.
Nuit De Goguette ★★★
Dark, porterish beer with a creamy ivory head. Dominated by a roasted coffee flavour, with the merest hints of something fruity buried in the background. It has little complexity to distinguish it, especially for it's 7% strength.
Saison des amours ★★★★
Dark amber seasonal beer with a sharp edge and a coffee taste in the initial hit that fades into an agricultural hoppiness then a lingering smooth fruity aftertaste.
Gayant (France)
Abbaye de St Landelin La Divine ★★★
Akin to a Belgian triple but with a crisp bite. Full bodied, gently gassy yet lingeringly smooth with an understated woody malt taste. Light gold/amber in colour and 8.5% in strength. Lacks the complexity of it's best Belgian counterparts and too strong for session drinking but generally a good beer.
Biere Du Demon ★★
The worlds strongest blonde beer at 12% abv. Smooth but with a warming malty finish. Clear golden ale that smells slightly sweet & malty with elements of an old peoples home. A gassy mouthfeel, elements of a chardonnay with an alcoholic finish. Bonkers but at least it's interesting. OK with cheese but too weird overall.
Goudale ★★★★
Sturdy, rustic blonde biere du garde with a robust malty flavour and slight carbonation. Would make a good slow drinking session beer, even at 7% in strength.
Geants (Belgium)
Gouyasse Tradition ★★★
Pale cloudy straw coloured ale. Slightly dry and chalky with hints of honey, citrus and greengages, there is a clean mineral finish. It has gassy bitter tingle too. Straight ahead session fare.
Gouyasse Tripel ★★★
Dry, chalky Belgian pale ale with yeasty, peppery edge. Clean fizzy mouthfeel with a hint of oranges.
Ginga Kogen (Japan)
Pale Ale ★★★
Biscuit malt with a touch of salted toffee take pride of place in this hazy amber beer. There are gentle bitter woody hops at the end but no trace of the fruit flavours you find in other beers of the style. A pale ale with bass boost? Well made, but being a touch too dry in the finish leaves it just shy of being something special.
Weizen ★★★
This Weizen really majors on the banana flavour. Overall it feels a bit light - partly due to the gassiness but mainly due to a lack of complexity. Enjoyable enough.
Girardin (Belgium)
Framboise ★★★
Very sweet raspberry beer with a the fruit dominating the lambic taste to it's detriment.
Gueuze 1882 (Black Label) ★★★★★
Sharp and sour beer with a full musty fruity note and little if any sweetness. Very impressive and very interesting with a softness in the finish that adds to the subtlety. Truly one to savour.
Gueuze 1882 (White Label) ★★★★
The black label Gueuze was softer than many Oude Gueuze. This filtered version is even softer with the tart sour flavours feeling very mellow without lapsing into bland. A restrained Gueuze.
Kriek ★★★★★
Fruity, sharp cherry beer with a gorgeous lambic base. Not quite as good as Cantillon Kriek, but very, very good.
Kriek Van't Vat ★★★★★
A full-on sour cherry beer with no hint of sweetness to it. The sour musty lambic bleeds through and seamlessly blends with the cherries. Light enough to quaff, but with flavour to spare. Available on draft only.
Lambik ★★★★
A properly musty unblended lambic with sharp zingy lemon offset with watery swede. The dry bitter hops come through in the finish with a tongue tingling kick, almost akin to an IPA. Challenging, puzzling complex and perfectly suited to lambic fans.
Glastonbury (UK)
Hedge Monkey ★★★
Deep amber coloured ale that starts out with an interesting bitter woody taste that becomes yeasty and watery in the finish.
Love Monkey ★★★
Light amber ale with a watery, hoppy bitterness that eventually has a hint of caramel. Unremarkable but perfectly fine.
Mystery Tor ★★★
Light brown fruity and malty ale with a bitter biscuity finish. A faint floral hint of watery soap too. Good light session fare that's not bland.
Glazen Toren (Belgium)
Canaster Winterscotch ★★★
Strawberries and cream with banana pith greet you with a dry, almost chalky mouthfeel. The lack of sweetness means it's a little puckering but it's a nice warming Christmas ale overall.
Saison d'Erpe-Mere ★★★★
Thick, pale blonde ale with a clean hoppy flavour that has a bitter piney resinous finish. As it warms there is a puckering white pepper note that comes through. A very clean saison with none of the rustic filth.
Glebe Farm (UK)
Gladiator Spelt ★★★
The first English beer made of spelt in modern times. A session bitter with a wateriness that makes it light and refreshing without feeling bland.
Glencoe (UK)
Wild Oat Stout ★★★★
A tan head sits atop this oil black stout. The taste is smooth and heavy with a bitter malty taste that feels like it has the strength of a foreign extra stout though it's actually under 5%. The finish is short with a hint of oats and a faint gassiness.
Goddards (UK)
Fuggle Dee Dum ★★★★
A full bodied ESB with a dry woody finish. The bitter fuggle hops are robustly applied but there is a dash of caramel malt flavours to round it out nicely.
Goffs (UK)
Excalibur ★★
Light soapy ale that isn't objectional but is fairly bland.
Launcelot ★★★
Sour beer with a brief cherry note to it. Tasty if slightly challenging.
Merlin ★★
A straw coloured hoppy bitter whose taste didn't sit well with me.
White Knight ★★
Light coloured bitter that is typical of the brewery. Not very nice.
Golden Valley (UK)
Kenyon Oatmeal Stout ★★★★
Rich creamy stout with a nice roasted flavour that lingers underneath it all. Full flavoured, smoky and smooth.
Goller (Germany)
Brotzeit Seidla ★★★
Crisp, but rather forgettable lager with a buttery edge. A cut above the standard multinational lagers.
Goose Eye (UK)
Barmpot Bitter ★★★
Smooth, pale gold ale with dominant bread and yeast flavours and a full, weighty mouthfeel that could teach cream flow beers a thing or two.
Goose Island (USA)
Christmas Ale (2012) ★★★
Dark, spicy and very very dry. The smoky feel is like the embers of a log fire. There are some sour dark fruits hidden in there somewhere.
Honkers Ale ★★★
Gentle malty amber ale with more gassiness than a typical English beer. Bitter for the Budweiser generation?
IPA ★★★
Dry, bitter and hoppy pale ale with a malty tang that emerges in the finish. Light amber in colour with a creamy white head and a dash of citrus in the nose. A typical US IPA.
Oatmeal Stout ★★★★
Dark, oily coloured ale with a head that quickly vanishes. The roasted malts are all over the burnt syrupy coffee taste whilst the oatmeal gives a smoother finish to stop it becoming overpowering. Lacks complexity but an enjoyable one note beer.
Pepe Nero ★★★★
A dark ale whose bitter roasted flavours feed into a granular mouthfeel. As it warms oats and unripe apricots, but it's basically bitter and black - which is how things should be.
Gotlands (Sweden)
Wisby Weiss ★★★★
Swedish wheat beer that wants to be like Hoegaarden and does a good job of it. Good balance of spice and citrus with a heavy but clean mouthfeel. Gassier and more bitter than Hoegaarden which gives it a distinctive charm.
Grafton (UK)
Lady Mary ★★
Watery light amber ale faint bitter fragrant hop taste. Nothing much going on and surprisingly bland for a 5% beer.
Grain d'Orge (France)
Jeanne D'Arc ★★★
Strong, malty copper coloured beer with a syrupy edge that isn't dominant. Quite assertive, with a hint of orange.
Septante 5 Blonde ★★★
This has a lovely clear golden colour. Gassy mouthfeel with a sweet butter and caramel flavour. There is a hoppy bitterness tying it together and a rustic malty finish. A solid biere de garde that could have a bit more punch for it's 7.5% abv strength.
Grainstore (UK)
Pride Of Scotgate ★★
A soapy hoppy beer that doesn't particularly appeal.
Ten Fifty ★★★
Light brown in colour with a creamy head. The taste is dominated by dry bitter hops but in the finish it is rounded out by a subtly full bodied malty flavour. A decent English session bitter that could have a touch more refinement.
Granascher (Germany)
Weissen ★★★
Fruity, coriander beer with a bit of banana in the taste. Slightly odd and unlikely to go with anything but quite nice for a fairly fruity beer.
Great Divide (USA)
Yeti Imperial Stout ★★★★
Oily black beer with a tan head this feels at first to be more like a barley wine than a stout. The taste is an assault of malt, stewed fruit, raw warming alcohol and a dash of caramel. The smoky edge of an Islay whisky with viscous liquorice and chocolate. Strong & assured.
Green Flash (USA)
Friendship Brew (Black Saison) ★★★
Made collaboratively by two breweries (Green Flash & St Feuillien) and blending disparate beer styles - it's no surprise that this tastes like 3 beers at once. The ruddy agricultural flavours of a spicy saison thrown cheek by jowl with restrained roasted malts are odd enough - but the heavy IPA style citrus hopping and dry grapefruit pith flavours make this a true onslaught for the taste buds. Hints of mint and apple start coming through in the confusion. This should be a mess, but it's executed well enough to put in the intriguing strange category - if not quite bizarrely brilliant.
Green Jack (UK)
Lurcher Stout ★★★
Porterish stout with a bitter coffee grounds taste. Quite assertive but easy drinking. Dry bitter finish but slightly sour.
Green Man (New Zealand)
Best Bitter ★★★
A light brown bitter with a crisp bitter hoppy taste. It starts off with a sweet toffee aroma. There is a hint of caramel malt in the finish. An easy drinking 4.5% abv session ale.
Greene King (UK)
Abbot Ale ★★
Thin beer with just enough hoppiness and character to make it worth drinking, though it has a processed edge to it.
Abbot Reserve ★★★
Amped up version of Abbot Ale with a fuller malty flavour that clocks in at 6.5% abv. Still a bit bland and mass produced though.
IPA ★★
Thin, creamy beer with a processed taste. Poor without being offensive.
London Glory ★★★
A traditional, if not glorious, bitter. Brown in colour with tangy malt flavours pricked by woody and pine resinous hops. Nothing special but a bit above average for Greene King.
Morland Old Crafty Hen ★★★
A blend of Speckled Hen and 5X (akin to the Strong Suffolk). The nuttiness of the Hen is balanced by a raisin and berry flavour with a caramel malt finish. Strong but not particularly distinguished.
Morland Old Speckled Hen ★★★
Traditional amber English ale with little to particular distinguish it. Pleasant enough though.
Old Golden Hen ★★
There is a beer here somewhere I'm sure of it, well pretty sure anyway. Vaguely biscuit malty with a hint of dry bitterness, but basically just bland and slightly creamy.
St Edmund ★★
Golden, dry looking bitter with a thin and processed taste. Offered with a "northern" or "southern" head on draught
Strong Suffolk Vintage Ale ★★★★
Fruity, dry and bitter with coffee elements to it. Dark and very strong but still quite smooth with a steadily building caramel taste. A blend of Old 5X and BPA. Would benefit from a bit more complexity as it pales slightly in the second half of a pint.
Suffolk Springer ★★★★
Dark ale with an aroma of fruit, chocolate, malt and coffee. There is a slight alcoholic edge and a slight gassiness. There is a sweet raisin edge in the finish.
Yardbird ★★★
It's a Greene King IPA that actually tastes of hops what is the world coming to? It's 4% abv and has an element of cream flow blandness - but it's a passable session ale.
Grieskirchner (Austria)
Export Dunkle ★★★★
Unusually for a dunkle this is not black. Instead it is dark amber, almost mahogany coloured beer with a sweet malty flavour that leaves an aftertaste of runny caramel. Light and drinkable without compromising on flavour.
Grupo Modelo (Mexico)
Corona ★★★★
Robust and refreshing Mexican lager where the gimmick of sticking a wedge of lime in the top actually offsets the taste of the beer very well. One of the better bottled beers widely available at British bars.
Modelo Especial ★★★
Smooth lager that has a nice edge when served with a wedge of lime. Crisp and clean but with a full malty flavour.
Negra Modello ★★★★
Originally brewed in Mexico by emigre Austrian brewers Mahogony/amber coloured solid, full but not overly flavoured beer with a gentle fruity / caramel maltiness and a light bitterness but little aftertaste.
Guinness (Ireland)
Draught Stout ★★★★★
More a landmark for the Irish Tourist Board than a beer these days, trying to assess the taste of Guinness is like trying to comment on whether the Taj Mahal is a good place to live. As with most popular global beer brands Guinness is very smooth and has a gentle taste to it, however it's balanced dry taste is subtle and rewarding rather than bland. The mouthfeel is a great balance of weighty stout with just enough gassiness to lighten it without giving a bubbly carbonated edge. The flavour blends roasted malts with a faint hoppiness mixed into a creaminess with a hint of dry salt in the finish, possibly an aspect of the nitrogen injected into the beer. The canned version has a slight sharpness not present in true draught form. The extra cold version basically just suppresses the flavour of the beer. Almost chewy in substance it remains smooth and flavourful without becoming overwhelming. A legend that can live with it's hype (though it suffers from being poorly kept in many pubs).
Foreign Extra Stout (Ireland) ★★★★
Potent version of the black stuff with a pronounced citrus hop taste floating over the classic roasted barley taste. The finish is bitter and slightly dry and burnt. Smoother than imperial stouts there is little alcoholic edge with a biscuit malty flavour that steadily builds and is slightly warming. There is a gassy tingle on the roof of the mouth that leaves am echo in the finish. There is also a hint of soured milk. Complex, potent but satisfying and not fearsome. Guinness with the volume turned up.
Foreign Extra Stout (Nigeria) ★★★
Far more bitter and earthy than the regular foreign extra. It brings out the deeper, darker side of Guinness with molasses and a bitter alcoholic edge. There is a hint of musty carpets and a general robust maltiness. Very potent with an almost granular oily mouthfeel.
Original Stout ★★★★
Bottled stout that feels slightly lighter than the draught with a gentler finish where the hoppiness comes through more. The roasted barley and carbonation duel on the tongue rather than merging with acidity that is more present than on draught where the injected nitrogen makes the beer smoother. Previously called Extra Stout.
Red Stout ★★★
Smoother version of Guinness with the malt being roasted less to give a lighter taste. Easy session fare but basically a neutered version of draught Guinness.
Special Export (Belgium) ★★★
Dark, exceptionally dry beer with liqourice and chocolate. Very bitter with roasted coffee grounds to the fore. Potent but with a restrained alcoholic edge. Moderately gassy, somewhere between original and draught stout. A mix of regular Guinness and a burnt imperial stout which sometimes feels like a majestic blend and at other times like it falls between two stools. Could have more depth and complexity for it's strength. It's like someone took all the creamy smoothness out of the draught version to allow you to wallow in the dark bitter base. At 8% it's roughly the strength Guinness was brewed at in 1840. Brewed for Anthony Martin in Belgium. An acquired taste, but an interesting and distinctive one.
Gulpner (Holland)
Korenwolf ★★★
Solid German wheat beer that doesn't do anything out of the ordinary.
Rose ★
Somewhat artificial tasting strawberry flavoured wheat beer. Brewed for the alco-pops market and taste of pick and mix. Contains E numbers and is best described as a tacky and slutty beer.
Haacht (Belgium)
Charles Quint Keizer Kavel ★★★
Woody, malty, nutty with a toffee sweetness in the finish. There is some smoky heather and chocolate in there too. Weird, but interesting in a tasty way.
Charles Quint Ruby Red ★★★
A creamy sour aroma is overtaken by a bitter burnt (soy sauce) taste. A slight fruitiness lingers in the background. Somewhat dry in the finish.
Tongerlo Blonde ★★★
Slightly cloudy straw coloured beer with a small creamy head. Quite crisp whilst yeasty, wheaty with a edge. The aroma has cold baked beans. Traditional blonde Belgian fare but a tad forgettable.
Tongerlo Brune ★★★
Dark beer with a light taste that belies it's 6.5% strength. Quite Fizzy, honey and wheat on the nose, a gentle roasted taste. A good session beer, but it's really a bit strong for that.
Haandbryggerit (Norway)
Krekling√∏l ★★★
Lively and expansively gassy beer with dark malty flavours lingering in the background. Made with crowberries, the beer has a sour, fruity edge combined with a very dry finish. A world apart from most fruit beers.
Norwegian Wood ★★★★
Brewed in the style of a traditional Norwegian beer, this is a smoked ale spiced with juniper. The taste is smoky and woody with the spicing lingering in the background but giving a subtle fruity edge. Brown amber colour with a creamy head and bottle conditioned. A herbal note emerges with a piney flavour.
Hacker Pschorr (Germany)
Animator ★★★
8.1% abv doppelbock with such a thick malt loaf and pumpernickel flavour that you feel you could carve slices out of it. Sweet, smoky and malty.
Dunkler Bock ★★★
Light managing coloured beer with a fruity malty taste (a hint of cherry perhaps) with a warming alcohol finish. A bit tame for a Dunkler bock.
Dunkles Weissbier ★★★★
Caramelised roasted malts dominate the flavour without becoming overwhelming. A distinctive and delicious dunkel Weisse.
Helles ★★★
Crisp refreshing lager with a buttery flavour. Still a bit bland - but that is the helles style.
Muncher Kellerbier ★★★★
Woody roses and honey play on the aroma with robust malty flavours as the cavalry. The kind of beer the Oktoberfest Marzens should be.
Munchner Dunkel ★★★
Smooth, malty lager with a sherry like finish. Easy drinking but not bland.
Oktoberfest ★★★
Robustly malty lager where the gassiness rapidly dominates the flavours. Akin to Palm Special being stuck under your nose and whipped away. Does it's job of allowing you drink a stein, belch and buy another stein.
Sternweisse ★★★
A weisse that is deep amber in colour. The banana flavours are tending on the sweet caramelised side but there is no bitterness.
Weisse ★★★
Does everything you'd want from a Weisse, hefty enough to feel substantial with restrained but well judged banana and clove flavours that blend together nicely. Just doesn't stand out from the crowd.
Hahn (Australia)
Premium ★★★★
A 5% abv lager made with pilsner malt and hersbrucker hops. The initial taste is dry and gassy but it quickly opens up to showcase the green, woody hop flavour. The finish is refreshing with a hint of bitterness. A lager with character.
Hakkaisan (Japan)
Alt ★★★
Competent but somewhat underwhelming alt beer that tastes like an overly gassy English bitter. There's a basic malty flavour that makes for pleasant session drinking but little else.
Weizen ★★★
Frankly it's not clear what type of wheat beer this is. It lacks the characteristic flavours of a wit or a Weizen, solely offering a thin fairy liquid edge. Inoffensive session fare with a slightly sour edge.
Halve Maan (Belgium)
Bruges Zot Brune ★★★
Dark coloured Belgian dubbel with a gentle taste of roasted malts dominant on the palate. There is an alcoholic edge to the aroma and flavour but the beer still tastes weaker than it is. A tad too bland for it's strength.
Brugse Zot Blonde ★★★
Spicy blonde beer with a steadily building gassiness. A typical spiced Belgian beer that doesn't quite distinguish itself from the crowd. Also available unfiltered at the brewery which makes it smoother and brings out a orange peel taste in the finish as it warms.
Straffe Hendrik ★★★
Lively gassy and dry triple with potent alcoholic kick. There is a floral hoppiness, a hint of honey, citrus brightness and a herbal finish. Strong but balanced.
Hambleton (UK)
Dark Knight ★★★
Watery session beer with a bitter malty taste.
Taylor's Tipple ★★★
Crisp citrus hopped ale with a golden colour and a creamy head. A refreshing session beer with a malty finish that becomes dry and hoppy.
Haneda (Japan)
Weizen ★★★
Gassy German style wheat beer that tastes of sweetened banana bread with a slightly clove tasting finish.
Hangzhou Qiandaohu (China)
Lucky Beer ★★
Chinese lager served in bottles shaped like a Buddha. Fairly dry and malty but generally indistinguishable from the own brand continental lager sold in supermarkets.
Hanssens (Belgium)
Oude Gueuze ★★★★
Very spritzy lambic beer with a tart grapefruit edge. There is a slightly dry sourness in the finish that doesn't stop it being very refreshing. Akin to a sweet cider with great depth.
Harbour (UK)
Porter No. 6 ★★★
The gassiness and roasted malts blend together nicely in this spritzy porter. Nothing unexpected but well made.
Hardknott (UK)
Colonial Mayhem ★★★
An 8.1% abv mild? Seriously? This has a huge warming, almost burning, alcohol hit before the roasted malt and chocolate flavours of the mild appears. More barley wine than mild, but well executed.
Harrington's (New Zealand)
Belgium Tempest ★★★★
Cloudy amber strong ale with a mix of malt, herbs and spices in it's intoxicatingly alcoholic taste. The mouthfeel is gassy and tingling. The aroma has caramelised vegetable sugars and the taste is slightly honeyed. The finish is dry with lingering coriander. Similar to beers from the Belgian Ellezoise brewery, which is a good thing.
Beltane Maiden ★★★
A big spicy orange aroma in this Belgian style wheat beer is followed up by waves of ginger cake in the taste. Fairly gassy and light mouthfeel. It feels like someone's gone a bit heavy on the flavourings, obscuring the wheat, malt and hop foundations. Different but not unpleasant.
Kiwi Draught ★★★
Golden lager with a dry biscuit malt flavour and a gently gassy mouthfeel. A light and drinkable lager that's pleasant enough.
Pig And Whistle ★★★
A gassy dark lager that has stewed fruit cake, coffee and a hint of caramel and biscuit malt waiting for you when the bubbles die down. The finish is tingling with residual carbonation behind which a roasted note lingers. The aroma emphasises the coffee flavour which tends to dominate as it warms.
Harveys (UK)
Imperial Extra Double Stout ★★★★
Dark like engine oil with a small tan head. A slightly syrupy taste with a big meaty, Bovril edge to it. Lacks refinement flavour range but a distinctive and unusual beer that is smoother than the 9% strength would have you think. Brewed under license in the UK to a recipe from the Estonian A Le Coq brewery.
Harviestoun (UK)
Bitter and Twisted ★★
Blonde beer that tastes of hops smothered in lemony washing up liquid. A hint of white pepper in the finish.
M&S Scottish Lager ★★★★
This starts out with a lovely floral aroma - a surprise given many lagers have no aroma at all. The taste is a mix of buttery malts with a hoppy grapefruit pith bitterness bleeding through at the end. Crisp refreshing and tasty.
Ola Dubh Highland Park 16 ★★★★★
As thick and viscous as they come with waves of peaty malt sloshing around in the woody finish without becoming too heavy. A nice late evening sipping treat.
Ola Dubh Highland Park 18 ★★★★★
Black oil beer natured in whisky casks. Dark, gloopy and viscous with a heavy peaty whisky flavour married to a treacle mouthfeel. At 8% the beer feels stronger than it is but without the alcoholic kick compromising the flavour. Truly a beer that has the feel of whisky. It's toffee and almond notes are deeply buried but the malty smoky aftertaste is unmistakable.
Ola Dubh Highland Park 40 ★★★★★
Oil black ale with a tan head. The aroma is rye bread & soy sauce with a crisp bitter taste with hints of coffee grounds. There is a spicy warm malty taste picked up from the whisky that steadily builds. A heavy fireside late night brew.
Old Engine Oil ★★★★
Pitch black beer with a tan head. Smooth, viscous, mouthfeel with a bitter roasted malt taste with a hint of dark powdery chocolate taste. A late night sipping beer that is not too heavy or potent.
Schiehallion ★★★★
Scottish pilsner made with hersbrucker hops and voted pilsner of the year in 2008. A good balance of hoppy and grapefruit flavours balance the classic dry finish. Full flavoured but still very welcome on a hot day. The aroma has fermented grassy hops.
Shenanigans ★★★★
Smooth dark lager with a gentle roasted malt and chocolate flavour. Light but not too gassy with a nicely building flavour. Hint of raspberry leaves in the aroma.
Hatherwood (UK)
Premium Bitter ★★
A rather generic smoothflow ale that has a bit of woody hop bitterness in the finish but generally little to distinguish it.
Hawkshead (UK)
Bitter ★★
A fairy liquid beer with a chemical citrus taste and little if no bitterness.
Brodie's Prime ★★★★★
Profoundly deep and dark tasting with a sharp fruit aftertaste. One to savour on it's own.
Lakeland Gold ★★★★
A hoppy golden ale that gets it's flavour from a mix of English and American hops.
Lakeland Lager ★★
Cask conditioned lager with a rather sharp citrus edge. Dry finish and little gassiness. Might appeal more on a hot day.
Heineken (Holland)
Amstel Pils ★★★
Fairly run of the mill pilsner. Dry and malty with a slight bitter citrus hop kick at the end.
Birra Moretti ★★★
Lager with a slightly dry bitter edge that is similar to Sans Souci.
Brand Urtyp ★★★★
Dry, "all malt" lager with a well judged gassiness and a gentle bitter citrus hop flavour. As good as mass produced pilsner from a multinational is likely to get.
Brand Weizener ★★★
Unusually flavoured witbier that's like Ben Shaw's pink lemonade (a Yorkshire favourite). Bright and light with vanilla and grapefruit. Thin, but refreshing and different.
Furstenberg Gold ★★
A beer that tastes of pot pourri and wet cats. Not enough flavour and virtually no aftertaste. Stronger than you think.
Hapkin ★★★
Perfumed aroma with yeast and citrus flavours and a dry chalky finish. An interesting mix but it rapidly feels flat. Apparently a Duvel copy, but it is fairly distinct.
McEwans Champion ★★★
Scotch ale with a brandy edge and a slightly fruity edge with hints of marmite. Looses it's strong taste to a dry gassy bitterness as you go.
Moretti Sans Souci ★★★
Solid Italian lager with a slight dry bitterness.
Wieckse Rose ★★
Witbier mixed with concentrated apple, raspberry, blueberry, cherry and elderflower juice. The taste is dry, light and fairly refreshing. 4% abv with little evident alcohol. A bit like a cordial with a gassy tingle at the end. Better than Hoegaarden or Gulpner Rose.
Wieckse Witte ★★
Smooth witbier with a fairy liquid hoppiness to it. Refreshing but dreadfully uninspired.
Zlaty Bazant ★★
The 'golden pheasant' bills itself as Slovakia's original beer. It was first brewed by the state in 1968 but has been under the control of Heineken since 1995. It seems popular with the locals but is just a moderately gassy pilsner with a gentle dry hoppy taste that doesn't distinguish itself from the crowd.
Herslav (Denmark)
Four Grain Stout ★★★
Danish imperial stout with an oil black body and a tan head. The beer doesn't mess around with a gassy burnt bitter coffee grounds taste dominant and a little warming alcohol on the finish. Good solid stuff to fight off the cold but the carbonated bitterness catches on the throat slightly. That said a gassy imperial stout is not a bad thing.
Hesket Newmarket (UK)
High Pike ★★
The bitter and malty aftertaste becomes too much
Hida Korikori (Japan)
Gero Gensen ★★★
Brewed using carbonated water from the TuyaOnsenGero hot spring. A crisp, if slightly bland, amber coloured beer with a hint of biscuit malt but very little bitterness. A refreshing alternative to a generic lager.
Hida White Beer ★★★
Unfiltered pale yellow coloured beer brewed with rice from Shirakawago. It's basically a plain Witbier, with no citrus or spice flavours dominating you just get gentle hops and a crisp refreshing finish.
Mt Hodaka Kolsch ★★★★
Crisp, gassy, unfiltered Kolsch that has a straw-like malty taste and a good hoppy bitterness in the finish. Better than many Kolsch made in Cologne. More striking if you avoid pouring the sediment.
Mt Yake Alto ★★★★
Crisp light amber beer with strong malty flavour and a savoury grassy edge. Has a real feel of substance to it. It lacks the typical dynamics of an alt but is pleasant.
Hida Takayama (Japan)
Pale Ale ★★★
Gassy pale ale in the English style with honey tinged malts and grassy hops. Refreshing, pleasant but not hugely memorable.
Weizen ★★★
Gassy wheat beer which has a nice mix of banana and clove flavours. The carbonation is over-dominant which obscures the complexity, but the overall effect is still harmonious.
Hidden (UK)
Hidden Pleasure ★
Tangy citrus beer with a vinegar finish. Quite possibly off when tasted.
High House Farm (UK)
Black Moss ★★★
This kicks off with an aroma of egg mayonnaise. The taste is a gentle, muted roasted malt with a hint of chocolate in there too. A tad bland but decent session fare.
Highgate (UK)
Old Ale ★★★
Strong (5.6%) dark, smooth English ale with a gentle malty bitter taste that would make for good session drinking. Could have more flavour for it's strength.
Highland (UK)
Orkney Blast ★★
Musty hop aroma with a rather bland oily mouthfeel and a thin malty flavour. Claims it is a barley wine but is only 6% abv.
Hilbre (UK)
Gold ★★★★
Dry, malty blonde ale with a woody, pine resin dry hoppy bitterness in the finish. Somewhere between a golden ale and an IPA.
Himalayan (Nepal)
Kathmandu ★★
Nepalese lager brewed under license in the UK using barley and wheat malt. Light and gassy with a dry grassy finish and hints of hops and malt. Becomes bland quite quickly.
Hirschbrau (Germany)
Doppel Hirsch ★★★★
Dark lager that has a sweet warming alcoholic malty flavour that hovers above bready yeast, roasted malts and chocolate. Akin to a rich dubbel without spice or fruit flavours for late night sipping like a beer cognac.
Hitachino Nest (Japan)
Amber Ale ★★★★
Puckering dry, deep mahogany coloured beer with bitter woody hops to the fore. There's a smoky note and the tangy edge of an English bitter. The carbonation is well-judged and blends with the long bitter finish. An effective combination of amber ale, brown ale and English bitter beer styles.
Espresso Stout ★★★★
Strong stout brewed with espresso coffee beans. The typical stout roasted malt flavours take up arms with the even more potent, almost granular coffee bean flavours. A bitter roasted hit with enough cocoa and carbonation to keep it easy to drink.
Japanese Classic Ale ★★★★
A nice balance of the fruitiness of a pale ale with the restrained dry hoppy finish of an IPA. As it warms boozy caramel flavours come to the fore. Dangerously drinkable for 7% abv.
Pale Ale ★★★★
Japanese Jaipur? This pale ale has much in common with Thornbridge's signature beer - tropical fruit, a dry bitter finish and a velvety malty base. Not as aggressively hopped as many IPAs making this very easy to drink.
Red Rice ★★★★
Dry pinkish ale with a mellow hoppy flavour that has hints of red fruit in there. The beer equivalent of a dry rosé wine?
Weizen ★★★
A gassy Hefeweizen that isn't too sweet and has a good malty base to the banana and clove flavours. Lacks a little weight and complexity in comparison with the best weizens.
White Ale ★★★
Crisp, gassy and aromatic Witbier with the orange flavours being particularly bitter with ginger and nutmeg. It blends well with the coriander. Not full bodied, yet not quite spritzy.
XH ★★★★
Dark amber, strong (8% abv) Belgian style ale. There are bold malty flavours, stewed raisins and a hint of spice in what feels like a slim-line Abbey Dubbel. Aged in Shochu (sake) barrels this captures the raw, fiery, alcoholic edge of the Japanese spirit without overwhelming the classic Belgian characteristics. Potent stuff.
Hobsons (UK)
Mild ★★★★
Classic mild with chocolate, coffee and toffee on the roasted malt flavour with the bitterness having a gentle finish. Superb session fare.
Old Henry ★★★
Dark brown English strong ale with a clear coffee/porter taste that floats over a hoppy ale base. A good robust beer that doesn't feel heavy.
Postman's Knock ★★★★★
Dark smooth hoppy ruby porter with a chocolate malt flavour in the background. Very drinkable and quite mild in flavour.
Town Crier ★★★★
Straw coloured ale with a light and well rounded taste.
Twisted Spire ★★★
Easy drinking golden ale that has a gentle malty flavour but little else.
Hofbrau (Germany)
M√ºncher Sommer ★★★★
Unfiltered, unpasteurised kellerbier with yeasty fruit flavours - orange, lemon and grapefruit pith - with a dry finish. Interesting flavours whilst remaining very drinkable.
Oktoberfest ★★
Gassy German festival lager with a spicy, funky note to it and a dry bitter finish with a hint of chalkiness. Thin and slightly chemical without enough subtlety or depth of flavour.
Schwarze Weisse ★★★
Gassy, dark wheat beer with restrained, yet pleasing, roasted malt flavours. A session beer rather than a sipping beer.
Urbock ★★★
Tan coloured beer with a piney, malty, woody flavour that has a bitter hoppy bite at the finish.
Hogs Back (UK)
Burma Star Ale ★★★
Bitter pale ale that goes very well with a hearty soup.
OTT (Old Tongham Tasty) ★★★★
Smooth as silk. Dark as night. Strong and tasty without being overpowering. A fine example of a dark winter ale.
Summer Ale ★★
Incredibly tangy ale with a caramel sweetness to it. Generic and underwhelming session fare.
