Tipsy Gypsy

Brewery: Gypsy Inc.

Supplier: Luvians Bottle Shop - St Andrews

Another from the collaboration brewery between Brewdog and Mikkeller, based in Denmark and brewed at Brewdog in Scotland; part of their set of four planned to be made (I reviewed Pale Trail before). This one is their hoppy pilsner, hopped with American hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A Peach blushed gold colour with a thin and lasting white head.

Aroma: Green mango and spicy malt aromas.

Flavour: Not much on the front then a faint hint of sherbet on the back.

Body: A really thick body, but still quite refreshing.

Aftertaste: An odd and slightly unpleasant bitterness coupled with a faint dry taste of slightly off grain.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 3, not really tasting of anything.

Price Range: £2.40 for a 330ml bottle, too much for what it is.

Food Pairings: Some potatoes, preferably in chip form, the sweetness from the potato would cancel out most of the bad flavours in it and enhance the sweetness from the malt.

Point Black Ale

Brewery: Stevens Point Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

Another from this US brewery that has production in the UK, this beer is only produced for the British market. Made using  Pale, Munich, and Roasted Malts (including some 6-row, which is unusual in Europe), and with Cluster, Saaz, and Cascade hops. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: Black, looks like coke around the edges. Very sparkling with a chocolate head that dissipates very quickly.

Aroma: Grapes mixed with sugar that has caramelized to the point of burning. Hints of wood as well.

Flavour: Not much flavour on the front at all.

Body: The body makes the flavourless not taste like water as it has a substantial body and is quite smooth.

Aftertaste: Nice aftertaste. It has a big taste of molasses coupled with some delicate roasted notes. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, close to a 5 as it is quite nice and surprisingly light, but lacking in flavour. Probably would be one of those stouts that would do well chilled.

Price Range: Another of the monthly beer subscription at £14 (usually £24) for 8 beers, so approximately £1.75 for a 355ml bottle; an OK price for a nice and drinkable beer.

Food Pairings: Would go with some nice British pork sausages and mash, along with some caramelized onions.

Brugse Zot

Brewery: De Halve Maan

Supplier: Gift from my sister and her husband

This is their original Townbeer, that I mentioned when reviewing Brugse Zot Dubbel. This uses a total of four different malts and two different hops. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: An amber-gold colour, with a white head that lasts for a long time.

Aroma: Citrus, grapes, and a smell that I associate with really good lagers. 

Flavour: Grapes and citrus again but a lot smoother and with hints of Belgian spices.

Body: A nice thick body, unexpected but delightful and smooth. Dry on the back.

Aftertaste: There is a large pilsner malt flavour coupled with a slight tart rubber taste that is common in Belgian beers. There are also some green notes with drinking.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, but only just. I'm not a huge fan of Belgian beers, but this is probably my favorite so far (bar some of the Belgian IPAs).

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 any trappist beer.

Food Pairings: A fish dish with a strong sauce, maybe something like teriyaki salmon.

Royal Weisse

Brewery: Sly Fox Brewing Company

Supplier: Luvians Bottle Shop - St Andrews

This is a German inspired hefe that is produced by Sly Fox only in the spring. Containing wheat and pilsner malt, and German hops; this beer, whilst in a can, is unfiltered. Hefe's are one of the few beers in which I will try to get the yeast in the beer. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A deep golden colour with a thick off-white head that lasts for a fair while.

Aroma: Some spicy Marmite-esk notes with hints of bubblegum

Flavour: The typical banana esters coupled with a nice malty base. Hints of some spices. Just like a typical German hefe.

Body: This is where it differs from the traditional German hefe as it is much more refreshing, whilst maintaining a certain body to it. The back does become a little dry.

Aftertaste: Some chewy wheat on the back, with some plant like notes. Maybe some orange notes as well.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, close to a 7 but the dry finish makes it a little less drinkable. Great flavours thought, and very refreshing; I can see why it is a spring beer.

Price Range: £2.60 for a 355ml can, a good price for a sound beer.

Food Pairings: Some fresh and spiced breads, maybe with some cured meat on to give it a bit of saltiness.

Harry's Heifer

Brewery: Church Farm Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

This brewery was established in late 2012 after they decided to transform their dairy farm into a micro brewery. This is the breweries core range bitter, but uses American hops such as Centennial and Citra. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: a light brown with hints of ruby, absolutely no head what so ever. 

Aroma: Smells like barley sweets mixed with concentrated apple juice, a hint of some tropical fruits in the back.

Flavour: A sweet but water barley sweet taste with hints of citrus and apple.

Body: Flat but quite sharp.

Aftertaste: The flavours just seem to continue into the aftertaste, nothing extra.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, very simplistic, nice flavours but an unpleasant body.

