Beer E-News Archive 2006

This page is an archive of items culled from our Beer Newsletter.   For earlier issues click on 2005
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From Issue 28 (December 06)

Whatever happened to to the autumn?  October was a very busy beer-related month for us - a few of the highlights are listed below - but we're not quite sure where November went.  [Perhaps I should explain that was because we were so busy, not because the amount of beer in October had addled our remaining brain cells!]  So we'll try to make this a fairly comprehensive issue, partly to make up for lost time, but also to give you something to look at over the Christmas period if you don't fancy the millionth repeat of the Sound of Music.
 
1) Worthing Beer Festival 13-14 October
This was Worthing's 10th Festival and they celebrated by making it the biggest to date with 46 beers, to say nothing of the ciders.  We went to the Friday lunchtime session.  We have found it to be a good strategy for beer festivals to go to the quieter, early sessions.  We don't feel the need for musical entertainments to assist our tasting, the substantial rolls that you can get at lunch-time help soak up the beer, and, perhaps most importantly, it's less likely that the popular brews will have run out.
This year produced a good range of tasty beers and one major surprise - or should I say shock.  The latter was a first for us - the first beer at a festival which neither of us could finish!  The guilty party was Beartown Pandemonium 4.8% and was the first beer to which we have ever awarded a round nul points. 
The review said "Made with blackcurrants the fruit hops out of the glass to hit you between the eyes!"  More like, in the pit of the stomach!  (Anyone feeling queasy please jump to the next paragraph now.)  Imagine a glass half filled with a concentrated artificial syrup which is a poor imitation of Ribena, then top it up with weak beer.  Now drink it if you can - we couldn't!  The strangest part was that the review continued: "Beer of the Festival at the 10th Birkenhead Beer Festival".  I'd better not comment in case we have some readers from Birkenhead - though perhaps they don't like beer in Birkenhead?  The review concluded: "This beer was so popular that it was put 'off-limits' to festival staff."  Ah, now I get it, they didn't want all the helpers to end up sick!
Well it's all part of life's rich experience, and fortunately this was more than counterbalanced by the other beers we tried.  We avoided ones we already knew, so that we could concentrate on the strangers.  Four of them scored 3 ticks as basic competent brews, but the rest were all above average.  We were pleased to see that the local Hammerpot Brewery is maintaining its high standards and that both its offerings, Woodcote Bitter 4.5% and the newcomer Martlet 3.5%, which uses three different hops, merited 3.5 ticks.  (Heraldic note - the martlet is a mythical bird, similar to a swallow but with tufts of feathers in place of legs.  Hammerpot's choice of name is no doubt linked to the 6 martlets featured on the Sussex county crest.) 
Others scoring 3.5 were Castle Rock Harvest Pale 3.8%,  Northern's Liberty Bell 4.0% and two wheat beers.  Fallen Angel's Naughty Nun Witbier 4.5% was heavily spiced with ginger, cardamom and coriander showing through, whereas Breconshire Honddu Gold 4.8% was more subtle and appeared to have less character, but that may be because it suffered from the head-to-head comparison - we'd be more than happy to try these again.
The last of the 3.5 ticks was the first of the stouts, Reepham Velvet Stout 4.2%.  The next was Spire's Sergeant Pepper Stout 5.5%, a full dark stout laced with black pepper, perhaps showing through a little too strongly, but still deserving 4 ticks. 
Onwards and upwards, to Spectrum Old Stoatwobbler 6.0% which was our joint best beer of the Festival, getting a hefty 4.5 ticks.  It's another black stout, with a roasted aroma and taste "with all the usual flavours you would expect from a dry stout combining together excellently."
Returning to the bitters, we have to mention Glastonbury Lady of the Lake 4.2%, an amber best bitter whose "fruity malt flavour" with a "subtle hint of vanilla" meant we didn't hesitate to give it 4 ticks.
And finally, our other joint favourite was a prodigy - Napoleon's Retreat 3.8%, the first bitter from the new Wigan brewery of Allgates which only appeared on 7th August and immediately sold out!  We're not surprised - it's a complicated but very tasty combination of 3 types of malt and 3 hop varieties, and we're very keen to see if this brewery can follow up on this amazing start.
If you didn't get to Worthing this year, bookmark the Adur & Arun CAMRA website for next year's dates at
 
2) Beer Festival at the Palace Hotel, Poperinge
At the end of October we planned our latest sojourn in Belgium to coincide with the weekend of the famous festival which is held annually at the Palace Hotel, in Poperinge.  It's always worth a trip to Poperinge, a very pleasant town - see our guide on
and the Palace routinely stocks a huge range of beers. 
At the Festival, we were delighted to meet Filip Geerts, who is a one-man promotion board for Belgian beers.  See more about him on
As usual, Filip did an excellent photo report, as he does on all the events he attends, and among the pictures is the following
We know that in the past the Festival has been patronised by such luminaries of the beer world as Michael Jackson and Tim Webb - this year they had to make do with us!  But do have a look at the rest of Filip's report - you'll get to see Poperinge's Queen of the Hops, flanked by her Princesses!
Again we tried to avoid the familiar beers and sought out the ones which were new to us. 
De Struise is an ostrich farm (yes, you did read that correctly!) near Lo which commisions a range of beers and makes some good design decisions.  We tried their Pannepot 10.0% which is a Donker (dark) and is obviously intended as a competitor to the classic Kasteelbier Bruin.  This is sweet, with good flavour, and powerful alcohol.  It is more vinous than Kasteelbier and there are hints of marmalade.  Ultimately the sweetness becomes too obvious, seeming candied, so while it's a good initial attempt, it won't yet displace Kasteelbier as one of our favourite nightcaps.
We hadn't previously encountered the Contreras brewery but were particularly impressed by their Especial Malt 6.5%  This has a malty aroma reminiscent of Horlicks tablets (anybody remember them?) and a full, almost oily mouthfeel.  The flavour is subtle, with hints of caramel - very tasty!  They also do a good Valeir Donker 6.5% (a brown which has a nice malty caramel taste with a hint of bitterness) and Valeir Divers Triple 8.5% (which is a clear gold, with citrus on the nose and notes of coriander in the taste).
We had met De Graal brewery at last year's Karakterbier weekend run by by HOP at Vichte - see brief report on the links page
At Poperinge they launched their new Slock 6.5% which their write-up called Koperkleurig (copper coloured) but in spite of the dim light in the hall we were sure it was closer to a pale gold.  The first taste to hit your palate is lemony, and the whole effect is clean and refreshing - a good choice for a hot day.
If you look at any of the pictures of the event you'll see the sensibly sized glasses the Belgins use at their festivals.  Of course their beers are generally stronger, but you don't need a half pint to get the flavour of a beer, and a smaller quantity of each means you have the chance to try a bigger range.  CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival in August trialled 1/3 pint glasses which is apparently still a legal measure but is just not used.  We understand the new glasses were well received, and hope it's the beginning of a new trend over here which could result in making beer drinking acceptable to a wider range of people - besides being more convenient for festivals.  For more about beer measures, see item 6) below
 
3) 'Taste the Beers of Belgium' - at Steyning Grammar School on 4th November
Another reason for our Belgian trip was that we wanted to do some research and stock up for our next Adult Ed course.  Belgium didn't disappoint, and we were able to produce a menu of beers for the course which covered all the main styles but didn't duplicate beers we had used on earlier courses.  One change we made was to take advantage of more of the cork topped 75cl and larger sized bottles which you can get from the better suppliers, as opposed to the more commonly available 25 and 33cl crown-capped bottles.  There does seem to be a benefit in that the larger volume seems to preserve the subtleties of the beer better, and comes closer to the draught versions - and it's cheaper too.  If you've got friends to help you share a bottle - or a powerful thirst - these larger sizes (including a 1.5L magnum!) have a lot of advantages. 
We think the course was well-received: the students worked assiduously through the menu, and stayed on for a few encores . . .
 
4) Additions to the website
Following on from our travels, the website has grown somewhat - apart from the links page mentioned above, check out the revised West Flanders page
which will take you to the new guide to the joys of Alveringem
and also to the Westvleteren page, home of St Sixtus abbey and the best beer in the world (allegedly!)
 