Traditional English Ale ★★★
Does what you expect. An amber bitter with a full aroma and a good balance of hops and malt. Not too dry or bitter. A good session ale.
Hokkaido (Japan)
Otaru Bakusyu Pilsner ★★★★
Full bodied pilsner with an expansive malty flavour that has straw and biscuit notes pulled together with a bitter hoppy tingle in the finish. Overall it has a grassy edge to the dry finish. As it warms the flavours vary in intensity very pleasingly.
Holdens (UK)
Black Country Mild ★★★
Mild with a good hoppy bite and a chocolate aftertaste. Gets better as you get through the first half.
Burton Runner ★★
Golden ale with a light dry malty edge but very little else going on.
Golden Glow ★★★
Crisp hoppy golden ale with a light dryness.
Holsten (Germany)
Pils ★★★
Clean, hoppy lager with reasonable body and a slight dry bitterness. It's pilsner taste is quite gentle.
Honner (Austria)
Pfutzl Brau ★★★
A hoppy Austrian Marzen lager with a fairly high carbonation and a light bitterness. Lacks the crisp dry edge of many lagers but is fairly well rounded and does a decent job of framing the hops.
Hook Norton (UK)
Double Stout ★★★
Smooth stout with a deep coffee taste that has had the bite taken off. Good for an easy drinking stout that retains a depth of flavour.
Haymaker ★★★
Smooth IPA with a dry hoppy aftertaste and the slightest hint of citrus. Possibly a little too dry.
Hooky ★★★
Golden ale with a deceptively gentle malty flavours that builds up into a smoky aftertaste wafting over a restrained hoppy bitterness. It won't set the world alight, but you could easily drink it all night.
Hooky Bitter ★★★★
Dark golden bitter with a lingering creamy head. A slight hoppy aroma leads into a moreish dry malty and bitter taste. There is a slight gassiness that gives a good balance. It goes well with salty pub snacks. A great session beer.
Hooky Gold ★★★
Golden ale with little or no head. Bone dry and quite crisp with a hint of citrus hops and a lingering bitterness. Well suited to a warm summers day when you aren't desperate for refreshment. The aroma has a faint spiciness.
Hooky Mild ★★★
Thick chocolate malt on the nose leads into watery cocoa on the palate with enough of a malty punch to sustain the interest. It's not a stunning beer, but at 2.8% abv it's remarkably full and rounded.
Lion ★★
Rather soapy, dry malty beer with little bite for a "lion" beer. Underwhelming.
Old Hooky ★★★
Fruity amber coloured ale that starts off with a big hoppy taste but quickly settles down to a gentle nutty woodiness. An enjoyable light session beer that's pleasant ambience rather than striking centrepiece.
Twelve Days ★★★
Dark bitter ale with a light caramel and fruit aftertaste and a gentle sparkling fizz. A Christmas porter?
Hop Back (UK)
Entire Stout ★★★★
Full on roasted coffee and dark chocolate flavours dominate this English stout. It's gassy enough that you could mistake it for a dark lager, but there is no mistaking how tasty it is.
Pickled Santa ★
Aroma of toilet and leaf mould. The taste has a hint of grapefruit and star anise. Tastes quite watery for it's 6% strength. Vague waft of pickled onions in the background.
Hopshackle (UK)
Historic Porter ★★★★★
Deep coffee tasting porter with a taste of damsons. Strongly flavoured by very good when you are in the mood for something dark.
Hotteterre (France)
Blonde ★★★
Unfiltered blonde ale that's very gassy with a gently floral hoppy flavour. Has hints of a witbier. Way too easy to drink for it's 6.1% abv strength.
Howard Town (UK)
Monk's Gold ★★★★
Amber ale with a sharp edge
Humpty Dumpty (UK)
Porter ★★★★
Deep dark porter with a treacly burnt taste lifted by a slightly syrupy finish. A heavily roasted aroma balances a faint dark chocolate note in the taste.
Huyghe (Belgium)
Delirium Christmas (Noel) ★★
Dry, syrupy beer with a distinct alcoholic edge (10%) and a faint spicy edge that is buried in the background. Very disappointing in comparison to their other beers.
Delirium Red ★★★
Dry, earthy cherry beer with surprisingly little sweetness and a medicinal edge. Neither a sour Flemish red ale or a hit of pure cherries.
Delirium Tremens ★★★★
Pure bonkers juice. Strong 9% spicy blonde ale that chases around your brain, but not in a bad way (unless you need to do anything complicated afterwards).
Floris Chocolate ★★★
It has the aroma of Jaffa Cakes but a slightly more subdued taste. Definitely a novelty beer but if treated like a Cointreau and Kahlua cocktail that it's not bad at all.
Floris Honey ★
Awful honey witbier. Fake, beauty product style herbal honey mixed with bad boiled sweets. Tastes nothing like beer and basically unpleasant.
La Guillotine ★★★★
Massively potent beer that hits in you like a fish round the face. Straw coloured beer in the vein of Duvel that messes with your head like Delirium Tremens, with a similar herby edge.
M&S Belgian Blond Beer ★★★★
A textbook Belgian blond ale. Gassy, strong spiced malty flavour with a dry hoppy tingle at the end. Full bodied and easy drinking.
M&S Belgian Cherry Wheat Beer ★★★★
Brewed by the makers of Delerium Tremens for Marks And Spencer's this is a wheat beer mixed with a high proportion of concentrated griotte cherry juice (30%). The cherry taste is very dominant and sweet without being too saccharine or artificial. The wheat beer base gives it a smoothness but it very much in the background with little yeastiness coming through. Much more suited to having with deserts and chocolate than it is to session drinking in a pub - but that is no bad thing. Better than Timmermanns Kriek by quite some distance.
M&S Belgian Wheat Beer ★★★★
A light witbier with a perfumed carbonated aroma. The taste is airy with the orange and coriander floating around the roof of your mouth. The finish is short and crisp with a hint of lemon. Pleasingly gentle.
M&S Belgian Winter Beer ★★★★
Kicks in with a potent alcohol burn that's tempered with roasted and caramel malt flavours. There's a slightly spicy edge, though there's no actual spice in the beer. Gassy enough to keep it light. A gentler Maredsous 8 or Westvleteren 8.
Mongozo Apricot ★★★
Mango on the aroma, mango on the taste. There's a hint of dry Archers and it's more alcopop than beer. That said if you want a refreshing alcoholic fruit drink.
Rince Cochon ★★★★
A Belgian biere-sur-lie that clocks in at 8.5% abv and feels a bit like someone Delerium Tremens and put it in a straight jacket as they were feeling a bit scared. Restrained spices and a pleasingly raw toasty malt finish. Cute glassware with a pig in the stem.
Ten Duinen Rousse ★★★
Clean tasting dark amber ale with warming malty flavours fading into a dash of apricot in the finish. Pleasant but not stunning.
Van Diest Fruli ★
Belgian white beer blended with strawberries that is verging on the alcopop territory.
Hyde's (UK)
Manchester's Finest ★★★
Creamy toffee coloured ale with a light malt taste and a slightly woody finish. Dry finish with a gentle bitterness tempered by the creamy mouthfeel and a slight hint of lime.
Trojan Horse ★★★★
Light, very easy drinking ale with a gentle hoppy aftertaste.
Idle Brewery (UK)
Idle Ale ★★
Overly hopped beer that leaves a sour taste. Light colour.
IJ (Holland)
IJ Bok ★★★
Exceptionally smooth and creamy for it's 6% abv strength. Dry and resinous with warming bitter caramel flavours with spices and dark fruits coming through. Potent and pleasing - but it's an ESB not a bock - and it doesn't quite stand up to the finest in it's field.
IJ Wit ★★★★★
A cross between the German and Belgian white beer styles. Deep gold in colour, full bodied malty flavour with ginger and spices coming through in the finish. Distinctive and very well made.
Natte ★★★★
Rich, fruity dark ale with caramel, bitter orange and coriander vying for attention. Rye bread on the aroma. The finish has warming alcohol, but it isn't dominant. Creamy, full bodied and good.
Plzen ★★★★
Unusually for a pilsner this is brewed using ale yeast. This is due to problems with the lager yeast the brewers were using. The result is a smooth golden ale with the dry hoppy flavours you'd expect from a pilsner. Cheating, but really rather nice.
Zatte ★★★★★
A perfectly weighted balance of heavy mouthfeel and light gassiness. The flavour is a wonderful fusion of malt, hops and spice that is smooth without being bland. Almost akin to a blend of Duvel and Tripel Karmaleit with a pleasing bitter kick at the finish. Very, very drinkable.
Ilkley (UK)
Ilkley Black ★★★★
Dark mild with a mix of malt & coffee and a hint of dry fruit. Light and very drinkable. Made with five different malts.
Mary Christmas ★★★
A pale amber bitter flavoured with nutmeg, cinnamon and dark rum. When chilled the flavourings are to the fore giving a rich edge. As it warms the woody biscuit malt become more dominant giving you a dry, tangy session ale with a dash of festive flair.
Ilva (Italy)
Grunge IPA ★★★★
Dark amber IPA that packs the regular hippy punch but with a robust, and slightly rustic malty edge that gives it a beautiful balance.
InBev (Germany)
Becks ★★★
Malty German lager with a slightly dry finish. Crisp without being blandly gassy, though the carbonation tends build up on the tongue. Nothing stunning though.
Becks Blue ★★★
Alcohol free lager with the typical twisted malty flavour with a hint of citrus. Dry and light but quite thin as well. Fair enough for what it is.
Becks Vier ★★
Golden larger with a decent size white head. 4% in strength and targeted at those something for a little weaker than continental European beers. It is basically fizz with a hint of beer. Far too tasteless for it's strength - if it was 2% or less it might have a purpose.
Belle-Vue Gueuze ★★★
An approachable, fruity gueuze that tempers it's sourness with an apple juice sweetness. Also called Becasse Gueuze.
Brahma ★★★★
A good """"day to day"""" lager. The taste is gentle enough to good with just about anything, but there is enough flavour and refreshment to drink on it's own.
Eiken Artois ★★★
The Artois take on an oak aged beer. The gassiness overpowers it's malty oaky taste. Not as complex as it could be but pleasant enough.
Hoegaarden ★★★★★
The classic modern wheat beer. Light in colour and taste whilst being very cloudy. More refreshing than many of the German wheat beers with an almost floral and aromatic taste with hints of lemon.
Hoegaarden Citron ★
A lemon and lime variant of the famous wheat beer that appears to be aimed at Sprite drinkers. Very sweet and gassy with on depth. It's 3% abv but it may as well be a soft drink.
Hoegaarden Rosee ★★
Very gassy fruit beer with a massive aroma of shop bought raspberry Gu puddings. The gassiness stops it becoming too sweet but masks much of the flavour. Somewhat akin to fizzy pop but would be pleasant in warm summer weather.
Hoegaarden Speciale ★★★★
A winter version of the famous witbier with more malted barley to give a drier taste almost akin to a chalky abbey triple. The orange & coriander are still well with the citrus lingering in the finish with a pleasing warmth. The mouthfeel feels gassier than the regular Hoegaarden.
Jelen Pivo ★★★
Perfectly decent crisp lager with a gassy body and a restrained malty flavour that rounds it out nicely. A well brewed beer.
Jupiler ★★
Fairly standard and nondescript lager with a watery hoppy finish. Very light straw coloured with little head.
Leffe 9 ★★★
Strong, soft beer with a foamy banana flavour and a slight alcoholic edge that grows as it warms. Has a touch of the Leffe spiciness in the background.
Leffe Blonde ★★★★
Strong and smooth tasting blonde ale with a deep golden coloured and the slightest edge of fruit and wheat beer to it. Fruit and coriander flavour with a gassy tingle. Slightly creamy and quite smooth without bland. A very good beer that lacks the flash of greatness.
Leffe Brune ★★★★
Fruity and tangy brown Belgian ale that is fully flavoured without being overpowering.
Leffe Christmas ★★★★
An archetypal Belgian Christmas ale? Has the classic Leffe spicy thumbprint but with a drier, spicier finish akin to German leberkuchen.
Leffe Radieuse ★★★★
Thick deeply spicy dark amber ale with a dry finish. The taste majors on cloves, burnt caramel and bitter orange. A real bruiser of a beer at 8.5% abv that would possibly benefit from being a dash more rounded. Potent late night fare. Bottle conditioning could add a chunk more depth that could improve it.
Leffe Ruby ★★★
Filtered Belgian beer with red fruit syrup added. Pale woody colour, smells like redcurrant squash. The taste isn't as sweet as you'd expect with green leafy flavours as dominant as sweet red berries. The finish is very dry and thin. It is the Leffe equivalent of Hoegaarden Rosee but slightly better. File next to the Timmermans fruit beers and think of cordials.
Leffe Tripel ★★★★
Strong Belgian abbey ale with the characteristic Leffe thumbprint in it's spicy taste combined with a foamy banana flavour typical of a triple. The gassiness makes it feel light whilst the bottle conditioning gives it depth. There is an alcoholic kick in the finish. A bold, punchy beer that lacks the spark of greatness but is very pleasing.
Leffe Vielle Cuvee ★★★
Bright and light Belgian strong ale with a gentle caramel flavour that blends into the usual Leffe thumbprint. Not as bold and confident as other types of Leffe but pleasing enough.
Quilmes ★★★
Crisp lager with a discernable hoppiness.
Staropramen Lezak ★★★
Smooth, clean pilsner with a dry, hoppy taste. One of the better mass produced European lagers, but not exceptional.
Stella Artois ★★★
The reassuring expensive beer that is better known to it's brewers chagrin as wife beater. No longer particularly strong or expensive in today's beer market it remains a decent continental lager with a crisp mouthfeel and enough of a hoppy taste to avoid blandness.
Vieux Temps ★★★
A straight down the line, malty, amber coloured that slips down so easily you'll hardly notice before it's gone. There are hints of salted caramel and wood but principally this is clean and inoffensive stuff.
Innis & Gunn (UK)
77 day matured Oak Aged Beer ★★★★★
Deeper and heavier than the regular Innis and Gunn
Blonde Oak Aged Beer ★★★★★
Fruity blonde ale with a hint of vanilla. Very good when chilled.
Highland Cask ★★★★
Robust malty flavoured ale with a thick toffee flavour and a hint of sweet vanilla. The finish is warming with a slight bitterness.
Irish Whisky Cask ★★★★
Thick dark brown - almost black - ale with a warming malty alcohol hit above it's 7.4% abv. The Irish whisky flavours are mouthcoatingly spirity with a smoky finish.
Oak Aged Beer ★★★★★
Full flavoured with a touch of whisky
Rum Cask Oak Aged Beer ★★★★★
Syrup coloured beer with a huge taste of stewed fruits and spices topped with a hit of rum. It has been matured in rum casks and wooden casks for 107 days. It's taste is like a lighter Westvleteren 12 and almost feels like drinking an aged spirit. A superb beer of rare quality - only available in limited runs.
Rum Finish Oak Aged Beer ★★★★
The updated version of Rum Cask that feels like it's had the treble turned up. Sweeter and gassier with a bubbling caramel to the fore. The rum elements are now more evident, but it lacks the syrupy, malty, bitter heft of the Rum Cask.
Scottish Pale Ale ★★★★
The thick oaky thumbprint of Innis & Gunn is clearly evident, but this is a lighter concoction with caramel flavours dominating. The citrus fruitiness is restrained, making this very distinct from modern pale ales. A great addition to the line up.
Triple Matured Oak Aged Beer ★★★★
Strong, smooth and malty beer that doesn't quite have the depth of flavour that the rest of the I&G range has but is still a decent beer in it's own right. Somewhat akin to the strong Belgian beers and barley wine.
Winter Treacle Porter ★★★★
Dark red, oak aged beer bolstered by molasses. This is like Innis & Gunn with the bass & treble turned up. Bolstering the typical oaky, malty flavours are sweet pine resin on the nose. The bitter roasted malts are offset by a caramel sweetness, whilst the syrupy edge is balanced by a lightening gassiness. Well balanced, well made and very interesting but just a dash short of being a genius brew.
Inspire Ale (UK)
Citrus Saison ★★★★
Thick, amber coloured ale that's been generously hopped. Alongside the robust malt and gentle citrus are menthol and blackcurrents. Distinctive but well done.
Inveralmond (UK)
Frisco Steamy ★★★
Dry, slightly smoky deep golden beer. Generally crisp without ever feeling thin.
Invercargill (New Zealand)
B.Man ★★★
A confident pilsner, big on the hops with a dry finish. There is a hint of woody citrus in the hoppy taste. Designed to complement spicy food but good on it's own too.
Boysenberry ★★★★★
Boysenberries are part way between raspberries, blueberries and loganberries. This beer is a wheat beer that is flavoured with them and has a wonderful balance between sweet and tart flavours without forgetting that it is a beer. A great after dinner beer made in limited runs.
Dubbel Happy ★★★★★
Deep dark brown colour with a small tan head. The aroma has white chocolate, nuts and allspice. The taste is malty with salty liquorice and a slightly sweet alcoholic finish. A beer with huge depths and layers of flavours that could teach a number of Belgian brewers something. A beer that retains all the best bits of tradition whilst adding an original spin. Cellared for 3 months before release, this is a limited edition that the brewery should make on a regular basis.
Pitch Black ★★★
Suitably dark stout that has a fairly mellow flavour and strength (at 4.5% abv). The mouthfeel is heavy and velvety with the bitter roasted malts proving subdued and easy going. There is a hint of chocolate malt lingering in the finish and sweetly in the aroma that builds as it warms up. A solid, tasty stout that punches a little above it's strength. Accomplished but not by quite enough to stand out from the crowd.
Smokin' Bishop ★★★
A smoked bock with a dash of manuka honey in the aroma. The taste is sweet and malty with a dry, woody, smoky finish. A tasty beer that at 7% abv could have more complexity.
Ise Kadoya (Japan)
American Pale Ale ★★★
Overly soapy pale ale with little in the way of hoppy flavour. Rather forgettable, but in no way unpleasant.
Kumano Kodo ★★★★
Incredibly malty deep amber coloured beer with a really oaky flavour to it. There are hints of red fruit to lift it and a dash of bitterness in the finish. The gassiness helps makes it feel expansive. Quality stuff.
Isle Of Mull (UK)
Galleons Gold ★★
A strange metallic mixture of cocoa powder, honey, sherry and damp socks. There's something interesting going on but it needs refining.
Itchen Valley (UK)
Godfathers ★★★
Gentle amber coloured ale with a gentle toffee malt flavour. Pleasant, in a sedate way.
James Boag's (Australia)
Premium Lager ★★★
Crisp, gassy, hoppy lager with a watery finish. Not bad for a mass market lager but nothing memorable. A cold drink for hot days.
St George ★★
Gassy pale lager made with lashing of citrus hops. Light and refreshing but if it was any sweeter it would be a radler or an alcopop.
Jamtlands (Sweden)
Hell ★★★
Bitter hoppy amber lager with a foamy head and a woody finish. Has character.
Paskol ★★★
Brownish amber Easter beer with an initial fizz followed by a dry, woody hoppy taste. Elements of an assertively hopped English bitter. Strong (6%) and full flavoured but could have more depth.
Jennings (UK)
Cock-A-Hoop ★★★★
Golden Ale with a bitter hoppy taste. From a distance you might think this is a lager but it's full flavour will soon set you right.
Cumberland Ale ★★★★
Gentle, pale gold, English ale with a light but well expressed hoppy flavour. A great session beer or relaxing ale. Quite a high carbonation for an ale.
Fish King ★★★★
Smooth, golden coloured ale with a gentle blend of hops and malts that is balanced well.
Sainsbury's TtD Westmorland Ale ★★★
Deep amber coloured bitter with a nutty malty flavour and a bitter biscuit finish. A tad over-carbonated but it's a pleasant beer.
Sneck Lifter ★★★★★
Beautifully rounded strong ale with deep coffee and chocolate notes and a bitter finish. There is a slight creaminess to the mouthfeel but it doesn't colour the flavour. Not too heavy but with bundles of flavour. Impressive.
World's Biggest Liar ★★★
Dry and smooth amber ale with a bitter finish
John Martin (Belgium)
Bourgogne De Flandres ★★★
Oak aged, lambic based beer that is a tad thin and artificial when bottled. On draught it appears lighter with a woody fruity edge coming through more clearly. Akin to a less potent Rodenbach or Duchesse Du Bourgogne.
Gordon Finest Gold Blond ★★★★
Golden yellow coloured blonde beer with a big sudsy white head and stonking 10% strength. The alcoholic edge is immediate and dominant but is softened with a sweet fruitiness and gentle breadiness (but not yeast). Mellows as it progresses. Better than most beers of it's strength.
Gordons Xmas Beer ★★★★
Chewy, sweet and tasting of vegemite. A dark and heavy beer with a slight burnt edge. Would taste best when you have just come in from the cold.
Martin's IPA ★★★
A rather sedate, and quite gassy, IPA with a gently, buttery hop finish.
Martin's Pale Ale ★★★★
Dark amber ale with a lager style mouth feel but a bitter malty flavour that is slightly dry but well balanced. A favourite of Pierre Celis (creator of Hoegaarden).
Timmermanns Kriek ★★★
Very heady cherry lambic with the cherry flavour being very dominant and quite, but not overpoweringly, sweet. The gassiness balances it but the lambic base is hard to taste. Akin to cherry boiled sweets and lacking refinement.
Timmermans Faro ★★★
Spontaneously fermented beer sweetened with apple juice. It has the taste of a sweet cider with an interesting rounded sourness coming through in the lingering finish. Refreshing and fully flavoured if a tad too sweet.
Timmermans Lambic Blanche ★★★
Cloudy, pale yellow lambic mixed with wheat. It has a bright, almost sharp, citrus taste with a tart edge that reflects the typical tastes of lambic and witbiers. There is very little in the finish. Interesting, but to my taste a little light overall. Others disagree and it would be very good on a hot day.
Timmermans Lambic Doux ★★★★★
Flat, dry initial taste that is followed by a brief flash of peach and a lingering apple aftertaste. A light faro lambic that is very refreshing with a good depth of flavour. Bafflingly brilliant in taste, the experience is enhanced by it being served from an earthenware jug in the A La Becasse bar in Brussels.
Timmermans Oude Gueuze ★★★★
This begins with the characteristically pungent lambic aroma. The taste gives you sharp citrus and a rounded sourness. Maybe apple vinegar too. It doesn't have the complexity or edginess of the great lambics but it's full of flavour. A session gueuze?
Timmermans Peche ★★★
Golden coloured, headless fruit lambic beer with a strong gassiness that fights with a sweet peach taste for supremacy. The lambic taste can be felt at the end but the sweetness and gassiness are slightly too much.
Jopen (Holland)
Witte Rook ★★★
Witbier made with smoked malts. The smoky malt hovers gently in the background of the typical witbier coriander and fruit flavours.
Joseph Holt (UK)
Humdinger ★★★
Amber beer with Mexican honey. Hoppy base with a caramel honey tingle that isn't too sweet in the way most honey beers are. It has a bitter finish. Slightly artificial.
Maple Moon ★★★
This beer with 'a hint of maple' comes with theories about the power of the moon. An amber ale with a sweet malty taste that has a dry bitter woody taste of maple that becomes watery. A novelty twist on a standard ale.
Two Hoots ★★★★
An old school golden bitter with a pleasing skunky roughness to it's caramel and biscuit malt flavours. There's a nice bitter. Hoppy edge to the finish too. Old school beer like it should be.
JW Lees (UK)
Chocoholic ★★
Dark mahogany that's had some chocolate thrown in. Tastes like wobbly cocoa on the finish with any beer characteristics getting submerged.
Harvest Ale ★★★
Weird smoky aroma of rum, molasses and bisto. The taste is dry and woody with a figs, liquorice and lingering boozy fruitcake finish. The mouthfeel is oily and mouthcoating like a whisky. A winter warmer.
Manchester Star ★★★★
A wonderfully rich bitter with thick chocolate flavours mixed in some sweet red fruits. The caramel malt flavours tie the beer together beautifully.
Supernova ★★★★★
Gentle beer with a surprisingly dark colour for it's taste. Very smooth with biscuit and bitter hoppy flavours lingering in a creamy body. With time it becomes slightly chewy with a faint hint of coffee grounds. At 3.5% a great session beer for winter night if you are after something light but with a bit of flavour to it.
Kaimai (New Zealand)
Porter's Rye Ale ★★★★
Strong dark ale made with rye alongside the more traditional malted barley. Dry, sour cherries with a hint of bourbon dominate the malty taste akin to a Manhattan Perfect cocktail. It's almost closer to a dry fruit lambic than the porter the name implies. The finish is warm, dry and slightly tangy. Best served cold.
Kaltenberg (Germany)
Hell ★★
Dry crisp malty lager with a powdery potato flavour that dies away leaving a chalky taste. Mildly gassy. More character than usual for a helles but not great.
Kelman (UK)
Revolution In Your Bed ★★★
Golden ale with a light malty taste and a slight citrus / fruity edge to the finish. Refreshing session fare.
Kent (UK)
Porter ★★★★
Beautifully judged porter that starts off with an aggressive hit of roasted malts before mellowing into a creamy finish. Like an espresso that morphs into a latte or draught Guinness with added bite. A little complexity in flavours would make it near perfect.
Kerkom (Belgium)
Bink Blonde ★★★★
A curious hybrid with bananas, cloves and a hint of honey in the style of a Weiss but with some gentle smoked pancetta laced through it. A dry hoppy flavour starts to emerge as it warms. Experimental but nice.
Bink Brune ★★★★
Malt loaf, rye bread and stewed fruits to the fore with an initial sweetness that fades into a bitter malty finish.
Kernel (UK)
A.N.R. India Pale Ale ★★★★
Another aggressively hopped IPA. The strong citrus flavours and woody finish are firmly expressed over a peppery base.
Biere De Table ★★★
Kernel call this a French Farmhouse Ale. It's a fair guess this is their homage to Thiriez's Blonde Du Esquelbecq. Light and gassy with a tart hoppy citrus orange finish. There's an acidic edge that makes this a witbier with a kick. Too dry and chalky to measure up to the Thiriez beer, but a worthwhile brew.
London Porter ★★★★
A gassy and bright beer that feels like a Scandinavian porter. The base is smoky, roasted and biscuity with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. A well rounded easy drinking porter with lots of character.
Pale Ale (Ella) ★★★
Kernel delivering what you'd expect - a generous hit of hops in a well crafted beer. As a single-hop showcase this is puckeringly superb with hints of thick sour honey and funky green vegetables, but there isn't a lot else going on.
Keswick (UK)
Thirst Ascent ★★★
Light and easy golden bitter that isn't too bland
Thirst Rescue ★★★
A variant of Thirst Ascent with a barely discernable citrus edge to it.
Thirst Run ★★★★
Golden pale ale with strong bitter taste and sharp citrus edge. Strongly flavoured but interesting and refreshing.
Keystone (UK)
Large One ★★★
Deep golden coloured with a wide garden path of a malty taste that leads to overly prevelent corriander spice note in the finish that unbalances it a bit.
Kindl (Germany)
Berliner Pilsner ★★★
Crisp dry pilsner that does exactly what you'd expect and nothing more.
Berliner Weisse ★★
The only Berliner Weisse still made in Berlin. Has a watery sourness to it with a crisp grassy finish that has a hint of acidic limes. Thin with no lingering taste but could work on a hot day in preference to a bland lager. Usually served with red syrup (turning it into a berry flavour alcopop) or green syrup (making it taste like a woodruff flavour chewit). Both of these make it worse. To complete the impression of a beer for 8 year olds it comes with a straw.
Berliner Weisse Himbeere ★
Berliner Weisse mixed with red fruit syrup turning it into a berry flavour alcopop. To complete the impression of a beer for 8 year olds it comes with a straw.
Berliner Weisse Waldmeister ★
Berliner Weisse mixed with green woodruff syrup. Woodruff can be used in pot pourri or in moth detterent. In this beer it tastes like green chewits.
Kingfisher (India)
Kingfisher Lager ★★
Smooth, slightly pilsnerish lager with a bright taste. Not as good as Cobra as a beer to go with a curry.
Kingstone (UK)
1503 ★★★★
A dark ruby ale made to an old Tudor recipe. Very hoppy and smoky with a bitter aftertaste. The malty overtones it claims are very subdued.
Abbey ★★★
Traditional malty English ale that doesn't stand out.
Bitter ★★★★
Traditional light brown bitter with a good mix of fruity hops and biscuit malt with a dry bitterness in the finish that suits it. A session bitter with character and depth.
Challenger Bitter ★★★★★
A classic English bitter which is watery brown in colour with no head. Light in strength but will a very full taste thanks to the 'generous' amount of Challenger hops used. Very appealing and very refreshing.
Gold ★★★
Very light golden ale with a gentle, almost honey hop taste and a merest hint of bitterness on the finish. Good summer session fare.
Hapax Jingle Porter ★★★
Bitter roasted malts with a warming alcohol burn and a hint of burnt pan juices. This strong viscous porter isn't complex but does what you'd expect.
Humpty Fuddle ★★★★
Bottle conditioned amber ale with a frothy head that quickly fades. A little gassier than you would generally expect for a real ale the bitter hoppy flavour emerges soon after. There is a slight floral sourness that hovers over the beer then fades into a bitter aftertaste with an ephemeral flash of cherries. An interesting beer which doesn't quite have the balance it needs but has more to it than your average beer.
Premium Stout ★★★
Light stout with a clean hoppy taste and only a light bitter coffee ground base.
Tewdric's Tipple ★★
Clear amber ale that is dry and citric.
Kirin (Japan)
Ichiban ★★★
Dry Japanese lager similar to Asahi. Brewed from """"first press"""" only, but under license in this country by Charles Wells.
Kizakura (Japan)
Kyoto Bakushu Alt ★★★
Dry, gassy take on an alt beer with smoke and toffee flavours offset against heavy carbonation. A crisp malty beer would benefit from more complexity.
Kyoto Bakushu Kura No Kaori ★★★
Brewed with sake yeast this lightly flavoured lager has a delicate citrus edge and an air of refinement.
White Nile ★★★
Bright, gassy beer based on ancient Egyptian brews with a dry citrus edge and a hint of chalkiness. The finish is short, but in a pleasing gentle way.
Klein Duimpje (Holland)
Blackbird Schwarz ★★★★
Intensely roasted aroma and initial flavours that mellow out pleasingly. Gassy enough to make it lively but without compromising the coffee and chocolate flavours.
Hillegomse Hangkous ★★★★
Dutch take on a Scottish ale. Potent and malty with a floral aroma. Has the alcoholic edge of a strong abbey dubbel with a slight dark fruitiness and bitter finish. An assertive late night brew that's at it's best when chilled.
Smokey Porter ★★★★
This meets the trade description act. Black in colour with an off white head. The taste is initially smoke and peat with a roasted malted finish. The mouthfeel is gassy with the smoke and coffee grounds flavours intertwine in an interesting way with a spirity kick from it's 7% abv strength. A distinctive brew for dark beer lovers that is a slow sipping pleasure.
Koningshoeven (Holland)
La Trappe Blonde ★★★★★
Full bodied malty ale with a spiciness that blends into the taste beautifully. The carbonation adds to the mouthfeel without compromising the flavour. Very potent but with a subtle blend of flavours.
La Trappe Dubbel ★★★★
Robust chewy, malty dark ale with a bitter fruitiness. Smooth enough to be easily drinkable without being bland. There is an almost tangy edge to malty flavour with dark fruity hints in the background.
La Trappe Isa'Dor ★★★★
Trappist ale brewed to celebrate their 125th anniversary. Cloudy red in colour with a frothy head and creamy taste. For 7.5% abv it feels restrained, almost gentle, with a lingering yeasty flavour. There are caramel and raisin notes in the background and a gently warming malty coriander tingle. Overall the mouthfeel feels like a Belgian Ale but with a dark fruitiness in the flavour.
La Trappe Quadruple ★★★
At 10% this is a strong beer and unfortunately it feels a little overpowered. It has a malty taste but lacks the depth and subtlety that a beer of this strength needs. There are certainly far worse strong beers and it doesn't taste bad but you are better having 2 regular strength beers.
La Trappe Tripel ★★★★★
Banana tasting, slightly wheaty trappist beer that slips down very easily despite it's 8% strength.
La Trappe Wheat ★★★★
Creamy beer which has a wheat beer edge with a slight sweetness to it. Not the breweries best but very drinkable.
Krönleins (Sweden)
Crocodile ★★★
Straight ahead lager. Slightly crisp with a watery hoppy taste. OK but not exceptional.
Ikea Dark Lager ★★★
Fruity, malt loaf flavours underpin this dunkel but it's all quite gentle and restrained. A relaxed dark lager.
Krombacher (Germany)
Weisse ★★★
Light, bright and bubbly German wheat beer that is very easy to drink and quite refreshing with hints of tropical fruit occasionally appearing. There is a gentle yeasty note in the finish. Could have more depth but enjoyable enough.
