Dubbel

Brewery: The Ticketybrew Company

Supplier: Beer52

This brewery was set up in Greater Manchester not long ago in late 2012. This is one of their core range beers inspired by the Trappist Belgian beers, using a low quantity of hops and lots of dark candi syrup. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: A dark brown colour the turns maroon in the light. There is a thick tan head with an orange hue that thins but lasts for a while. 

Aroma: Dried apricots and the typical spicy Belgian esters, also hints of washing up liquid which is often found in Belgian styles.

Flavour: Quite a savoury note but still quite fruity, a bit like apricots and lamb in cous cous. This is followed by some burnt toast notes on the end.

Body: The bubbles are quite small but there is a bit too much carbonation.

Aftertaste: The flavours are continued in aftertaste, more of that savoury note I'm having a hard time identifying. Also, hints of metal start to develop with drinking.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, that savoury flavour is unique but it is overall a bit rough.

Price Range: Another of the monthly beer subscription at £14 (usually £24) for 8 beers, so approximately £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; Unusual and nice to try but I wouldn't get it again.

Food Pairings: Due to the complexity of the flavours I would pair it with a Moroccan style dish, probably one airing on one with more sauce.

Caterpillar

Brewery: BrewFist & Beer Here

Supplier: St Andrews Wine Company

A collaboration between the Italian brewery BrewFist and a Danish brewery Beer Here, but is brewed and bottled by BrewFist. This regular(?) pale ale is brewed using rye malt and NZ hops. Maybe a little out of date as its best before date was November 2013. I served this chilled.

Appearance: An opaque browny amber colour, with a medium, lasting, off-white head.

Aroma: Classic sweet hop resin nose but maybe with a bit more melon aromas.

Flavour: Not much on the front but then a the melon hops come through along with some apricot notes, backed with a solid orangy malt with hints of pepper.

Body: Decently thick but a bit too much fizz for me.

Aftertaste: A nice clinging bitterness in the back with very subtle bread/malt notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, nice display of the slightly different NZ hops with a really good supporting body; even with it being slightly out of date

Price Range: £3.20 for a 330ml bottle, worth the price and would get it again (although I would try getting it in Italy where you could pick it up a bit fresher).

Food Pairings: As it is Italian and the melon and stone fruit flavours shine through, I would pair this with a plate of Charcuterie.

Pale Trail

Brewery: Gypsy Inc.

Supplier: Luvians Bottle Shop - St Andrews

Went back up to St Andrews for a reunion and did some beer shopping at Luvians and St Andrews Wine Company. This is a collaboration brewery between Brewdog and Mikkeller, based in Denmark and brewed at Brewdog in Scotland; this is one of four planed to be released, and one of two already released. More than that I cannot tell you as there seems to be very little on it. The guy at the shop said that one of their aims was to make beers all at 4.7%, but I'm not sure if that is accurate. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Deep, clear amber colour with an thin and fading off-white head.

Aroma: Definitely peach and tropical fruit hops on the nose, with an underlying maltiness.

Flavour: Very light in malt flavour, with a back of flour-like hops (that's right, flour not flower), that give a passion-fruit like note. Hints of more roasted notes come through with drinking.

Body: Odd, not too light or heavy but an unusual mouthfeel, good carbonation though. 

Aftertaste: This leads into a flavour that I can only describe as like dough around Chinese sticky pork buns... 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, I'm making this sound a lot weirder than it is. It's interesting, but basically a hoppy pale ale with limited support from the malt body. Nice, but gets a bit lacking after some time.

Price Range: £2.40 for a 330ml bottle; good price, worth a try, but probably wouldn't get it again.

Food Pairings: Singapore noodles (or Hong Kong noodles if you are in Singapore); some Asian noodles basically would go well, especially some with a little heat.

3.1.6.