5) Belgian beer in Brighton
From June this year Brighton was enhanced by the addition of a branch of Café Belge and our Brighton correspondent Debi helped us navigate to 64 Kings Road to check it out.  It's on the seafront at the corner of West Street and in good weather has nice views from the tables in the window - provided you ignore the traffic rushing between you and the sea!  The only other disadvantage is the garish multi-coloured check design of the table cloths (but you may see this as a plus point if you have one of those fashionable modern kitchens which feature an explosion of different coloured tiles behind the worktops . . .) 
Those are not exactly drawbacks, and everything else is extremely positive, from the friendly and helpful staff with authentic accents (Brussels French, not Flanders Flemish) to the wide ranging menu of genuine Belgian cuisine, making it difficult to choose among the first class, reasonably priced offerings.  But before you start wrestling with the choice of food you must tackle the beer menu.  With a selection of 100 beers and helpful notes you can amuse yourself for hours.  And we're not just talking about the run of the mill Belgian beers you can find in some supermarkets, there are some quite unusual beers here.  I was able to try a classic gueuze which I'd read about but never managed to find in Belgium!  (For any gueuze afficianados it's Frank Boon's Oude Gueuze Mariage Parfait 8%.  If you've never tried this classic 'champagne beer' style, it's best to start with a good one; if you've tried something like Cantillon, and found it too tart, give this one a trial, it's more subtle.)   It would take too long to list in detail the benefits of this corner of Brighton that is for ever Belgium, but you can get some idea, and find the locations of other branches, from their website at 
 
6) Measure for measure
In case you missed the announcement, the latest publication from Shire Books (the people who do those little reasonably-priced books on every topic under the sun that you see on sale at stately homes and other tourist venues) is 'Pub Beermugs and Glasses' by Hugh Glass ('Is that really his name?' I thought, and double checked.  Seems the reviewer made a Freudian slop, and the author's name is actually Hugh ROCK!)  At £5.99 it's an ideal stocking filler for your nearest and dearest beer fanatic - and it's only £4.79 if you include it with your latest order to www.amazon.co.uk  - but you won't get it from them in time for Christmas!
While I'm waiting to receive my copy, I can pass on to you a little gem I gleaned from the first review of the book.
It seems that the famous British pint is derived from a subdivision of a waggon load of grain.  This was reckoned to average a ton, and those of you who date back to our vintage will be able to stir the grey matter and recall that a ton was divided into 4 quarters - a medieval measurement which still lingers in some corners of the brewing industry.  A quarter was made up of 8 bushels (the measure under which your light should not be hidden!) and these were divided into 8 gallons, with the latter subdivided into 8 pints each.  Now if you've been following this closely (or can remember your far distant school days) you will have spotted the anomaly.  Yes that's right, a pint worked out that way equals one 2048th part of a ton - which is the same as a pound dry weight.  And of course a pound is 16 ounces, not the 20 fluid ounces which constitutes the pint you get in a pub!
More history: in 1824 the Weights and Measures Act was introduced to standardise all the regional variations, and this decreed that henceforth the imperial gallon was to be 160 fluid ounces.  When this was divided by 8 it gave the 20 fluid ounce pint we use in the UK today. 
But it seems that the anti-imperialist  Americans wouldn't countenance this, and retained the 16 ounce pint.   I must check the truth of this little gem with our recently discovered distant relative in America - Jeannette's 4th cousin - who just happens to be a real beer fan, too.  Yet more evidence that we are controlled by our genes . . .
 
7) Ale Trail
We have reported on the occasional visits to local real ale haunts in pursuit of the glittering prizes which await those who completed the 2006 Ale Trail.  If you have been waiting with bated breath to know whether we made our target, your suspense is over and a full report awaits your perusal at
 
8) News from the Supermarkets
A trip to Shoreham's Tesco super-duper-hyper-store is presently a harrowing experience as they are trying to make this huge retail outlet even huger!  They are doing this by the brilliant expedient of reducing the amount of parking space.  (This does at least help the unemployment situation as they now have people standing around with notices bearing the word 'Space' on tall poles to aim hapless drivers into any available slots.)  Once you get inside the store the layout is being completely altered so navigation to your favourite gourmet items becomes a novel experience. 
Should you be brave enough to make the attempt - or if you live somewhere with a more accessible Tesco - you may want to look out for Etalon Weissbier.  It is a worthy competitor for the German brewers who invented the Weissbier style and set the standard.  It has won several international awards, including one of Tesco's own.  The bottle and label style imitate the German approach - but then you notice that the name is printed in Cyrillic script, which gives you a clue that this beer is produced in the Ukraine.  A fun activity might be to give a group of friends several glasses of this pleasant 5% beer, then get them to read the label.  They may manage to guess that ЕТАЛОН is Etalon but ПШЕНЙЧНЕ, the name of the brewery is likely to cause some difficulty, even if it is transcribed into our script as Pshenychne.  As I've never heard it pronounced I can only guess that it comes out something like an attack of hayfever - perhaps our Ukrainian correspondents could help?
 

9) Japanese flavours

We were delighted to find that it's now easier to get the occasional 'fix' of Japanese flavours (anyone who's become addicted to Japan, its culture and food, will know what we mean).  The restaurant chain of Wagamama now has a branch in Brighton, and we checked it recently with Debi, our Brighton correspondent and fellow Japanophile.  Pick your time, as it can get quite busy, but get along there and try an authentic taste of Japan at very reasonable prices.  Although they apparently serve Japanese beers, these are brewed under licence in the UK, but still make an acceptable accompaniment to the huge bowls of noodles.  Find out more from the Wagamama website www.wagamama.co.uk/  Meanwhile we're off to do some research on Japanese beers on their home ground - New Year in Tokyo, courtesy of a very good flight/hotel deal from ANA https://www.ana.co.jp/eng/index.html  Further reports when we get back.

 

From Issue 27 (September 06)

1) More on the Westvleteren story
A report from Stephen Darcy on the Belgian Beer Discussion Group tells us that the Metro Bar (formerly the Old French Horn), in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent recently re-opened as a
speciality Belgian beer bar, selling about 40 beers, including Westvleteren beers, ('the best beers in the world' - allegedly!) at the following sky-high prices:-

Blond : £6.00    8° : £10.00    12° :£12.00

At those prices it would be cheaper to go to Belgium for your sip of the liquid gold!
 
2) Try another Trappist?
As you will all know, there are 6 main beer-brewing Trappist Abbeys, all located in Belgium.  But you may have started to hear things about the relative newcomer, the Abbey of Koningshoeven, in Holland, better known through their brand name La Trappe.  For some time now, their Blond and Dubbel have been seen in supermarkets, usually in distinctive stone bottles, and were very pleasant, if not outstanding - clearly they had their work cut out to stand comparison with the best of the other Trappist beers.  There was also some murmurings as to whether they could be genuine Trappist beers, as there was a certain degree of commercial involvement in the production process.  Now they have apparently taken firm monkish control of the brewing and we were fortunate recently to find one of their less often encountered beers, La Trappe Tripel 8%.  The appearance was an unusual orange colour and we could detect hints of orange in the aroma and flavour.  The warmth of the alcohol was balanced by the initial sweetness, fruity flavours and bittersweet finish.  Part way through the tasting we decided to give it the ultimate challenge and poured a well matured Westvleteren 12 for comparison.  We were pleased to find that the La Trappe Tripel could hold up its head even in such distinguished company, and there could be situations, e.g. with particular food pairings, when you might prefer it.  Find out more details at the abbey's website (Dutch only) http://www.latrappe.nl/ and find La Trappe Tripel locally at Trafalgar Wines in Brighton.  It's at 23 Trafalgar Street, which runs down from the station, and you can contact the owner, Steve Foster, by phone on 01273 683 325.
 
 
3) Beers of the Marches
Some of our recent travels took us to Herefordshire and the into Wales.  There we renewed acquaintance with the beers of the Wye Valley Brewery, and used the Good Beer Guide to maximum effect.  I'll be giving a bit more detail in a later issue, but for now you'll get a good idea of what's available in that area from an online retailer who conveniently listed his local products on the following web page:
 
4) An entertaining brewery link
The Belgian beer group to which we belong mentioned a new micro-brewery producing 'Mortals Beers'.  Although we've not tried the beer yet, we really enjoyed the website, which documents in pictures the setting up of the brewery and the first brews.  If you have ambitions of owning your own brewery you can use this website as a DIY manual!  Have a look at http://users.skynet.be/fa073688/index.htm
 
5) Sainsburys Offers
First a word of warning.  Beware of the packs labelled Best of British Beers, these contain just 3 bottles and the pack is priced at £6.66 - £2.22 a bottle???  Similar packs of mixed beers from smaller breweries can be bought from Waitrose at a more reasonable price.  However, other offers are very worthwhile, but act soon.  We suspect that some stock intended for the Christmas market starts cheap when it first comes in, but then goes up as it gets closer to the festival.
 
Currently there is £1 off the 4-packs of Cologne style 'lager' (they can't call it Kölsch as it's not made in Cologne, but it's a pretty good copy) and Vienna Red - this was historically the original style of lager.  It's a nice drink, and a bit of history that you won't easily find elsewhere.  With the discount these are now £2.99 for 4 bottles - worth getting some in!
 
A new item is a gift-pack of 4 World Premier Lagers at £3.99.  It includes a bottle each of Czech Staropramen, Chinese Tsingtao, Birra Poretti from Italy and Palma Louca from Brazil.  The pack has been sourced and put together by Youngs brewery, who seem to have displayed good taste - certainly the first two are respectable examples of lager, and for those who attended one of the World Beers tastings and were less than impressed by Brahma Chop, here's a chance to try something else from Brazil, which we hope will restore that country's reputation.
 
Another gift-pack offer is Young's Christmas Ale 5% www.youngsathome.co.uk priced at £1.33.  This is a 500 ml bottle in a cardboard tube suitably decorated with snowmen.  It has and abundant white head, golden brown body, and a slight floral/fruity aroma.  It has a good bitterness, and a nice lingering aftertaste, but we could only give it 3 ticks, because the initial flavours are nowhere near as imposing as you would expect from something called a Christmas Ale.
 