Kronenbourg (France)
1664 Blanc ★★
Lemony yellow, cloudy beer with a small white head that gives a lot of lacing. Very gassy with a sweet lemon flavour that dominates the taste. It is almost as if someone has poured lemonade into the beer. Light and refreshing but a decent lemonade like Fentimans would be better.
1664 Premier Cru ★★★
Supposedly lovingly crafted by master brewers with the finest ingredients. In reality it is like the regular 1664 with less corner cutting and a higher alcohol content. It has a malty toffee taste soured with slightly too much of an alcoholic edge.
Wilfort Brune ★★★
Traditional brown European beer with an average taste.
Krug Breitenlesauer (Germany)
Landbier ★★★★
Dark lager that wallows in malty rye bread flavours with a nicely judged bit of sweetness at the end. Lively gassiness that is invigorating rather than overwhelming.
Krusovice (Czech)
Dark Beer (Cerne) ★★★★
Dark chocolate lager with slight hints of fruit (cherry, raspberry?). Very smooth with a coffee taste when drunk warm. Fairly light and gentle at 3.8%
Imperial ★★★
Slightly floral lager that has a full bodied ale style taste but lacking distinction.
Kulmbacher (Germany)
Eisbock ★★★★
Stunning strong tasting dark beer (9.2%) which is freeze concentrated to increase it's strength. It has a strong figgy, fruity, caramel taste with a lingering malty alcoholic after taste. Akin to a strong Belgian brune such as Maredsous, the alcoholic edge verges on the overpowering but it doesn't quite become too much.
Monchshof Landbier ★★★
Malty lager without that dryness or gassiness that typifies many German beers. This makes it very easy drinking but the only really memorable thing is the stone tankards it's traditionally served from.
Monchshof Schwarzbier ★★★
Traditional schwarz with a mellow roasted flavour and restrained hints of powdery chocolate. The finish is gentle but persistent and builds nicely as you continue to drink.
Kyoto Machiya (Japan)
Hanamachi (Alt Beer) ★★★
Dry, pale brown ale with biscuit malt, woody hops and a dry finish that has a hint of smoky toffee. The gassiness drives a hole right through the flavours, compromising the complexity.
Heian ★★★★
A really dry dark lager with the roasted malts laying a Tarmac road for this smoky beer with bitter chocolate and a hoppy tingle in the finish.
La Binchoise (Belgium)
Belgoo Luppo ★★
Dry and slightly chalky cloudy straw coloured beer. The mouthfeel is slightly gassy. It has an intoxicatingly light feel but there isn't much in the way of malt or hop flavours.
Belgoo Magus ★★★
Light blonde Belgian ale with a buttery taste, gassy mouthfeel and faint spicing. Easy drinking, belies it's 6.6% strength. Made with four types of grain. Bottle conditioned, the brewers recommend leaving the sediment in the bottle but it can give it more body. Solid but unexceptional.
Biere Des Ours ★★
Pale straw coloured cloudy beer with a big hit of citrus & pineapple mixed with TCP. Elements of a wheat beer but with the alcoholic edge of a strong malty blonde. There is an excitable fizz that fails to mask a thin flavour.
La Chapelle (France)
Northmaen Rousse ★★★
A sweet, malty ale with butter caramel to the fore and a pleasing gassy tingle in the finish. Easy drinking fare with a rustic spicy note that at 7% abv is stronger than it seems.
La Chouette (France)
Ambree ★★★
Malty dark amber beer with more bitterness than most French beers. Has a slight taste hovering on top and a gentle background carbonation.
Blanche De Cambrai ★★★★
A subtle and gentle Witbier with refreshing citrus flavours that never feel artificial. A great beer for a hot day.
Blonde ★★
Light amber ale with an aroma of cheap whisky (or Southern Comfort). It has a chemical adulterated malty taste that is sharp and short. Disappointing.
La Rulles (Belgium)
Cuv√©e Meilleurs Voelia ★★★★
Murky brown ale with sweet date flavours balancing the frappicino and warming alcohol malty flavours with a dash of lemon zest. Slips down disturbingly easily for it's 7% abv.
Lancelot (France)
Blonde ★★★★
Spicy golden ale that feels like a session triple. It has an alcoholic malty kick but is very easy to drink for a 6% abv.
Bonnets Rouge ★★★★
Strawberry red bottle conditioned ale with a creamy head. A rustic French hoppy taste is brightened through the addition of tart elderberries with a woody bitter caramel coming through at the end. Well balanced & refreshing.
Cervoise ★★★★
Traditional Gaulish ale with a blend of piney malt, herbal honey & lavender in the flavour. Amber colour, unfiltered, small head and a slight dryness in the finish. The beer is bright, confident and well balanced with a good aroma.
Duchesse Anne ★★★★★
Straw coloured, bottle fermented ale with a big creamy head. It has a malty herbal sweetness like a Belgian triple, a slight foamy coriander note, wheaty mouthfeel & banana aroma. Well balanced & light for a 6% abv beer.
Telenn Du ★★★★★
Dark beer with a burnt aroma. Combines the bitter coffee ground taste of a porter with a wheat beer smoothness at a very drinkable 4.5%.
Landtsheer (Belgium)
Malheur 10 ★★
Strong blond with a frothy head. The taste is a dry floral alcoholic malt typical of ultra strong pale beers. There is also a slight creaminess but the mouthfeel is light with little gassiness, like a filtered wheat beer. Too strong though.
Malheur 12 ★★★
Extra strong dark barley wine with a frothy head. The taste is bitter with the alcohol subtle on the taste but heavy on the head. There are elements of coffee, dark fruit & chocolate lingering in the background. Deep, dark and potent.
Malheur 6 ★★
Hints of orange and corriander but more than anything it's just carbonation. Hoegaarden that's gone through a soda-stream.
Le Moulin De Saint Martin (France)
Blanche ★★★★★
Very light coloured wheat beer with a slightly cloudiness that begins with a gentle taste and has flavours of caramel and malty as you get towards the end. A pleasingly restrained beer that sits well alongside food rather than overpowering it but is in now way thin or dull.
Leatherbritches (UK)
Owd Codger ★★
Light brown ale with a thin dry malty flavour with a hint of biscuit malt. Tangy session fare that could do with more complexity and refinement.
Leeds (UK)
Best ★★★
Golden ale that has a creamy mouthfeel combined with a crisp malty flavour. There is a slight hoppy tingle to add interest to this solid session beer.
Midnight Bell ★★★★
Smooth, silky dark mild with roasted malts mixing with ruby port on the palate. Full bodied, full flavoured and really rather nice.
New Moon ★★★
A black IPA that seems to fall between a bitter and Guinness. Smooth and creamy with biscuit malt and some dry peppery hops coming through in the finish. A pleasant mix but not up to the standard of other black IPAs.
Pale Ale ★★★★
Golden ale with a straw tinged malty flavour combined with a dry hoppy flavour. Has a spritzy, peppery edge which gives it depth.
Lefebvre (Belgium)
Barbar Winter Bock ★★★
Dark, slightly sweet beer with a hint of Bovril which is 2.5% honey. Initially smooth but with a fuller sweet aftertaste.
Blanche De Brussels ★★★
Tourist postcard label, Brussels in the title low(ish) abv, gentle use of curaçao & spices and a low price. This is a training wheels Witbier for those who might be intimidated by Hoegaarden, but on a hot day it's most agreeable.
Floreffe Tripel ★★★
Spicy, caramel, nutty banana bread flavoured abbey beer that has a mass of flavours going on and a dry aftertaste. Develops an alcoholic, coriander edge. Verging on overpowering and confusing.
Moeder Overste ★★
Very strange on the first taste. Very sweet but with a dry woody fruit flavour, like a purple air freshener. There is a caramel note in the finish mixed with carbonation and alcohol. Thin initially but with a chaotic aftertaste. Some batches of this could snap right into focus but this example didn't. A tripel, but it doesn't taste like one.
Saison 1900 ★★★
This saison feels like a lemony take on a Witbier. Spritzy and sharp but with enough weight to it's mouthfeel to balance things out. Not as agriculturally flavoured as you might expect.
Left Hand (USA)
Juju Ginger Ale ★★★
Amber beer with a creamy head that has Jamaican root ginger in place of some hops. The ginger soars in and dominates early on before it settles down in the finish. More flavour in the wheat beer base would help it.
Milk Stout ★★★★
Thick, black stout with a creamy lactose flavour. It retains enough lightness to be easy drinking. Nice looking bottle.
Liberation (UK)
IPA ★★★
Crisp IPA that has a surprising amount of biscuit malt in the flavour. A nice bitter/IPA hybrid.
Liefmans (Belgium)
Cuvee Brut ★★★★
Oak aged beer flavoured with cherries. A solid kriek with a good mix of fruity sweetness and a sour base.
Fruit Beer (Fruitesse) ★★
Ridiculously sweet mixed fruit beer. Cherry is dominant in the aroma but the taste is a confusion of red berries with a bizarre hint of sherbet. Would be a great ice cream sauce but it's not as good as a beer.
Gluhkreik ★★★★
Served warm as a festive beer it is sugary and fruity with the feel of a mulled wine. Though it is a cherry beer the spicing gives it the flavour of plums. Very different from a regular beer but a good winter warmer or an accompaniment to decorating a tree.
Goudenband ★★★★
Sour dark beer with a cherry finish. There is a bitter edge and a rounded fruitiness. Very good, but not quite up there Rodenbach Grand Cru.
Kriek Ongezoet op Vat ★★★★★
Available on tap in a few Belgian bars this unsweetened version of Cuvee Brut is damn near perfect. Very tart and very sour with a wonderful dry cherry taste. One to sip and savour. The finish is a lingering wisp of it's beautiful cherry flavour.
Oud Bruin ★★★
A gassy Flemish brown ale that is somewhere between chestnut and cherry coloured. There is the sour cherry tangy you expect with bitter oaky malts, but it's all quite pleasant and restrained. A mellow, easy drinking Flemish red ale that teases but doesn't quite deliver a killer blow.
Lindeboom (Holland)
Pilsner ★★
Flat tasting but gassy sour, bland beer with little to recommend it. There is a big gap where the taste should be. Completely lacks any zing.
Lindemans (Belgium)
Apple ★★
3.5% abv lambic that tastes of apple flavour boiled sweets. Doesn't really taste of beer.
Cuvee Rene ★★★★★
A typical gueuze - it's got an aroma of musty urinals you can smell a mile off. Sour, dry and earthy while being citric and fresh at the same time. The mouthfeel is gassy giving a champagne fizz. Has the challenging complexity of the great gueuzes. Rough, filthy and, if sour beers are you thing, really rather wonderful.
Faro ★★★★
This packs a solid and satisfying sherry and sour lambic hit with cherry and apple in the mix whilst the Faro sugars add a caramel coating to it all. Sweetly tangy without becoming saccharine. There isn't much in the finish which makes it easy drinking indeed.
Framboise ★★★★
Sweet, gassy raspberry beer that feels a little like cordial but has enough of a weighty beer foundation to support it. Intensely fruity without feeling synthetic and at 2.5% abv you could drink it all night. Like drinking nice raspberry jam.
Gueuze ★★★
A suitably funky gueuze that has a real cherry sweetness and more than a hint of Flemish red ale. It feels a bit thin, tangy and commercial.
Kriek ★★★
At 3.5% abv this cherry beer is quite light and gassy with no trace of malt or hops on the flavour. There is a cherry pip flavour to it that is not overly saccharine but has an edge of boiled sweets to it. Similar to Timmermans Kriek, but slightly more natural in flavour.
Pecheresse ★★
Sweet and syrupy peach lambic with little beer about it. Not bad but lacks depth, subtlety and refinement.
Little Brewing Co (Australia)
Wicked Elf Pale Ale ★★★
An American style pale ale with a bitter woody American Cascade citrus hop to the fore. Crisp and slightly sharp with a dry finish that allows a bit of biscuit malt to come through.
Little Creatures (Australia)
Bright Ale ★★★
Bitter citrus hoppy ale with a gassy mouthfeel. Crisp fare that's like biting into an apple soaked in grapefruit juice.
Pale Ale ★★★★★
Fresh, full and fruity pale ale where the traditional dry hoppy taste is lifted by a slight sweetness. Exceptionally good.
Pilsner ★★★
Crisp pilsner with a chewy, fruity, citrus hop and biscuit malt notes that also come through in their pale ale. The finish is dry with a gentle bitterness and a light gassiness. A pilsner with decent depth and character.
Loddon (UK)
Ferryman's Gold ★★
Straw coloured ale with citrus hop taste. Quite thin and light but easy enough to drink but not to my taste.
Hocus Pocus ★★
A rather coarse tasting beer. Not bad, just not anything particularly good either. Described as "A ruby-red, traditional old ale-style beer with a wonderfully hoppy aroma from its blend of hops, complementing the deep malt-and-hop balance in its flavour."
Hoppit ★★★
Watery, light brown session bitter with a woody, hoppy flavour that steadily builds to give you a rather pleasing pint. There's a touch of chewy toffee malt in there too.
Lord Admiral Nelson (Australia)
3 Sheets ★★★
Pale ale that is big on the musty hops and farmyard feel. Bags of character but a bit strange.
Nelson's Blood ★★★★
Smooth roasted porter with a chocolate malt high in the mix. As it builds and warms it has more of a coffee feel. A Guinness style porter? A pleasing principle.
One Eyed Rye ★★★
Assertive dry rye malt character with a gentle gassy mouthfeel. Dry and characterful.
Quayle Ale ★★★
Light, piquant and citrusy golden ale that is really quite sharp without over egging the pudding.
Lorraine (France)
Abbaye Des Premontres ★★★
A French take on a Belgian abbey tripel. Dark gold with a big creamy head. It has a very bready flavour with a sweet spicy finish. Good without being distinctive.
Loup Blonde ★★★★
Fruity and floral blonde beer with a lambic style bitterness to it.
Lovibonds (UK)
Henley Gold ★★★★
A traditional weiss beer with sweet bananas and cloves to the fore. If poured carefully from the bottle without the sediment it is a touch more striking (which is unusual for a hefeweizen).
Lowenbrau (Germany)
Dunkel ★★★
Gently roasty and malty, this seems underwhelming at first sip but the taste steadily builds in the finish.
LowenWeiss ★★★★
Unfiltered golden coloured top fermented wheat beer with a big white head. A marvelous aroma of banana and citrus mixed in with cloves and spices greets you as you raise the beer to your lips. The taste steadily builds to a bready taste with orange and bananas on top and a light gassiness. A four star beer with a five star aroma.
Oktoberfest ★★★
Pale golden lager with a restrained hoppy taste and a smooth grassy bitter finish. The mouthfeel is gassy but not overpowering. Well balanced, easy drinking session fare.
Triumphator ★★★★
Deep mahogany in colour, this 7.4% abv bock tastes of stewed tea, maple syrup and waves of thick malt and a smouldering alcoholic finish.
Lupiline (Belgium)
Koriala ★★★
Incredibly dry blond beer with a big foamy head. The taste is almost powdery but it doesn't catch in the throat at all and has a delicacy to it.
Lupus (Belgium)
Wolf 8 ★★★
Dry, bitter, almost powdery dark ale with burnt roasted malt flavours boosted by a tingly hoppy bite. Gassy edge of a dunkel with a hint of chocolate and warming alcohol. Some interesting flavours but no killer punch. Some bottles are much smoother than others.
Lymestone (UK)
Stone Faced ★★★
Pleasant session ale clocking in at 4% abv. Bitter nutty flavours hit hard and linger but are never overwhelming.
Stone The Crows ★★★★
Smooth, malty ale with a hint of port combining with caramel and demerera sugar. Almost akin to an easy drinking Irish whisky. As it warms up the chocolate malt comes through.
M&B (UK)
Brew XI ★★
Slight chemical taste. Not great but beats a pint of John Smiths/Worthington's/etc on draft.
Mild ★★★
Straightforward ruby coloured ale that slips down inoffensively.
Mac's (New Zealand)
Gold ★★★
Pale 'all malt' lager with a crisp light flavour and a well rounded malty finish. The mouthfeel is mildly dry and gassy but quite full. A pleasing lager with more character than the wet air mainstream counterparts.
Light ★★★
Mac's talk a good game with this 1% abv low alcohol beer - basically trash talking all the competition and claiming their beer actually has hoppiness, esters and all the rest. In reality it can't live up to the hype but it does have a pleasingly regular maltiness that just about struggles through and there is no sweetness to distract. Below average compared to regular lagers but impressive for a low alcohol beer.
Mack (Denmark)
Juleol ★★★
Typical Christmas beer. Mahogany brown in colour with a woody malt and lashings of stewed fruits. Gentle fizz up front that fades with an almost caramel flavour emerging in the finish. A good, but not exceptional, example of the style.
Mackeston (UK)
Stout ★★★★
Dark stout with a tan head with a taste that punches above it's 3% strength. There are hints of rice pudding and condensed milk but with a deep bitter base to balance it out. At first it feels a little thin but it soon fills out pleasingly.
Mad O'Reillys (UK)
Ice Pick ★★★
Gentle, slightly bready and yeasty light coloured ale. Nothing special.
Lump Hammer ★★★
Slightly watery hoppy beer. Very bland but not offensive.
Magic Rock (UK)
High Wire ★★★★
Mango, papaya and lychee on the nose with a peppery hoppiness coming through in the taste akin to many US IPAs. Like a high quality American blockbuster remake of Thornbridge Jaipur.
Magic 8 Ball ★★★★
Another black IPA. There are peppery tropical fruit flavours underpinned by a subtle but persistent roasted malt flavour. One for those who like their beers to do two things at once.
Rapture ★★★
Like chewing on bark? Then this bone dry, woody, hoppy amber ale is for you. It has a funky flavour of forest floor to it. One for those who like challenging hoppy flavours.
Magpie (UK)
First Gold ★★★
Strong (5%) golden ale with a gently building pure hoppy taste. Develops a sharp edge.
Mahou (Spain)
Cinco Estrellas ★★★
Strong caramel tinged lager with an interesting taste but probably not so good for heavy drinking or going with a meal.
Maisels (Germany)
Weisse ★★★
Clean and crisp German wheat beer with a gentle coriander base. Light and pleasant with a lagerish gassiness.
Malt Shovel (Australia)
Abbey Ale ★★★
Filtered Belgian style abbey ale linked with a Benedictine order in Western Australian. The beer is malty and tasty with a spicy thumbprint typical of abbey ale but the lack of bottle conditioning means it lacks depth compared with it's European counterparts.
James Squire Amber Ale ★★★★
James Squire was a convict who stole supplies to start brewing on arrival - receiving only 150 lashes as punishment due to the quality of the beer. Deep amber coloured pale ale with a dry malty flavour. Crisp with the feel of a cherry and caramel cake - maybe even a hint of carrots and tart fruit. There is also a dash of roasted malts. Full flavoured and easy drinking.
James Squire Golden Ale ★★★
Gassy golden ale made with a blend of lightly roasted malt and wheat. Caramel and tropical fruit are on the taste but have to battle with the gassiness. Interestingly but teasingly promises something even better.
James Squire IPA ★★★
Crisp, dry and slightly creamy IPA in the style of Greene King IPA. Decent and drinkable but nowt special.
James Squire Porter ★★★
A rich tasting porter with a port like taste underpinned by a smooth roasted malt taste typical of a porter. The finish is slightly watery and smoky with hints of powdery chocolate, almost akin to a mocha. Smooth and enjoyable but could have more punch. A gentle, comforting, late night brew.
James Squire Sundown Lager ★★★
Dry malty lager with a biscuit flavour and a gassy mouthfeel that isn't overpowering. There is also a hint of honey akin to Fullers Honeydew. A cut above the generic European lagers.
Manchester Marble (UK)
Chocolate Marble ★★★★
Malty, dark beer with nutty, gamey gravy flavour. Heavy powdered chocolate flavours that give it a dry finish. A bitter velvet pleasure.
Dobber ★★★★
Mangoes and grapefruit bombard you from the off before a dry peppery finish typical of an IPA. Distinctive but a novelty. Probably wouldn't want to drink too many at one go.
Dunkel ★★★★
Dark ale with a strong malty flavour with a sour edge that fades into a faint powdered chocolate finish with an orange blossom twist. Tastes like an English bitter but is actually 8.2% abv.
Lagonda IPA ★★★
Unmistakably an IPA. Heavily hopped, peppery taste with a dry puckering finish that has hints of herbs, tropical fruit and soap. Good for hopheads.
Saison Special 2013 ★★★★
This kicks like a mule and you are in no mistake that it's 9% abc. Rich, buttery malty flavours with a rough rustic edge, hoppy tingle and gassy edge. Good, potent stuff.
Stouter Port Stout ★★★★
Only 5.1% abv but this stout is thicker than a stupid imperial stout. The intense, granular, roasted coffee flavours lead into a malty finish with a sweet hint of port. A stout that punches above it's weight.
Tawny No 5 ★★★
Amber coloured ale with a woody, pine resin flavour with orange blossom water and rosewood essential oil. The dry, peppery, bitterness comes through in the finish but isn't overwhelming.
Weizen ★★★
Smells like a smoothie - foam banana, mango and apricot. The taste is surprisingly beery with gentle hops, despite the fruit flavours lingering. Quite fizzy. Very light for hefe-weizen.
Mariestads (Sweden)
Paskbrygd ★★★
Amber Easter beer with a gassy mouthfeel, malty taste and a slightly fruity bitter finish, Quite light for an Easter beer at 3.5% but maybe lacking a little punch. Decent lagerish session fare.
Marstons (UK)
Double Drop ★★★★
A light amber coloured ale with a gloopy biscuit and caramel malt flavour. The finish is crisp and gassy with a faint bitter hoppiness. Traditional English fare, but well done.
End Of The Road Festival Ale ★★★
A no frills, no-nonsense pale ale. Dry, slight soapy with a hint of straw within it's restrained hoppy edge. Restrained session fare.
EPA ★★★
A gentle golden ale with a hint of refreshing orange zest hops and a soapy malty base. Pleasing but unexciting.
Oyster Stout ★★★
Fairly standard stout with a well defined hop character but still fairly smooth. Designed to go with oysters rather than to taste like them. Enjoyable enough.
Pedigree ★★★
Smooth, creamy English pale ale with a mix of hops and sulphur in the flavour. There is a dry bite at the end which gives it some character.
Sainsbury's TtD IPA ★★★
Burton has been brewing hop heavy pale ale before Brewdog were a glint in their grandmother's eye. This has the characteristic dry peppery hop punch with the Burton sulphur snatch filling the flavour out. Despite being 5.9% abv it feels watery in comparison to US IPAs, almost akin to the deadweight on a staid old Rolls Royce.
Wicked Witch ★★★
Mahogany brown ale with a dry hoppy taste with a bitter woody edge. The hoppiness is strong enough to give it a spicy edge. The dryness can be a bit much but it certainly has character.
Math (Italy)
16 ★★★
Amber coloured ale with a full malty flavour that has restrained hints of caramel and smoke to it. Pleasant without doing anything special. 7% abv.
Matilda Bay (Australia)
Alpha Pale Ale ★★★★
A hoppier take on the regular Ozzie pale ale with woody citrus flavours coming through with a bitter tang at the end courtesy of the ""early and late kettle hopping"". The mouthfeel is gassy with a rustic edge to the flavour.
Beez Neez ★★★
This filtered beer bills itself as a honey wheat beer but feels more like a malty lager with a hint of dark honey on the aroma. Perfectly drinkable but nothing special.
Dogbolter ★★★★
Pitch black lager with a creamy mouthfeel. The taste has bitter coffee grounds with caramel, dark chocolate and a gentle bubbling gassiness in the finish. Intense and full-bodied without compromising it's drinkability.
Redback Wheat ★★★
Sweet wheat beer with a gentle spicy note. The mouthfeel is light and gassy with a dry finish that has a slow building citrus Saaz hop taste.
McGee & Watts (UK)
Adestes Fideles ★★★
Dark winter ale with a big hit of roasted malts that leads to a bitter granular finish, akin to fine ground coffee. The finish is fairly short which stops it overwhelming you, but might leave you wanting something more lingering for it's 7.2% abv strength. There is a warming alcohol caramel maltiness and a faint in of dark fruit in there as well.
Black Sea ★★★
Oil black mild with no head made with 3 types of hops. Dry, bitter & earthy with hints of old ales but a finish that mixes a gentle hoppiness with an oily imperial stout burnt edge but no alcohol hit. A mild fed into a distortion pedal.
Moeder Brune ★★★
A very dry mix of malt and hops with the faintest hint of fruit and spice. The kind of beer that glides across the base of your mouth like dry ice with a warming, slightly sweet finish.
Nonesuch ★★★★
Ultra dark mild with a profound bitter earthy hop flavour that is lifted by a slight sweet maltiness in the finish. Less intense than the black sea it allows the flavours to come through without shouting over each other so much. There is a lingering oily, smoky, roasted barley, coffee grounds flavour akin to imperial stouts that are twice the strength with a gentle deep rumbling gassiness. A beer with a taste arc.
Reinaert (Xmas 2011) ★★★
A traditional English ale with huge waves of biscuit malt crashing down onto spiky rocks of spicy hops to create an ale that slips down very easily. Seductive session fare that could move up to the next level by adding some more bite.
Yippee Kai Yay IPA ★★★
A textbook IPA. A lagerish gassy mouthfeel lightens a dry hoppy ale with a chewy flavour. There is a fresh finish, with hints of citrus and a deep rounded bitterness that is never overpowering. A great accompaniment to a spicy curry that could be a good alternative to Kingfisher or Cobra.
Mclaren Vale (Australia)
Vale Ale ★★★
Crisp malty pale ale with a biscuit edge and a hint of honey. Light, with moderate gassiness. The finish has a gentle bitter hoppy tang and a lagerish tint. A good thirst quencher on a hot day.
Meantime (UK)
Chocolate ★★★★
Dark ale with a bitter chocolate taste combined with the coffee grounds edge of a porter. Has the thick malty taste of a strong ale. Has a hint of powdered cocoa. Well balanced and a nice chilled beer for a winters evening. Though it lacks the complexity of Robinsons chocolate tom.
Franconian ★★★
Very dark lager with a punchy taste. Good in small measures.
IPA ★★
Light golden beer with a rush of flavours. Coriander, orange, hops, cloves and pomegranate are there at the start but the finish is dry and chalky. Apparently an IPA. Trying too hard to be authentic to the original dry hopped IPA style.
London Lager ★★★
Made with ingredients from Kent and East Anglia, this London lager is malty with a gentle dry finish in a pleasing but unremarkable way.
London Pale Ale ★★★★
Tropical fruits waft around before a peppery hop attack leads you into a dry finish. 4.3% abv and gassy enough to be light and easy drinking. A tasty and refreshing beer pitched midway between a pale ale and an IPA.
London Porter ★★★
A traditional dark, dry, bitter roasted malt tasting porter made with 7 malts. No head, a ruby tinge to the colour and a gentle big bubbled mouthfeel. Smoky and warming alcohol notes bleed through. A solid, enjoyable porter.
M&S Greenwich Ale (Barbados Rum Barrel) ★★★★
The 3rd in Meantime's barrel-aged series for M&S. this is more a dark ruby ale in the style of the Innis & Gunn beers rather than the previous porters. The beer is thick with a mix of brown and roasted malts with a smoky finish. The rum ageing adds a restrained hint of vanilla and some thick oak notes. Gassy enough to stop it being too heavy.
M&S Greenwich Hospital Porter (Bourbon Barrel) ★★★★★
Beautifully deep flavoured roasted porter with rich oaky flavours. As good as the Islay version.
M&S Greenwich Hospital Porter (Islay Barrel) ★★★★★
Aged in Islay whisky casks for 4 months this has all the woody, salty, smoky flavours you'd expect with warming alcohol, roasted malt and liquorice sitting discreetly in the background. It's surprisingly light and spritzy with a dash of perfume on the aroma. A gentle giant.
M&S Greenwich Red Ale ★★★
A thick caramel nose moves into a peppery hopped taste with a smoky finish. Very fully flavoured for it's 4% abv strength.
Pilsner ★★★★★
Smooth almost creamy tasting lager that holds it's head and has a very full dry hoppy taste with a peppery edge and a slight gassy crispness. Slips down wonderfully well.
Smoked Bock ★★★
A gassy dark lager with a robust malty base, a delicate smoky bacon flavour and a nutty finish. A smooth smoked ale, with hints of brown ale. Not a world beater, but a brewed beer nonetheless.
Wheat Beer ★★★
Traditional tasting cloudy wheat beer with no frills or twists. Slightly smoother than many German wheat beers with restrained flavours of lemon and cloves. Made from a strain of Bavarian yeast and apparently 'celebrating the complexity of the local German wheat beers' - it appears something got lost on the trip over. Sturdy not stunning.
WinterTime ★★★
Warming dark lager with a confusion of tastes culminating in a coffee note. Not one to drink too heavily.
Melbourne Bros (UK)
Apricot ★★★★★
Well balanced spontaneously fermented beer with whole apricots added that balances it's fruit and beer flavours beautifully.
Menabrea (Italy)
Birra ★★★
Clean, malty lager that is a bit on the bland side.
Mersea Island (UK)
Oyster Stout ★★★
Brewed on the most easterly inhabited island in the UK. Very dark without any real head. Has a pronounced dark bitter coffee taste balanced by the lightness of an oyster flavour that complements rather than dominating the beer. Basically does what is says on the tin without any particular finesse or excellence.
Meteor (France)
Reflets De France ★★★
Amber coloured large with a full bodied malty taste that lets you know that at 7% this is stronger, and better, than the regular stubby bottled French lager you find in hypermarkets. Similar to Innis & Gunn in some respects.
Mikeller (Denmark)
Black ★★★
At 16% abv this is not too be messed with. Thick and syrupy with a burnt marmite taste with apple and raspberry flavours in there somewhere. There is a smoky whisky flavour too.
It's Alight ★★★★★
Pale straw coloured ale with a sour musty citrus hop flavour that's like a blend of a gueuze & a dry witbier. There is also a hint of camembert but hardly any malt. A sour ale, light as a helles with big yeasty flavours. Some will think it's superb, others will think it's got a bacterial infection. I go with superb. Brewed at De Proef in Belgium for Mikeller.
Nelson Sauvin Single Hop ★★★★
A gooseberry bush of a beer whose aroma and taste fade into the dry, tropical fruit flavours typical of an IPA. Bold tasting, but not overpowering.
Weizenbock ★★★
Thick, caramel and papaya flavoured amber wheat beer with a strong alcoholic kick. Should have more depth and subtlety for it's 8.5% abv strength.
Mildura (Australia)
Storm Cloudy Ale ★★★
Somewhat watery Belgian style wheat beer with a strong, but not very refined, spicy flavour. There is a sharp citrus note as well. The finish is watery. Almost like a fuzzy photocopy of Hoegaarden.
Milestone (UK)
Dark Knight ★★★
Dark mahogany coloured ale with bitter powdery cocoa dominating but with a surprisingly thin and watery finish. There also a disturbingly faecal note to the aroma. There's a nice beer in there somewhere.
Raspberry Wheat ★★★
Evenly balanced wheat ale that has a gentle waft of raspberry in the finish. Unremarkable but in no way unpleasant.
Rich Ruby ★★★
Bitter mahogany ale with a tangy fruity flavour. There is an oaky element that adds to the taste but it is lacks a distinguishing element or focus.
Milk Street (UK)
Funky Monkey ★★★
A traditional take on an amber ale with a smoky flavour blowing through the bitter hoppy bite. Dry, with a little sweetness but a tangy edge.
Mermaid ★★★★
Chestnut coloured ale with a dry hoppy taste that is almost chewy and has a pleasant slowly fading finish. A slight citrus sharpness develops to add some complexity.
The Usual ★★★
There's a faint taste of glacé cherry that lifts this bitter hoppy session ale. Satisfyingly chewy.
Zig Zag ★★★★
Roasted malts and bitter chocolate duel in this dark coloured ale. There is a hint of toffee and smoke to flesh it out nicely.
Millevertus (Belgium)
Le Mac Vertus TMBBSS ★★★
Creamy stout that fits into the modern template, but with a strange aroma of tinned peaches.
Minamishinsyu (Japan)
Amber Ale ★★★★
A well balanced amber ale with smoke and caramel in it's full malty taste with a bitter hoppy finish. A great example of the style.
Komagatake ★★★
Robust honeyed malty flavours with a warming alcoholic finish that has a hint of hoppy bitterness. Pleasant, if a tad underpowered for it's 7% abv strength.
Porter ★★★★
This is a complex beastie. There are chocolate and syrup flavours amongst the roasted malt and punchy bitter hops. The dry finish has an alcoholic burn beyond it's 6% abv strength. There's even a spicy hint of an abbey dubbel. A porter to take note of.
Minoh (Japan)
Pale Ale ★★★
Smooth pale ale with tropical fruit flavours from the hops balanced by robust malty flavours and a gently bitter finish.