Brewery: Grain Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

This is a pale ale  regular of theirs and is made with lager malt and Amerillo hops. They say the name comes from a code that the brewers use that refers to the grade of stainless steel, why they chose this to name their beer I don't know. It says it has been chill filtered by the brewery and I served it slightly chilled (like they suggest).

Appearance: An incredibly crystal clear golden colour with a thick and long lasting airy white head. It also has a very champagne like stream of bubbles.

Aroma: A slightly sour version of that typical hoppy aroma, mixed with a hint of soap

Flavour: A slightly flavourless profile, hints of malt on the front and then hints of sherbet hops on the back

Body: Refreshing body with a bit of a back, too fizzy though, however, the bubbles are small so it is tolerable.

Aftertaste: This hop taste perpetuates into the aftertaste along with a weak underlying sour/bitter note. After some drinking there are some floury notes along with a little bit of an astringent taste.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, good, crisp, nice and not too common flavours and refreshing to drink, but nothing special.

Price Range: Another of the monthly beer subscription at £14 (usually £24) for 8 beers, so approximately £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; great price for a summer beach beer.

Food Pairings: Barbecued Mediterranean vegetables like Aubergine and Zucchini, or maybe Barbecued lettuce with mixed herbs.

Point Belgian White

Brewery: Stevens Point Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

The fifth oldest, privately owned, brewery in the USA with production in the UK (which is where this bottle is from). This is their year-round Witbier made with barley, wheat, and oats. Flavoured with Noble Hallertau and Saaz hops along with Curacao orange peel and coriander

Appearance: A cloudy, pale yellow (not gold) colour with a slightly thick white head that thins quickly

Aroma: A very typical but sweet Witbier nose, with corn, citrus and a floral note present.

Flavour: The corn notes are coming through, but not unpleasantly, with some spicy notes. However, they taste like they are watered down.

Body: Medium body with a solid finish, a bit too fizzy for me, but again that is just my preference. 

Aftertaste: That tangy spice of a witbier.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, its got good flavours but it tastes like a nice witbier watered down. Pleasantly drinkable, but that is it; like flavoured water.

Price Range: After my first Beer52 subscription I got a £10 off voucher, giving me 8 beers for £14 (usually £24), so that would make this approximately £1.75 for a 355ml bottle; good price, would get it if I was going to drink a lot.

Food Pairings: Some salty breaded white fish would go well, or even calamari.

Ebulum

Brewery: Williams Bros. Brewing Co.

Supplier: Beers of Europe

This is one of their historic ales and is an Elderberry Black Gruit, using Elderberries and Bog Myrtle. The recipe is from a 16th century record of domestic drinking, but the use of Elderberries in beer was introduced by the Welsh druids in the 9th century. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: Black with ruby tints, a thin brown head that disappears completely in a matter of seconds.

Aroma: Sherry and warm plums on the nose, with hints of roasted notes.

Flavour: Very savoury and a bit like Marmite, some roasted notes, but no fruit.

Body: Medium body, but quite thick at the front of the tongue. Decent carbonation

Aftertaste: Not much taste at the back, just a savoury and slightly salty feel.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, nice but it feels like it is missing one dimension of flavour. Would have been better if it was fruitier and sweeter.

Price Range: £1.59 for a 330ml bottle. Nice to try as it is a part of history but probably wouldn't get it again.

Food Pairings: Something gamey and heavy, like boar stew.

Camden Hells

Brewery: Camden Town Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

This is the London breweries Helles lager that they brew all year round, using Pilsner malt, and Perle & Hallertauer Tradition hops. They say that this beer combines the body of the Pilsner with the hops of the Helles, thus loosing the maltyness found in the Helles style. I served this straight out of the fridge.

Appearance: A crystal clear pale gold colour, with a thin and short lived white head.

Aroma: Just like sourdough bread, hints of that classic German spicy yeast.

Flavour: A very clean flavour, with some grain notes coming through. Hints of some cider notes.

Body: Light, refreshing, and perfectly carbonated

Aftertaste: A nice clean bitterness.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, but just. A very clean and refreshing beer but not much taste. It has its place, especially in summer, but is nothing special.