Also new is a gift-boxed Limited Edition Oak Aged IPA from Innis & Gunn 6.4%  www.innisandgunn.com  and currently priced at £1.33 which is a real bargain.  They say there are only 63,000 bottles in existence - make that 62,998 because we've already tried a couple! 
You probably know the reason for the name IPA - India Pale Ale, originally a beer which was brewed stronger and with more hops to stand the journey out to the Raj in sailing ships.  Most beers described as IPA these days tend to be stronger and distinctly hoppy, and this has become the accepted stereotype.  
What makes the Innis & Gunn version of IPA so interesting is that it is matured in oak barrels for 60 days.  This reproduces more accurately the historical situation when the beer being transported in oak barrels would also have absorbed the character of the oak as well as the hops.  I & G have brewed their IPA using English Golding hops (for their orangey aromas and flavours) and then added Styrian Goldings individually to the barrels, to provide notes of citrus in the finish.
It is a nice clear gold, with a short-lived white head and the aroma is floral with clear notes of orange.  The mouthfeel is soft, and the flavours are very complex - you can detect the hops, giving the orange zest and citrus which the brewers mention but then there are a lot of extra tones supplied by the oak (vanilla, buttery perhaps), and l-o-n-g dry aftertaste.  Superb!
It's important to put out of your mind any pre-conceptions of what an IPA should taste like, because this doesn't fit the normal stereotype, but we suspect it is far more true to the historical brew.  The brewers say 'Serve chilled' and we initially obeyed, but for the comparison (see below) we followed our usual practice of pouring it at (cool) room temperature, which we felt did more justice to the subtle array of flavours in there.  We gave this 4.5 ticks but are debating whether it should have the maximum 5, since it it is not only an excellent beer but accurately reproduces a classic historical style.
 
6) Comparison
Having made ecstatic comments in our notes on the I & G IPA we felt duty bound to do a comparative tasting with another IPA, and just happened to have in the house a bottle of
Sam Smith's India Pale IPA 5.0%  (surprisingly, no website) The colour is very similar to I & G, perhaps a slight shade darker, with a pale brown head which is denser and lasts longer.  The aroma is much heavier, with more obvious malt as well as the hops.  The flavour also has a note of orange, but it is a more pronounced orange zest, and there is more bitterness in the aftertaste.  This an excellent beer and we gave it 4 ticks, but the comparison with the Innis & Gunn shows that the oak ageing really does do something rather special, in terms of marrying the flavours of the hops with the extra notes from the oak.  Had we tried the Sam Smith's on its own, we would have been delighted to have discovered it, and we'll certainly seek it out again, but while the Innis & Gunn is still available we'll be fighting for the remaining stocks - if you happen to be in Sainsburys at the same time, don't expect us to stand back politely, Jeannette has vowed to use feet, elbows, trolley or whatever's necessary to secure our next supply!

 

From Issue 26 (August 06 supplement)

1) Buckingham Arms Beer Festival
We're rushing out this edition to let you know there's still time to get down to the 'Buck' for their beer fest which is on until Monday 28th August.  As usual there's a good turn out of beers (30 real ales and 3 ciders) and of the modest 14 we tried nothing rated less than a score of 3 ticks (competent), 4 were worth 3.5 (special), and 6 made it to 4 ticks (really worth seeking out).  Our friend Pam checked out the ciders and gave top score to Biddendens Dry  - this at 8.4% made those of us drinking 'strong' ales up to 6% feel like wimps! 
 
Among the 4 tick scorers is Crouch Vale Brewers Gold 4.0%, which has just scooped the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain Award, so you should get along and try it, but then compare it with Harveys Sussex Bitter (rated Champion Best Bitter).  Then remember we gave 5 other beers 4 ticks, and see whether you think Crouch Vale can hold its head up in such challenging company!  And while all this is food for thought, try a little of the Buck's sustenance.  We enjoyed superb home-made salmon fishcakes, while our friends indulged themselves in the ham, eggs and chips.  We also had a food 'special' - in return for a donation to the local Lifeboat fund we were supplied with slices of plain bread, which we find invaluable to clear the palate before tasting the next beer.
 
These were the ones we tasted:
 
FOUR TICKS- impressive versions of the style and worth seeking out
a) Shardlow - Five Bells (5.0%) From a Leicestershire brewery, which doesn't seem to have a website, this is a 'ruby coloured powerful ale with a bitter sweet finish'.  Although our little group didn't formally vote an 'Ale of the Festival' this may have been it, but we tried it late in the day, and there was so much top-class competition, that it would be invidious to single one out from this group.
b) Castle Rock - Nottingham Gold (3.5%)  http://www.tynemill.co.uk/ This Nottingham beer is 'golden . . . with a distinct hop character derived from 100% Golding hops'.  We were impressed by the excellent hop aroma and flavour and lingering bitterness.
 
c) Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold (4.0%) http://www.crouch-vale.co.uk/ This Essex brew has just won CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain - for the second year in succession! - and it was great to be able to try it.  'A well-hopped, pale and refreshing beer, with delicious aromas of grapefruit and tropical fruits'.  We were more prosaic and called it generic citrus aromas, which we also detected in the taste.
 
d) Corvedale - Dark and Delicious (4.6%) Yes it was!  But they don't have a website.  From Shropshire, this is 'a dark ruby beer with hops on the aroma and palate and a sweet aftertaste'.  We thought it also had pleasant vinous tones.
 
e) Cropton - Monksman's Slaughter (6.0%) http://www.croptonbrewery.com  We hoped the website for this North Yorks brewery might have explained the gory sounding name but it just told us that this, and their other beers, had received the Vegetarian Society's seal of approval!  And also that it was Champion Beer of Britain in 2000.  'A full bodied powerful brew, dark brown with a very distinct malty flavour using finest crushed pale, crystal and roasted malts, which combine perfectly with Kent Challenger and Goldings hops. Very strong and extremely moreish.'
 
f) Spectrum - Trip Hazard (6.5%) The Health & Safety warning in the title is underlined by the black and yellow hazard tape shown on the pump clip.  We heeded the warning and managed to make it to and from the bar on several occasions with no mishaps.  The Norfolk brewery boasts a website at  http://www.spectrumbrewery.co.uk/ but it just contains a logo and a telephone number - watch this space?  The beer is 'very strong, fruity, full-flavoured, mid-brown/red-brown bitter' - and very tasty too.
 
3.5 TICKS- above average specimens of the type 
a) Blackawton - Head Strong (5.2%) This Cornish brewery has no website but delivers 'a deceptively smooth beer with sweet malt taste.  A lingering hoppy finish rounds this strong and formidable fellow perfectly'. 
 
b) Acorn - XL(5.0%) In spite of the name, this beer from South Yorkshire is served in standard size glasses (though no doubt Keith will serve you a jug if you ask him nicely!)  It uses Saas and Perle hops and lager malts to 'create an extremely pale, well balanced, refreshing summer ale' with an 'earthy aroma' which also comes through in the taste.  http://www.acornbrewery.net/
 
c) Downton - Polish Golden Ale (4.2%) Established 2003, so they have obviously been concentrating on the beers and haven't yet created a website.  The Wiltshire brewery offers 'a pale golden beer made with 100% Polish hops.  A distinctive bitter ale with a spicy finish.'  It's interesting to compare this with the Acorn - our preferences went back and forth between them so we had to give them the same score - see what you think.
 
d) Wylam - Magic - XL(4.2%) [This beer replaces Litton Potts Beck Ale shown in the programme.]  A Northumberland brewery whose website is at http://www.wylambrew.co.uk they offer 'a light, crisp, refreshing ale with Amarillo hops and pale malts.  Floral and spicy with a good bitter finish'.
3 TICKS- competent versions of the type, you'd be happy to drink these wherever you came across them, but wouldn't make a special journey to find them 
a) Eastwood and Sanders - Nettlethrasher (4.4%)  This west Yorkshire brewery is to be re-named Elland Brewery, although the web address http://www.eandsbrewery.co.uk/ reflects the old name, Eastwood and Sanders, which itself was the product of the amalgamation of two Yorkshire micro breweries, the Barge & Barrel Brewery Company based in Elland, and West Yorkshire Brewery, based in Luddendenfoot.  The new name refelects the location.  I hope you've been following all that? 
The brewer says this is 'a deep copper coloured traditional strong ale, brewed using six different malts and developing interesting flavours from the combined use of English and American hop varieties. All this goes together to make this a mighty mouthful!' but we couldn't agree, finding it a thin tasting basic bitter, which was not particularly special.
 
b) Frog Island - Natterjack (4.8%) Based in Northampton, with a website at http://www.frogislandbrewery.co.uk/  which mercilessly exploits the frog connection, with lily pads to click on and several beers named after species of frogs or toads - some of which I suspect are either poisonous or hallucinogenic!  They describe it as ' golden, smooth-drinking beer with a sweet, hoppy aroma. English Marris Otter pale malt and wheat malt is combined to give an initial sweet taste followed by a malty astringency. English Target and Goldings hops provide a sweet, floral flavour and slight bitterness.'  Our experience found it only average.
 
c) Springhead - Willy's Wheatbeer (5.3%) This Nottingham brewery has a rather stark looking website at http://www.springhead.co.uk/ which says they make 15 beers but only mentions 13 of them, and this is one of the omissions.  They have a forum, where someone waxes lyrical about it and considers 'it must be the best wheatbeer on the market'.  They've obviously never been to Belgium!  While it has some of the characteristics of a traditional wheatbeer, it also has a strange oily mouthfeel which is most unusual for the type, and which we found rather off-putting, so we only gave it 3 ticks.
 
d) Weltons - Loverly Jubbly (5.7%)  I gave up trying to find this one online since there are the complications of the mereger of Hepworths and Weltons, with the current and old websites not mentioning this beer, whereas at least 3 other brewers make a beer using this reference to 'Only Fools and Horses'.  It is described as 'Smooth, rich, and on the dark side'.  We found it slightly sweetish, not unpleasant but not outstanding.
 