Stout ★★★
Dry, roasted stout with a surprisingly short finish. The initial roasted hit is well balanced and has a rounded edge without losing it's bitter punch. A stout in soft focus?
Mjodur (Iceland)
Jokull ★★★★
Smooth lager with a gentle bitter floral taste. The makers claim it is fresh as a glacier. It is certainly refreshing. The hop and barley tastes are incredibly restrained. There is a subtle spicy note in the finish that builds pleasingly.
MOA (Italy)
14 Plato ★★★★
Full bodied Irish style stout with smooth roasted malt flavours completed by a powdered chocolate flavour that is none too dry or bitter. Nothing original, but pretty flawless.
Noir ★★★
A crisp, gassy dark ale with dry roasted malts softened by a sweet edge akin to an oatmeal stout. Clean and enjoyable session fare.
St Josephs ★★★
Strong traditional Belgian style tripel with banana and spice high in the mix and a warming alcoholic finish. The frothy head brings out the lightness of the mouthfeel. There is a dry and slightly chalky finish whilst the aroma has a hint of bandages about it.
Moctezuma (Mexico)
Bohemia Clasica ★★
Tinny, citrus flavoured light coloured pilsner style beer. Flat and fairly bland. Very thin for something that is 5%. Would be a passable session beer if nothing decent was available.
Dos Equis XX ★★
Overly gassy Vienna style lager beer brewed in Mexico. Goes very well with salami but poor on it's own.
Molen (Holland)
Bat Out Of Hell (Oak Aged Version) ★★★★
A fusion of Molen Hell & Damnation and Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Stout aged in oak casks. Dry, woody and hoppy with a lively gassiness and a powdery chocolate and coffee note. Surprisingly light, but not lightweight.
Bed & Breakfast ★★★
A beer made with coffee beans. Deep amber in colour there is a brief flash of a mildly hoppy pale ale before the coffee flavours kick in. There are no burnt bitter flavours nor the heavy syrupy feel of many dark ales with coffee notes making this a curiosity.
Bloed Zweet & Tranen ★★★
Sticky BBQ ribs (slightly burnt) and charcoal with a dash of swimming pool chlorine dominate this smoked imperial porter. An assertive dark beer with distinctive hoppy flavours.
Bommen & Granalen ★★★
Bombs & Grenades is a barley wine desert beer that clocks in at 15.2% abv. The taste is malty, syrupy and alcoholic with Pedro Ximenez sherry and dry bitter oranges. The alcoholic burn in the finish is akin to a spicy woody whisky. Interesting, but incredibly potent.
Brood & Spelen ★★★
A rye IPA that is pale straw colour. The dry, hoppy tingle is evident but restrained with the rye malt softening the flavour. The 7.1% abv is warming but not overwhelming. There's also a hint of salted caramel to sweeten and soften it further. Another well crafted beer from Molen.
Citra Pale Ale ★★★★
A well executed showcase for the citra hop. Dry, but not overly peppery or resinous, with a musty citrus flavour that has a real hop flower edge to it. A good summer beer that's refreshing and refreshingly earthy.
Donder & Bliksem ★★★★
The Dutch brewers Pilsner has the dry citrus hop edge of their IPAs, but the gassiness makes it feel lighter. A lager with bite.
Engels ★★★★
The hardcore Dutch brewers try an English style beer. Well it's less than 5% abv, but apart from that it's a typical Molen IPA with potent bitter citrus hops from start to finish. Hard hitting but not OTT.
Geboren & Getogen ★★★★
Birch smoked ale that keeps it's smokiness delicate and restrained rather than lapsing into smoky bacon. There is a restrained hoppy bite. At 4% abv it's a light Molen beer that doesn't feel like it compromises on taste.
Hemel & Aarde ★★★★★
Imperial stout aged in barrels from the Bruichladdich distillery, makers of one of the most heavily peated malts in the world. Oil black in colour it is silky smooth and flat. There is a gentle Amarillo hop taste laying beneath a deep bitter smoky flavour. The peaty whisky comes through in the finish. Lighter than most imperial stouts, but with depth and refinement.
List & Bedrog ★★★★
A stout, expresso coffee and a islay single malt whisky rolled into one. Massively bitter and smoky and a little like sandpaper on the throat, but in small measures it's a potent pleasure
Man & Muis ★★★
An inviting blackberry and apricot aroma is initially joined by some bitter hops but it quickly feels tired and flat. A beer that peters out after showing great promise, but it's still an easy drinking pleasure.
Molenbier ★★
If you ate pineapples all day this is what it would smell like when you went to the loo. Fruity, funky, hoppy with an acid hint of TCP and resin. Much improved if you don't pour the sediment. Quite startling.
Op & Top ★★★★
Pale amber in colour this is a dry beer with a well balanced bitter citrus hop (cascade & amarillo) that is not overpowering. There is some caramel malt in the finish. Full bodied and satisfying.
Sladek Hopburst ★★★★
Assertive IPA with a flash of tropical fruit followed by a charge of dry, peppery, powdery hops. The fruit bleeds back in the finish. 6.2% abv with a robust, potent feel.
Spanning & Sensatie ★★★★
Flat, pitch black, imperial stout made with chilli, chocolate and sea salt. These additions provide subtle notes to enliven the thick roasted malts. The finish is dry, bitter and smoky. An accomplished strong beer.
Vuur & Vlam ★★★★
If this was any chalkier you could write on blackboards with it. Dry, hoppy, grapefruit pith flavours with a puckering resin finish. A serious IPA that doesn't mess around but isn't piss takingly peppery.
Montagnarde (Belgium)
Amber Triple ★★★★
Robust amber triple with an alcoholic toffee malt flavour with a bitter hoppiness in the finish. There is a chewiness to it and the faint hint of foamy banana sweets. Feels slightly artificial but very tasty.
Monteiths (New Zealand)
Celtic Red Beer ★★★★
Irish style ale with a woody kiln roast flavour that is akin to a sherry cask whisky. The finish has a dash of chocolate malt and a light gassiness. Overall it is quite light to drink but still fully flavoured.
Original Ale ★★★
Well balanced pale ale with a gentle hint of caramel in it's maltiness. The brewers claim a hint of blackberry which peeks it's head out at the end. Not a fiesta of flavours but a well executed pale ale.
Summer Ale ★★★
Made with rata honey this beer tastes overwhelming of ginger. Crisp and fairly dry in the finish, due to the ginger, with a gassiness that complements the flavour. Little malt or hops evident. Distinctive and refreshing, but not what you'd initially expect.
Moor (UK)
Raw ★★★
Raw by name, and raw by nature. This pale amber coloured ale has a tangy malt flavour with a dry, chalky astringency and a lingering hoppy bitterness. Somewhere between a golden ale and an IPA.
Moorhouse (UK)
Blond Witch ★★★★
Easy drinking blond ale that doesn't feel too strong or bland. Creamy, with a hint of straw and a gentle biscuit malt.
Moortgat (Belgium)
Duvel Green ★★★
Strong, gassy, lively straw coloured ale. The taste is warming alcoholic and malty with a white peppery flavour. There is a metallic edge to it as well with a sugary dry finish. There is a hint of honey and lemon in the taste as well.
Duvel Rood ★★★★★
Straw coloured strong ale (8.5%) that floats like a butterfly on the palate whilst still packing a hefty taste.
Duvel Tripel Hop ★★★★
Intensely hoppy beer that dances all around the taste buds. A beer to be intrigued by. Limited run.
Duvel Tripel Hop 2012 ★★★★★
Duvel, pulled into IPA territory with a thick citrus hop flavour. A great special edition with lively gassiness that's never overpowering but not to be trifled with. It also retains the crisp flavours of the traditional Duvel but oily, piney edge.
Maredsous 10 Tripel ★★★
Full bodied tripel with a strong alcoholic edge that blends reasonably with a creamy coriander base. Pleasingly warming and well suited to drinking after dinner in place of a whisky but it could be more balanced and have a greater flavour.
Maredsous 6 Blonde ★★★★
Golden amber ale with a big white foamy head. Creamy, bready tasting with the slight spiciness in the aftertaste. Generally quite restrained for a Belgian pale ale. Very drinkable and with subtle pleasures that slip into view when you sit back and enjoy.
Maredsous 8 Bruin ★★★★★
Creamy dark dubbel with a slightly dry, bitter hoppy taste that drifts into a hint of fruit in the aftertaste. A strong viscous beer with full flavours that are never overpowering and retain their subtlety whilst still having a real kick in the finish.
Ommegang Rare Vos ★★★
Amber ale meets Duvel? This has the spirit bright warming alcoholic notes of Duvel with a sweet caramel malt edge, bittersweet orange peel and a hint of smoke. Clean, punchy and with a gentle hoppy tang. Could have more of a punch, but has enough complexity to keep it interesting.
Vedett Blonde ★★★
Very, very gassy lager with a crisp, full taste. Possibly a bit too likely to cause burping to be drunk too readily, but still pleasing.
Vedett White ★★★★
Smooth, wheat beer that is similar to Hoegaarden, Slight coriander flavour, very drinkable, very good and not wrecked by the brewer throwing half the contents of a spice rack into the beer to liven it up.
Mor Braz (France)
Ambree (La Bi√®re du Grand Large) ★★★★★
Tripel fermented beer made with sea water. Light amber colour with a slightly salty bright malt taste that is refreshing and moreish.
Mordue (UK)
All Wheat Pet ★★
Exceptionally bland straw coloured ale. Light in colour and taste. Very drinkable in the same way that water is. A faint bitter citrus malt emerges at the end.
Geordie Pride ★★★
Dry beer with a gentle bitter citrus taste mixed with a speckled hen like nuttiness. Little lingering flavour.
Morita Kinshachi (Japan)
Golden Ale ★★★★
A bright fruity golden ale with white grape, peach and grapefruit pith pinging out of the hops and a gassiness that accentuates the tart flavours. A spritzy, champagne like pleasure from sale brewer Morita.
Morpheus (Belgium)
Wild ★★
A dark, musty sour ale that's a mix of Flemish red ale blended with brown ale. A strange mix of Belgian beer styles or weirdly polluted chocolate dipped cherries. Unpleasantly unbalanced.
Mort Subite (Belgium)
Faro ★★★★★
Sweet beer that has elements of cider and sherry in the taste. Similar to the Mort Subite bottled Gueuze but with a subtler aftertaste.
Gueuze ★★★★
Sweet and fruity beer that is verging on cider territory but the unmistakable musty sour taste of a lambic comes through. There is an aroma and taste of pickled gherkin and dill pickles. Interesting and distinctive whilst remaining well balanced and easy to drink.
Kriek ★★★
Very, very sweet kriek. A very slight sourness at the end balances it slightly but it's a bit like a squash. Still easy to drink though.
Lambic ★★★★
Amber spontaneously fermented beer with a light creamy head. It has an acidic fruity spritzy, almost cider like taste balanced with a sour gassiness. Good depth and well rounded.
White Lambic ★★★★★
Dry beer with a strong taste of apricots. No thin chemical fruitiness that you often get in beers. Very refreshing and a good choice if you are in the mood for something fruity.
Mostodolce (Italy)
Black Doll ★★★
They claim it's a stout but the robust hops and lack of creaminess mark this roasted malt fest out as a porter. Thick and satisfying. It's not distinctive, but it's enjoyable fare.
Volpe ★★
Gassy but ultimately bland and underwhelming bock that only has the thinnest of roasted malt flavours sneaking through.
Mouden (UK)
Spring Tyne ★★★
Blonde beer with a sharp citrus hoppy taste. Easy drinking but lacking in depth.
Mountain Goat (Australia)
Hightail Ale ★★★★
Smooth malty mahogany coloured ale with a caramel and biscuit flavour. There is also a light fruitiness akin to Australian pale ales. There is a hint of spice in the finish that feels a touch peaty. Well balanced, very tasty and tastes good cold.
Steam Ale ★★★★
A bitter, earthy beer with a hoppy flavour that has a bright citrus note at the finish. Full bodied but with a light mouthfeel thanks to the gentle gassiness. Dry, but not puckering. A rewarding beer.
Mousel (Luxembourg)
Gezwickelte Beier ★★★★
Unfiltered lager served from earthenware mugs in Mousels cantina in Luxembourg City. It has a coarse mouthfeel but still feels light. The taste is clean and malty with the merest hint of hoppy bitterness. A quaffing beer.
Murphys (Ireland)
Irish Red Ale ★★
Processed creamy mouthfeel akin to Greene King IPA. The taste is watery with a smoky malty flavour and a hint of caramel. Bland with a dash of ash-tray.
Stout ★★★
Only has a light bitterness with a bright citrus hop being more prevalent. Light but fairly creamy.
Musketeers (Belgium)
Troubadour Magma ★★
Sweet, warming alcoholic malt flavours dominate with a hint of hard boiled egg of the aroma. Too potent for it's own good. The mouthfeel is syrupy and sugary.
Naylor's (UK)
Santa's Cumin ★★★
Golden ale with a light spicing but generally a watery hoppy taste. Forgettable but drinkable.
Santa's Darkside ★★★★
As smoky as a field in bonfire night, with a malted chocolate sweetness in the finish. The bitterness is clean and never overpowering. A rye bread mocha with a warming whisky edge? Rounded and friendly.
Nelson (UK)
Powder Monkey ★★
Very hoppy golden ale that didn't impress
Spinnaker ★★★★
Has the feel of a woodland carpet on a warm summers day. The dry woody hops linger long into the finish with a hint of cherry. It's all light enough to work as a session ale.
Nethergate (UK)
Essex Border ★★★
Golden brown ale that is light in colour but has a deep, bitter and massively hoppy taste. Only a creeping dryness stops this fine ale from getting a strong recommendation.
Greedy Pike ★★★
Dark amber ale with no head. Very malty in taste but still a bit watery. Overall very drinkable but lacking depth.
Red Poll ★★★
Mahogany coloured ale with an almost porterish bitter taste married with a fruity maltiness.
Umble ★★★
A marmalade beer? There is orange blossom water on the aroma and a slightly sour malty flavour with a hint of coriander in the finish. Nice but a tad watery and in distinct in the finish.
Neuzelle (Germany)
Schwarzer Abt ★★★★
The aroma is coffee but the taste is chocolate and caramel. At 3.9% abv it's lighter than traditional schwarzbiers. Smooth and very easy drinking like Mackeston Milk Stout. Sweet like Kahlua - a desert beer.
New-K-Ham (UK)
Puffin ★★★
Ruby ale that slipped down nicely as the fifth pint of the evening. Similar to John Smiths, but much nicer.
Newcastle (UK)
Brown Ale ★★
Brown and rather lifeless colour. Fairly thin taste with a gentle hoppiness and a hint of coke in the gassy finish.
Nocturnal Ale ★★
A brash acidic dark tawny ale with a bit of alcoholic burn roughness to it. These are some interesting fruity notes, with a hint of rum cask ageing, but it needs way more finessing. The aroma promises more than the taste delivers.
Niigata (Japan)
Espresso Beer ★★★★
A mocha espresso beer? There are rich chocolate flavour alongside the rich roasted grains that blend well with the warming alcoholic kick at the end. Not the most diverse beer but a potent late night pleasure.
Shinshu Soba Kikou ★★★
A beer made with buckwheat (soba). It starts off somewhere between a wit and a Weizen, but then the buckwheat takes the corriander flavours with an edge of floury grains. With the sediment mixed in you get good floral aromas. A distinctly different wheat ale.
Nogne O (Norway)
Bitter ★★★
Golden coloured bitter with a mixture of hops giving it a wide blend of flavours (wood, citrus, fruit) and a refreshing lightness. There is a gentle fizz in the end which gives it body. The finish is bitter but it's more of a golden ale.
God Jul ★★★★
8.5% abv dark ale with liquorice and roasted malts folded into a bitter caramel base with some dark fruits. For a Christmas beer it's subtle, smooth and restrained but with a warming heft.
Havrestout ★★★
A light oat stout brewed at 4.5% abv because the brewers claim that Norwegians are scared of dark beer and wanted to brew them something gentle and drinkable. The taste is has a dense coffee bitterness that is smoothed off considerably by the oats with a gentle fizz and dryness at the end which masks the flavours somewhat. A pleasant beer that lends itself to session drinking.
Imperial Brown Ale ★★★★
An interesting blend of styles. The warm bitterness of an imperial stout but with the intense coffee hit. The richness of a Belgian bruin without the sweetness. The chewy maltiness of a bitter but with great potency.
Pale Ale ★★★
Rural, rustic, hoppy ale with the feel of the farmyard. Akin to a pale bitter but with a robust peppery hoppy flavour akin to an IPA.
Tiger Tripel ★★★★
A full bodied tripel with smoke, oak moss and banana bubblegum amongst it's potent alcoholic kick.
Two Captains ★★★
Robust American style IPA with peppery hops that have a sour tropical edge. It has the aggressive dryness of your average desert.
Wit ★★★
Fizzingly effervescent with a light frothy head and a bright grapefruit pith and spice flavour. Very pleasant, but won't trouble the Belgians.
Norrebro (Denmark)
Graupner Schwarz ★★★★
Dark, German style lager with smoke, malt and chocolate in the taste and aroma. Thick and heavy above it's 4.9% strength but the fizz lightens it up. A good beer for a cold dark night with a smoky finish.
Paske Bock ★★★★
Mahogany coloured Easter dark lager with a potent mix of malt and raisins on the taste. Stewed rich dark fruit, almost like a Christmas ale, and caramel linger in there too. There is a gentle fizz that complements the flavours.
Ravnsborg Rod ★★★
From a Copenhagen microbrewery this amber red ale has a dry, bitter and malty taste with quite a bit of fizz. There is a hint of sour apple whilst the finish is basically lingering carbonation. A combination of a Danish pilsner and an English bitter.
Stuykman Wit ★★★
Unfiltered, but extremely clear, wheat beer with a clean refreshing taste and a gentle wheat malt taste and a light fizz. Not packed with flavour but a good beer for sipping in the sun. Contains coriander and orange peel but much light than a traditional Belgian witbier.
North Cotswold (UK)
Shagweaver ★★
A rather funky pale bitter where the New Zealand hops feel like they've gone a bit stale and vegetal. Underwhelming to say the least.
North Yorkshire (UK)
Rocket Fuel ★★
Light processed tasting ale with a slight tang.
O'Hanlons (UK)
Goodwill Bitter ★★★
Fruity dark ale with a sharp tang to it. Has enough flavour about it to make it interesting but lacking refinement.
Port Stout ★★★
Smooth tasting stout with the small amount of port tempering the standard burnt coffee taste. Has a gentle oatmeal edge. Overall it is well balanced but not as fascinating as it seems.
Oakham Ales (UK)
Asylum ★★
Citrus (fairy liquid) tasting light coloured beer with a lingering dryness. Tastes quite thin, though it has a zing.
Atilla ★★
Overpowered light coloured beer whose 8% strength gives it a tangy edge. Not great.
Bishops Farewell ★★★
Somewhat watery ale that builds up a pleasing dry, hoppiness by the end of a pint. Likely to be good for prolonged drinking.
Citra ★★★
Dry, citrus tasting light straw coloured ale with a persistent hoppy tingle. There is a hint of biscuit with a kick of kiwi fruit without quite lapsing into washing up liquid territory. When chilled the hoppiness becomes more intense.
Haka ★★
Dry and bitter light coloured ale that doesn't do anything to distinguish itself.
Hawse Buckler ★★★
Puckeringly bitter and dry dark ale that doesn't really deliver n the promised chocolate and raisin flavours it promised. Nice for a roasted hit but doesn't deliver much more than that.
Inferno ★★★
Light blonde beer with a mild balanced taste.
JHB ★★★★★
Light golden ale with gently bitter floral taste that lingers in the finish with a faint hint of citrus. Very easy drinking with a set of flavours that steadily build as you keep drinking. An excellent session bitter that balances a light touch with a beautiful expressed flavour profile.
M&S Cambridgeshire Golden Ale ★★★★
Triple hopped ale with a satisfying mix of biscuit, bitterness and citrus that has quite a bite to it. A great standard session ale that would be even better with bottle conditioning to give it heft rather than a faintly thin carbonised finish.
Mompesons Gold ★★★★
Seasonal beer from the Peterborough brewer.
Scarlet Macaw ★★★
Intensely hoppy resinous ale that is dry and puckering with tinny grapefruit flavours. A tad harsh and overpowered, but should appeal to hop heads.
Tranquility IPA ★★★
Peppery IPA with a hint of tropical fruit in the finish - but not much. One for those who like a bit of a burn with their beer.
Warspite SDA ★★★
Pale Amber coloured ale with a big tangy biscuit malt flavour. Slightly dry finish with hints of toffee, nuts and bitterness.
White Dwarf ★★
Sour tasting wheat beer that suffers in comparison with German wheat beers.
Obolon (Ukraine)
Oksamitove (Velvet) ★★★★★
Mahogany hued dunkel with a light mouthfeel underpinned with a gentle gassiness. Bread and raisins dominate the taste with a posterish bitterness. Light but full of flavour.
Oc'Ale (France)
Biere Au The ★★★★
Unfiltered blonde beer made with Wulong tea from Maison Chu Yuan in Toulouse. Sour citrus fruit flavours with a firm malty base akin to a triple or Hefeweizen and an expansive gassiness. The bitterness of the tea seeps through in the finish. A restless beer that keeps shifting. 6% abv but it still feels light.
Odells (USA)
5 Barrels Pale Ale ★★★★
Tropical fruit flavours surf down your tongue on a wave of peppery, woody hops. Quite restrained for an American craft brew and all the better for it.
90/- ★★★
Marmite and caramel in a beer, but not in a bad way. Malty, warming and slightly bitter with orange marmalade an bitter powdered chocolate in the finish.
Pond Hopper ★★★★
Potent golden ale with a floral hoppy flavour with apricot and peach amongst the peppery bitterness. An assertive beer that's been crated with care and delicacy. That said there's a hint of archers and sweet white wine that might become cloying, but the bitterness keeps it in check. Brewed with Thornbridge.
Oerbier (Belgium)
Dulle Teve ★★
Dry, potent, gassy beer with a dry powdery finish and a creamy mouthfeel. Cloudy amber in colour. Hints of vinegar and celery in it's acidic taste. Too strong. The name means mad bitch.
Officiana (Italy)
Weizen ★★★
Lies somewhere between the heft of a Hefeweizen and the bitter orange spice of a Witbier. Quite gassy and fairly refreshing for it's weight. A pleasant, decent beer.
Okells (UK)
Autumn Dawn ★★
Slightly bland, smooth beer with a bitter soapy edge. Not great, but not terrible.
Bitter ★★
Watery, tangy bitter that has little to distinguish it. Brewed to the (rather loose) Isle Of Man purity laws.
Olafbrikken (Denmark)
Pale Ale ★★★
Golden coloured ale with a creamy texture, malty taste and gassy finish with a hint of hoppy bitterness. Fairly generic stuff but certainly does it's job.
Old Dominion (USA)
Farmhouse Saison ★★★
Resinous orange and murky malts dominate this potent metallic tasting beer. Almost akin to a musty champagne cocktail.
Gigi's Farmhouse Ale ★★★
Dry, hoppy ale with the tobacco smoke edge you expect from amber ale. There's a bit of wild yeast funkiness and some thick malt in there too. A robust ale.
Hop Mountain ★★★
Thick pine resin hops, citrus and peppery bitterness mashed together into thick mush. Lacks delicacy and subtlety but if you want muddied hops this is your beer.
Oak Barrel Stout ★★★★
Tan head & thoroughly opaque. Very smooth with the oaky flavours giving the feel of a thick viscous Islay malt whisky bolstered by the firm but fair roasted malts. Feels stronger than it's 5.8% abv strength.
Old Mill (UK)
Fire And Brimstone ★★
Mahogany coloured ale with a watery flavour with a powdery chocolate flavour mixed in with a gentle maltiness. More damp embers than a roaring fire. Generally bland and inoffensive.
Willows Wood ★★
Slightly soapy golden ale. There is a brief hint of citrus hops, but it's very brief.
Old Pie Factory (UK)
Bitter ★★★
Gently malty session bitter with a pleasing toffee finish that's balanced with a bitter hop. Pleasant.
Pale Ale ★★★
Rather bland but utterly inoffensive pale ale with a tangy malt flavour and a sweet yeastiness.
Oldershaw (UK)
Newton's Drop ★★
Mild brown ale with a taste on the sour side, possibly the dregs of a barrel when tasted but not very nice
Olvisholt (Iceland)
Freyja ★★★
Filtered wheat ale with a light, refreshing taste and a gentle gassiness. The orange peel flavours are a bit crude, but it's still easy to drink.
Lava Stout ★★★
Dark, bitter imperial stout with a thick mouthfeel and a syrupy sweetness mixed with a warming alcoholic edge. Lighter than most beers of the type and lacking some of the depth and complexity. Dangerously easy to drink though.
Mori ★★★
Amber coloured with no head, this has a rich bitter malty taste. Though it has elements of an English bitter it's gassiness gives it more of a Belgian feel. Light and very easy drinking.
Skjalfti ★★★★
Full flavoured lager with a pronounced rustic, dry hoppy edge to it. Well rounded with a gentle bitterness in the finish. Has elements of a biere de garde.
Oppigards (Sweden)
Golden Ale ★★★
Golden amber beer with a gassy mouthfeel and a refreshing citrus hop taste. Akin to a fizzed up English golden ale with a rounded full flavour. Good for warm days.
Single Hop ★★★
Pale golden ale with a crisp refreshing taste that has a dry citrus hop to the fore. Akin to an English golden ale but with a gentle fizz in the finish. Well made but not stunning. Good for hot weather.
Oratche Wind Valley (Japan)
Pilsner ★★★★
A buttery lager with the weight of the Witbier and a gassy freshness. It not overloaded with flavour but there's enough of a hoppy bite and bitter finish to merit being called a pilsner.
Red Ale ★★★
Smoky and malty with a caramel sweetness poking it's nose in at the end. Does what a red ale should with balance and restraint, if little more.
Orgemont (France)
Biere des Moissons ★★★
A gassy opaque straw coloured beer made with spelt and buckwheat. The beer is gassy, bright & refreshing with the rounded flavours of a typical wheat beer lingering nicely in the background. A hint of coriander in the end.
Orkney (UK)
Atlas Nimbus ★★★
A grassy straw aroma leads into what feels like a potent alcoholic mouthfeel akin to a European strong lager, but it's under 5% abv. An punchy beer with a dry edge that has hints of a turbo charged Kolsch.
Atlas Three Sisters ★★★
A clear golden colour ale with a bit of liquorice, sweet malts and warming alcohol to give it an edge. Generally rather bland though.
Dark Isle ★★★
Intensely malty aroma with bitter powdered chocolate on the taste. Pleasant but a tad safe.
Red MacGregor ★★★★
Ruby coloured bitter with a floral hoppy aroma that follows up with a caramel malt flavour. There are hints of cherries and biscuit with a spicy hoppy finish that fades into a moreish gentle bitterness. Packed with flavour for it's 4% abv strength but would benefit from being a bit more balanced. Still a cracking beer.
Orval (Belgium)
Orval ★★★★
Copper coloured ale with elements of bitter hops, funky soured yeast, opal fruits, apple vinegar and bananas. When clear (without sediment) it has elements of bubblegum. Slightly spicy and creamy as well but gassy enough to be light and easy drinking. The balance and complexity may improve further if it's left to mature in the bottle.
Oslo (Norway)
Chief Imperial Stout ★★★★
Black as night with a creamy tan head this stout has a bitter coffee ground taste balanced by a creaminess that makes it quite smooth. There is a biscuity malt in the finish.
IPA ★★★
Fruity hopped IPA in the American style. Not too dry or bitter but with a definite hoppy punch and the characteristic US IPA taste profile.
Porter ★★★★
Classic English style porter with roasted malts but no coffee grounds taste. Smooth and not gassy like so many dark Scandinavian beers. Fairly fresh tasting with a hint of dark chocolate.
Steamer ★★★
Amber ale with a rounded fruity malty taste and a dash of bitter hops in the background. There is a gassiness to the body and a generally refreshing feel to it.
Ossett (UK)
Pale Gold ★★
Sour watery golden ale.
Route 66 ★★★
Watery citrus hopped beer that easy drinking but underwhelming.
Silver King ★★★
Clean, slightly bitter, but eminently forgettable session ale.
Treacle Stout ★★★★
Dark, syrupy stout with a full roasted malt flavour complemented with a hint of blackberries.
Ottakringer (Austria)
Goldfassl Spezial ★★★
Golden coloured hoppy lager with a dry gassy edge. Like a pilsner with the hops on overdrive.
Helles ★★★
Crisp, light, dry, mildly gassy lager with a slowly developing hoppy taste. Very refreshing when served cold on a hot day (when it feels great) but otherwise a little bland.
Wiener Wirsterhaff Hausbrau ★★★★
Dark amber cloudy beer with a full bodied malt and yeasty taste and the mouthfeel of a wheat beer. A hoppiness emerges through the mist with a slight caramel sweetness. Smells of horlicks and tastes of hob-nobs. The house beer of the Wiener Wirsterhaff restaurant in Vienna.
Otter (UK)
Amber Ale ★★★
Pleasing amber session ale with a smooth malty taste and a little bitter tingle in the finish. The hops come through in the aroma.
Avalon Ale ★★★★
Chestnut coloured ale with a biscuit malt flavour and a restrained bitter hoppiness. Pleasing session fare with a moreish finish with faint hints of an abbey dubbel.
Avalon Bitter ★★★
Classic English bitter with a dry biscuit malt flavour mixed with a woody hop finish. Good session fare that's been put together with care.
Bright Ale ★★★
A promising fruit and citrus aroma leads to a traditional malty taste. Decent, but not stellar.
Seville Bitter ★★★
The orange edge is surprisingly, and possibly thankfully, restrained in this bitter. Generally it's your standard malty English fare and none the worse for it.
Oud Beersel (Belgium)
Bersalis ★★
Golden bottle fermented triple brewed at Huyghe. Dominated by a warming alcohol malty flavour. The finish is long with the malt acquiring a rounded edge. A plain version of the delirium beers? Best suited to late night sipping.
Kriek ★★★
Dry and sour tasting cherry beer that has a spritzy body that leaves it feeling light whilst retaining flavour. The sweetness of the cherries starts to bleed through as you keep drinking. Slightly thin but an enjoyable aperitif.
Oude Geuze ★★★★
This kicks off with a massive aroma. You can smell it's a gueuze from across the room. There is a frothy head and gassy mouthfeel. This gives the beer a light feel with the typical sour citrus ambling through with a tangy sour bitterness in the finish. There's a sharpness and mustiness in there too and pouring the sediment gives a creamy edge to the mouthfeel, akin to many blonde Belgian ales. Easier drinking than most lambics without lacking character. A hot weather gueuze.
Palm (Belgium)
Brugge Trippel ★★★★
Initially all over the place, this expands into a big taste of toffee apples with a transient gassiness. An experience of a beer, very strong at 8.7% and a bit too unbalanced for regular drinking.
Dobbel ★★★
Dark amber ale that is halfway between a dubbel and a marzen. The taste it dominated by a fruity maltiness with a dry bitter finish. Quite gassy. A stronger darker winter version of Palm Speciale, but not as good.
Green ★★
Alcohol free lager with a strong malty taste & an odd finish to it, almost as if the taste warps. The taste seems to drop away from the top of your mouth but the mouthfeel is pleasing. Not bad for what it is - a fizzy drink that isn't sweet.
Hop Select ★★★
A surprisingly tangy and malty golden ale. There is a hoppy punch and a floral note at the end, but the beer is predominantly gassy and light. For 6% abv you'd like something a bit more memorable, but you'll quaff it enjoyably enough.
Rodenbach ★★★★
Strange. An oak aged beer with a sweet edge that has a massive cherry aroma that overpowers the initial taste before chiming with the sour cherry taste in finish. Unexpected at first but tasty after you have adjusted.
Rodenbach Grand Cru ★★★★★
A superb example of a strident beer. A syrupy sweetness competes with a taste of sour cherries whilst a gentle gassiness lifts the taste and a deep oaky base grounds it. Aged for 24 months in oak barrels and well worth the wait.
Speciale ★★★★
Sweetly wheaty 5% beer. Very smooth with a gentle froth. Gentle malty flavour with a light bitter hoppy finish. The amount of gassiness is well judged. It's colour is a pleasing shade of amber. Nice easy drinking.
Steenbrugge Dubbel ★★★
Malty amber beer without the deep fruity flavours of a traditional Dubbel. Pleasant but not what you would expect.
Steenbrugge Wit Blanche ★★★
A typical Belgian witbier with cloves and citrus notes dominating. Light, gassy and pleasingly refreshing but lacking a little depth. Cloudy but with the mouthfeel of a filtered beer.
Partizan (UK)
Big Red Saison ★★★★
There is waft of tart red fruit in the aroma which leads into a robust, smoky amber ale. The saison notes are restrained but there is a funky farmyard edge in there somewhere. An satisfying variant on an amber ale.