Price Range: The last of the monthly beer subscription at £19 (usually £24) for 8 beers, so approximately £2.40 for a 330ml bottle, a decent price, I could see myself buying this again but at a beer bar out in the sun.

Food Pairings: Salty, not too flavoursome bar snacks would be best fitting for this beer, but if you were picking a meal then a white fish would be best.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Brewery: Boston Beer Company

Supplier: Beers of Europe

Nowhere near September, but I thought I would try this none-the-less. This is the USA's biggest brewery's seasonal Märzen - brewed for the time around Oktoberfest in Munich (End of September), brewed with German Tettnang Tettnanger and Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: An orangy amber colour with an average off-white head that is not retained.

Aroma: A very sweet version of that spicy German yeast smell.

Flavour: A little bit of banana and then a huge wave of very sweet toffee, you don't get much else. With some drinking though it settles down a bit an you get more of a bread and raisin flavour coming through.

Body: Very solid and thick, carbonation was a bit sharp but that goes quite quickly.

Aftertaste: A bit more of the spicy hope note coupled with a mix of banana and toffee (a bit like a banoffee pie. Hints of pear drop.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, nice but a bit too sweet even for me.

Price Range: £2.09 for a 355ml bottle, a fair price for what it is, but probably wouldn't get it again

Food Pairings: This one is hard to pair, I think it is too sweet to be paired with a dessert, as they would merge in a negative way, but it is not fitting with much else. I'm thinking something salty would be best, maybe breaded chicken.

5 Barrel Pale Ale

Brewery: Odell Brewing Co.

Supplier: Beers of Europe

Named after their pilot system that this beer was developed on, which is comprised of 5 barrels. It is one of their classic pale ales and uses an infusion of fresh whole hop flowers. Their videos are also interesting and delightful so check them out. I served this straight from the fridge.

Appearance: Dark amber but with hints of gold, with a thin white heat that dissipates quickly.

Aroma: Biscuits, apricot, and grape juice.

Flavour: Grape juice but mixed with a sweet but subtle hop note, simple but good flavours

Body: Smooth but a bit too much of a sharp carbonation 

Aftertaste: A bit more of a hop resin like flavour, a little bit of a dryness on the back.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, would be an 8 if the carbonation wasn't as sharp. Very similar to their other beers, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The great thing about this beer is that the flavours don't die; however, it doesn't leave me wanting more than a bottle or two.

Price Range: £2.69 for a 355ml bottle, not a bad price for a good beer.

Food Pairings: Some glazed chicken leg meat, not in hot sauce of BBQ sauce, but more like a sweet lemon glazed drumstick.

Brugse Zot Dubbel

Brewery: De Halve Maan

Supplier: Gift from my sister and her husband

As it is April fools day I thought that this beer with Zot (meaning fool in Flemish) in the name would be perfect. From a brewery based in Bruges, this is a darker version of their "townbeer" - Brugse Zot. This beer uses 6 different types of malt and one type of hops - Saaz from Žatec in the Czech Republic. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: A darkish brown that turns to ruby in the light. A medium tan head that thins quickly but doesn't disappear.

Aroma: On the nose there is pepper, a hint of cloves, and a boozy peat smell like whiskey.

Flavour: Some round dried fruit notes finishing on a mix with roasted notes and spices, hints of Iron. Unusually it turns into a really nice apple juice taste with drinking.

Body: A bit thin and unfortunately way too carbonated for me.

Aftertaste: That whisky peat note comes in here, maybe a bit more medicinal, mixed with some fresh fruit notes like apricot. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a good beer but too fizzy, I'm not usually a fan of Dubbels and Trippels but this one has a very nice flavour - just the carbonation is off.

Price Range: I don't know the price as it was a birthday present, but it would be worth the price you would pay for a beer like a Chimay.

Food Pairings: A desert that has a bit of a savoury note, like bread and butter pudding.