We were sorry to see that Williams Brothers Roisin (4.2%) was 'off' - apparently in both senses - as we should have liked to have tasted this pink beer from Alloa infused with fresh tayberries.  Also note that Oakham Ales Helter Skelter (5.0%) has been replaced by Archers SSB (5.0%).
 
Thanks to friends Nigel and Pam for their comments and moral support in this serious scientific study.

 

From Issue 25 August 06

I'm sending out this issue rather early, as there's quite a lot of tasting notes, and it may give you some inspiration for the holiday period and the current thirsty weather.  Thre are also a few extra items in the events section.
For a long time I've referred to this as the e-newsletter (newsletter by e-mail) and it's only just dawned on me that I should call it the 'Beer E-News' (so that it sounds like 'beery news' - geddit? Oh, never mind!) 
         If you can bear to read on after that we've got some interesting and entertaining items . . .
 
1) Belgian Shock
Our good friend Anny, owner of De Oude Abdij Hotel www.oudeabdij.com  recently gave us a surprise - or perhaps I should say a shock!  When our friends Nigel & Pam stayed there recently, Anny asked them to bring back some beer for us.  I wondered why Nigel seemed a bit worried when I saw him and then he told me that Anny had sent some Leffe (brewed by InBev).  Now as anyone who likes a decent drink knows, InBev is the evil international conglomerate which is out to destroy the world of beer - their latest act is to close down the Hoegaarden brewery having already 'dumbed down' the beer itself.  So by simple equations InBev=bad, thus Leffe=InBev=bad, and I assumed this was another example of Anny's wicked sense of humour.  However we agreed we should try it, in the interests of finding out what the enemy are up to, and that's when we realised that the foil and the label were different - this was Leffe 9.  Approaching it with minds as open as we could make them, we noted the good golden colour and white head, with floral aromas of malt and hop.  The flavour was surprisingly good - caramel, with a bitter sweetness, and a distinct warmth from the alcohol level.  The score was reduced by a slightly metallic aftertaste but overall, it wasn't bad, and while I wouldn't cross oceans to seek this one out, I certainly wouldn't object to drinking it if I found myself in an InBev-only bar.  So - my world has turned upside down, nothing is clear any more, InBev have produced a drinkable beer!  Does this mean they have have turned over a new Leffe?  Or is it just a momentary aberration in their inexorable campaign to destroy taste?  Wait and see . .
 
2) Brussels news
You may have heard of the Delirium Cafe, where the beer list looks like a telephone directory - over 2000 of 'em!  Worth seeking out when you're in Brussels and worth a return visit if you've been there before, since they have just announced the opening of the Floris Bar at Impasse de fidelite 12, just opposite the Delirium itself. 
This new bar sets out to stock 2000 spirits!  One range will be 500 different Jenevers, which sounds interesting, if a little challenging.  I'm not so sure about another - they proudly boast that they will hold a range of absinthes.  Although an airline magazine article asures me it is the trendy new drink, it was actually illegal until relatively recently - and there may have been a good reason for this. 
The Cafe says that "this nectar . . .  inspired the genius of artists like RIMBAUD , VERLAINE, WILDE, TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, MODIGLIANI,HEMINGWAY and many others".  Tim Webb, author of the 'Good Beer Guide to Belgium' www.booksaboutbeer.com wryly asks "Is this wise? Rimbaud died mysteriously at 21.  Verlaine hurled his infant son against a wall when intoxicated on the stuff.  Wilde died impoverished after his reputation was ruined.  Toulouse-Lautrec stopped growing.  Modigliani's reputation as an artist was marred by his tendency to strip himself naked in bars when drunk.  Hemingway killed himself."  He concludes "Not so much inspiring genius as expiring it, I would say.  I think I'll stick with the amber nectar and moderate habits." 
I think I agree with him in respect of the absinthe, however fashionable, but I might be tempted by the Jenevers.  But if none of this appeals you could console yourself with what else they offer "AND MORE THAN THAT !!!.... YES, TEQUILAS, VODKAS, GINS, WHISKIES, BOURBONS, MEZCALS, PISCOS AND AGUARDIENTE..... CALIENTE!!!"  Perhaps some widely travelled (or widely drunk) correspondent could enlighten me about the last three which sound rather like tropical diseases . . .

 
3) VivA Worthing!
Thanks to Stuart Elms for news of VivA, a Spanish & Mediterranean Deli in Worthing that stocks an interesting range of unusual wines & continental bottled beers - including some from the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Rumania, Russia and Ukraine.  You'll find them on the corner of Rowlands and Queens Road.  Their beer list includes some I met in the course of the research for our World Beers courses, so you're sure to find something interesting there.
 
4) More Tastings
a) Robinsons Double Hop (5.0%) 'Brewed with extra hops for extra flavour' www.frederic-robinson.co.uk/  A clear golden brown with a short-lived white head and a pleasant floral hoppy aroma.  The advertised 2-stage hopping is supposed to produce both aroma and bitterness.  It works in the first instance, but this bottled variety was so full of fizz that it was just like drinking the old-fashioned 'Corona' (Come on, own up - I'm not the only one here old enough to remember that!)  The flavour was pleasant enough and when it eventually settled down it was refreshing, but we didn't feel that it worked as the brewer intended, and only gave it 2.5 ticks.  It would be good to see how the draught version compares.
 
b) Chimera IPA (6.8%)  'Very strong bitter' as the label says on his offering from the Downton (nr Salisbury) brewery - no website.  A golden body under a dense white head and a hoppy aroma so fresh it's almost astringent.  The mouthfeel is smooth and oily and the warmth of the alcohol is evident.  Flavours are complex - malty, hoppy, hints of orange peel and a good, satisfying bitterness.  The label explains that IPA - India Pale Ale - was so called from the drink sent in casks to India.  It had to be strong and hoppy to survive the voyage - and this is both, a good example of an IPA, well worth 4 ticks.  The label celebrates its style and name with a picture of the Indian flag (presumably not in use in the heyday of IPA under the Raj?  Historians, your assistance please!) and a picture of a chimera.  The latter is/was/might be a mythical beast, a combination of lion, goat and snake, and if you drink enough of these at 6.8% you just might get to see one . . .
 
c) Royal Oak Bitter (5.0%) From O'Hanlon's www.ohanlons.co.uk - you know, the brewery which sounds as though it should be brewing stout in the Emerald Isle, but is in fact located in England's West Country at Whimple, Devon, where it turns out an adventurous range of interesting brews.  This one is a pale red-brown, with a dense, creamy head, and a hoppy aroma.  The cap seems as though it is trying to comply with requirements to state ingredients without giving away any recipe secrets: "Contains barley, and may contain (my underlining) wheat oats rye spelt" (wot, no hops, yeast or water?) "May also contain corn flakes, all bran, cocopops, frosties and special K, traces of peanuts, monosodium glutamate' lots of E numbers and permitted flavourings" - not really, I made the last bit up!  The label explains that it is recreated from a recipe of 1896, and the name comes from the name given to many pubs, taken from Charles II's habit of clambering up every tree in sight (you would, too, if you had a Roundhead posse breathing down your neck!) 
The brewers describe it as having a 'soft balanced complexity' and we couldn't put it better - unless we added a note about the pleasant lingering finish, and the fact we deemed it above average and worthy of 3.5 ticks.  We came across O'Hanlon's Port Stout, and Wheat Beer, some years ago at a festival in a delightful village pub we happened on while passing through Somerset.  We were supposed to be on our way home, but the pub and the beer range were so attractive that we enquired whether they had accommodation, and when we found they did, were able to stay on and enjoy the festival.  (So what if the journey from Somerset to Sussex took two days, we're talking quality of life here!)  And since then we have always had very fond memories of O'Hanlon's . . .
 
d) Highgate Old Ale (5.1%) Highgate is actually a subsidiary of Aston Manor Brewery www.astonmanor.co.uk/ but when you go to the website you are confronted by details of their cider production.  Look for the small link to 'beers' and you are faced with Piddle in the Hole (see issue 23 for explanation) and their new 'Balti Beer' - thankfully this refers to the food it's designed to accompany, not the ingredients.  Then you notice that Aston Manor acquired the Highgate Brewing Company - which finally provides the link you want!
The old Ale has a dense brown-black colour and a creamy, lingering head.  There is a sweetish aroma of caramel and malt and the first taste reveals the warmth of the alcohol. This is followed by a taste which is dry, slightly astringent even, and at the same time rich, slightly burnt, with hints of licorice, and a lingering dry aftertaste.  That rather confused description tells you it's quite complex.  Trying it on a hot day made us think that it could actually cope with some chilling, as the taste would still come through.  Brewed since 1898 to the original Victorian recipe, it made it to SIBA champion in 2004, and we gave it 3.5 ticks.
 
e) The Bishop's Tipple (6.5%in bottle, 5.5% draught - bottled version tasted) from Wadworth of Devizes, Wilts www.wadworth.co.uk  This has a clear golden brown body under a white head.  There is an intriguing aroma from the mix of Saaz and Styrian Golding hops which give it both floral and fruity notes.  The mouthfeel is slightly oily, and there is good flavour from the hops, but it is complex and subtle, giving an almost peachy impression.  The bitterness is there, but in a refined fashion, it's not 'in your face'.  The aftertaste is dry with a lingering fruitiness.  The label tells that it was first brewed to commemorate the inauguration of George Reindorp as Bishop of Salisbury (which happened in 1973 according to a Google search, although the stronger, bottled version was only re-launched a year or so ago).  It has a suitable ecclesiastical design, looking like a stained glass window, with a chalice and the text: "rejoice and enjoy the fruits of our labour, and be thankful that the earth provides".  So we accordingly rejoiced, definitely enjoyed, and thankfully awarded it 3.5 ticks, nudging on 4.