Dr Rudi Pale Ale ★★★
A crisp and powdery dry ale with a very bitter take tropical pale ale flavours. There is a strange musty cheese aroma. Could be more exciting.
Grisette Saison ★★★
A strangely flat and dry ale with a hoppy taste that's very restrained. A gentle table beer for warm weather, but it's a bit too subtle for it's own good. Make sure you don't serve it too cold.
Grisette Saison: Lemongrass ★★★
For a saison this has a very light and clean mouthfeel. There is a bit of funky edge to the hops but the lemongrass means there is a clean edge to the taste to match the mouthfeel. A pleasant session beer with a bit of a modern craft beer edge.
Mild ★★★★
Intensely oily, burnt roasted malts are shot through this unusually strong mild (6.3% abv) with a long bitter finish. There are nutty, smoky flavours to - almost like a lighter strong dark Belgian - a half quadruple. Puckeringly dry, but not too heavy or viscous.
Pascoes (UK)
IPA ★★★
A creamy head atops this bready, citrus hopped ale with a light taste.
Paulaner (Germany)
Munchner ★★★
Pale lager with a citrus hoppy edge. Decent with a bit of characters but nothing special.
Oktoberfest ★★★
Gassy, mineral tasting lager with a dry, nutty, biscuit malt flavour and a floury finish. Could have a fuller flavour but had enough of a session beer feel to make it interesting.
Salvator Doppelbock ★★★
Sweetly alcoholic beer with molasses and plums. There's a sugary, sticky edge akin to barley wine. Weighs in at 7.9% but should have more kick for it's strength.
Weiss ★★★★★
Beautifully amber tinged wheat beer with a creamy mouthfeel that makes the traditional spicy flavour seem pleasingly subtle. The aroma is full and inviting. A delicate Weisse that is a real pleasure.
Pays Flamand (France)
La Bracine Ambree ★★★★
Rustically hoppy dark amber ale with a sweet malty flavour of caramelised meat juices. There's a little alcoholic kick in the finish too with a gentle gassy tingle.
Peak Ales (UK)
Bakewell ★★★
Light hoppy and yeasty session beer that slips down agreeably.
Swift Nick ★★
Light, almost inconsequential ale with a yeasty taste. Would be more appealing if it felt refreshing.
Pelforth (France)
Ambree ★★★★
English style amber ale with a pronounced hoppy taste tempered by a gentle creamy smoothness. Carries the thumbprint of Pelforth's other beers, though it is not quite as distinguished. Would go well with red meat or sausages.
Blonde ★★★★★
Smooth, creamy and full bodied beer with a gentle but persuasive bitter hoppy aftertaste. Very moreish and quite potent.
Brune ★★★★★
Dark, malty beer with a smooth edge, slightly offset but a gentle gas to give it an edge. Akin to a Belgian scotch ale.
Penlon (UK)
Ewes Frolic ★★★
Bottle conditioned lager from a Welsh cottage brewery. Cloudy gold in colour this has a bitter hoppy taste that is softened by the teaspoon of cane sugar added to aid the bottle conditioning. Fairly flat for a lager. Pleasant and enjoyable.
Penzance (UK)
Scilly Stout ★★★
Dry, roasted malt flavour malt with a fairly chewy mouthfeel. A solid drinkable stout.
Peters (Germany)
Kolsch ★★★
Light floral golden ale with a frothy head and a light malt in the finish that quickly fades leaving it very clean.
Petrognola (Italy)
Nera Al Farro ★★★
Pitch black stout with a tongue fizzing gassiness followed by bitter roasted flavours that are tempered by a warming alcohol malt. Surprisingly easy to drink for it's 6.5% abv, but could have more complexity.
Petrus (Belgium)
Oud Bruin ★★★★
Top fermented beer aged in oak barrels for 2 years. Dark stewed fruits (raisins and cherries) and quite sour. Fairly fizzy but overall it is well balanced with a roasted malt finish. Very easy drinking for a dark beer.
Pfaffen (Germany)
Kolsch ★★★
Pale gold ale with an astringent bitter taste and a slightly musty maltiness. Not overpowering but certainly more fully flavoured than other Kolsch.
Phoenix (UK)
Wobbly Bob ★★★
Deep, amber ale with a gentle hoppiness overpowered by sharp edge that feels a little disconcerting but isn't too bad.
Pietra (France)
Colomba ★★★★
Unpasteurized white lager with maquis herbs from the only Corsican brewery. Very pale cloudy yellow colour. Gently flavoured with a subtle smooth balance of lemon vanilla, pepper, strawberry and juniper. Serve cold on a hot day.
Pietra ★★★★
Amber coloured lager made with chestnut flour. Malty and slightly sweet with a smoky aroma and a gentle dry nutty flavour. Subtle, but very pleasant.
Pigeonelle (France)
La Salamandre ★★★
Amber ale with a tight, enthusiastic carbonation. The flavour is a restrained mix of biscuit malt, spice and a hint of citrus.
Ploegsteert (Belgium)
Queue De Charrue ★★
Amber coloured Flemish old brown with a sweet tangy orange flavour. Slightly syrupy with a hint of bananas. Very gassy which means the finish is very short. Oak aged and blended akin to a gueuze but without the sourness.
Plutzer Brau (Austria)
Germischtes ★★★
Dark brown beer with a sweet malty taste and no head. It reminds me of an English ale. There is a hoppy bitterness in the background to round out the taste. Overall it's smooth and satisfyingly easy to drink.
Zwickl ★★★
Unfiltered lager with a light bread and malt taste filled out with the mouthfeel of a wheat beer. A solid quaffing beer.
Postel (Belgium)
Blond ★★★★
Bright, spritzy beer with soft tropical fruit flavours and a yeasty finish. A slight buttery dry taste too. Easy drinking and quite interesting.
Dobbel ★★★
Burnt sugary caramel with a hint of dry perfumed oranges. The finish is quite tangy.
Prael (Holland)
Andre ★★★★
An Easter beer (Lentebok). Dark amber lager with restrained caramel, malt and fruit flavours that tastes like a good marzen.
Heintje ★★★★
Classic hefeweizen with an enticing banana and clove aroma that leads into an expansive gassy mouthfeel. Light and refreshing.
Praght (Holland)
Extra Stout ★★★
Strong dark stout with roasted malt to the fore with a syrupy tar not far behind. The gassiness lightens the beer and gives it a bubbling carbonated bitterness in the finish. Accomplished but not exceptional.
Pressure Drop (UK)
Freimann's Dunkelweiss ★★★
An incredibly gassy dark wheat beer with gentle caramel and roasted malt flavours with a waft of smoke submerged beneath the carbonation.
Stokey's Brown ★★★★
A really granular dark ale with dry coffee ground flavours delivered by the roasted malts. The level of carbonation is well pitched and it's not too dry either. A potent but balanced beer.
Preston Ale (Japan)
Imperial Oatmeal Stout ★★★
Strong, dark, viscous and warming. The oatmeal element provides a creamy, mealy edge but this is still potent stuff with a long bitter finish that has a hint of oak. An interesting hybrid of styles but lacking a killer punch.
Prickly Moses (Australia)
Otway Ale ★★★
Crisp ale with a rounded malty taste that has more of a hoppy bite than most Australian pale ales. There are hints of tropical fruit balanced with biscuit that mean it would feel just as good sipped on a hot beach or pulled from a hand pump in an English pub. Made by the Otway Estate near the great ocean road who also make wine and cordial.
Red Ale ★★★★
Dry, almost sour Celtic red ale with a leathery malty taste with a hint of cherry and the musty edge of a lambic. The aroma is spritzy and slightly floral. There is a hint of smokiness in there too.
Summer Ale ★★★
Gassy, pale golden ale with a tropical fruit flavour that sits fairly well with the gassiness. Does the job it sets out to do.
Purdebrug (Belgium)
Blonde ★★★
Abbey style blonde beer that has a sweet, almost honey taste with a slight gassiness. Much lighter tasting that it's 6% strength.
Purity (UK)
Farmers Harvest ★★★
Dry lagerish beer with a delicate citrus taste on a pale ale base. Very smooth with a wheat beer foundation. Solid easy drinking but a touch bland.
Mad Goose ★★★
Dark golden pale ale with a zingy citrus flavour that fades into a butter woody finish. It feels a little like it lacks a solid foundation, but it certainly has some bite.
Pure Gold ★★★
Light ale with a bitter smoothness that makes it more interesting than your average citrus hopped golden ale.
Ubu ★★
Smooth and creamy beer with a tangy citrus hop taste and a gentle bitter finish that doesn't linger. Good for warm weather.
Purple Moose (UK)
Glaslyn Ale ★★★
Golden coloured bitter with a fruity citrus flavour balanced with a light hoppiness and a dry bitter finish. A decent session beer.
Quercus (UK)
Smoked Oaked Porter ★★★★
Thick smoke and roasted malts swirl beautifully together, but there is enough hoppy bite to stop this beer becoming too thick or intense. There is a dash of stewed raisins there too with hints of a Belgian Dubbel. Impressive.
Raventown (UK)
Smog Rocket ★★★★★
A smoked porter with a sharp edge and a hoppy edge to it. There are powdered chocolate flavours giving a bright edge offset by a smokiness that gives a moreish complexity. Expertly combining elements of porter, rauchbier, dunkel and Belgian bruin, this is quite some beer.
RCH (UK)
Old Slug Porter ★★★★
Smooth and gentle porter. Dark in colour with a vanishing head. The coffee grounds flavour is light and complimented with berry flavours. There is a tart bitter finish. Well balanced and very drinkable.
Pitchfork ★★★
Dark gold ale with a floral aroma that leads into a bittersweet flavour with a dry woody hoppiness and a slight soapiness. There is a tanginess in the finish. Assertive but not quite to my taste.
Wheat ★★★
An orange flavoured wheat beer that has the dry biscuit malt foundation of an English ale, even if it wants to be a Witbier. The bitter orange zest element makes for pleasant session fare.
Red Brick (UK)
Shire Oak ★★
Somewhat bland amber ale that is inoffensively pleasant for light drinking
Red Duck (Australia)
Pale Ale ★★★
Crisp refreshing pale ale with a well balanced mix of gassiness and tropical fruit. Possibly a tad too gassy to stand out from the crowd.
Red Hill (Australia)
Scotch Ale ★★★★
Burnished copper in colour this has a warming alcoholic malty kick with a caramel edge balanced by a bitter hoppiness in the finish. There is also a bit of chocolate in the roasted malts. Well balanced, well made and one to savour. The brewery grows their own hops.
Red Oak (Australia)
Bitter ★★★
An Aussie bitter that beat off English competition to win best in class at the world beer awards. Served cold it is smooth and silky with gentle woody blackcurrant flavours to it.
Blackberry Wheat Beer ★★★★
Sour, lambic style fruit beer with a rounded blackberry flavour is quite tart. The mouthfeel is light with a gentle gassiness. An acquired taste but a striking and well made beer.
Christmas Cheer ★★★
Strong festive ale with a roasted malt flavour married to stewed dark fruits and hints of raspberries and cherries. The mouthfeel is gassy which makes it feel light but it somewhat undermines the Xmas pudding in glass aim of the beer.
Country Lager ★★★
Amber coloured Oktoberfest style lager with a very deep malty flavour made using wild yeasts. The taste is interesting and the beer refreshing but it doesn't quite have the body to surpass a microbrewed Austrian Marzen.
Irish Red Ale ★★★
Chewy caramel malt flavoured dark amber ale. The mouthfeel is gently gassy enough to make it feel lively without obscuring the flavour. There is a hint of toffee apple that emerges in the finish.
Opera Bar Organic Pale Ale ★★★
Dry amber ale with a bitter, woody hoppy flavour with a biscuit malt coming through in the finish. Light gassiness. Similar to Little Creatures but not as refined.
Summer Weiss ★★★★
A filtered wheat beer made in the style of a Berlinerweiss. There is a huge a white grapefruit pith flavour with an acidic backup. Crisp, light and very refreshing with a sour, almost lambic style finish.
Red Rat (UK)
Rock Ape ★★
Very sour and soapy beer that really grabs your attention. Slightly opaque in colour. Overall it is too dry and a bit off to my taste.
Red Stripe (Jamaica)
Dragon Stout ★★★★
Made by the same brewers as Red Stripe this Jamaican brew is similar to Scandinavian imperial stouts. There is a gassy mouthfeel followed by a chunky roasted coffee grounds flavour and a smooth malty finish. Well mannered for a beer that's 7.5% abv but it doesn't feel neutered or lacking in flavour. A warming alcohol edge slowly builds but does no more than linger in the background and to the beers depth, giving an almost tangy biscuity flavour.
Red Stripe Lager (UK brewed) ★★
Starts with a decent hoppiness but quickly becomes flat, bland and dry with a slight bitterness in the finish. There are definitely worse lagers out there but this is still below average. Brewed under license in the UK by Charles Wells.
Red Willow (UK)
Cheerless ★★★
A somewhat syrupy porter made with raisins, figs and oranges. The Christmas pudding flavours could be more pronounced rather than just softening the roasted malts. A nice smooth, flat, relaxed porter that is somewhat over billed.
Fathomless ★★★★
Incredibly smooth oyster stout with strong roasted malt flavours that aren't aggressive or overpowering.
Wreckless ★★★
A heavily hopped, peppery pale ale that comes in at a refreshingly light 4.8% abv. A mixture of wood and biscuit malt bleed through to add depth.
Redchurch (UK)
Bethnal Pale Ale ★★★
Is Bethnal in Jaipur then? This pale ale has all the dry hoppy tingle of an IPA. The finish exceptionally dry and a touch chalky but the hops aren't overdone.
Reijin-Shuzo (Japan)
Zenkoji-Roman Kurojuri (Black) ★★★
It's black, it's dry, it's got roasted malts. As a dark beer in Japan this will happily find a market and it's enjoyable to drink, just nothing special.
Renaissance (New Zealand)
Stonecutter ★★★
A deep amber coloured scotch ale with a small creamy head. The taste is thickly roasty malty with dark raisin fruit flavours and heavy with a dry, woody, tangy finish. The brewer claims the 9 malts used give layers of caramel, toffee, liquorice and chocolate but these are lost in the dense weight of flavours. At 7.5% abv it is strong and has a warming alcoholic finish. Serve cool, not cold.
Resch (Australia)
Draught ★★
Gassy, dry lager with a watery maltiness that struggles through in the finish. Nothing of note.
Ridgeway (UK)
Bad King John ★★★
A balanced dark ale with roasted malt, chocolate and red fruit in there, somewhere, but the overall impact is a tad bland - still pleasant though.
Foreign Export Stout ★★★★★
Dark with a faint head. Burnt soy sauce, coffee and liquorice lightened by a hint of apple and a crisp fizziness. More like a porter than a stout. Strong but easy drinking at 8% and well balanced. Smooth and superb with raisins coming through when warmer.
IPA ★★★
An "authentic" IPA with pale malts and no sugar or syrups, brewed with top fermenting yeast. Looks very much like a cloudy wheat beer but has a crisp fizzy edge to the aftertaste. Interesting but too gassy to whole hearted recommend.
Ivanhoe ★★★★★
A 'very English pale ale'. Light ruby ale that is dry, crisp and bitter with a lingering woody, hoppy taste that has a hint of tropical fruit. Describes itself as perfectly balanced - and that isn't far off.
Santa's Butt ★★★★
Strong porter with a bitter malty flavour that is surprisingly smooth. Hints of subtle red fruit add complexity to this well balanced brew. An accomplished dark ale that would work all year round.
Ridley's (UK)
Old Bob ★★★★
Dark brown ale with a tangy biscuit malt and a spicy citrus hop duelling on the tongue. The finish is dry and slightly leathery. Good solid fare.
Riedenberger (Germany)
Weisse Premium ★★★★
Gentle fizzy dark amber wheat beer with a well balanced yeasty malty taste. There is a fruitiness in the finish (unripe blackcurrant?) that adds a beautiful subtle depth to the flavour.
Ringwood (UK)
49er ★★★
Deep ruby red ale with a restrained dry hoppy taste and no head. A good session beer. Nice bitter floral aroma.
Best Bitter ★★★★
A typical English bitter. Light brown on colour it had a woody, bitter hoppy taste with a dry finish with a hint of biscuit malt. A pleasant beer made with care and attention.
Boondoggle ★★★
A golden ale where tangy malty flavours of gooseberry and grapefruit pith dominate over citrus hops. Slightly dry, but generally robust, lip-smacking and satisfying.
Old Thumper ★★★
Amber strong ale with a tangy potent taste. Not actually that strong at 5.6 abv and lacking the depth it could have. Nowt objectional about it though.
Robinsons (UK)
Build A Rocket Boys! (elbow beer) ★★★★
Woody, smoky, laced with caramel and smelling of thick cut crisps. This claims to be a golden ale but it's an amber all the way. A ruddy malty pleasure with a bitter bite that feels like campfires and shadowy wood panelled pubs.
Chocolate Tom ★★★★
Dry, strong dark amber ale mixed with cocoa that has a well balanced bitter chocolate and a vanilla aroma. It has a fizz & powdery drinking chocolate edge that is quite appealing. A nice after dinner or end of the night tipple.
Double Maxim ★★★★
Dark amber coloured ale with a deep hoppy taste and heavy feel that has a dry finish. There is a sweet nuttiness in the background. A classic English bitter.
Ginger Tom ★★★★★
A blend of the brewer's Old Tom Strong Ale with Fentiman's Ginger Beer that is surprisingly well balanced. The ginger initially dominates the taste, but it is balanced by the deep taste of the ale. Probably a 'novelty beer', but a very good one.
Hoptimus Prime ★★★
Hop heavy golden coloured bitter with a creamy mouthfeel and a soapy finish. The bitter woody hops are backed by a dark fruit and toffee note that has a hint of sweetness to balance things. Potent but good session fare.
Old Tom ★★★★
Strong dark beer that tastes like alcoholic malt loaf. Syrupy fruit and malt flavours dominate but it is not overpowering. Hints of blackcurrant and grape in the finish. Good range of flavours.
Unicorn M&S Cheshire Brown Ale ★★★
Dry malty beer with a nutty sherry flavour and a tangy finish. Possibly a hint of syrup too.
Rochefort (Belgium)
6 ★★★★
Robust dark brown beer that, depending on the bottle conditioning can be smooth and creamy or have a gassy tingle or a mix of both. The taste is a bitter fruity malt with a dash of coriander in the finish. Chewy late night fare that won't knock your head off. Try to leave the sediment in the bottle to best appreciate the flavour.
8 ★★★★
Dark, chewy beer with a sweet fruity taste and a slight hint of liquorice. Light enough to be easily drinkable but with a strong flavour.
10 ★★★
Dark trappist ale that despite the name weighs in a dash over 11%. Warming alcohol & malty taste with a porterish bitterness & a light hoppy spiciness. Smooth & slightly creamy. One to sip gently at night when you want quiet depth.
Rogue (USA)
Brutal Bitter ★★★★
Strong, hoppy ale that is dark brown in colour with a big foamy head. The taste is very similar to a US IPA with the heavy rounded bop taste but there is a dark bitterness in the background that gives it something extra.
John John Ale ★★★
Bitter, earthy malty beer with a fruity edge. Aged in whisky barrels it has an oaky taste with berries, apricots and all kinds of over-ripe fruit. Feels stronger than it's 6.5% abv strength.
Juniper Pale Ale ★★★
Dry, hoppy pale ale with a bitter peppery finish. The juniper is well hidden.
Mocha Porter ★★★
Very gassy dark ale with dry roasted malts lingering long in the finish. There's a hint of caramel and bitter dry chocolate. More an intense dunkel than a chocolate & hops mocha porter.
Morimoto Soba Ale ★★★★
Smooth and restrained ale made with roasted soba (buckwheat) grains. The taste has the robust hoppy flavour of an IPA with a honeyed finish, but all done with subtlety.
St Rogue Red Ale ★★★
A curiously dry beer with bitter powdery caramel, pine wood and some sour dark fruit. It would benefit from something to offset it. A side beer? Interesting.
Yellow Snow ★★★
Pure hop resin? Thick, bitter hoppy flavours with pine wood and tint hints of tropical fruit. Too aggressive for it's own good.
Roman (Belgium)
Adriaen Brouwer ★★★★
Strong, sweet, malty ale with hints of dark fruit in the boozy finish. The makers call it dark gold but it's more tea brown. A substantial "monks bread" beer part way between a double and a quadruple.
Black Hole ★★★
Crisp, clean and gassy. There is a malty sweetness and an earthy toffee note. There is a slight metallic edge and a very dry finish. Evidence that Belgians and lager brewing don't really mix.
Ename Tripel ★★
Golden ale with a strong alcoholic edge married to a mix of dry chalk & honey. It develops in the character of a malty tripel with a hint of caramel in the finish. Doesn't really do enough for it's strength. Bottled with candy sugar.
Sloeber ★★★
A confusion of flavours with malt, hops and an alcoholic edge all blurring into each other. Not bad, but would benefit from the flavours being clearer.
Roosters (UK)
Patriot ★★
Golden ale with a malty edge that tastes of crisps and biscuits. Quite dry and bitter on the finish with a hint of gassiness. Non descript chain pub fodder that lacks refinement and feels a bit watery.
YPA ★★★
Bone dry light ale with a hoppy citrus taste. Refreshing on a summers day.
Rudgate (UK)
Pursuit Of Hoppiness ★★★
Clean, smoky pale ale with a touch of the Irish red ales. The Marynka hop flavours have none of the overpowering pepperiness of an IPA with bitter woody notes.
York Chocolate Stout ★★★★
Somewhere between a stout and a mild. This has dominant bitter roasted malts that don't punch as hard as you think with powdered dark chocolate and chocolate malt flavours smoothing it out. The finish is a touch watery, but that makes it easy drinking. Feels weaker than it's 5% abv strength but is a well balanced beer.
Rugby (UK)
Play On ★★
Fairly generic session ale. Golden in colour with a dry biscuit malt flavour with a light bitter hoppy finish with a hint of citrus. The brewers call it a bitter but if feels like an anonymous golden ale. Creamy mouthfeel and slightly soapy.
Victorius ★★
Thin, sour and dry ale with a light colour that leaves a bitter taste
S.A. Brain (UK)
Rev James ★★★
Light ruby coloured ale with a gentle hoppy taste and a slight hint of soapy caramel. Pleasing but a bit chemical and bland.
SAB Miller (USA)
Blue Moon Belgian White ★★★★
Belgian style unfiltered spiced wheat beer that is made with oats. Feels very creamy and looks very cloudy with a gentle orange flavour in the background. Very pleasant, very smooth but perhaps a little timid and worried about offending anyone.
Gambrinus Premium ★★★
A pilsner with a fuller maltier taste than usual. It is a good beer but it is not exceptional.
Grolsch Blond ★
A 4% strength beer from Grolsch to cash in on the low alcohol lager bandwagon. Has the taste of cheap bread and seems to be imitating Carling. Very poor.
Grolsch Lager ★★★★
One of the better mass produced continental lager that retains a slight hoppy taste with it's crisp clean edge.
Grolsch Weizen ★★★
(Swing top bottle) Bitter tasting wheat beer. Different taste depending on whether the beer is rolled around in the bottle before pouring. Unimpressive. (Metal cap bottle) Slightly sweet wheat beer that is fairly well balanced and has decent body while remaining easily drinkable.
Lech Premium ★
Polish lager that smacks of being cheap and mass produced. Reminiscent of the Castello Italian lagers.
Lone Star ★★★
Straight forward lager that holds on surprises and does what you would expect. Crisp light and not exactly packed with flavour though there is enough hoppiness to stop it being bland.
Peroni Gran Riserva ★★★
Light amber ale with an alcoholic edge and a slight maltiness. The aftertaste becomes quite dry and bitter. Not bad but somewhat uninspiring.
Peroni Nastro Azzurro ★★
Like trying on a designer Italian suit to discover it's been made on the cheap in a sweatshop. Nice glassware, but ultimately a light and gassy lager that does little that is interesting.
Pilsner Urquell ★★
Smooth Amber/orange coloured pilsner with a steadily building hoppy aftertaste. It is not as rounded as it should be leaving it feeling somewhat thin and timid.
Sadlers Ales (UK)
Green Man ★★★
Gassy, fruity lagerish ale that slips down agreeably but not excitingly.
IPA ★★★
Deep ruby IPA with a strong malty taste. Lacks subtlety.
Jack's Ale ★★★
Fairly bland light ale that slips down easily but leaves no trace.
Mild ★★★
Deep, almost stout like, mild with a strong coffee taste. Solid but not exceptional.
Mud City Stout ★★★★
Velvety coffee and chocolate stout with a gentle bitterness and a floral hop aroma. Smooth and satisfying.
Mud Crutch Stout ★★★★
Deep coffee tasting stout with a hint of porter. Strong, forceful but not overbearing.
Mud Rat ★★★
Single hopped dark ale that the brewers claim is a "chocolate IPA". Has the feel of a porter with a light bitter coffee grounds taste and a growing blackberry edge in the finish and a hint of chocolate. The fruity note makes it somewhat unbalanced but it's still quite interesting.
Pumpkin Eater ★★★
Halloween ale that the brewers have added pumpkins to. What should be a horrible novelty is quite a pleasing ruby red ale with enough bitterness to anchor the sweet pumpkin flavours. Unusual but not weird.
Thin Ice ★★★
Sharp and slightly thin tasting ale that mixes a gentle bitterness with a light citrus pang.
Worcestor Sourcerer ★★★
Smooth slightly soapy gold coloured beer.
Sagres (Portugal)
Branca ★★★
Tastes like a hundred other European lagers, but it's pleasant enough when served cold on a hot day.
Saint Colombe (France)
Pie Noire Bretonne ★★★★
Dark ale with a big roasted malt flavour balanced by the kind of caramelised sweetness you find in some breakfast cereals. The flavour is underpinned with rye and is as robust as an imperial stout (though it's only 6% abv). A great sipping beer.
Saint Monon (Belgium)
Honey ★★★
Cloudy lemon coloured beer with a bright citrus taste and a slight honey sweetness. Dry and spritzy mouthfeel. Cloves and warming alcohol in the finish with a hint of fizzy sweets. A steady grower and brewed in the style of a triple.
Saku (Estonia)
Kuld ★★★
Quaffing lager that slides down very easy with a gentle straw taste that builds but ultimately remains slightly watery.
Salm Brau (Austria)
Maibock ★★★★
Light gold seasonal lager with a bright hoppy taste and a mild gassiness. There is a slight floral taste to it that makes it very refreshing when cold.
Marzen ★★★★
Traditional Vienna style amber marzen with a smooth caramel taste balanced by a lingering gassiness with a slight bitter woodiness. Well balanced and very easy drinking.
Salopian (UK)
Boomerang ★★★★
Some modern brewers unbalance their beers by using an overpowering amount of hops. Here the citrus tinged Nelson Saivin hops come through clearly but they are bolstered by a thick biscuit malt foundation. A well judged hop hit.
Lemon Dream ★★★
Dry and slightly acidic citrus beer with a slightly soapy finish. Better than many lemony golden ales.
Oracle ★★★
Clean, light golden ale with a heather, citrus hop taste. Some people love it - I'm not so fussed.
Saltaire (UK)
Blonde ★★★★
Wonderfully reassuring hoppy blonde ale with a lovely balance of peppery citrus hop and chewy biscuit malt. A session ale with an IPA style bite that is a pleasantly light 4% abv.
Hazelnut Coffee Porter ★★★
A bitter, roasted porter offset with the addition of sweet hazelnut syrup. A pleasing, and slightly chocolatey, combination that feels a little forced.
Pride ★★★
A typical Irish style red ale. It's got a musty smoky edge backed with robust malty flavours with a hint of caramel. There's a hoppy tingle in the dry finish. A good traditional beer.
Saltram (Australia)
Pepperjack ★★★
Made by a wine estate, this rouge coloured ale has been blended with a Shiraz wine. The beer is aggressively hoppy with a chunk of bread dough in there as well. The fruitiness of the wine is buried from site and only seems to contribute to the colour. There is a citrus element to the hoppiness that peeks through in finish. A decent hoppy ale that feels underwhelming because you are expecting something more unusual and distinctive.
Salzburger (Austria)
Stiegel ★★★
Thin gassy lager, crisp and inoffensive. Aftertaste slowly develops.
Sambrooks (UK)
Junction ★★★
A standard dark bitter with a decent balance of malt and hops. Easy drinking, slightly watery but pleasant session fare.
Pale Ale ★★★
A dry, watery, slightly soapy pale ale with a gentle hoppy tingle. At the British pale ale golden ale end of the pale ale spectrum but a nice relaxed session beer.
Samuel Smith (UK)
Cherry Beer ★★
Strident cherry flavour beer with the feel of boiled sweets. There are hints of grass and almonds with a faint bitter base. Gassy mouthfeel. Fake but tasty. A combination of beers from Melbourne Bros and Sam Smith's.
Extra Stout ★★★★
Traditional Irish style stout that's smooth and creamy with enough roasted malt and coffee flavours to give it bite, but not enough to spook the horses.
Imperial Stout ★★★★
Tangy dark stout with a big hit of tar and a gentle fizz. Quite potent at 7%. Brewed in open stone squares.
India Ale ★★★
Heavily hopped IPA with a chunky malted amber taste tempered with a smooth texture.
Mild ★★
Smooth beer with a light hoppy taste dominated by the typical Samuel Smith nuttiness which doesn't quite appeal.
Nut Brown Ale ★★★
A creamy lingering head atops this suitably named beer. Smooth nutty flavours dominate with a dash of yeasty bitterness. Well balanced and interesting without quite being compelling. Good winter and autumn session fare.
Oatmeal Stout ★★★
Smooth oaty stout with a gentle peaty coffee ground bitterness. The flavour builds into the typical Samuel Smith's nuttiness over the course of a pint which doesn't quite sit with the smoothness. Brewed in slate squares using well water and fairly full bodied without feeling heavy. A fizzy tar note appears at the end.
Old Brewery Best Bitter ★★★
Pleasantly drinkable ale "pulled from an oak cask". Stands up well to repeated drinking over an evening.
Organic Best Ale ★★★★★
Light brown ale with a large head that fairly quickly fades. The taste kicks off with coffee and nuts before the bitter hoppy base comes through. There is a hint of chocolate in the finish. It has the telltale tang of a Sam Smith beer but is possibly their finest beer. Quite filling though with a dry finish and a light gassiness
Organic Chocolate Stout ★★★★★
A sublime after dinner treat. This marriage of roasted malt and creamy chocolate is a truly harmonious balance of bitterness and sweetness that delivers exactly what you'd expect from a chocolate stout.
Organic Lager ★★★★
Full bodied hoppy lager that is refreshing and has great character. There is a woody aroma, a hint of sand and a gentle malt bitterness mixed with a light fizz in the finish. Made with kilned malt. Full of old character and well balanced. Tastes best when it is cool rather than ice cold.
Pale Ale ★★★★
Robust chestnut coloured ale with a hoppy flavour, balanced with a fruity, malty aftertaste and a gentle bitterness.
Raspberry ★★★
Bad fruit beers taste like sugary fizzy pop. This tastes like a wonderfully rich cordial. Doesn't really taste like beer but a nice carbonated fruit drink.
Strawberry Fruit Beer ★★
Possibly the most potent smelling beer I've tried. Incredibly sweet and slightly artificial fruit beer with a syrupy flavour. A bit like overpowered strawberry flavoured soft drink that rapidly becomes too much - makes Timmermans fruit beers seemed restrained. Would be good for making desert with.
Strong Golden ★★★
British barley wine, strong and malty with the characteristic Sam Smith bitter note. The strong alcohol brings a dash of caramel, there is a light hoppiness, hints of oaked sherry and a gassy tingle at the end. Served in small bottles for sipping.
Taddy Porter ★★★★★
Sam Smith's beers always have a strong malty flavour which appears to be accentuated by the slate squares they use for fermentation of the beer. This suits their porter perfectly. Pitch black in colour with a big creamy head it has a rich, deep burnt malty flavour which is fully rounded and has a moreish cereal finish. There is a tasty hoppy bitterness mixing with a hint of tanginess, the mouthfeel is akin to draught Guinness. This beer could be viewed as a benchmark for porters in the way Guinness is for stout. Full flavoured, smooth and well balanced.
Winter Welcome Ale ★★★★
Burnt sugar, yeast, caramel and lemons are all in here somewhere. Initial gassiness fades to let the flavour through. Warming alcoholic brandy finish.
Yorkshire Stingo ★★★★
Strong (9%) English ale dominated by a warming treacle flavoured alcoholic maltiness. There are hints of Christmas pudding sweetness in there whilst it has a gentle gassiness and a dry woody finish with a hint of biscuit. It feels similar to strong dark Belgian ales. Given it's strength it might be wise to sell it in 330ml bottles rather than 550ml.
San Miguel (Philippines)
Premium ★★★
Fairly typical commercial lager with a slightly deeper and more rounded taste than most.
SanktGallen (Japan)
Pineapple Ale ★★★
This sure ain't pineapple juice. A classic pale ale set-up but with a bitter pineapple edge to the hops. Refreshing, if not quite what it promises.
Shonan Gold ★★★
Clean, smooth and slightly soapy pale golden beer with a hint of honey balanced by some gentle hoppy bitterness. Falls into the Kolsch like space between subtle and bland, but pleasant session fare.
Sapporo (Japan)
Yebisu Premium ★★★
Japanese lager with a dry malty taste that is best when cold. Fairly full bodied for a lager.
Yebisu Premium Black ★★★
Gassy and dark with bitter roasted malts that have a distinct coffee edge. Just what you'd expect from a mass produced Japanese black beer. There's a hint of chocolate, but not much.
Sarah Hughes (UK)
Dark Ruby Mild ★★
Overly tangy, malty beer that is interesting at first but quickly becomes overwhelming
Saverne (France)
Kasteel Cru ★★★
Light tasting blonde lager made with champagne yeast that gives it the fizz of a sparklingly white wine. Works well as an aperitif and can be mixed with sweet spirits such as Disarranno with interesting results.
Kasteel Cru Rose ★★★
Elderflower mixed with standard Kasteel Cru. Slightly synthetic but generally good. Given how well standard Kasteel Cru mixes with sweet spirits this is a wasted oppourtunity. Mixing Kasteel Cru with St Germain probably works better.
Schelde (Belgium)
Dulle Griet ★★★★
Fortified red wine, liquorice and stewed fruits with an alcoholic kick but no syrupy heaviness. Interesting subtleties, but generally a restrained spiced brown ale.
Oesterstout ★★★★
This Oyster Stout a Black Forest Gateaux beer with chocolate and dark cherries balanced by bitter roasted malts and warming alcohol, akin to a fortified wine. The gassiness tends to overwhelming.
Stand Graper ★★★
A BMW driving Belgian ale? Champagne style gassiness with some sweet malt, a dash of spice and nothing to spook the horses. Pleasing enough, but probably thinks it's more potent than it is.
Witbeer ★★★
Smooth wheat beer with a very light refreshing flavour. There is a gentle ephemeral bitterness in the finish that fills out the beer very nicely. Made with spelt rather than regular wheat.
Zeezuiper ★★★
Thin, alcoholic blonde ale with a floral, bready finish that has a hint of hairspray.
Schenkerla (Germany)
Rauchbier Helles ★★★★
Schenkerla beers are big bruisers that divide opinion with their smoky, bacon tinged flavours. This helles has a clean delicacy with whiffs of smoke and a dash of honey. A training wheels raunchbier and characterful helles all in one.
Rauchbier Marzen ★★★★★
Dark ruby coloured, almost black, beer with a smoky, burnt malty taste that is balanced by a slight caramel sweetness. Goes very well with smoked or spiced sausage. Initially similar to a porter, further tasting shows it to be distinctly different with a good depth of flavour and no coffee edge.
Rauchbier Weizen ★★★
A wheat version of the breweries famous smoke beer. Their distinct malty flavour leaps out, part way between a peaty single malt whisky and liquid bacon. The wheat gives it a bit more heft and smoothness making this a very heavy beer that will really divide people. Their lager is lighter and gassier which gives a better balance.
Schladinger (Austria)
Marzen ★★★
Once you get over the aroma of trainers you find a moderately gassy golden lager with a slightly sour taste. A tad surprising at first ("is it fully brewed yet?" you might ask) you soon adjust and drink happily.
Schloss Eggenburg (Austria)
Hopfen Pils ★★★
Crisp golden lager with a typical pilsner hoppiness and a mild dryness.
Macqueens Nessie (5%) ★★★★
Light red coloured smoked whisky malt lager with a dry gassy taste. The whisky comes through gently in the aroma with a light tangy, smoky finish and a carbonated tingle on the tongue. Much lighter than Adelscot and Innis & Gunn.
Samiclaus ★★★
At 14% this is the strongest regularly brewed beer in the world. Brown in colour it has a warming caramel flavour with hints of raisin. It tastes strong but is not dominated by the alcohol. Could have more depth for it's strength. Bottled on the 6th December each year the name means "Santa Claus".
Urbock 23 ★★★
Strong (9%) amber beer with a pronounced malt and alcohol edge and a banana sweetness that fades into a sour dry bitterness. More drinkable than many lagered beers of it's strength but not exceptional.
Schlosser (Germany)
Alt ★★★
Classic altbier. Gassy with dark stewed fruits (sour cherry) and a gentle bitterness. A well balanced dark session beer.
Schneider (Germany)
Tap 1 Meine Blonde Weisse ★★★
The Weisse from Schneider that is closest to the Weisse you find from other German brewers. Banana is dominant but more perfumed than most.
Tap 11 Unsere Leichte Weisse ★★
Light filtered Weiss that clocks in at 3.3% abv. More akin to a helles than a hefeweizen. Presumed made because the brewers don't do lagers.
Tap 3 Alkoholfreies ★★★
Looks like Tap 7 original, taste like a (decent) alcohol free beer. Slightly sweet caramel malt, a hint of citrus and decent body. Erdinger's alcohol free is similar but ever so slightly better.
Tap 4 Grunes ★★★
Fairly plain weiss with little cloves and a slightly caramel banana malty flavour. Organic and wholesome but a bit underwhelming.
Tap 5 Hopfenweisse ★★★★
The hoppiest Weizen I've ever had. The dry bitter citrus flavours of an American IPA are carpet bombed on a Weiss base without becoming overpowering. A successful hybrid of styles.
Tap 6 Aventinus ★★★★★
Strong dark wheat beer with a potent alcoholic malty flavour with a deep spicy note. A robust winter warmer that's strong and satisfying, though not that complex.
Tap 7 Original ★★★★
Cloudy amber ale with a sweet foamy banana sweet taste, hints of tropical fruit and a solid mouthfeel. Feels like an easy drinking triple with a clean, but not bland, finish
Tap X Mein Nelson Sauvin ★★★★
Intense banana and cloves give way to tropical fruit flavours as it warms. A supercharged weisse brewed for the anniversary of ABT cafes in the Netherlands.
Tap X Meine Sommer Weisse ★★★★
A bright Weiss with dominant lemon flavours that are hazy rather than sharp or acidic. Tending towards a Witbier this is a fine, light, gassy Weiss designed for hot sunny days.
Weizen Eisbock ★★★★★
The Aventinus beer ice frozen to 12% abv. The caramelised banana flavours have been forced through to cocoa with a strong warming alcohol finish. A joy to end the evening with.
Schultheiss (Germany)
Pilsener ★★
Spectacularly bland lager. Cool and crisp but it would take a crack team of scientists to determine flavours in it.
Schumucker (Germany)
Bio Pils ★★★
Smells of blackcurrant lemsip. Taste is more subtle with a sharp sweetness.
Seance (UK)
Full Mash ★★★
Dry, bitter citrus hopped ale with a soapy tangy finish. Passable session fare.
Senne (Belgium)
Brussels Calling ★★★★
Gently spiced blonde ale that slips down pleasingly with a dry bitter hoppy finish akin to an IPA - but without bashing you over the head.
Jambe De Bois ★★★
Rich, slightly creamy triple with a full flavour but no overt spicing.
Schiven IPA ★★★
Puckeringly dry grapefruit flavours with pepper and metal - it's an over hopped IPA folks, made by American & Belgian brewers. If you like your beers with a pine or hop resin flavour then this should float your boat.
Stouterik ★★★★
A dry, dark stout with malty characteristic still bleeding through the roasted notes. Fairly one note - but it's a very nice note.
Taras Boulba ★★★
Crisp "extra hoppy ale" that is less aggressive than many American IPAs. Smooth, with a pleasantly peppery flavour and a dry bitter finish. At 4.5% it's well suited to session drinking.
Zinne Bir ★★★
Dry, spicy beer with the peppery hoppy taste that defines all of their beers. At 5% abv it's very drinkable.
Zinne Bir X-mas 2013 ★★★★
A strong festive version of Zinne Bir that weighs in at 7.5% abv. When chilled the dark brown colour and dry spicing are reminiscent of Maredsous 8 but as it warms caramel and smoke start to dominate. Warming, but still easy to drink.
Shardlon (UK)
France ★
Bitter and sour golden ale that has a taste of bleach. Very poor.
Sharps (UK)
Atlantic IPA ★★★
Creamy, refreshing IPA with a smooth citrus hop flavour. A small step up from most mass produced fare.
Doombar ★★★
Smooth, comforting, slightly creamy bitter with a gentle soapy taste. Drinkable but unexceptional.
Honey Spice Wheat Beer ★★★
Does what it says on the label really. A dry, almost lagerish wheat beer with a faint taste of honey and an even fainter taste of spices.
Shepherd Neame (UK)
1648 ★★★
Gassy, lively strong ale with a malty, liquorice taste and an alcoholic kick at the end. Similar to Brakspear Triple but with slightly less body.
Asda Gentleman Jack ★★
Unfortunately someone went gas happy with the CO2 handle here. There are some nutty malt flavours in the mixed with a dark fruity sweetness, but it's all rather masked by the bubbles.
Asda Whitechapel Porter ★★★★
A strong aroma of roasted malts leads into a full and creamy mouthfeel with the bitterness balanced by a citrus hop flavour. Full flavoured, well balanced and very drinkable.
Christmas Ale ★★
Hoppy and soapy beer with a slight spiced fruit taste that feels like a wiped out Christmas afternoon when the taste buds are struggling.
Early Bird ★★★
Spring ale made with Kentish early bird hops that have a citrus and grapefruit tang that is balanced by an earthy bitterness. Floral malty notes hover above to give a pleasant mix of flavours, but it all feels a little safe.
End Of The Road Ale ★★★★
Strong, sweet toffee flavours dominate before the bitterness of the hops kicks in. A nice flavour progression.
Late Red ★★★★
Amber coloured beer with a creamy head. Predominantly a bitter hoppy ale but the flavour is balanced but malt and fruit notes. A good autumn ale.
Oranjeboom Pilsener (UK) ★★★
Amber lager with a very crisp dry flavour. There is a distinct malty taste at first but the finish is just gently bitter with a subliminal hint of orange. Dangerously drinkable on a hot day. Brewed under licence in the UK to a different strength to the continental Oranjeboom.
Sainsbury's TtD London Porter ★★★★
Potent, bitter malty ale that doesn't overdo the burnt notes. Hints of chocolate, liquorice and red fruit. Good traditional fare.
Sainsbury's TtD Summer Ale ★★★
Tangy, gassy amber coloured ale with a dash of toffee amongst the biscuit malt. Fair enough stuff.
Sapper Ale ★★★
A pleasant variant on Spitfire. Darker in colour with robust malty flavours layered with figs and cherries. A tad too gassy for my taste.
Spitfire ★★★
Kentish ale with a hint of toffee in the nose & a clean bitter fruity malt taste. There is a dry bitter hoppiness lingering in the finish with a light spicy note. Decent mass produced fare that is comforting rather than complex.
Whitstable Bay ★★★★
Woody hopped session ale with a dry bitter finish that has hints of pepper, biscuit, sour toffee and yeast. At 3.8% abv you could easily drink a lot of this.
Ship In A Bottle (UK)
Mersey Ale ★★★
Chestnut coloured ale with brown ale nutty, malty flavours. The finish is dry and carbonated. There's a hint of wood too. Serviceable session fare.
Shugborough (UK)
Lordships Own ★★★
Deep smooth ruby coloured ale akin to Wychwood Osprey.
Sibera (UK)
Rhubarb Saison ★★★★
Smooth malty beer where the sweet, tangy edge of the rhubarb in the finish. A great, full flavoured quaffing beer.
Sierra Nevada (USA)
Bigfoot Ale ★★
Barley wine style ale with a big hoppy ale that is akin to an English bitter. Very strong but with little depth to show for it. There are beers at 5% or under that do the same job.
Kellerweis ★★★
Dry, slightly powdery, beer with hints of citrus and pineapple - possibly a dash of bubblegum. A very tight flavour with an assertive, dominant gassiness. Feels a bit top heavy and lacking on depth. A straight forward, somewhat plain wheat beer.
Porter ★★★
Potent, malty, roasted dark ale with a lively gassy start and with a rounded ashy bitterness to the finish. A Guinness spritzer?
Torpedo IPA ★★★
Incredibly hoppy IPA in the traditional American micro brewed style. Crisp with a dry bitter finish and a dash of citrus.
Tumbler ★★★
Dark amber ale with smoky, roasted flavours and an interesting dry hoppy edge that cuts it down to a thin finish. There is carbonated edge to the finish that undercuts the flavours. A nice amber ale that feels rather neutered.
Silly (Belgium)
Enghien Noel ★★★
Creamy, gassy tripel that's had a spice rack thrown at it to make it more festive. The end result is a satisfying blend of sweet spices, powdery dryness and warming sherry that just about hangs together and lingers in the finish. A boisterous blond beer.
La Divine ★★★
Amber ale with no head. A sour bundle of spicy citrus with a dry tingle in the finish. Stronger than it tastes at 9.5%.
Saison ★★★
Light brown coloured beer with a malt flavour that is so assertive it starts to become tangy. Elements of a brown ale with a slight nuttiness that starts to emerge.
Scotch ★★★
Thick toffee malts and an evident 8% abv alcoholic kick. Thick, syrupy and with more than a hint of ovaltine. One to stave off the winter cold with.
Titje ★★★★
Lively Belgian wheat beer with a flavour of lemon tart without any cloying sweetness and restrained spicing. A interesting variant on the witbier style.
Singha (Thailand)
Lager ★★★
Hoppy Thai lager that feels refreshing with a slight fruity edge. Should go well with aromatic hot eastern food that marries with something aromatic.
Sion (Germany)
Kolsch ★★
Light, almost airy, ale that is close to a helles. There is a slight watery bitterness on the tongue and then it just wafts away. A bit like light fluffy bread. Would be more acceptable if it was a low alcohol beer.
Siren Craft (UK)
Limoncello IPA ★★★★
Torrents of citrus hops, lemon zest and lemon juice. What should be a strained concept is a nicely balanced beer that achieves exact what the name promises - zinging limoncello citrus, enough hops to tether it down and a warming alcoholic finish.
Liquid Mistress ★★★★
An amber IPA that packs a big, peppery hop punch balanced by smoky dark fruit flavours and a floral waft of peach. The finish is long, dry and bitter. Complex but not confused.
Rising Tide ★★★
Creamy, deep amber beer with tropical fruit resinous hops and a warming alcohol finish. Made with rye malt and simcoe hops this is fuller than many IPAs but retains a dry chalky finish.
Six Bells (UK)
Spellbound ★★
Very watery light amber ale with a woody hop flavour and a sour tangy edge. Poor.
Ska (USA)
Modus Hoperandi ★★★
Incredibly dry blond ale with bitter peppery hops to the fore. There is a dry grapefruit pith and bread taste. It also has a bit of a burn at the end. A regulation potent IPA.
Skands (Denmark)
Blu Chimpanzee ★★★★
Mahogany brown ale with a robust fruity and malty flavour. There is a slight sweetness in the finish akin to a Belgian ale. Quite strong at 6.5% abv. A bitterness steadily emerges.
Esrum Kloster ★★★
Strong dark ale with a massive mix of spices (lavender, rosemary and star anise) and roasted orange peel giving it a bitter herbal flavour. There is a maltiness in the base you can just discern. Distinctive but somewhat unbalanced. Quite something though.
Taeppefeld ★★★
Brewed for a theatre this strong dark lager is a beer that does the typical Scandinavian trick of blending the gassy malty taste of a dunkel with the roasted bitterness of a porter. Tasty interval fare that won't keep you from act 2
Skebo (Sweden)
UPA ★★★
Smooth English style ale with a wet soapy hop taste and a pleasant bitterness. Laid back session fare. A hint of dry dark chocolate on the finish.
Skinners (UK)
Betty Stogs ★★★
Dark amber session bitter with a lively gassiness that pounces upon you. A solid biscuit malt with citrus hop highlights tries to fight it's through the fizz, losing out to lingering CO2 in the finish. Woodshavings in the aroma.
Splendid Tackle ★★★
Lively golden ale with a citrus edge that doesn't taste like fairy liquid. Smooth with a decent body
Slaghmuylder (Belgium)
Witkap Livinus Blonde ★★★
This kicks off with a hit of candy sugar followed by an alcohol burn. There is a strong caramel maltiness with hints of a spiced rum. There is a gassy mouthfeel that gives a good tingle without compromising the taste. It becomes increasingly dry, powdery, hoppy and slightly metallic.
Witkap Pater Stimulo ★★★★★
Grassy, slightly citric, cloudy blond beer that feels very refreshing despite it's dry gassy taste. A good clean beer that would go down very well on a summers day.
Witkap Pater Tripel ★★★★
A beer that offers a Hoegarden smell and wheaty body that has a soft dry taste with a blue cheese edge. There is the taste of barley water - orange, lemon, gooseberry and grapefruit pith. Creamy and fully flavoured without delivering an exceptional hit.
Slater's (UK)
Retro Red ★★★
A smoky take on a English bitter. Pleasant but unexceptional.
Slaughterhouse (UK)
Saddleback ★★★
Normally an easy drinking light tasting session ale that's forgettable but very drinkable. Sometimes it's very sour like a gueuze and a bitter in the same glass - unintentionally.
Wild Boar ★★★
Pale brown ale that feels like it's faded through too many cycles in the wash. There is a watery, nutty flavour with a sweet red wine finish. Very easy to drink but quite forgettable.
Slotsbryggeriet (Sweden)
Imperial Stout ★★★★
Dark 9% abv stout with a faint tan head. Chocolate on the nose with a fruity bitter taste with a hint of sweetness in the finish and a gentle gassiness underpinning it all. Has elements of an abbey quadrupel whilst retaining the classic, almost soy sauce, elements of an imperial stout.
Mowhawk Rye IPA ★★★
A Swedish take on an American IPA. It has the dry hoppy flavour nailed without becoming too overpowering. Quite potent at 7.5% with a gassy bitter tingle at the finish. Could have more complexity.
Sma Vesen (Norway)
Kvernknurr ★★★★★
Toffee coloured ESB with a taste to match. Sweetened hops but with a balanced bitterness to keep things in check and alight fizz. Smooth mouthfeel, almost akin to a wheat beer. Very good stuff that almost feels like a light abbey dubbel.
SNAB (Holland)
1410 ★★★★
Dry malty blonde ale with a dusty hop leaf finish that has a herbal edge (sage?). A great mix of flavours.
Snaterende Arend (Holland)
Zwaluw ★★★
Smooth, strong, amber ale with a full yet restrained malty flavour. A dry bitter hoppiness comes through in the finish but doesn't dominate. There's also caramel and coriander in there.
Snowy Mountains (Australia)
Razorback Red Ale ★★★
This beer attempts to keep a number of plates spinning at the same time. The four malts give it a nutty, caramel taste whilst the American Simncoe hops gives it a citrus edge. The finish is dry and slightly woody. A beer with depth and complexity, but it can be difficult to fully appreciate it's subtleties as the diverse tastes can cancel each other out into a warming, comforting, brown ale stalemate.
Sornin (France)
Trouille ★★★★
A French brune with a rustic taste that is dark mahogany in colour. It has dark, fruity taste with hints of raspberries and lemon - maybe a little sour cream - finishing off with a touch of coffee. The range of flavours add up to a slightly hazy taste, but very interesting and pleasant.
Southern Tier (USA)
Mokha ★★★★
Smells and tastes like rich chocolate ice cream. The only trace of the 11% abv strength is the sweetness but there is no kick to it. A superb desert beer, but one you'll want to have in relatively small measures.
Spaten (Germany)
Oktoberfest ★★
Hoppy and slightly musty German lager with a light gassy bitter finish. Has a watery thin feel to the foundations. Tastes a tad like Carling which is disappointing, although the hoppy aroma is more interesting.
Speights (New Zealand)
Distinction Ale ★★★
Gassy amber beer with gentle caramel malt. Easy drinking fare with enough flavour to stop it being bland without really having enough to merit distinction.
Gold Medal Ale ★★★
Amber ale with a gassy mouthfeel and a bitter malty flavour that almost feels leathery. Light and slightly watery which makes it quaffable session fare. Not particularly complex. The bottle cap has a trivia question inside.
Old Dark ★★★
Dark brown ale that has a taste that makes it no surprise that it is made with 5 different malts. Crisp, light and gassy with chocolate, caramel and roasted malts vying for attention but with a very gentle finish. An easy drinking dark lager that ain't bland.
Pilsener ★★★
Clean, crisp lager with a restrained hop taste and a gently bitter and gassy finish. There are certainly pilseners with more flavour but it's decent enough.
Porter ★★★
Deep dark roasted porter that weighs in heavy with gently burnt flavour without obscuring the malt flavour. There is a hint of chocolate in there too. The finish is light and the mouthfeel is quite gassy. A decent porter that doesn't mess with the formula.
Summit ★★
Light lager that tends to verge on wet air. A dash of citrus but generally it's hard to discern any malt or hops. A recent addition to the breweries range to appeal to those who think their Gold Medal lager has too much flavour.
Spendrups (Sweden)
Julbrygd ★★★★
Swedish Christmas beer. A dark lager with a large but short-lived head. Gentle flavours of malt, fruit and liquorice fade into a gentle flat watery aftertaste. Very light and easy to drink despite it being over 5%. Goes well with a smorgasbord (or even better a festive julbord).
Norrlands Guld ★★
Golden lager with a full biscuit and corn malt flavour and a pleasing gassy tingle. A fairly standard mass produced lager but fair enough. May cause belching.
Old Gold ★★★
Crisp Swedish lager with a bitter finish and a strong dry hopped taste. Well balanced but unexceptional. Goes well with cold meat and cheese.
Springhead (UK)
Roaring Meg ★★★★
The "big blonde" ale with a strong hoppy taste cut with a slight honey edge and a delicate dryness in the finish. There is the citrus edge typical of many golden ales with a slight tanginess. A beer that is strong and confident without losing any delicacy. Could be easily sipped or drunk as a session beer.
Ruperts Ruin ★★★
Gentle malty beer with a ruby colour and a dry aftertaste. Tasty but not exceptional
The Leveller ★★★
Incredibly malty dark brown bitter with a roasted, almost burnt, finish.
St Austell (UK)
Admiral Ale ★★★★
Chestnut coloured 5% ale with a balance between hops and malt and a gentle fizz to liven things up. There is a fruity note between citrus, apricot and elderflower. Light enough to be easy drinking but with a good depth of taste.
Big Job ★★★
Oil, citrus zest, elderflower and resin float around in this light, but deceptively strong beer. There is a bit hoppiness lingering in the finish. Floats like a butterfly, but has a real punch.
Bock ★★★
Amber lager with huge caramel flavours and a bitter, tangy finish that can feel a little metallic dependant on the temperature it's served at. Disturbingly drinkable for it's 6.5% abv strength.
Clouded Yellow ★★★★
Bavarian style unfiltered wheat beer named after a migrating butterfly. Quite dry and somewhat gassy with subtle hints of coriander and vanilla that lead to gentle bitter cloves in the finish. Very good, but could be bolder.
Free Beer ★★★★★
Ruby coloured strong 'open source' ale (5.5%) with a taste like a rougher version of Tribute. The Guarana makes it refreshing and energising (and me light headed).
HSD ★★★★
Chestnut brown bitter with a rounded, nutty, caramel malt flavour. A pleasantly robust session beer.
Korev ★★★★
Crisp lager with a widescreen malty flavour that appears to expand in your mouth. A step up from bland lagers without throwing in anything weird.
Nicholson Pale Ale ★★★
Brewed for the glass, wood and mirrors pub chain, this is a smooth creamy golden ale with a butter and straw finish that has a dash of bitterness. A well crafted session ale designed to offend no-one.
Proper Black ★★★
Pitch black flat beer with a burnt bitter bitumen flavour. The brewers call it a black IPA and as it warms up the dry peppery hops come through in the finish. Could have a more dynamic flavour.
Proper Job ★★★
Dry bitter and woody ale with a hoppy fruitiness in the mix. A robust full flavoured session ale.
Royal Diamond IPA ★★★★
Gassy IPA made with champagne yeast that has a fruity apple taste amongst the peppery hops.
Smugglers Grand Cru ★★★★★
Strong pale brown beer with a monstrous alcoholic kick (11.5% abv). A superb mix of warming malt, gentle spice and stewed fruit.
Trelawny ★★★★★
Fruity amber ale with hints of apricot and peach that doesn't feel too sweet or floral. The malty foundation underpins it very nicely and at 3.5% abv you could drink a lot of this.
Tribute ★★★★★
This is an everyday beer in the finest sense - a beer you could happily drink everyday. It has a light brown colour and a gentle malty taste that is never bland but is not overpowering either. It is almost elusive with each mouthful calling for another to try and tease out another subtlety in the taste. They say it's "moreishly drinkable" and they are right.
St Bernardus (Belgium)
Abt 12 ★★★★★
Smooth, dark beer that used to be the "official imitation" of Westvleteren 12. Sweetly malty, slightly fruity and elements of caramel. Dark, complex and well balanced. Brighter, gassier and greener than the 12 from Sint Sixtus but not quite its equal.
Blanche Witbier ★★★★
As a Pierre Celis signature beer this comes with approval from the father of modern wheat beer. It is an assured and traditional brew with a gentle mix of citrus, gas and coriander. It is fairly light but without compromising taste.
Christmas Ale ★★★
Beer or mulled wine? Cherries and sweet red fruit with a hint of red wine. The gassiness is a bit overpowering and obscures the flavours somewhat. The finish has a hint of herbal medicine.
Grottenbier ★★★★
Light, spicy beer with a definite coriander edge. Smooth, dark and full bodied like a wheat beer. There is a distinct taste of spiced orange zest.
Pater 6 ★★★
Cloudy amber abbey ale with a restrained malty flavour that has some bitter hoppy flecks in the finish. There is a tingling creamy fizz on the tongue. There's a light spicy note in there too. Easy drinking without being bland.
Prior 8 ★★★★
A partially successful attempt to facsimile the Westvleteren 8. The bitter rounded liquorice and coffee flavours are there but it feels slightly washed out in comparison to the original. Avoid over-chilling it.
Triple ★★★★
Smooth, cloudy amber beer that has a subtle but complex taste when chilled that makes you lean in to taste it better. The gentle floral taste with elements of banana becomes a wheaty, hopped taste as it warms. Easy to drink for it's strength and a very good beer all round.
Watou Tripel ★★★
Cloudy, full bodied ale with a pleasing spritzy gassiness that doesn't obscure the flavour. There are bananas on the aroma with a dry chalky flavour that has an orangey flavour.
St Feullian (Belgium)
Best Coast IPA ★★★★
This has the balance you want between a gently spiced, malty Belgian ale and the hoppy kick of an American IPA. The finish is dry, but not too dry.
Blonde ★★★
Gassy blonde abbey beer with a bitter edge that is reminiscent of a wheat beer but with a spicier citric flavour. The finish has a carbonated perfumed hoppiness.
Cuvee Noel ★★★
Tart tasting beer with a fruity edge and a deep malty aftertaste. It claims to have a "remarkable unctuousness".
Grand Cru ★★★★
An elegant beer that would wear a top hat and monocle if it could. Clean, dry and strong with a bright citrus flavour and a hint of hoppy pepper. Pleasant and deceptively easy to drink for 9% abv.
Saison ★★★★
A classic saison with full malty flavours, a hint of caramel and a dash of spice. Smooth but not dull.
Tripel ★★★★
Golden tripel with a smooth creamy, orangey taste and a slightly coriander banana aftertaste and a hint of sourness. Well rounded and very drinkable.
St Georgen (Germany)
Doppelbock Dunkel ★★★
Dark, malty strong lager with a gentle roasted malt flavour with a sweet, alcoholic edge. The finish is dry and burnt. Quite gassy which makes it feel light. (Lemon ermine).
Helles ★★★
Dry, crisp, hoppy lager with a bitter aftertaste. Has nothing to particularly distinguish itself from the crowd but is agreeable enough.
Keller Beer ★★★★
Earthy, light brown unfiltered pilsner with a bitter hoppy edge, a hint of nuttiness that develops a biscuit maltiness. Full bodied and refreshing with a light carbonation. The bottle conditioning & cave aging can give variable results. You might get leaves, urine, gooseberries, kiwi fruit, caramel malt, bitter hops or a slight sourness.
St Peter (UK)
Amarillo ★★★
Looks like a cross between a wheat beer and cider. Has a measured citrus taste that is a balanced by a gentle hoppiness.
Cream Stout ★★★★
Pitch black stout with a small tan head. The taste is an intensely bitter mix of chocolate and coffee driven by four different types of malt used in the brewing. The gentle carbonation and slight sweetness (a hint of powdered dark chocolate) stop it feeling too heavy and it feels smooth but doesn't have the velvety creaminess of something like Guinness. The finish is bittersweet and isn't overpowering. At 6.5% abv it is strong and has a hint of a potent imperial stout as it warms up. Restrained and underplayed but with depth and subtlety.
Honey Porter ★★
Rich honey dominates the taste at first before the hoppiness of the porter tries to stage a fight back. They quickly cancel each other out to leave a soapy flavour. An interesting failure. Dark in colour with no head.
Mild ★★★★
A mild? This tastes like a porter all the way with a big roasted coffee flavour that complements it's dark colour. Straightforward but satisfying and at 3.7% very drinkable and with an impressively full flavour.
Organic Bitter ★★★
Dry and aggressively woody pale golden bitter with a caustic and chalky finish. A touch too astringent to be as good as their best.
Ruby Red Ale ★★★
Dry, almost smoky ale with a gorgeous port red colour. Woody hops dominate but are not too intense. Gentle enough for session drinking.
Sainsbury's TtD Suffolk Blonde ★★
A bit of a mess. A wheat beer that is neither Hefeweizen nor wit. Watery and slightly sour with hints of malt and raisin. Has the disappointing hint of generic lager.
Strong Ale ★★★
Raisins on the aroma are joining by thick malts, figs and burnt caramel. Gassy enough to be light but without compromising the flavour. The finish is dry and slight caustic nuttiness from the hoppy burn.
Summer Ale ★★★
At 6.5% abv this could be a winter warmer. Straight ahead alcoholic malty flavours with a dash of molasses.
Wheat Beer ★★★
Filtered wheat beer made with Belgian yeast and German hops. The taste is crisp, bitter and malty. It has the light gassiness of a lager with a dry, lip smacking finish that has a hint of hops. Solid easy drinking fare.
St Rieul (France)
CaB 5 ★★★★★
St Rieul Xmas beer aged for 5 months in oak barrels, dry hopped with Saaz and then bottled to celebrate the 5th anniversary of French beer shop Cave a Bulles. Dark powdered chocolate and bitter orange combine with the woody notes. A superb beer and a fitting tribute.
Grand Cru ★★★★
Amber triple fermented biere du garde with a big white foamy head. A strong beer at 9% it has elements of the agricultural flavours of French biere du garde and the smooth strength of a Belgian tripel. It is full bodied with an alcoholic malty edge that fades into a slight spiciness. Smooth, well balanced and very drinkable with a slightly fruity aroma.
St Sylvestre (France)
3 Monts ★★★★
Straw coloured strong ale with a frothy head. Smooth with a restrained alcoholic hoppy flavour and a bready mouthfeel. A potent beer that feels like a warm summer evening in the French countryside. A sipping beer.
Gavroche ★★★
Dark amber ale which despite being 8.5% has a very light, slightly caramel, sweet malty flavour to it. Feels a bit bland on this tasting but may improve if properly chilled and served.
Staffordshire (UK)
Rudyard Ruby Ale ★★★
A classically flat English bitter with a gentle bed of roasted malts studded with chocolate raisins. The nose it a little too tangy, but it's a pleasing session beer.
Stanway (UK)
Morris A Leaping ★★★
A light brown bitter with no head and a light aroma. The taste is initially watery and refreshing with a dry bitter malty finish that has a hint of biscuits. A weak and gentle session beer.
Stary Melnik (Russia)
Iz Bochonka Myagkoe ★★
Thin light lager with the briefest hint of malted barley in the taste balanced with a gentle gassiness. There is nothing wrong with it but it is way too bland on it's own. Goes fairly well with food that could otherwise be overpowered.
Stevens Point (USA)
Belgian White ★★★
A tinned Hefeweizen? There are sweet bananas with a metallic edge and a hint of caramel and warming alcohol. Dissapointing.
Stoke (New Zealand)
Amber ★★★★
Big hopped amber ale with a caramel note in the finish and a bitter roasted undertow. The mouthfeel is very gassy. The roasted malts linger a long time in the finish. A beer with a lot of punch for it's 4.5% strength.
Gold ★★★
Dry, citrus hopped beer that gets tank conditioned for 3 weeks. The hops are bitter, woody and assertive but the calming maltiness in the finish keeps them in check.