 

From Issue 24 (July 06)

1) Beers of Portugal (Lisbon, actually!) 
Before we wing our way across the Atlantic I'm planning to get the web page about Lisbon finished.  Give it a day or so, then all being well you should find some new info on the website at www.simpson.uk.com/beers/RestOfWorld/Portugal.htm
 
2) Ale Trail
Brighton and South Downs CAMRA are running an Ale Trail again this year.  You start by picking up a Passport, then getting it stamped when you have a pint of real ale in any of the 40 participating pubs.  You have until the end of September to collect stamps, and prizes such as T-shirts etc are awarded for various 'scores'.  There's a parallel 'trail' for those who prefer cider.  Full details are on www.brightoncamra.org.uk/AleTrail.html  Apart from the appeal of glittering prizes (?), and the satisfaction of 'ticking' which appeals to a lot of beer festival attendees, it's a very good way of encouraging you to make the effort to try some of the pubs which are off your normal beaten track.  Thanks to the trail, we have already discovered some locations new to us . . .
 
3) Beers in Brighton
With the aid of our friend, Debi, who is a resident of, and knowledgeable about, the megalopolis of Brighton, we took in some Brighton pubs last week.  We started with the Lord Nelson at 36 Trafalgar Street  www.thelordnelsoninn.co.uk - good Harveys, friendly staff and very good food - and Debi then asked us if we'd seen the nearby beer shop.  As we hadn't, we went a few steps further down Trafalgar Street, where she introduced us to Trafalgar Wines. 

This little gem, run by a fellow Midlander, sells wines, as you might expect, but we paid them little heed, our attention being grabbed by the range of UK and world beers which covers the left hand wall.  The owner, Steve Foster, has no website and relies on word-of-mouth advertising only.  He is obviously very interested in his subject and has managed to source a lot of unusual brews - we found beers there which even the vast warehouse of 'Beers of Europe', our usual online supplier, does not stock.  As we were travelling by a mixture of train and foot we were limited in what we could carry home, but we picked out half a dozen interesting specimens, of which more anon.  If visiting Brighton, you'll find Trafalgar Wines at 23 Trafalgar Street, which runs down from the station.  You can contact Steve by phone on 01273 683 325.

Next we made good a long-standing omission.  We have enjoyed Dark Star beers at many beer festivals, been thrilled when they opened a new brewery tap in Shoreham (the Duke of Wellington) but had never visited the fountain head, the pub where it all started - the Evening Star www.eveningstarbrighton.co.uk/ at 55-56 Surrey Street, again handy for the station.  I won't give a long review here - suffice to say this is the mecca for real ale lovers in Sussex and it does not disappoint.  Sitting outside with a pint of Oatmeal stout - such bliss that the occasional sunshowers couldn't put a damper on it!

Having already done a lot of hard research work, and gained two stamps on our passport, we were all set to head for the train home, when Debi mentioned her local - conveniently close to the station, continuing the Nelsonian theme as it's called the Battle of Trafalgar, another fine Harveys pub, and it would give us another stamp on our Ale Trail passport - how could we miss it?  It can be found at 34 Guildford Road, which is a steep little hill just north of the station.  Having climbed to the pub, you feel justified in relaxing with your beer (Harveys and guest ales) in their pleasant little garden.  Although it has several good reviews on beer websites it doesn't seem to have its own webpage yet, but you can contact the pub on 01273 327997 

We were well pleased with the results of our miniature pub crawl, all within a few hundred yards of the station, and with another 9 Ale Trail destinations in the city it won't be long before we return to Brighton for more research.
 
4) Another Heaven on Earth?
A work commitment took us to Lindfield, which just happens to be the location of the Stand Up Inn, the third of the Dark Star's brewery taps, and one  which we had not previously visited. (No website, but info on the Evening Star website above.)   As we had an urgent need to call in there for a stamp on our Ale Trail Passports, we managed to combine business with pleasure. 
Picture the scene:  A summer's day, the sun slants in through the open front and back doors.  Outside it's hot, but the bar interior, with its tiled floor and clean pale decor feels delightfully cool.  Lean back and look at the old wooden beams crossing the ceiling.  You have just been served by the pleasant and helpful staff.  Look down at the scrubbed pine table, contemplate the luscious pint of Dark Star Original sitting there, and inhale the aroma of the beer, and also of the sausage and fried onion roll on the plate next to it - a perfect pairing of food and drink.  Forget your gourmet restaurants, it doesn't get better than this!
 
5) More tastings
We couldn't resist starting fairly quickly on the specimens we brought back from the Brighton beer specialist, Trafalgar Wines, (see above) and in view of the warm weather two German beers seemed a good place to begin.  Both are brewed according to the German Purity Law, the Reinheitsgebot, which has proved a mixed blessing for the German beer industry, but these brewers still produce competent products.  I had heard about, but never before tried, Jever Pilsener 4.9% www.jever.de This Friesian brewery is known for its use of hops, giving a sharpish taste and a long dry finish.  The appearance is impressive - a clear, pale gold body under a dense white head - and the hops and malt come through clearly in the aroma.  The lingering bitterness is the dominant impression, perhaps not overly subtle, but it does a good job in producing a refreshing brew which is more distinctive than most German pilsners.  Checking out the website for this brewer I was intrigued to find that they sell jars of spread called the 'Brewer's Breakfast'.  It contains 63% Jever Pilsener, so they have to label the finished product as 2% ABV - it might give a more interesting start to the day than Marmite on your toast!

Next we tried the Hefeweisse 5.5% from Hacker-Pschorr www.hacker-pschorr.de - a dense abundant white head and a cloudy orange-amber body, with the typical floral, wheaty aroma of a Hefeweisse.  The taste encompasses wheat, fruit and hints of ginger.  It is refreshing with a light prickle on the palate and a pleasant fruity aftertaste. 
We tried both German beers unchilled, and felt that some of the more subtle flavours would be lost if they were subjected to the heavy chilling common in Germany. 
Then we moved on to some UK offerings, including some from our cellar which were sourced from Beers of Europe.
a) Stoodley Stout 4.8% from the Little Valley Brewery near Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire - website www.littlevalleybrewery.co.uk   Among the UK range at Trafalgar Wines.  The word 'Organic' appears on the label and reflects the concern of the owner and master-brewer (who is Dutch-born and Bavarian-qualified) to use environmentally sound methods and natural ingredients in the production of his range of English and Continental style beers.  Here the ingredients contain chocolate malt with oats and wheat.  This is a bottle-conditioned stout of dense, dark mahogany hue, which pours with a light brown head.  There are pleasant aromas of coffee and burnt toast.  The mouthfeel is full, slightly oily, and the flavours include burnt toast and liquorice with a good bitterness in the lingering complex after-taste.  Definitely worth 3.5 ticks and we would be interested to see some of the other beers from this brewery.
 
b) RW Randall 'Cynful' 3.5% a mild from Guernsey, website www.itsnotacyn.com A dark red-brown body and a big pale brown head, stout-like aromas of toast with caramel and a taste which had a hint of sweetness - if it were a sherry you'd call it medium dry - and toasty flavours leading to a dry finish.   Perhaps some of the write-ups ('a living gem'), and the presentation, made us expect too much.  We could only it 3 ticks, as a competent beer, but not as outstanding (at least in this bottled version) as we had been led to believe.
 
c) 'Two Water Grog 4.0% from the Broadstone Brewing Co Ltd of Retford Notts. They purport to have a website at www.broadstonebrewery.com  but the address currently leads to a holding page by a domain name seller.  The label description say " Complex and malty ale.  Blend of 4 different malts, which gives a full-bodied taste, and the Bramling hops leave a long dry finish".  It also relates the background story, that this beer is only available on draught from the brewery tap, the Rum Runner Bar in Retford, and the name is taken from the diluted tots given to sailors, made of 2 parts water, one part rum.  It displays a pale cream head over a dark amber body.  The aroma seems slightly sweet, the body is smooth, and there is a good bitterness in the flavour.  It is a competent bitter, deserving 3 ticks, but does not really match the big build up.
 
d) Strong Stout (Christmas 2005) 7.0% from the Craftsman Brewery of Wretton Norfolk. Get out your hankies folks, this is a really sad story!  We got some of this 'bottle conditioned strong stout made with 5 malts and 2 hop varieties' from Beers of Europe, and got around to trying it today.  It had a solid black body with a full pale brown head.  The aroma started off with digestive biscuits, it had a good full body, with a slightly prickly mouthfeel and the first thing we noticed was the pleasant warmth of the alcohol.  This was followed by flavours of toast, liquorice, malt, hints of peardrops, not too bitter, with a nice slightly smoky aftertaste.  It was complex, satisfying and robust enough to accompany foods with strongish tastes - sausages, roasts, casseroles, in fact any warm winter food, although we enjoyed it in the summer.  It was voted an instant 4 ticks. 