Stone & Wood (Australia)
Pacific Ale ★★
Very pale beer with an aroma and taste of elderflowers, skunk and a fairy liquid citrus hit. Quite poor.
Struise (Belgium)
Ignis & Flamma ★★★★
A homage to Molen Vuur & Vlam, this Flemish IPA isn't over hopped but has quite a bite to it. The softly spoken little brother of the Molen beer?
Rosse ★★★
Sweet strawberry aromas are held in check by a robust malty flavour with hints of caramel and smoke. Feels a touch forced, but very tasty.
Tsjesses Reserva ★★★
Strong, sugary Christmas beer with a hint of roasted malt, sticky honey and a ludicrous alcohol burn.
Witte ★★★
Inherently bland pale blonde beer with hints of travel sweets, honey and grass. A flavourless Witbier.
Struube (Belgium)
Keyte Oostend Dobbel Tripel ★★
Very strong red beer that starts off with thick aromas of red fruit but the taste is a disappointment. A mix of thin, tannic red wine and metallic fruit vodka.
Keyte Oostend Tripel ★★★
Stir fried greens and sour bread dough float around in this strong blonde ale.
Summer Wine (UK)
Covenant ★★★
Smoky amber ale with a peppery hop taste and a dry finish.
Diablo ★★★
Enough already with the hops. A nice tropical fruit aroma with mango and lychee leads into a bitter, chalky, grapefruit pithy finish with pine resin that's just overwhelming.
Elbow Grease ★★★
Golden ale with a watery, soapy, hoppy flavour. Passable but forgettable fare.
Reaper ★★★
Ruddy amber coloured IPA that has the normally peppery taste with only a hint of brown malts coming through.
Red Hop Ale ★★★
Heavily hopped amber ale with a peppery hopped flavour.
Sunlik (China)
Lager ★★★
Dry and sweet beer with a crisp edge. Apparently the UK's most popular draft Chinese beer. Brewed by Sheppard Neame in this country.
Sunner (Germany)
Kolsch ★★★
Pale golden ale with a gentle malty taste and a light carbonation that dances ephemerally on the tongue. Leaves a watery, mildly bitter, finish.
Surrey Hills (UK)
Shure Drop ★★★
Reassuring brown English bitter with a dominant dry malty flavour. Decent session fare.
Swanlake (Japan)
Porter ★★★★
The burnt edges of roasted malt mix with bitter cocoa flavours in this assertive porter. There's a warming alcoholic edge in the finish that mixes in nicely.
Tap Room (USA)
Sainsbury's TtD IPA ★★★★
Thick, resinous IPA with a pine hop flavour and a little bitter spicy tingle at the end. Controlled, but not dull. A responsible American IPA.
Sainsbury's TtD Pale Ale ★★★★
A mix of the tropical fruit flavours of a pale ale with the hoppy citrus bite of an IPA. Deep amber in colour this is underpinned by a chewy malty flavour, whilst the gassiness makes it feel light. Has admirable depth and complexity.
Teme Valley (UK)
That ★★★
Chestnut coloured bitter made with Challenger and Fuggles hops. The taste has a dry citrus hop but it is balanced by a rounded maltiness that develops into a gentle nutty finish. Smooth, enjoyable session fare with character.
This ★★★
Light English bitter with a gentle watery hoppy taste mixed with a nutty fruitiness and a light bitterness on the tongue at the finish. Pleasing session fare.
Wotever Next ★★★
Dark premium bitter with a dry burnt coffee grounds taste. Akin to a porter but with a hoppiness overseeing and balancing the flavour. Assertive but not overwhelming. Very good stuff.
Texels (Holland)
Skuumkoppe ★★★★
More an amber-weizen than a dunkel-weizen, this has a smoother, more rounded flavour than many others with less bitter roasted flavours. There are honey, raisin and capsicum notes in there.
Winterbier ★★★
Dark, strong ale that feels like Innis & Gunn with the sides sliced off. Wood, malty and sweetly warming but with the complexity it could have.
The Hop Factory (UK)
Noel In Christmas ★★★★
A robust chestnut coloured biter that is verging on ESB territory. The wood hops and roasted malts provide a great base for the delicate Christmas spices. A restrained and well executed seasonal beer that you could drink a lot of.
Theakston (UK)
Double Cross IPA ★★
Creamy and fairly bland ale that fishes in the same waters as IPA.
Old Peculiar ★★★
Dark ruby ale with a malty alcoholic taste akin to an old ale. There is a hint of stewed fruit in the background. Overall it is slightly too thin.
XB ★★★★
Thick malt, toffee, liquorice and fig dominate this full flavoured bitter. Could have more subtlety and refinement but it's good hearty session fare.
Thiriez (France)
Ambree du Esquelbeck ★★★★★
Dark amber beer with a full hoppy taste that is wonderfully balanced with a gentle bitterness and a hint of orange. Slightly gassy, but only enough to keep it light.
Biere De Noel ★★★
Full flavoured chestnut coloured beer with a dry malty finish. There is a wash of bitter hops, wood notes and roasted nuts. There are some smoky caramel amber ale notes in there too. A gassy take on a brown ale without any novelty Christmas spices to ruin the fun. A tad muddy and indistinct.
Biobiere ★★★★
Organic blonde biere du garde. Clean and restrained with some funky farmyard hops and a watery biscuit malt base. Easy drinking, but always interesting.
Blonde du Esquelbeck ★★★★★
Cloudy golden beer with a creamy head and a smell of fields of hops and oranges. The taste is initially crisp and gassy leading into a fresh citrus orange flavour that is bright but well balanced. There is a hint of cider that would make it ideally suited to summer but it's good enough to be enjoyable in a snowstorm. The taste is balanced by a wheat beer breadiness that gives it depth.
Dalva ★★★★
Heavily hoppy, but not overpowered. There is the rustic smell of pet bedding, and a really full mouthfeel. Not Thiriez best, but a well crafted beer.
Esquelbecoise ★★★★
Gassy blonde beer with a big frothy head. Once the fizz dies down on your tongue the rural hoppy flavours of a biere de garde come through. Light, lively, and perfect for a hot day in the French countryside.
Etoile Du Nord ★★★★
Cloudy blonde beer with a big citrus hop taste. Refreshing with a satisfying lingering tingling zesty finish. Creamy mouthfeel.
La Maline ★★★★★
Dark hoppy beer with a syrupy sweetness. Does not have a coffee or burnt edge that similarly dark beers have. Very smooth and drinkable but with a depth of flavour.
La Nocturne ★★★★
Deep brown stout, topped with a deep red head, made with coffee beans. The rich roasted flavours are dominant, with bitter chocolate, warming whisky alcohol and a floral hoppiness. A great blend.
La Petit Princesse ★★★
A 2.9% abv table beer that is a gassy, light and refreshing saison. There are sour dry citrus hops and a faint dash of the funky rustic farmhouse. Some will find it watery, others will find it fully flavoured for it's strength. It depends on your frame of reference. Brewed with Jester King.
La Qu√©b√©coises ★★★★
A finely crafted blonde ale. There is a motion blurred hoppy bite with a rustic edge and a buttery finish. Gassy enough to be light and refreshing with no compromise on flavour.
La Rouge Flamande ★★★★
Dark, bitter, hoppy ale with a very thick caramel malt taste. Elements of a dark English ale but with the rustic earthiness of a biere du garde. The finish is slightly smoky and slightly sour aftertaste.
Vieille Brune ★★★★
Oak aged dark ale. The aroma and initial taste has the sour cherry flavours of Flemish red ale but the oaky finish then hits you like a falling tree trunk. As it warms you get a better balance of smoke, fruit and timber.
Thornbridge (UK)
Ashford ★★★★
Smooth brown ale which is surprisingly refreshing with a good range of roasted flavours in the aftertaste.
Bracia ★★★
Tenuously linked to an iron age recipe, this is 10% abv and made with Italian chestnut honey. It has dry roasted malts, burnt soy sauce, dusty lavender and pot pourri flavours. The finish is an earthy mix of brambles, syrup, stale perfume and warming alcoholic malts. A supercharged, and probably overcooked, take on Williams Bros Fraoch.
Brother Rabbit ★★★
Perfumed floral hoppy ale with a gently bitter finish. A well crafted beer that just fails to hit the spot for me.
Halcyon ★★★
Like chewing on hops but are worried that it isn't socially acceptable? This imperial IPA is a 7.4% abv mainline hit of grapefruit and citrus hops should sort you out. Goes very well with stilton.
Jaipur ★★★★★
India Pale Ale with big fruit flavours that combine beautifully with the traditional hoppy taste of IPA. The overall taste is fairly heavy but it still provides refreshment and can balance well with food.
Juvenia ★★★★
A hop heavy porter with a real kick flavourwise but a smooth edge to it. The roasted malts are offset by a citrus edge to the hops that gives a real complexity to it.
Kill Your Darlings ★★★★★
Way beyond amber, this beer has a reddish tea brown colour. Sweet chestnuts, roses and red fruit on the aroma. These embellish the confident malt and hops taste. Fully flavoured but still crisp and refreshing.
Kipling ★★★
Dry, bitter pale ale with a fruity edge. I couldn't clearly make out the passion fruit and kiwi fruit flavours the brewers claim but it certainly doesn't lack flavour.
Thorny Goat ★★★★★
A Mocha Porter with coffee beans and burnt pan juices combine in this dry, bitter dark ale. The finish has a hint of dark chocolate whilst the broad bubbling carbonation ties in nicely with the roasted malts. Brewed with Mountain Goat.
Tzara ★★★
Dry golden ale that starts out chalky but has grapefruit jam flavours coming through in the finish - though peppery notes dominate. Bland but intriguing - the beer equivalent of a TV on mute. More interesting than many genuine Kolsch.
Versa ★★★
Gassy amber hefeweizen that taste of banana flavoured bubblegum. There is enough of a clove flavour to stop it being too sweet.
Wild Swan ★★★
Sharp beer with an acerbic hoppy flavour. The finish is dry and peppery. Only 3.5% abv. A chilled out IPA for a summer day?
Three Boys (New Zealand)
Wheat ★★★
Belgian style wheat beer with a bright citrus flavour that initially seems like lemon, but if the sediment is poured from the bottle becomes grapefruit. The sharpness verges on the kind of sourness found in lambics. Little trace of spices. Well made but a bit too much the citrus smells you'd get from bathroom cleaners and lemon tart for comfort.
Three Hearts (Sweden)
Stockholm Fine Festival Beer (5.6%) ★★
It claims to be a fine festival beer from Stockholm that has won the gold medal at the world's toughest quality test. It tastes like a bland fizzy lager that could have come from anywhere in the world.
Thurn & Taris (Germany)
Munich Blonde ★★
Gassy bland lager with a odd chemical malty edge but little else. Poor.
Thwaite's (UK)
(Very) Nutty Black ★★★
Export strength version of Thwaite's mild ale that weighs in at 3.9% abv. Very dark in colour with a woody, tangy flavour that has a liquorice bittersweet edge. Dry finish and tight carbonation. Smooth and understated, but something you could drink a lot of.
Bitter ★★★
Easy drinking traditional tasting bitter
Double Century ★★★
Pleasant, drinkable but unexceptional
Highwayman ★★★★
Dark ruby ale with a small transient head. The taste is dominated by the roasted chocolate malts with a bitter burnt after taste with a hint of soy sauce. Quite smooth and with bags of flavour for it's 4% strength, this could make for a good dark session beer.
M&S Lancashire Mild ★★★★
Properly chewy mild with roasted malt flavours tempered by a hint of sweet caramel and dark fruit. Only 3.7% abv but has the confident flavours you'd expect from a quality mild.
Wainwright ★★★
Golden ale with no head. It has a light taste with a hoppy, slightly gassy initial taste that is softened by some gentle sweet fruit flavours.
Tilquin (Belgium)
Gueuze ★★★★★
Agricultural gueuze that has the rough and ready charm of the Lindemann's Cuvée Rene. Tart cider flavours upfront with a morish sour finish. Blended using lambic from Boon, Lindemans, Cantillon and Girardin. It stands comparison with all of these.
Timothy Taylor (UK)
Golden Best ★★★
Smooth hoppy ale that is nice and light. A traditional British ale that is very easy to drink.
Landlord ★★★★
Four times supreme champion beer of Britain this classic bitter can be a tad variable. On draft it sometimes has a sharp bitter taste that jars with the citrus hop edge. At it's best the rich toffee malt flavours balance out the hops expertly.
Tirril (UK)
Old Faithful ★★★★★
Tasty and moreish ale. 4% in strength and a light but not bland taste
Red Barn Ale ★★★★
The taste of freshly dissolved crystalline salted caramel dominates this beer. The bitterness of the hops keeps the sweetness balanced very nicely. A clean beer with no shortage of flavour.
Slee's Academy Ale ★★★★
Dark, full bodied malty ale with a strong and distinctive taste that balanced out well over the course of a pint.
Titanic (USA)
Chocolate & Vanilla Stout ★★★
Massive vanilla and chocolate aromas really get you salivating. The taste is a moderate balance of lactose and roasted malts that fades quite quickly. A tiramisu beer that feels a touch too manufactured.
Engine Room ★★★
Light, slightly citric ale whose sharpness counters a slight blandness.
Tochigi (Japan)
Nikko Premium (Yuzu) ★★★★
A pilsner flavoured with yuzu (citrus) peel. The end result is like a witbier; light, crisp and with tart citrus flavours. There are grapefruit and mandarin orange flavours - unless you are au fait with yuzu it's pretty distinctive. Would be beautiful to have in the sun.
Tom Woods (UK)
Best Bitter ★★
Light watery golden bitter that has little depth or finish to it.
Old Timber ★★★
Slightly bitter and malty beer with a fruitiness in the finish. A tad watery overall.
Tooheys (Australia)
Extra Dry ★★★
Australian premium lager with an assertive malty flavour, dry finish and an agreeable level of carbonation. A good crisp bottled lager.
Old ★★★
Straightforward stout with a gentle, slightly burnt, roasted malt flavour that fades to nothing in the finish. Slightly creamy mouthfeel but still fairly gassy. Usually served ice cold, it doesn't gain any depth if drunk warmer.
Traquir (UK)
House Ale ★★★★
Strong dark ale that has a heavy, malty, alcoholic base. Similar to some of the Innis & Gunn beers with a hint of stewed fruit.
Jacobite Ale ★★★★
Strong dark ale with a malty porter taste balanced with a spiced aftertaste. There is a gassiness to the mouthfeel that gives it body but it still has an underlying smoothness. Brewed to a historic Scottish recipe.
Triple F (UK)
Alton's Pride ★★★
A somewhat watery ale with enough of a peppery hop bite to save it from blandness. An gentle session ale.
Moondance ★★★
Amber coloured best bitter made with Maris Otter hops. Sharp citrus tang means only a pint at a sitting but has a good full taste
Pressed Rat & Warthog ★★★
Sharp, malty dark brown beer with a small laced head and a hint of raspberries and vinegar. Robust yet very drinkable beer that ends on a slightly dry coffee note.
Witches Promise ★★★
Hallow's eve seasonal bitter that's golden in colour but has bitter dried cocoa in the taste with a hint of woody hops. Some seasonal shenanigans that aren't objectionable.
Tsingtao (China)
Tsingtao beer ★★★
Slightly dry and slightly hoppy lager that goes fairly well with food.
Tuatara (New Zealand)
Bavarian Hefe ★★★
Microbrewed German style wheat beer made with yeast from Weihenstephan. The taste is a fresh and lively mix of banana, vanilla and cloves. The finish is dry and mellow. The mouthfeel is not as heavy as most authentic German wheat beers, but it's certainly just as tasty.
Tuborg (Denmark)
Paskebryg ★★★
Pale amber lager brewed for Easter with an almost toffeeish maltiness to balance the gassiness. Fine but nothing special
Pilsner ★★
Bone dry Danish pilsner. A fair taste but dehydrating though it does seem to go down well after a curry. Not one for drinking on it's own though.
Tucher (Germany)
Helles Hefe-weizen ★★★
Light German wheat beer with a bright bubbly fruity taste that is exactly what you would expect from a German wheat beer. Perfectly decent bright light playful stuff.
Tunnel (UK)
800 Holy Trinity Church ★★★
Dark malty ale with a burnt woody taste with a feel of watery hops. There are hints of chocolate, honey and whisky in the background but it feels like an English ale. Made with yeast from Chimay and feels a bit like a flat version of one of their beers.
Battlefield - Henry Tudor ★★★
Yeast ale, that isn't as dark or ruby coloured as it claims. Strong flavours of sour apricot and citrus aren't quite to my taste but it certainly isn't bland for a sub 5% ale.
Battlefield - Let Battle Commence ★★★
Easy drinking amber session bitter that is not too bland but makes for a great way to kick off an evenings drinking. Not that special either, just pleasant.
Battlefield - Richard III ★★★
Citrus, slightly washing up liquid beer with a slight spicy coriander taste. Improves with drinking and goes well with food. Very bright but still good.
Berlin Weisse ★★★
Amber headless beer that taste like a mix of gueuze, cider and weizen. Very sour citric and malty. Assertive and rough around the edges but an interesting idea. Could go well with cheese.
Boston Beer Party ★★★★
American pale ale with a fruity nose, a slightly dry elderflower taste and a gentle fizz.
Clockwork Orange ★★★★
Light amber coloured bitter with a big foamy head. An orange hoppiness dominates the taste with a gentle bitterness in the finish. Only 4% abv and quite refreshing which makes it a good unchallenging session bitter.
Czech Style Dark Lager ★★★
Malty rye bread aroma, with a nutty, sherry edge and a hint of white chocolate amongst the tangy roasted malts. Quite thin with a quiet flavour. OK session fare.
Fields Of Gold ★★★★★
Golden ale with a full, almost wheat beer, taste with a hint of fruit. Refreshing and a great choice for a hot summers day.
Grubber ★★
Somewhat watery and soapy golden ale with a gentle hoppy finish. So .
Jean Cloudy Van Damme ★★★★★
Wheat beer with floral apricot notes and a distinct gueuze edge. Slightly sour and musty but with bundles of flavour. A craft beer brewed near Nuneaton.
Late OTT ★★★★
Fragrant, floral and slightly fruity (apricots, berries or grapefruit?) bitter with a hint of cocoa powder. Slightly acidic and slightly challenging but with a good solid base and a taste that lingers.
Legacy ★★
This has a huge aroma of burnt toast and roasted malt barley. There is a dry watery hoppiness that is reminiscent of shop bought homebrew. There is a gentle gassiness that doesn't really sit well with the flavour. There is a caramel note and a dry tanginess - a bit like a mild though red in colour instead of the dark brown you'd expect. Not outright bad, just very underwhelming.
Legend ★★
Dark marmalade coloured ale with a hint of powdery drinking chocolate but not much else. Like a heavily diluted chocolate ale.
Linda Lear Ale ★★★★
Refreshing dark amber ale with a rough porterish aftertaste.
Meadowland ★★★★
Gentle golden honey coloured pale ale that is reminiscent of the beers of the Huyghe brewery, but with a quitter and gentler taste. A slight spiciness and citrus orange sit in the taste.
Munich Style Lager ★★★★
Aroma of grass and gooseberries with an astringent citrus hoppy flavour. The body has a rough agricultural hoppiness and the distinctive sour tunnel edge. A lager with local British character. Big and bold, good session fare, lacking a little refinement but does a very pleasing job.
Nelson Strong Ale ★★★
Soapy beer with a bit of glade air freshener. Builds steadily but the brewery does much better. Improves when served warmer with no sediment.
Northern Lights ★★★
A British take on a Belgian golden ale. Bottle conditioned this has the mouthfeel of a witbier, alcoholic malt of a Belgian mixed & the taste of a musty British ale. Hints of vanilla and citrus too. An interesting hybrid.
Quill ★★★
So dark you'd think it's a stout. The flavour is bitter and roasted with only some hints of red fruit to sweeten it. In the end it's rather flat and feels like a dark mild with an overcooked abv.
Shadow-weaver ★★★★★
Chocolate stout with a roasted malt hit balanced with a hint of a sweet taste. Bundles of flavour with liqourice elements to it and much lighter than many other English stouts without sacrificing any depth or complexity. The mouthfeel is smooth and not too heavy but never feels anything less than full and satisfying.
Stranger In The Mist ★★★
Light straw coloured hefeweizen that has no head. Light, citrus and slightly sour and soapy. Overall it is fresh and bright and designed for drinking on a warm summers day. Very different to an authentic hefeweizen.
Sweet Parish Ale ★★
Sour, yeasty, apricot tasting beer. Fairly flat and quite sour. Slightly akin to a kriek but with a blander flavour. Some said it was reminiscent of a freshly cleaned static caravan in France. A bit boring and very disappointing considering the calibre of the brewery.
Trade Winds ★★★
Slightly thin, gassy and gently bitter ale with a citrus (grapefruit/lychee) edge and a dryness. Has a hint of pot pourri in it's floral hoppiness.
Vienna Style Lager ★★★
There's a traditional malty Vienna lager in here beneath the sour yeasty thumbprint of the Tunnel beers. Nice - but it ain't what it's trying to be.
Twickenham Fine Ales (UK)
Hornet ★★★
A "very hoppy" golden ale according to the brewers. This feels more like a dependable session ale with tangy malt lifted with a hint of toffee and citrus.
Twisted Barrel Ale (UK)
Prototype New Zealand Pale Ale ★★★★
This starts off with big tropical fruit flavour akin to Jaipur before moving through a drinking Little Creatures middle and then into a dry, bitter, chalky hoppy IPA style finish. A well crafted beer.
Twisted Hop (New Zealand)
Beach Bum ★★★
Light ale with a dry hoppy grapefruit flavour. Slightly musty and fails to develop an interesting finish. Reasonable session fare.
Challenger ★★★
This hoppy pale amber bitter has chocolate biscuits and orange in the taste. Dry and slightly woody in the finish. The aroma is akin to distant pudding.
Golding Bitter ★★★
Dry and very malty bitter that feel somewhat leathery. There is a pine wood hoppiness in the finish. Will appeal to those who like their bitter dry as a desert.
Honeydew ★★★
Bright and hoppy with the feel of a Fullers golden ale, but nowhere near as sweet or honeyed as Fullers Honeydew. The beech and manuka honey comes through gently and pleasingly in the finish with a slow build. Well balanced.
IPA ★★★★
A warm embrace of rounded citrus hops greets you with spiced orange coming to the fore in the finish. There is also a bit of powdered chocolate and caramel malt lingering in the finish. A bold IPA with a rewarding flavour and full bodied lingering finish. One of their brewers reckons the draught version is noticeably better than the bottle conditioned version.
Sauvin Pilsner ★★★
Aggressively use of the citrus tasting Nelson Sauvin hops dominate this pilsner. The finish is dry and slightly woody whilst the mouthfeel is not too gassy. The aroma has overripe bananas and there is a hint of shortbread in the taste. A pilsner brewed for ale drinkers.
Twisted Ankle ★★★
Deep, dark with a whack of syrup, rubber and crude oil. There is a robust warm roasted malty flavour holding it together and never becoming burnt with dashes of chocolate and hop bitterness. It builds into a coffee crescendo. Smooth and heavy mouthfeel. The finish is slightly watery when it could possibly do with being a dash more potent.
Uley (UK)
Old Spot ★★
Full bodied, dark coloured old ale that tastes like bad stout.
Ulverston (UK)
Laughing Gravy ★★★★★
Bright and tasty copper coloured ale with a faint coffee after-taste. Made with a wide range of hops (Crystal, Amber, Chocolate, Torrified wheat, Amarillo and Golding hops) used to great effect.
Unazuki (Japan)
Kamoshika Bock (Purple Label) ★★★
Gassy dark lager with an initial hit of bitter roasted malt being smoothed out by the alcoholic edge. There are hints of caramel, cherry and rosehip. Very drinkable, though the finish is quite short.
Kolsch (Blue Label) ★★★
Amber coloured lager with a full malty flavour that has a hint of sugary sweetness amongst the bitter hops in the finish. There is also a bit of tanginess to it. A solid all-rounder.
Pilsener ★★★
A super-dry pilsener? This is as dry as a desert with pockets of woody hop bitterness along the way. Has enough character.
Unibroue (Canada)
Le Fin De Monde ★★★
Canadian take on a Belgian tripel. Typical of the style in look and taste with a pleasing balance of gassiness, coriander and warming alcohol. Strong but not overwhelming. Lacks the depth & complexity of the very best tripels but still a good beer.
Unicer (Portugal)
Superbock ★★
Clean, pale gold lager with a faint malty flavour combined with an expansive carbonation that leaves your mouth tingling.
Union (Belgium)
Grimbergen Blonde ★★★★
Crisp and light drinking Belgian abbey beer with a pleasing musky bitter sweet flavour. Has a bit of a kick to it.
Grimbergen Cuvee De Ermitage ★★★
Fizzy amber beer with toffee and fruit flavours. A bit dry and with a hint of paracetamol and a sour finish but a tad thin for it's 7% strength with the flavours competing against each other.
Grimbergen Dubbel ★★★
Spicy orange beer with a deep syrup sweetness. Hints of caramel and full of flavour but it didn't quite grab me.
Grimbergen Goud (Doree) 8 ★★★
Solid wheat beer that slips down easily despite it's 8% strength.
Grimbergen Optimo Brune ★★★
Very strong, very sweet beer with caramel, malt and sweet fruit flavours. The alcoholic edge is only passing in the flavour but is clearly potent. Goes well with game and desert apparently. The alcoholic edge dominates as the beer warms up. Basically it needs to be cold to mask the rough edges.
Grimbergen Tripel ★★★★
Spicy, banana, caramel beer with an alcoholic edge. Interesting but not exceptional. Tastes a bit like a Delerium beer in it's potency.
Watneys Scotch ★★★★
Dark, almost syrupy ale with a smooth sweet edge to it. Probably stronger that it feels, but very pleasing and interesting to drink.
Upham (UK)
Ale ★★★
A comfortingly smooth and soapy golden ale with a gently bitter citrus hop finish. Good, light session fare. Smells of slightly musty, but clean, socks.
Upside Down (Switzerland)
La Cuivree ★★★
Blonde bottle conditioned ale with a heavy mouthfeel and a gentle yeasty flavour with a hint of spice. Enjoyable but a touch neutral.
Urthel (Holland)
Hopit ★★
Belgian IPA. Gassy, spritzy golden ale with a sweet hoppy flavour with big hits of honey and green woody herbs. Dry and slightly spicy but the gassiness starts to dominate the flavour. As it warms up it gets a warm alcoholic edge. Brewed at the Koningshoeven (La Trappe) brewery.
Saissoniere ★★★
Pale yellow Dutch ale with a big white craggy foamy head. Light gassy flavour with am airy hop bitterness & some gentle cardamom spice in the background that lingers faintly in the finish. One to sup in the sun when you want to relax
Val Dieu (Belgium)
Biere De Noel ★★★★
A spicy aroma promises a typically overblown Belgian Xmas ale but the flavour is a restrained but warming cardamon flavour. Gentle, but pleasing.
Blonde ★★★
Creamy, banana, tasting Belgian blonde abbey beer. Small head and gold in colour with a moderate carbonation. Slightly sweet and butterscotch on the finish. Tastes a lot like a Belgian tripel but at 6% it is a touch lighter.
Brune ★★★
Dark red beer with a large white head that gently fades. It has a burnt, malty flavour with a champagne carbonation. It has a breadiness reminiscent of almost burnt toast. Hints of sugar brandy. Very drying with a slight hint of alcohol.
Grand Cru ★★★
A super-charged soft drink with sherbert, dandelion & burdock and masses of sugar and molasses. There is a dry, chalky, hoppy flavour that emerges at the end.
Tripel ★★★
Blonde beer with a gentle head and lacing. There is a big taste of black pepper with an alcoholic edge and a fair carbonation. Tastes less like a Belgian tripel than their blonde! Overall the Val Dieu beers are solid but lack a distinctive edge.
Vale (UK)
Black Swan Dark Mild ★★★★
Dark, "hand made", coffee-tasting porter with a slight flash of raspberry. Strong taste for it's low alcohol content (3.9%).
Grumpling Premium Old Ale ★★★★
Flat, dry and bitter ruby ale with a wonderful taste. Should go very well with beer snacks
Van Den Bossche (Belgium)
Buffalo Bitter ★★★★
Dry pale golden ale with enough peppery hops to leave a tingle on your tongue. Close to an IPA but with a hint of tripel style spicing. As it warms woody citrus hop notes bleed through.
Pater Lieven ★★★
Sweet, bright caramelised bananas cut with a dash of lime dominates. Very gassy and slightly bready with an alcoholic kick.
Van Eecke (Belgium)
Kapittel Blond ★★★★
Bottle conditioned ale with a rounded caramel malty taste and a rustic hoppy finish. There's a hint of foamy banana and orange. Easy drinking but without lacking flavour. The tight rolling carbonation makes it feel light but without being insubstantial.
Kapittel Prior ★★
Dark brown ale with a metallic flavour and virtually nothing in the finish except an alcohol burn. There are hints of sweet, honeyed fruit almost like tea bread and a slow building dryness.
Kapittel Tripel Apt ★★
Golden tripel with a big creamy head. The taste has an initial hint of pears that is then dominated by the taste of dry paracetamol. Very strong at 10% but with no depth of flavour. It tends to torch the taste buds.
Popperings Hommel Bier ★★★
Yeasty, citric beer with a bright gassiness. There is a caramelised strong alcoholic taste with slow building dry hops. The creamy head helps to balance it.
Watou Witbier ★★★
Unfiltered wheat beer with little head. Fairly nondescript taste but pleasant and refreshing.
Van Honsebrouck (Belgium)
Bacchus Kriek ★★★★
Moderately sweet kriek with a rounded cherry taste. Light and refreshing and much like Liefmans. Could have more depth and bite. Sampled on draught.
Bacchus Oud Bruin ★★★★
Flanders red ale matured in oak casks that is the sour cousin of the breweries Bacchus Kriek. The mouthfeel is gassy which initially obscures the taste but then a deep sour cherry flavour comes through with a dry finish. Too gassy to be in the same league as a world beating lambic kriek or Liefmanns unsweetened draught kriek but a fine beer nonetheless.
Kasteel Cuv√©e Du Chateau 2012 ★★★
Thick, alcoholic dark ale that feels like syrupy figs, sour cherries and old jammy dodgers. Not sour enough for a Flemish Red and with no roasted malt flavours. Needs more to justify it's strength.
Kasteel Cuv√©e Du Chateau 2013 ★★★★
Strong, dark, syrupy, viscous ale with thick malty flavours, oaky brandy notes and a hint of sour red fruit. There is a gassy tingle to stop it being too heavy but the 11% abv strength is evident in the warming caramel flavours.
Kasteel Donker ★★★★
Heavy, syrupy dark beer with caramel and molasses. Long sweet finish (flat coke) with a barley wine alcohol kick. A late night sweet treat to drink carefully.
Kasteel Rouge ★★★★
Thick, juicy, velvety cherries crash down upon you with a pleasing warm finish that gently reminds you that this stuff is 8% abv. Superb.
St Louis Gueuze ★★★
Light orange and coriander beer with a gentle fizz and a hint of apple. Doesn't have the sour musty edge of most lambics as it sweetened.
St Louis Kriek ★★★★
The sweet smell of cherry bakewell and meringue greets you. The finish is dry with almonds. A restrained fruit beer that is very easy drinking.
Van Steenberge (Belgium)
Augustijn Blond ★★★
Soft blonde Belgian beer with a huge creamy head. Easy drinking with a gassy tingle and a gentle bitterness in the finish. Fails to stand out from the crowd.
Augustijn Grand Cru ★★★
Potent thick blonde triple with a creamy mouthfeel and a gentle coriander spice in the finish. A gentle gassiness lightens the overall feel.
Bios Piraat ★★
A 10.5% abv mix of Duvel and Bush. Amber coloured this has a malty taste with a warming alcohol finish with a gassy tingle. There is a rustic biere de garde hoppy note in the background. Good but unnecessarily strong.
Gentse Tripel ★★★
A fairly typical tripel delivering what you'd expect of the style. Not bad and can prove to be perfectly pleasant on it's own, but it's not that exciting.
Gentse Triple ★★
Light amber coloured ale with a bready malted milk flavour that has a slightly sour tangy fizz. Big on carbonation but not much happening flavour wise.
Gulden Draak ★★
Very strong, almost treacly beer that tastes of barley wine. At 10.5% it is too strong to be enjoyed. The makers claim it is a dark tripel but it has more in common with quadrupels.
Leute Bokbier ★★★★
At 7.5% this dark mahogany coloured lager is pulling no punches. It has an earthiness to the roasted malts with a notable hoppy punch. Gassy enough to be drinkably light and lager-like with the alcohol edge feeling surprisingly restrained. You could easily drink this way too quickly.
Triple Van De Garre ★★★★
Incredibly buttery blonde beer with a huge creamy head. The finish has a lingering spice akin to Delerium Tremens and there are elements of Duvel and wheat beers too. Impressive. House beer at De Garre in Bruges.
Trollebier ★★
Rather pedestrian house beer of the Trollekelder bar in Ghent. Gassy mouthfeel with a bit of weight and a simple malty flavour with a watery finish. Fair enough session fare it you don't want anything with a strong flavour.
Van Celis De Witte ★★★
Light yellow, unfiltered wheat beer with a refreshing hoppy lemon. It feels very natural, is well balanced and goes down superbly on a hot day. What Kronenbourg Blanc should be. Taste does not linger. Apparently brewed to Pierre Celis original Hoegaarden wheat beer recipe.
Veltins (Germany)
Pilsner ★★★
Crisp, slightly fruity lager with a kick to it. Develops a dry bitterness.
Ventnor (UK)
Admiral Ale ★★★★
Delicate golden ale with a hoppy, slightly citrus flavour with a bitter edge. Would go very well in warm summer weather.
Bestivale ★★★★
Light and easy drinking beer that isn't too bland
Golden Ale ★★★★★
Gentle golden ale with a taste that has elements of honey and grilled cheese.
Oyster Stout ★★★★
Light stout with no coffee/porter harsh edge. Very smooth and refreshing and made with real oysters.
Sand Roch ★★★★★
Dark coloured smoked beer with a very salty flavour that is balanced by a steadily building, slightly sweet, malty aftertaste. The 3 main flavours combine together beautifully, though the beer feels a bit dehydrating. Like drinking a beer over the embers of a bonfire on a beach at night in a gentle breeze.
Verhaeghe (Belgium)
Duchesse de Bourgogne ★★★★★
Onion marmalade and cherries in a beer that has a slight gueuze edge to it. Very fruity and a bit of a winter beer. Has a bit of balsamic vinegar to it. A classic Flanders ale which has barley malt and is matured in oak casks for 18 months.
Noel ★★★
A blonde Christmas ale that clocks in at 7.2% abv. Very gassy, but through the bubbles there comes a sweet caramel flavour with a hint of spice and malt. Pleasant, but not the taste of Christmas.
Vichtenaar ★★★★
Oak aged beer with an amber colour and a quickly fading head. Very tart flavour with a sweet cherry edge and a woody base. Not as regal as the duchesse but still fairly noble.
Verzet (Belgium)
Moose Blues ★★★
This has a lot going on. Toffee, chocolate, tawny port, vinegar, raisins, cherry coke, marmite and bisto. Interesting, but massively unbalanced.
Victory (UK)
Bananadrama ★★★
A dark, 7% abv ale made with banana. The roasted and caramel malts mix slightly strangely with the bananas. Not terrible but a bit weird.
Golden Monkey ★★★★
A US take on a Belgian triple. It's 9.5% strength is immediately apparent in it's warming flavour. There are gentle clove and spice elements in the background that are dominated by a dry spirit burn at the end. A sipping tripel.
Viking (Iceland)
Black Death ★★★★
Oil black dark lager with a ludicrously roasty flavour with a thick oily flavour. The label looks a bit too hip for it's own good - but it delivers on taste.
Classic ★★
Dry, slightly ash smoky, amber lager with a very gassy finish. Not entirely successful, but way more distinctive than most pale lagers.
Gylltur ★★
Crisp gassy lager with a dry, malt sweetness that gives it a refreshing edge. Fairly generic stuff.
Litt√∂l ★★★
Thoroughly anonymous lager with a vague hint of malt. It tastes like many generic lagers, but at 2.5% abv it's has the decency to be half the strength.
Malt ★★★
Icelandic alcohol free beer. Like the Egils Malt Extrakt this is a sweet, fruity, malty drink that tastes like liquid rye bread but it is slightly more gassy.
Pils ★★
Thin, slightly dry and puckering pils with a tangy honeyed finish. Disappointing.
Stout ★★★★
Almost porterish stout with a bitter, coffee grounds taste but with a smooth creaminess to balance things out nicely. Very easy to drink.
Sumar√∂l ★★★
Clean refreshing Witbier with a hint of citrus but little else. Refreshing, unchallenging fare.
Thule ★★
Gassy lager with a crisp malty edge that tastes like Stella diluted with hard water (though it is just as strong). Perfectly serviceable but not great.
Viven ()
Porter ★★★★
This delivers a huge hit of roasted malts and doesn't let up. You'd almost think you were chewing coffee grounds. If you like your porters bitter this for you.
Vosges (France)
La B√™te Des Vosges ★★★
Strong, smoky malty ale that feels a bit like a turbo-charged Caffreys aged in whisky barrels. Can't quite deliver the complexity it hints at, but a pleasingly potent brew nonetheless.
Wadworth (UK)
6X ★★★
Smooth malty amber bitter with a slightly fruity edge.
Bishops Tipple ★★★★
Fully flavoured strong ale with a floral and soapy edge to the taste. Has a bitter maltiness that builds as you work through a pint. Akin to Wychwood Osprey. Potent and easily drinkable.
Lily The Pink ★★★
Light gold beer with a creamy head and a shot of angostura bitters. Hoppy with a fresh citrus edge given a pleasingly complex floral twist and tingle by the bitters. Slightly spicy, dry and bitter in the finish.
M&S Wiltshire Rum Beer ★★★★
Modern day grog made by blending Wadworth 6X and Caribbean rum. The rum adds an alcoholic fruitiness to the malty ale. A touch thin, but very tasty.
Malt And Hops ★★★
Golden ale with a dry bitter taste and a hint of beer snacks in the finish. Fairly thin but with a tanginess that saves it from a dull bland death.
Swordfish ★★★★
Wadworth 6X and Prosser's rum blended together. Malty and full flavoured with the rum adding a balanced fruit finish.
Waen (UK)
Blackberry Stout ★★★★
Bitter stout with a hint of soy sauce balanced by the fruity note of blackberries. Slightly dry, bitter and chewy in the finish. Distinctive without being too challenging. Good stuff.
Wanaka Beerworks (New Zealand)
Tall Black ★★★
This has an aroma of dark chocolate that strikes you before your lips reach the glass. The taste is powdered chocolate mixed with roasted malts - like a mocha. The finish is somewhat dry with a touch of watery coffee.
Warsteiner (Germany)
Premium Verum ★★★★
A "princess among beers" according to it's brewers. This golden coloured pilsner has a crisp dry edge that fades into a bready taste with a faint hoppiness. Softly flavoured there is something in the lingering aftertaste that makes it very moreish. Uses hop extract rather than hops but still meets the German purity laws.
Warwickshire (UK)
Autumn Bliss ★★
Pale amber ale with a dry malty flavour. Slightly biscuity but fairly watery overall.
Lady Godiva ★★
Pale amber coloured ale with a slightly sour tangy watery taste, a hint of biscuit and some bitterness in the finish. There is a light processed creaminess to the mouthfeel.
Weatheroak (UK)
Keystone Hops ★★
Bread, hops and grapefruit in a glass. This golden coloured beer with a creamy head is drinkable and well balanced but not to my taste.
Weihenstephan (Germany)
Hefe Weissbeer ★★★★
A Belgian triple meets a German wheat beer. Gold and cloudy in colour with a strong banana taste filled out by a gassiness in the palate and a wheat beer mouthfeel. Full, drinkable and very tasty.
Heffweisser Dunkel ★★★
Heady carbonated potent German Weiss beer. Banana and caramel flavours with a strong kick. Lighter than you'd think at 5%, enjoyable but too gassy for my taste.
Infinium ★★★★
A champagne triple that has a bit of salt and vinegar crisps. Bubbly and intoxicating but not overpowering. An assured boutique beer that does a good job of living up to it's hype.
Korbinian ★★★
A doppelbock that kicks in with a huge coffee and rye bread flavour from the roasted malts that is balanced by a dash of caramel in the finish. The mouthfeel is gassy and fairly light. The filtered bottled export version could do with a bit more body.
Kristall Weizenbeer ★★★
Banana and toffee flavoured filtered wheat beer with a gassy edge. Distinctive but not unpleasant.
Vitus ★★★
Strong gassy wheat beer (weizenbock) with notes of toffee and honey with a hint of sweet banana in the finish. There are cloves in the background. Potent winter fare but could have more depth for being 7.7% abv. Enjoyable.
Welbeck Abbey (UK)
Henrietta ★★★
Combines the morish biscuit malt flavours of a session bitter with a refreshing citrus hop finish.
Red Feather ★★★★
At the smoky end of the amber ale scale. This chestnut coloured beer has burnt pan juices and marmite wrapped around it's core malty flavour. There are woody hops giving a feeling of kindling. A good robust sipping beer that you could end up quaffing.
Wells (UK)
Banana Bread Beer ★★★
Pale amber bitter that has fair-trade bananas in it. The beer is light and gassy with a gentle taste of banoffe pie. There is a faint hoppy bitterness in the finish that balances it. Odd but really rather pleasant.
Bombardier ★★★
Basic light hoppy beer with a slightly tangy bitterness. Decent pub fodder but nothing special. The mouthfeel is creamy but not artificial whilst there is little distinctive in the finish.
Bombardier Burning Gold ★★★
Gentle blonde ale with a slowly rising hoppy wheaty taste with a slightly musty biscuit malt finish. Refreshing, pleasingly understated but a bit underwhelming.
Bombardier Satanic Mills ★★★★★
Dark beer with Bovril, soy sauce and burnt sugar on the aroma but a smoother oatmeal, malty, slightly treacle taste. As it warms it becomes less intense with blackcurrant and chocolate notes starting to come through.
Courage Best ★★
Generic pub bitter fodder with a restrained dry hoppy flavour and a watery taste but enough of a solid mouthfeel to save it from being too bad. Drinkable but a tad bland.
Courage Directors ★★★
Creamy amber ale very much in the vein of John Smiths. However the taste is a more balanced hoppy taste without a chemical edge.
Courage Light Ale ★★★
Incredibly delicate beer with a gentle waft of toffee malt and straw. The English equivalent of helles. Some might find it bland or like a near beer. But it does what it says on the label.
Weltenburger (Germany)
Kloster Asam-bock ★
Dark Bavarian beer that tastes like burnt soy sauce - nasty.
Wentworth (UK)
BeeSmoked ★★★
Dark blonde smoked beer with a sweet honeyed aftertaste that struggles to make itself felt. Odd but intriguing.
Heartbeat ★★★★
Gassy ruby red ale with a bitter roasted coffee finish that contrasts with the sweet aroma. As it warms up it develops a fuller porterish taste with hints of chocolate but it remains an easy drinking session beer.
Oatmeal Stout ★★★★
Chocolate and coffee tastes vie for attention in this smooth, malty, full bodied stout that is very drinkable.
Oyster Stout ★★★
A ripple of carbonation greets you like applause upon entering a room. A smooth, wickery, creamy taste then shakes your hand. Easy to drink.
Rampant Gryphon ★★★★
Light coloured ale which is deceptively strong with a sharp bitter end. Interesting when consumed as a single pint.
West (UK)
St Mungo ★★★★
Scottish lager that has won a gold medal in a German beer competition. Nicely balanced with an interesting biscuit malt and subtle citrus hop flavour.
West Berkshire (UK)
Full Circle ★★★★
Amber ale with a potent hoppy taste. A dryer edge than more deeply coloured ales and a very interesting pint. Definitely a solid and rewarding brewery.
Good Old Boy ★★★★★
Light hoppy ale that is deep brown in colour. Strongly flavoured for a 4% ale and a very good session beer that won't become overpowering but is not bland. It's bitter initial taste is quickly overtaken by a fruity, hoppy flavour that fades in the aftertaste.
Old Brown Ale ★★★★★
Deep, dark and thick ale that is more black than brown. Has hints of stout to the taste but is dominated by big wodges of hoppy flavour which are the beer frames well. A great example of a traditional English Ale.
West Coast (New Zealand)
Green Fern ★★★
Organic brewed lager that has a pleasingly assertive malty flavour, but otherwise is a genetic crisp lager that it would be difficult to pick out from the crowd.
Westmalle (Belgium)
Dubbel ★★★★
Smooth dark beer with a surprisingly gentle taste for it's strength when served chilled. Warmer, it has a gentle fizz and a subtle flavour like a typical dubbel tasted from a distance. There is a spiciness that comes through on draft that makes it a truly heavenly 5 star brew.
Tripel ★★★
Heavy blonde ale with a deep, yeasty, nutty, spicy bitterness. Slightly creamy and very robust. A good beer for fortifying you against the elements. The original tripel.
Westvleteren (Belgium)
8 ★★★★★
Earthy dark beer with a velvety Americano coffee, date, syrup and liquorice taste. It tastes best when not over chilled. Deeper and more bitter than the sweeter, complex 12. It sits somewhere between a dubbel and a stout, but with a gassy lightness that offsets the warming alcohol and makes it very drinkable.
12 ★★★★★
Dark bitter trappist ale that is stunningly smooth. Almost closer to a liquor than an ale. A base that is a coffee tasting porter, with a spiced fruit top and a smooth middle. A beer so well balanced that it trips all the tastes receptors on the tongue equally and is absurdly packed with flavour. As it ages it becomes thicker, syrupier with sticky dark fruit coming to the fore as it drifts towards Rochefort territory. Deceptively drinkable and very fine indeed. The best beer in the world? There certainly aren't any finer.
Blonde ★★★★
Cloudy blond beer whose aroma is the gentle waft of a classic Belgian blonde ale. The hoppy flavours hit early with a bit of green citrus fruit and a hint of Orval yeastiness to them. There is a restrained dry bitterness in the finish. The carbonation and the restrained malt and spice flavours make this a very relaxed, very easy beer to drink whilst the full mouthfeel mean that it never feels insubstantial.
Whim (UK)
Hartingdon Bitter ★★
Light coloured bitter with a dry and slightly citric taste. The sister brewery of Broughton Ales.
White Horse (UK)
Village Idiot ★★★
Clean, easy drinking blonde ale with a gentle malty taste that has a moreish dryness in the finish.
White Rabbit (Australia)
Dark Ale ★★★
Bitter, tangy, fruity dark amber coloured ale. A chunk of character but there are better bitters out there.
White Ale ★★★
This witbier is heavy on the spices with the citrus fruit taking a back seat. Slightly bitter in the finish. Solid stuff.
Whittlebury (UK)
Green Dragon ★★★
Dry, pine wood flavoured ale with a bitter hoppiness that feels like it slithers lingeringly down your throat (no bad thing). Becomes tangy and malty.
Hillfort ★★★
Amber ale with a slightly smoky top note that shrouds a toffee malt foundation.
Old Ton ★★★
Smooth, creamy chestnut coloured bitter that starts out a bit yeasty and soapy but malty pan juice flavours give a pleasingly bitter finish.
Special ★★★★
Bread and honey on the aroma of this golden ale with faints hints of grapefruit. A subtle summer refresher.
Whittle Wood ★★★★
Light brown ale that is crisp and refreshing like a fresh apple. The woody hoppiness fills it out nicely with a bit of biscuit malt. A summer bitter.
Wickwar (UK)
Bob ★★★
Bone dry amber coloured bitter with sweet toffee malts hovering in the background. There is smoky, musty feel to the finish in the style of an Irish red ale.
Rite Flanker ★★★
Solid flavoured tangy dark brown ale with a bright hoppy aftertaste.
Wieden Brau (Austria)
Altbier ★★★
Cloudy amber beer with a big citrus hit that leads into a bright dry hoppiness with a touch of bitterness and a perfumed floral aftertaste. The dry bitterness is more pronounced when warm. Very light to drink for it's 5% strength.
Germischtes ★★★
Amber coloured mixture of light and dark beers with a mouth tingling gassiness akin to their Marzen but with a coffee hoppiness that is brightened with a floral edge. There is also a smokiness lurking in the background. A mixed bag of flavours - as you would expect. It is slightly too gassy for my taste which detracts from the flavour but generally it is good.
Marzen ★★★
Golden beer with a gassiness that plays on the roof of your mouth that fades into a faint rich layered hoppiness. Despite the slightly thin taste it's mouthfeel is quite expansive.
Prager Dunkles ★★★★
Dark hoppy lager with a bitter coffee taste with notes of marmite on burnt toast. Very smooth in flavour and mouthfeel, quite dry and moreish. Slightly plainer than the 7 Stern dunkle.
Wigram (New Zealand)
Hefe-weizen ★★★
A traditional take on a German wheat beer. The taste has a full wheat flavour with hints of bananas and cloves. The finish is crisp and slightly aromatically bitter. Holds it's own against similar beers from Germany.
Munchner Dunkel ★★★
Gassy dark brown lager with a taste that is big on roasted malts and has a tangy finish.
Vienna Lager ★★★★
A really throaty lager with waves of yeasty floral hops with a dash of tonic like quinine crashing into you and kept in balance by a biscuit malt finish. The mouthfeel is dry and moderately gassy. Impressive stuff brewed the other side of the world from Vienna.
Wild Beer Co (UK)
Bliss ★★★★★
The foundations of this beer are similar to Orval, sharing it's distinct yeasty flavours. Add to this are apricots that exentuate the sourness whilst cloves and dry spices bring out the peppery hoppy flavours. A great combination of flavours and a great beer.
Epic Saison ★★★★
The aroma of American citrus hops is so strong it's surprising that it doesn't sing you the star spangled banner. The mouthfeel is full and the spicy notes flesh this out nicely with a funky edge that doesn't cut into it's sharp edge. Top hole.
Ninkasi ★★★★
It says "bubbles" on the label and this is an absurdly gassy beer with apple juice giving it a great spritzy taste. As light and expansive as beer can get.
Scarlet Fever ★★★★
This red ale is so dark is basically brown. There's a strong hoppy aroma with citrus notes. The taste is dry and bitter with toffee malts, oak and a hint of dark fruit. An unusual but rather fine red ale.
Schnoodlepip ★★★★
A fruit salad of a beer - mango, papaya, orange and with a robust malty edge and a real effervescence. There's a yeasty feeling to it all that pitches it part way between a saison and gueuze that helps to keep it subtle and refined.
Spellbound ★★★
A spicy amber coloured ale with a hoppy tingle in the finish. A good mix of bitterness and flavour. It has the bite of an IPA but with enough rounded malts to keep it balanced. Perhaps a touch too tangy.
Williams Bros (UK)
7 Giraffes ★★★★
Golden ale made with 7 types of malted barley but it's the fresh cone hops that dominate. The flavour is floral with hints of elderberry and a bitter finish. There is a biscuity malt taste in background as well. Cracking stuff
80/- ★★★
Dark coloured Scottish ale. Dry, malty taste with a biscuit base. Quite gentle at 4.2%. A decent dark session ale.
Birds And Bees ★★★
Dry, almost chalky golden ale with a strong citrus hop and a faint soapiness. Made with a Belgian pale malt and small amounts of elderflowers and lemon zest. Can have a chemical edge and feel quite strong.
Caesar Augustus ★★★★
Crisp lager that's had a generous measure of IPA style hops added to give it a dry peppery finish. A lager with a good deal more bite than most.
Ceildh ★★★★
Full bodied lager with a robust maltiness that does not over power it's light fizz. A very solid and assured lager. Made with Czech and US hops, Belgian pilsner malt and German yeast.
Cock Of The Walk ★★★
A dash of peppery hops mixed with burnt caramel malt and a bit of smoke. Generally it's just a bit bland and watery.
Heather Ales - Alba (Scots Pine Ale) ★★★★
Malty historic Scottish beer that feels like a Belgian brune ale. Contains sprigs of spruce and pine which give a slight edge to the taste, but this is a fairly traditional beer with a good depth of flavour.
Heather Ales - Ebulum ★★★
A black elderberry ale with a slightly burnt and earthy coffee taste. It also has a hints of fruit and soy sauce but very little aftertaste.
Heather Ales - Grozet ★★★
A 'gooseberry and wheat beer' brewed from a historic recipe which doesn't taste like a fruit beer or a wheat beer. Gently malty and slightly sweet with a small sour hint of gooseberries. A bit odd but not unpleasant.
Heather Ales Fraoch ★★★
Brewed to a 4000 year old recipe this traditional ale uses barley and Scottish heather. It is light amber in colour with a light malty flavour that is dominated by the dry floral taste of heather. A bit like pot pourri, but it's hard to criticise it for doing what it says on the label. An acquired taste.
Hipsway ★★★★
This lager is like blazing sunshine coming through the bedroom curtains. Bright, light and invigorating with a dash of sweetness from the addition of strawberries. A dash too sweet for some, but an interesting take on a lager.
Hop Quiz ★★★
A beer tasting game with four beers that are identical apart from the hops used (Saaz, Cascade, Styrian Goldings & Bramling Cross). All the beers are heavily hopped which leads to them being quite dry but with very strong flavours. Surprisingly good beer given the gimmick.
IPA ★★★
Hoppy, slightly caramel IPA with a hint of dryness in the back end. Has a bit of kick and an alcoholic aftertaste but it doesn't wreck the flavour.
Kelpie ★★★★
Dark, roasted malt ale made with seaweed. Smooth, robust and fully flavoured - though the seaweed isn't particularly evident.
March Of The Penguins ★★★★
A syrupy hit of burnt pan juices gives this stout a real wallop. The gassiness gives it a dry bitterness and lightens it. A very well made stout.
Midnight Sun ★★★★
Well balanced porter with a firm but balanced coffee grounds flavour and a spicy note. Made with a small amount of root ginger. 5.6 abv but it has a faint whisky note to give it depth.
Profanity Stout ★★★★
Inky black colour with a heavy, oily consistency this fuses the coffee and roasted malt hit of an imperial stout with some of the fruity hops of a premium bitter. F**king good.
Windsor & Eton (UK)
Canberra ★★★
Dry, smoky amber coloured ale with biscuit malt and a hint of fag-ash hops in the finish. A spiky session ale.
Conqueror ★★★★
A black IPA that has some smoked malts in the mix. It clocks in at 5% abv but has a real kick with a syrupy pine finish.
Knights Of The Garter ★★★
Chewy malt flavours cut with Amarillo hops that give a grapefruit pith flavour with a hint of soap. Dry but with a refreshing edge.
Kohinoor ★★★
Amber ale mixed with ??? sugar and corriander seed. The full flavoured malty backbone of the beer means that the spices ate more subtle than many Belgian ales that throw a spice rack is.
Republika ★★★★
Has the heavy malty kick you'd want from proper Czech style pilsener that has been lagered for a good period of time.
Windsor Boatman ★★★★
Golden ale with a mix of Citra & ??? Hops that delivers an apricot flavour with hints of citrus. Has the feel of a full bodied fruity wine.
Windsor Guardsman ★★★
Full bodied session ale with dry malty flavours and a bolshy biscuit finish with a tiny hint of sweetness. Punchy, but could be fuller and more rounded in flavour.
Windsor Knot ★★★
Dry, peppery ale with the a steadily building hop flavour that's never overwhelming with a dry finish.
Wiper & True (UK)
In The Forest ★★★
An incredibly granular, burnt, roasted malts porter. The hoppy characteristics are pretty much in the background and the blackcurrant flavours the brewers promise are even fainter. A good assertive porter but without much subtlety or complexity.
WJ King (UK)
Red River ★★★
Dry, slightly watery session ale with a gentle biscuit malt flavour. Session fare.
Wold Top (UK)
Dawn O'Time ★★
Tangy and rather thin amber beer with a sour and watery finish.
Falling Stone ★★★
Fairly standard easy drinking ale with a slightly caustic edge.
Wood Farm (UK)
1823 ★★★
Creamy dark mild with a restrained roasted malt flavour that has a tangy finish. A traditional mild that is good session fare.
Best Bitter ★★
Pale gold ale that tastes of apricots and washing up liquid. Part refreshing session beer, part air freshener.
Wooden Hand (UK)
Cornish Buccanner ★★★★
Well balanced golden ale with a dry hoppy taste and a slight bitterness. There is a moreish biscuity flavour in the background with a hint of citrus.
Cornish Gribbon ★★
A bit creamy, a bit malty and a touch dry. Anonymous chain pub fodder.
Pirates Gold ★★★
Smooth, light brown ale with a gentle fruity hoppy taste. A tad bland but fair enough compared to the standard of bitter you get in most UK chain pubs.
Woodforde (UK)
Nelson's Revenge ★★★
Solid session beer with a gentle malted taste. The floral aroma and citrus edge it claims to have eluded me completely.
Norfolk Hawker ★★★
Somewhat sour golden ale with a dry biscuit malt flavour with hints of bitter hops. There's a hint of fruit - apricot perhaps? Reasonable session fare but not their finest.
Wherry ★★★★
Dark brown beer that has a deep bitterness in the aftertaste while remaining refreshing. Voted champion beer of Britain in 1996.
Woodlands (UK)
General's Tipple ★★★★
Amber coloured ale with a woody caramel flavour and a dry bitter hoppiness in the finish. A good blend of bitter and IPA that should please military top brass.
Wychwood (UK)
BeeWyched ★★★★
Bright and fruity taste with a sharp edge. Light in colour.
Hobgoblin (bottle) ★★★★★
Dark, malty and slightly syrupy with a hint of caramel and prunes in the aftertaste. Smooth but full bodied and better in the bottle than on draught.
Hobgoblin (cask) ★★★
Dark brown ale that appears to have had anything approaching a rough edge filed off with abandon. Not lacking flavour, just any kind of depth or complexity.
King Goblin ★★★
A 6.6% abv version of Hobgoblin that is dominated by a warming alcoholic malty flavour with the nutty, dark fruit flavours in the background. A version of Hobgoblin for sipping by a crackling log fire on a cold evening.
Osprey ★★★★
Strong ruby coloured ale with a flavour that doesn't vary from nose to aftertaste. It is a bold combination of fruit and hop flavours that is very satisfying but lacks a little complexity.
Plumduff ★★★★
A Christmas beer that is chestnut in colour with flavours of plum, raisins and cinnamon. Finishes with a bitter acidity. Best enjoyed cold when it has more subtlety.
Snake's Bite ★★★
A "traditional beer infused with cider apples"? Sounds, and is, neither fish nor fowl. Juicy, syrupy apples bob on crisp golden ale. Feels like a crude blend rather than craft ale, but will appeal to some.
Wychcraft ★★★★
Dry, crisp and gassy golden ale with a fruity malty finish that hints of tangy red fruit to liven it up. There is also some biscuit malt and some light floral hops in there too. A beer that combines depth of flavour with a refreshing lightness.
Wye Valley (UK)
Ark Ale ★★
Aroma of dusty concrete. The taste is light and gassy with a dry chalky finish. Possibly a hint of acidic citrus fruit as well. Underwhelming.
Bitter ★★★
A nice blend of biscuit malt with a gentle wash of bitter, woody hops in the finish. A reassuringly unremarkable session ale you could keep on drinking.
Butty Bach ★★★★
Amber coloured ale with a rich, deep, full malty biscuit flavour with a slightly dry & bitter finish. The mouthfeel is clean & slightly gassy. There is a gentle tangy hoppiness in the background. Best beer of the Cardiff beer festival three years in a row.
Dorothy Goodbody Christmas Cracker ★★★
Dry cinnamon & nutmeg spice with a woody malt and a hint of hygienic dentist rubber gloves. Complex but rather confused - like a bitter with some random spices thrown at it.
Dorothy Goodbody Country Ale ★★★
Ruby brown ale with on head and a fresh aroma. The taste is dry and bitter - almost granular - with a deep hoppiness that has elements of a porter underneath. Could have more complexity for it's 6% strength.
Dorothy Goodbody Golden Ale ★★★
Zesty blond beer that goes quite nicely with food.
Dorothy Goodbody Wholesome Stout ★★★★
Pitch black in colour with a small creamy tan head and a gentle hop aroma. The flavour is all roasted coffee and burnt juices from a grill pan. There is a dry, bitter hoppiness hiding in the finish. Full bodied for it's 4.6% strength it is very pleasing and on draught it is exceptional.
Editors ★★★
Robust bitter hoppy English ale that is light brown in colour with a biscuity edge.
Hazy Daisy ★★★
Despite claiming to be naturally cloudy this wheat beer is a fairly clear gold and has a very small head. It has a very buttery shortbread with a brief toasty biscuit taste. Rich without being heavy.
HPA ★★★
Smooth, inoffensive light coloured ale that slips down quietly leaving a feeling of gentle refreshment.
Santa's Delight ★★★
Rather watery ruby session ale with a faint mix stewed tea and raisins. There it a slight creaminess to the mouthfeel and a maltiness on the finish. Surprisingly gentle for a winter beer in taste and strength (4.5 abv).
Wyre Piddle (UK)
Piddle Potters Chamber Of Secrets ★
Light coloured ale that tastes close to being off. Sour and metallic with hints of detergent. Bad name, bad beer. Thankfully it rapidly becomes bland very quickly.
Yates (UK)
Summer Laze ★★★
Forgettable, but not unpleasant ale that Yates are no longer brewing.
Yeastie Boys (New Zealand)
Pot Kettle Black ★★★★
The aroma of citrus hops hits you as you raise a glass of this 'black IPA'. This follows through into the dry hoppy taste with a gently gassy dry mouthfeel and roasted malts in the background. A interesting and distinctive blend of porter and IPA styles.
Yeovil (UK)
Glory ★★
Dry, bitter brown amber ale with a woody hoppy taste that overtakes a initial soapiness. Still not that special.
Yetman's (UK)
Stout ★★★★
Rich bitter stout with a hint of Guinness style creaminess. Tight carbonation and a dry, roasted malt finish that keeps the character of the malt without obscuring it with burnt coffee grounds. A classically styled stout that is very enjoyable.
Yo-Ho (Japan)
Shinsyu Amber Ale ★★★★
A citrus hop floats bitterly above a firm malty base in this amber ale that tends towards IPA territory. It's quite gassy, potentially for mass market appeal, but is a very satisfying ale.
Shinsyu Porter ★★★★
The roasted malt flavours in this beer almost feel gritty. There is a maltiness in the finish that softens it slightly, as does the gassiness, but this is for people who like their dark beers raw.
Suiyoubi No Neko ★★★
Crisp filtered wheat beer whose flavour profile is somewhere between subtle and forgettable. There are pleasing faint hints of orange and spice with a dash of bitter hops in the finish. A kristall-wit?
Tokyo Black ★★★★
Part porter, part dunkel. This gassy black beer has a huge hit of roasted malts and enough of a hoppy edge to satisfy a London porter drinker. The carbonation keeps it light without wrecking the flavours.
Yona Yona Ale ★★★★
Deep amber coloured ale that has all the malt flavours you'd expect of a traditional English ale but is much gassier. There are gentle toffee and syrup notes in amongst the malt and woody hops. It makes for decidedly enjoyable easy drinking.
York (UK)
Blonde ★★
Smooth bready blonde ale with a creamy mouthfeel and a dry sourness in the finish. Little if any hop or malt taste. Nothing wrong with it but very bland.
Centurian Ghost ★★★
Quite an oddity. Dark beer with a faint porter taste but dominated by a citrus edge.
Constantine ★★★
Smooth, gently flavoured light brown ale with a assertive bitter hoppy flavour that fades quickly to leave a dry bitter finish. The light finish makes for pleasant session drinking.
Crystal ★★★
Smooth creamy pale ale with a citrus hop flavour that feels like an American pale ale. Solid refreshing session fare.
Guzzler ★★★
Bright hoppy golden ale with a initial citrus edge that fades into a bready malt finish. There is a dry bitterness that builds. A solid example of a British golden ale.
Yorkshire Terrier ★★★
Smooth, light coloured bitter. Slightly creamy with a gentle bitter hoppiness. A tad bland but pleasant enough.
Youngs (UK)
Bitter ★★★
Lip smackingly tangy ale with a dry hoppy finish that has a mango and citrus twist.
Christmas Pudding ★★★★★
Dark beer with a lot of flavour and a strong spiced fruit aftertaste.
Double Chocolate Stout ★★★
Overly gassy dark stout with a velvety chocolate base that feels great but is over powdered by the fizz. A great beer that feels like it's had the treble turned up and the bass turned down.
Light Ale ★★★★
You could quaff this by the bucketload. It starts off with crisp biscuit notes and a hint of caramel before a bitter hoppy tang finishes it off. It's all quite mellow, by combining that with a 3.2% abv strength gives you a session ale for long sessions.
London Gold ★★
Slightly funky aroma with a dry, almost stale, lagerish flavour.
Special London Ale ★★★★
An English strong ale that learnt a bit from the Belgians. An alcoholic malty base with green peppercorns and corriander bobbing above. Best served chilled.
Zweisel (Germany)
Arber Spezial ★★★
Malty, buttery and basically generic Germanic pale lager.
Zwyiec (Poland)
Tatra Jasne Pelne ★★★
Dry, chalky golden ale with a gassy mouthfeel. The finish is alcoholic and malty. Could have more flavour for it's 6% abv strength.
Tatra Mocne ★★
No aroma and only a gentle malty taste on the flavour with a hint of sweet flavour. The finish is dry, gassy and quite savoury. Quaffable but a bit bland and really should do more for it's 7% abv strength.