Now for the hankies . . .  When looking for brewery websites a reliable source is www.quaffale.org.uk and there I found that the entry for Craftsman Brewery was headed 'Closed'!  Reading on to the history of the brewery I found "Opened September 2005, it was a partnership with Wissey Valley. It was using equipment from Wissey Valley Brewery and brewing at the Clover Social Club, Low Road, Wretton, King's Lynn. The brewery ceased to exist in February 2006, when the partnership split and it reverted to Wissey Valley." 
We find ourselves wondering what human dramas lie behind this zythological tragedy.  The ancient samurai compared their lives to that of the cherry blossoms which bloom gloriously for a short while and then are gone; so too did the Craftsman Brewery arise, produced this delectable stout, and then was no more! 

With a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye, I checked out the Wissey Valley website www.wisseyvalleybrewery.com  where its Potted History page informs us that the brewer's career started in 1999 and the article ends with the words 'And so the Wissey Valley Brewery, craft brewers of ales, milds, porters and stouts was formed and opened in July 2003.'  The website was updated in May 2006, and it looks as though any mention of Craftsman Brewery was wiped from the page.  What mysteries are here?  Like any good soap opera, there is scope for a follow up. . .  we see that Wissey's bottled range includes Khaki Sergeant 6.7% Strong Stout.  Does Craftsman's Strong Stout live on?   Watch for "Strong Stout 2 - The Sequel" coming soon to a webpage near you!
6)  Virtual Germany
A good way of getting a taste of Germany, which costs even less than Easyjet's cheap flights to Cologne, is to take a stroll to Sainsbury's where they are now stocking a good selection from the Meantime Brewery www.meantimebrewing.com although they are marketed under Sainsbury's own 'Taste the Difference' label.  Sold in packs of 4 330ml bottles they have introduced a very interesting range.  My attention was first drawn to them when I was trying to find some Vienna Red, the original style of lager, for a German beer tasting.  It seems that once the Germans discovered (from the Czechs) how to make golden lager, they abandoned the original, and I have not been able to find any specimens produced in Germany.  Australia and USA both produce versions, but I was pleased to find a home-grown version from Meantime, and it went down very well at the tasting. 
Subsequently we tried a very creditable Bavarian-style wheatbeer from Meantime, and their latest effort is a Kölsch, although they're not allowed to call it that, as the name is restricted to breweries in Cologne.  So it goes by the rather cumbersome name of 'Cologne-style lager' (5%) - and says that they use 'a special recipe from Cologne'.  This raises a number of interesting questions since a Kölsch may look like a lager (bottom-fermented) but is actually a top-fermented ale.  We should be told - so I've contacted the brewery and await their reply with interest. 
Update - I subsequently got a reply from the head brewer confessing that it was top-fermented as any authentic Kölsch should be and therefore was technically an ale not a lager - but they thought the British market might not understand!
Technical aspects aside the label says it displays 'fresh, fruity hop and light malt flavours', and we agree completely.  Bearing in mind that it took us two visits to Cologne to find out where all the good Kölsch was hiding, it's nice to know that you can get something which is up there with the best of Cologne from a supermarket near you.

From Issue 23 (June 06 supplement)

We're off shortly to check out the cervejarias of Lisbon (and may also look into the Port Institute as light relief from all that work - that's port as in alcoholic beverage and not as in harbour!)  In order to keep your minds on the important things of life we've done some arduous tasting sessions, of which the results are below, to inspire you to some serious studies over the summer.
 
1) Visit Germany (virtually) 
No, this isn't about football!  Just to let you know I've made some progress with the German areas of the website.  Most of the new stuff starts with 
http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Germany/GotoGermany.htm  and there's an intro to the delights of Cologne at http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Germany/Cologne.htm  Reviewing what I'd written, I realised I'd become quite fond of the city, and in particular the culture of the Kölsch bars and the quirky waiters (called Köbes) which are such a feature of them - read more on http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Germany/Koebes.htm
 
4) More fine beers to try
While working through the miscellany we recently ordered from www.beersofeurope.co.uk/ we came across the following:
a) Alcazar Gaoler's Ale 7.5% website www.alcazarbrewery.co.uk/ This is an old ale with a clear dark red-brown appearance.  The light brown head is fairly shortlived but the aroma is complex: 'yeasty, jammy, fruitcake' were some of the words that came to mind.  The flavour is smoky, slightly sweet, fruity, and the warmth of the alcohol is quite evident.  Although some of the famous Belgian after-dinner beers are stronger, this one could hold its head up in the company of those classics.  It does very well as a digestif, as a nightcap, or an accompaniment to cheese.  We had no hesitation in awarding it 4 ticks, and will be including it in our next order, along with other products from this brewery.  (They do an 8% Imperial stout which sounds worth a try!)
 
b) Arkells Bees 4.5% website www.arkells.com This is supposed to be Arkells first Organic Ale, launched 2001, and (they say) 'recently voted Organic Ale of the Year'.  They stress it's made with organically grown malted barley, hops, and includes organically produced honey - and no doubt brewed by an organic brewer used a mash tun made only from wood from sustainable forests etc etc . . .  No, shouldn't mock, especially as it's not a bad drink.  Supplied in a clear (recycled??) glass bottle, which is perhaps not so good for protection against UV, but allows the golden colour to show to advantage.  The finishing touch is added to the appearance by having a black foil cover to conceal the crown cap - wine bottle style.  It pours with a dense white head, which dissipates fairly quickly.  The organic honey which has been added is very pronounced in the aroma and although obvious in the flavour it is nicely balanced with hop bitterness, to give a light refreshing effect.  We thought it worth 3.5 ticks as a good summer beverage.
 
c) Arkells 3B 5.0% Another from Arkells, with a cryptic name which stands for 'Best Bitter Beer' (or as some would have it 'Big Boys' Beer' - although Jeannette liked it a lot too!)  It comes in a clear glass bottle, which looks elegant and is obviously positioned as premium beer since the bottle contains only 330ml.  The body colour is dark amber and it pours with a creamy white head.  Sweet malt is clear in the aroma.  The taste is complex, smooth and distinctive - malty, slightly sweet, with hints of vanilla, and a dry finish.  It reminded us of Innis & Gunn, which is aged in oak whisky barrels and also comes in clear 330ml bottles, although I & G is stronger at 6.6%.  (I & G was reviewed in May 05, and is on the website at www.simpson.uk.com/beers/RecentDiscoveries.htm It's currently on promotion at Waitrose so our cupboard has been replenished.) Like I & G, 3B is a beer to be savoured slowly, but at the same time is better for those who want less alcohol per glass.  We awarded it 4 ticks.
 
d) Greene King Strong Suffolk Vintage Ale 6.0% website www.greeneking.co.uk   The brewer's website modestly says" Strong Suffolk Vintage Ale is unique and unrivalled in this country."  It goes on to explain" It's a blend of two ales: Old 5X , which is brewed to the maximum strength possible (around 12% abv) and left to mature in 100-barrel oak vats for a minimum of two years, and BPA, a dark, full-bodied freshly brewed beer which is added just before bottling."  They conclude "The result is a unique beer – strong (6% abv), dark, fruity, oaky and very, very special!" - so what did we think?  It pours with a shortlived pale brown head over a dark ruby body.  The aroma is spicy and fruity.  It is full-bodied, with hints of caramel and burnt toffee, and high notes of vanilla from the oak-aged component.  The aftertaste showed some bitterness and we were well aware of the warm glow from the alcohol content.  It was definitely enjoyable, so why were we left with a feeling that something was missing to make it match up with the hype?  It may be that it suffered by following the Arkell's 3B - by comparison this Vintage Ale showed less complexity, but was still worth 3.5 ticks.  Can't help wondering what the Old 5X 12% might be like if it were sold unadulterated . . .

e) Now pay attention at the back, and no sniggering Wallace minor, because we're going to talk about Piddle in the Hole 4.0% , one of the regular products from the Wyre Piddle Brewery - website www.pub-explorer.com/realale/wyrepiddlebrewery.htm  And first we must be clear that the name comes from Puddle - although the pump clip used when this beer is produced in cask form shows someone doing something they shouldn't into a hole on a golf course.  The brewery, actually located on a farm near Pershore, gets its name from a children's rhyme which was popular in the area around Wyre Piddle village: 

Upton Snodsbury, Peopleton and Crowle,

Wyre Piddle, North Piddle

And Piddle in the Hole

Some of W P brewery's output is sent to the Aston Manor Brewery in Birmingham, who do the bottling for them - which is how we were able to get a sample to try.  The dark bottle has a label showing a rowing boat which has sprung a leak - it doesn't equate to the name as well as the pump clip but is probably more acceptable for the retail trade. 
With all those gimmicks you might have some misgivings about the beer, but it's not at all bad - in fact it's very nice.  The body is a clear deep gold with an abundant dense white head.  The aroma is vinous and fruity, and these elements are even more pronounced in the flavour, with a hint of sweetness.  In the mouth it is full-bodied and satisfying, with a lingering bitterness in the aftertaste.  We thought it deserved 4 ticks.  Can't wait until it arrives down here on draught - "Landlord, another pint of Piddle if you please"!
 
f) Sneck Lifter 5.1% from Jennings www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk/ a brewery based in Cockermouth, Cumbria.  This strong bitter is currently available through Waitrose and we felt it was more interesting than the same brewery's Cumberland Ale 4.2%, which can also be found in Waitrose.  Sneck Lifter has a dark mahogany body, with a huge pale brown head.  There is burnt toast in both the aroma and the flavour, with well balanced hop bitterness and a dry aftertaste.  It is an interesting and complex beer, to be savoured slowly - definitely not a session beer!  We gave it 3.5 ticks. 
And now, what you've really been waiting to hear - where did they get that name?  The answer is on the label, in the small illustration of an 1828 6d (six penny coin - you don't know what that is? - all you post-decimalisation pupils stay behind for extra tuition after class!)  As you all know (?) 'sneck' is Cumbrian dialect for a door latch, so a sneck lifter was a poor man's last 6d which enabled him to lift the latch of the pub door and buy himself a pint, hoping that some kind friend would buy him the next one!  (A pint for 2.5p - read this and weep!)
 
g) Humdinger 4.1% from Joseph Holt of Manchester www.joseph-holt.com/    The brewers give us 'hum' in the name as they obviously couldn't think up a title with 'buzz' in it, but just in case you haven't got the point, the label is largely taken up with a picture of a beehive - and there's a scroll proclaiming the honey too.  The website proudly announces that this was "Winner of the Tesco Beer Challenge 2004."  It also informs us that it is "brewed with a combination of quality English malt, Mexican Aroma Honey and Citrus flavoured Traditional Whole Hops. Provides a rounded, tongue-tingling taste with an exciting aroma" - and to be fair, we'd agree with that.  The honey is very clear in the aroma and in the taste, where the sharpness of the lemony hops offsets it nicely, making it refreshing and not at all sweet.  Definitely worth 3.5 ticks.
 
h) Melton Red 4.3% from the Belvoir Brewery of Melton Mowbray, who as at June 2006 seem to have registered the domain name www.belvoirbrewery.co.uk/ - but not actually created a website yet!  Watch that space.  In spite of the name, the body colour is more of an orange brown, with a small creamy head.  The aroma has caramel, malt, citrus (grapefruit?) and the taste is sweetish, with caramel overlaid by hoppy top notes, then a long dry finish.  It was interesting enough to be worth 3.5 ticks. 
We always like a label with a bit of interest to it and this one does not disappoint.  In Melton Mowbray, on 6 April 1837 after the Croxton Park races, the Marquis of Waterford and a large group of his friends decided to paint the town red - literally!  And there's a nice picture of these aristocratic vandals at work - bet they didn't get 30 hours community service for their prank!
We didn't have a Melton Mowbray pork pie on hand to try with the beer, but the bitter finish would be effective in cutting through the richness of fatty foods, so it might be a good combination.
 
i) Moonlight 5.0% Yet another from Arkells.  This time the bottle carries a blue-tinted photograph of a WWII Lysander aircraft, with the caption 'He landed by moonlight' - what's it all about?  But first, the beer.  A golden brown body, with a good white head, and clear malt and hops in the aroma.  The mouthfeel is slightly oily, with substantial malt and hop flavours, and a hint of caramel in the dry aftertaste.  A very pleasing competent bitter, and well worth 3.5 ticks.  Now back to the plane. 
Anyone remember a series called 'Moonstrike' on black & white TV?  No?  As I thought, you're all too young!  It was a series about the RAF Special Ops squadron who flew missions into occupied France to support the Resistance.  Lysanders were used because they could fly slowly and land in fields at night, so the pilots had to be exceptional fliers and risked being shot as spies if captured.  Peter Arkell OBE, whose picture in RAF uniform is on the back label, had a distinguished career in the RAF and was in the Special Duties Squadron from 1940-1945.  'Moonlight' was brewed to celebrate his 80th birthday.  If they keep on brewing beers as good as this for his parties we hope he'll have many happy returns.
 
j) Rolling Hitch 5.2% is an IPA from the Darwin Brewery http://www.darwinbrewery.com  No, it's not an import from Oz, this brewery is based in Sunderland!  The label carries a picture of a sailing ship and of course all you jolly tars (or weekend yachtsmen) will know that a rolling hitch is a nautical not (or should that be knautical knot?)  The associations in the name pay homage to the origins of the beer style. 
IPA stands for India Pale Ale and comes from the days of the Honourable East India Company, whose captains would turn a personal profit by taking out a few home comforts to the expatriates who were administering the then colony.  Among these was beer, and a favourite was 'October beer' - a strong, pale, well hopped stock beer brewed in the autumn.  It was recommended in the 1760's that it should be kept 12 months before bottling, and a further year before drinking - thus it was two years old before it was ready to drink.  As luck would have it, this was the ideal beer to spend a long 4-6 months sea journey to India.  The slow, regular temperature changes it went through and the rocking it received in its oak casks on the voyage had a magical maturing effect, so that on arrival it was as mature as a brew which had spent six times as long in an English cellar.  It was extremely popular and quickly became a widely established style.
So, if the label shows that the brewers know a bit about beer history you begin to suspect that they might have academic qualifications - and you'd be right!  Darwin Brewery, established in 1994,  is owned by three micro-biologists who hail from Brewlab at the University of Sunderland.  Not only is the latter organisation respected for its research work, it provides the authorised Tasting Kits to CAMRA - and is famous for its courses which teach all the essential arts associated with brewing.  (Anyone who is contemplating a career change, or dreams of spending their life in a brewery, should surf to www.brewlab.co.uk and sign up right away!)
Nice story, what about the beer?  A lovely clear amber colour and a h-u-g-e white head.    The brewers are probably thinking of selling to that other former colony, because they use Amarillo hops to make it a 'US style IPA' - sounds like some confusion between historical links and pressures of marketing creeping in there, chaps!  Nevertheless it does have a beautiful hoppy aroma.  The taste has malt and hops with what the brewer says is citrus fruit, but we felt was closer to autumn fruits - who's quibbling, it's still tastes very good!  It finishes clean and dry.  We awarded it 3.5 ticks, though could have wavered towards a 4.

From Issue 22 (June 06)

1) What's going on in Germany? 
No, we're not talking about those people currently kicking balls round a field - this newsletter is about beer!  Although on our recent visit to Cologne and Düsseldorf the amount of hysterical coverage of the WM (WeltMeisterschaft = World Championship) had to be seen to be believed.  The vast roof of Cologne station has been turned into a 21st century version of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, but with footballers as the new divinities - ah well, to each their own.  Our own pilgrimage was in search of the Holy Grail of the best Kölsch and Alt beers of the region, and we didn't need any dubious da Vinci codes to find them - although we did get some useful tips from Paul Allison http://www.netleyabbeytartanarmy.net/trav_ger.htm#koeln and Ron Pattinson http://www.europeanbeerguide.net , as well as the recent CAMRA 'Good Beer Guide to Germany'.  Notes on this German beerscursion (and earlier ones) will be appearing on the website as soon as we can get them there.  If you start from the updated page on Going to Germany http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Germany/GotoGermany.htm and follow the links you'll see which pages are complete.  We'll keep you posted via this newsletter as more is added.
 
2) Developments at St Sixtus Abbey
Since the media hysteria which declared the Westvleteren beers 'best in the world' the monks of St Sixtus, who refuse to bow to commercial pressures and compromise quality by increasing production, have been suffering huge queues (over 6 hours wait is normal) and the inhabitants of the area have had lines of cars kilometres long blocking their narrow country lanes.  So they have decided to try to regulate the system.  Here's a couple of notes from the Belgian beer discussion group about the likely form of the arrangements which will come into force in September:

Subject: Big Westvleteren news

VRT teletext reported that the monks are going to change their selling method. People will only be able to buy beer at the monastery gate if they have reserved in advance. By doing this the monks want to deal with the long queues. When reserving by phone, buyers will be given a number, without which you will not be able to buy beer.

Subject: Westvleteren - more details

In a Belgian newspaper some more details about the new sales method were disclosed.  The new method will start on September 25. When calling to reserve your beer, you will be asked your name and your car's licence plate number. According to the article the monks would like to give more people a chance to buy some of their beer. Reading between the lines, makes me
believe that their will definitely be a set a limit to the amount of crates you will be able to buy.
 
So, if you're driving to Flanders in the autumn, and want to come back with a boot full of the monks' elixir, keep an eye on the abbey's website - go to http://www.sintsixtus.be/eng/index2.html choose the link to 'Brewery', where you'll find the 'Beer Line' phone number and information about the procedures.  We'll also put information in the newsletter as we receive it.

 
3) Off the beaten track
We recently indulged ourselves with a hefty order to Beers of Europe  www.beersofeurope.co.uk/  Although they are our preferred supplier for Belgian, German and World beers, we have not previously exploited their extensive UK selection.  So we ran riot through their website, indulging our spirit of scientific curiosity by picking out beers we'd never encountered before (as well as stocking up on some interesting ciders, for when we feel like a change).  We'll report from time to time as we work our way through our newly extended stock, but here's a couple for starters:
a) is for the Alcazar brewery, based in Nottingham, with the rather verbose web address of http://www.sherwoodforestbrewingcompany.co.uk/ to make sure you know they are "on the edge of old Sherwood Forest in the shadow of Nottingham castle".  No prizes for guessing that they plug the Robin Hood connection for all it's worth!  They also provide a rather imaginative definition of the word 'ale' - I prefer the more likely explanations of the Saxon source given in the authoritative tome: Beer, the Story of the Pint by Martin Cornell.  (An excellent reference book - for details see http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Books.htm#UK )  So the first one we tried was Maidens Magic 5.0% The brewery says "This is a smooth, lightly hopped and aromatic English-style brown ale, pleasantly malty with a hint of honey in aroma and taste. It perfectly complements light seafood dishes, mild cheese dishes, vegetable dishes and salads."  Our notes record that it has a lasting, light brown head on a red-brown body.  The aroma is very full, with the malt and honey coming through clearly, with hints of smoke and woodiness, but we didn't notice much hop aroma.  There is a trace of hops in the flavour but again it's the malt and honey which hits you, making you think of mead.  They seem to have got the balance just right - the background hops prevent it from being sweet, and if there were more honey it would make the flavour too pronounced.  As it stands it is a very pleasant and interesting drink with a difference, but you need to choose the right occasion for it.  We took the brewer's advice and had it as an accompaniment to a salad, and it worked very well, so we gave it 3.5 ticks.
 
b) is for a brewery on the Isle of Man, from where our next interesting specimen comes.  It is a wheat beer and the label says it is brewed at Okells Falcon brewery in accordance with the Manx Beer Purity Law dating from 1874.  This made me rather wary at first, since I, and others, have discoursed at length about the problems created by the German Purity Laws, but all is explained on their website http://www.okells.co.uk  Fortunately it seems that Tynwald is less rigid than the German government, because they amended the law in 1998 to give more flexibilty in lager making, but the full might of the law still applies to top-fermented ales, as follows:
No brewer shall use in the brewing, making, mixing with, recovering or colouring, any beer, or any liquid made to resemble beer, or have in his possession any copperas, Coculus Indicus, nux vomica, grains of paradise, Guinea pepper or opium, or any article, ingredient, or preparation whatever, for, or as a substitute for, malt or sugar or hops
Now I don't know about you, but I'm quite happy that a brewer should be restrained from adding any opium or grains of paradise to my pint.  The only thing which I'm now worrying about is whether English brewers, without such controls, are slipping a bit of nux vomica into their ales - certainly the Saturday night scenes in the High Streets of this country might make you think so!!!  (Just checked it out on a 'herbals' website http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/n/nuxvom08.html which tells me nux vomica has the same characteristics as strychnine - what were they doing in the IoM prior to 1874 to need such controls?)
 
After that little excursion into horror, it's a relief to report that the beer concerned was excellent, well worth seeking out, and we awarded it 4 ticks.  Here are the full notes:
 
Okell's Mac Lir 4.4% We start with a dark, elegant looking bottle.  The colours on the label are restrained greys and greens, with a Celtic style typeface in white, and between the words Mac and Lir appears a small version of the three-legged symbol of the IoM.  The background illustration is a Druidic head with flowing locks and long beard, totally appropriate since (as you know???) Mac Lir was a mystic warrior and wizard from the island's legendary past.  It pours a clear amber-gold, with a big white head.  There are hops in the aroma and a good hop bitterness in the taste.  A hint of sweetness takes the edge off the bitterness, leaving an excellent flavour without being too 'in your face'.  The mouthfeel is slightly oily, and the finish is dry and refreshing, tickling the tastebuds, so it is an excellent prelude, or accompaniment to food.  The reason for the hop aroma and flavour become clear when you see the brewer's tasting notes, which explain that they use  "a veritable oast house full of little green plants: Pride of Ringwood from New Zealand, Cascade and Cluster from the US, Saaz from the Czech Republic, Styrian Goldings from Slovenia, and First Gold and Goldings from England."  This is in total contrast to Belgian and German wheat beers, where the hops are normally applied with a very light touch.  So the result is a very distinctive brew, full of interest and character.  If you come to it expecting a Belgian wheat beer, you'll be disappointed, but accept it on its own terms and it's a very worthwhile drinking experience, which we can't wait to try again.
4) Further research
One of the great things about an interest in beer is that it can lead you down all sorts of interesting byways.  Having written the above article I searched a bit further on the ingredients forbidden to Manx brewers and found out that grains of Paradise are the same things as Guinea seeds, a kind of spice which is a cross between pepper, ginger, and cardamom in flavour, although it is not actually related to them.  Copperas is a name for ferrous sulphate crystals, used extensively in preparing drinking water and treating effluent - not too sure about having that one in my beer!
 
Unfortunately some further reading, following up the delightful story of the ale conners who wore leather breeches so they could sit in a puddle of ale to check it's consistency, found that it is just a story, albeit widely perpetuated (by the owners of the Leatherbritches brewery among others!).   In Martyn Cornell's authoritative book "Beer, the story of the pint", he devotes over a page of solid information to exploding this myth - number 19 of 39 myths making up a chapter which he calls 'A short and entirely wrong history of beer'.  Ah well, another illusion shattered!
 
5) Beer is healthy - official!
The June issue of the magazine of the Guild of Beer writers includes a report by Guy Thornton on the 4th Beer and Health Symposium held in Brussels at the beginning of May.  It contains nothing but good news!  Silicon found in beer can help strengthen bones, while ethanol inhibits certain hormones which can lead to weakening of bones and cause osteoporosis - altogether, the beneficial effects are greater than those of calcium.  (Remember the old slogan 'Drinka pinta milka day'?  Seems like they had the right idea but the wrong beverage!)  Moderate beer consumption also helps protect against coronary heart disease. 

So what's the catch?  How about the famous stereotype of the beer drinker's belly?  Not so - apparently, glass for glass, beer has fewer calories than apple juice or milk.  But then how do they explain those prominent profiles seen at so many beer festivals?  "The beer belly is the result of associated factors such as continual snacking, unhealthy eating and lack of exercise."  The moral is to spend more on beer and less on crisps - and you could get more exercise if you keep getting up to buy the next round . . .
 
6) More news from the supermarkets
I was intrigued to learn from a recent article (though I can't remember where I saw it!) that a company was bringing to the UK beers from Corsica, and that they were due to appear in Waitrose.  This required investigating, and sure enough, the Worthing Waitrose had the two new varieties on its shelves.  So we felt duty bound to bring samples home for testing.
a) Colomba bière blanche 5%  [Why the French?  Of course you knew that Corsica was a French province and the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, didn't you?]  This is allegedly "made from Maquis, the wild flowers and herbs of the Corsican forest".  ['Allo, 'Allo - I thought the Maquis was the name for the French Resistance!]  Well, it pours with a pale cloudy yellow body and a good white head.  The aroma is fresh, floral and wheaty.  First impressions are of the prickly mouthfeel, then the taste emerges as you swallow.  There are hints of vanilla and lemon zest.  Chilled, on a hot day, it's very refreshing.  [Yes, we tried it during the English summer - you know, last Saturday!]  Bearing in mind that Inbev is going all out to dumb down and kill off the classic Belgian Hoegaaden wheat beer, this makes an easily accessible substitute, although it doesn't have the character or complexity to put it in the same class as Belgian wheat beers such as St Bernardus witbier
 
b) Pietra bière ambrée 6% Having ingested the herbs and flowers of the forest, we then started on the trees - this one is allegedly made with chestnuts in the malt, and it announces the fact in several languages on the label to make sure you notice.  It's a clear amber beer (just as the name says) and has a shortlived white head.  The aroma is malty with hints of woody vegetation.  Like its stablemate, the initial impression is of the prickly mouthfeel, but it settles down to a malty taste with woody notes and a lingering bitterness.  It's refreshing, and displays a distinctive character.
So the supermarkets continue to make shopping an interesting experience, and we'd recommend you try a couple of bottles of these newcomers if you're looking for some novelty in the contents of your cellar.

 

From Issue 21 (May 06)

2) German Beers - Part 2

With impeccable timing, CAMRA has chosen 17 May (just before our German beer tasting course!) to launch their Good Beer Guide to Germany, and kindly arranged for me to get an advance copy.  I've already perused it from cover to cover and can sum up in one short sentence:
                    If you have even the slightest interest in the beers of Germany YOU MUST GET THIS BOOK! 
 

For those who'd like a little more information here's the full review:

The author, Steve Thomas, has spent four years in assembling the data for the book, which is good going, considering that it includes details of 1257 breweries,  together with over 7750 beers which they produce.  Given the size of the project, it is understandable that it can't be compared directly with the GBG's for Britain or Belgium. It can't include tasting notes on each of those beers or details of every bar in Germany - if it did, you'd be looking at a publication similar in size to the Encyclopaedia Britannica! 

But what it does have is well-written sections full of tips on getting there, carnivals, pub etiquette (Don't sit at the Stammtisch!!!), beer gardens, Oktoberfest, Reinheitsgebot, suggested 'top 5' lists of breweries, beers, brewpubs etc, and an excellent 'phrase-book' appendix, aimed specifically at the needs of the visiting beer - and food - fan. (If you can't tell your Radler from your Rosenkohl you definitely need this book!) 

The body of the book comprises the list of breweries, arranged by Bundesland (state) and town, and there are also location maps for the breweries, details of the 7 brewing corporations and their holdings (which now produce 70% of all beer in Germany between them), and useful indexes of places and beers and breweries.  I said it couldn't include all the bars in Germany - but it does have a very good pubs section which highlights interesting pubs in 12 major cities.  Perhaps my favourite chapter is the one which gives comprehensive notes on all the main beer styles, including a couple of obscure ones I hadn't heard of before.  Oh yes, the book is also beautifully printed and extensively illustrated in colour.  It costs £14.99 to CAMRA members and £16.99 to non-m