Price Range: Another of the monthly beer subscription at £14 (usually £24) for 8 beers, so approximately £1.75 for a 500ml bottle; an OK price but wouldn't get it again.

Food Pairings: Would pair nicely with a cheesy pasta.

Old Chub

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery

Supplier: Luvians Bottle Shop - St Andrews

Another of the Oskar Blues Breweries year round beers; this malty ale is made with a range of malted barley including a beachwood-smoked malt. The sight says that Old Chub has won Top Rated Scotch Ale on Beeradvocate, but it doesn't say witch year. Whilst cans benefit hoppy beers the most there are still lots of benefits for the other beers as well, so it is nice to see such a strong and dark beer in a can. This particular can was canned in September 2013 so is only 7ish months old; I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: Dark but maroon when held to the light, with a very thin tan head that is gone by the time you put the glass down.

Aroma: Raisins, fortified wines and a very very slight hint of soapiness. 

Flavour: It tastes pretty much exactly as it smells, all those flavours just a little sweeter.

Body: Very smooth and with a velvety mouthfeel, maybe a little flat but that is fine for a style like this. In the aftertaste there is a little bit of a dry mouthfeel.

Aftertaste: A very clean bitterness forms at the end, I can't tell that it comes from the hops. The downside about this aftertaste is that it goes "up" into that slightly sour taste like in carbonated water (despite no bubbles), instead of mellowing "down" into a sweet taste.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, but only just. Whilst I would have liked it to finish with a sweet note it is still a very good beer with some very interesting flavours. No smoky notes though...

Price Range: £4.00 for a 355ml can, a bit too much for what it is.

Food Pairings: A stodgy dessert such as bread and butter pudding or spotted dick.

Beer Camp #93 IPA

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Supplier: Kris Wines

Part of Sierra Nevada's 2013 beer camp series; the Beer Camp is where non-commercial brewers come together in Sierra Nevada’s 10-barrel pilot brewery and get a hands on education in brewing, creating recipes. They then pick a selection (in 2013 it was 3) to release to the public. However, I think the beer camp is changing this year to a different way of doing things. The beer is described as having a malty back bone and is uses Cascade and Citra hops. I served this straight from the fridge.

Appearance: An opaque golden orange colour with a hint of a pure white head, this head is very sparse but does linger.

Aroma: Huge amounts of lychee hops coming off with hints of caramel malts.

Flavour: Tastes like lychee juice with a hint of lemon, very simple but tasty

Body: Refreshing but still with some substance, perfect for this styles; along with a good carbonation level

Aftertaste: This then has a huge wave of hoppy bitterness, maybe slightly too bitter for me, but it fades with drinking. There are also hints of a bit of soapiness.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, a nice hoppy IPA, incredibly drinkable and thirst quenching with bold bitter aftertaste.

Price Range: £3.49 for a 355ml bottle, an OK price for a great beer, worth it but you could probably get just as good for cheaper.

Food Pairings: The flavours are strong but refreshing so are hard to pair, but I would say some pork with a sweet (maybe smokey) glaze done in the BBQ.

Dirty Stop Out

Brewery: Tiny Rebel Brewing Co

Supplier: St Andrews Wine Company

A brewery from South Wales set up in 2011 by two guys, they pride themselves on being visionary and "Retro".This is one of their regulars and is a Smoked Oatmeal Stout using nine different types of malt; I'm presuming one of them is oats but oddly it does not list oats as an ingredient, only barley. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: A think impenetrable black with a thin, short lived mocha head.

Aroma: There are the familiar roasted notes, but there are also some strong unusual smells such as tobacco and musk.

Flavour: Sweet at first followed by a sharpness similar to mint.

Body: Very slick mouthfeel but a bit to light and the carbonation is a bit too rough. The mouthfeel starts to cling unpleasantly with drinking. 

Aftertaste: This is where the majority of the flavours come, turning into a slightly salty and umami taste, with hints of a sweetness. There are also some grassy notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, an unusual and interesting flavour profile that would be better if there was better carbonation and a thicker body. Not any smoky notes either.

Price Range: £2.85 for a 330ml bottle, worth the price to try as it is very interesting, but probably wouldn't get it again.

Food Pairings: Some oily fish; maybe an anchovy pizza, but that might be because I was thinking about that earlier.... Either that or something sharp to cut through the mouthfeel, like a a salad with a strong vinaigrette.

East River Lager

Brewery: Sigtuna Brygghus

Supplier: St Andrews Wine Company

I've had this one before, when I first got it I thought it was from the USA what with the Brooklyn Bridge theme; but nope, it's from Sweden. This is a regular and one of their most popular beers (according to Untappd). I served this straight out of the fridge.

Appearance: An opaque straw/yellow colour with a thin and short lived white head.

Aroma: Sweet hop resin and peach with underlying notes of a malty vanilla and a slight off note.

Flavour: A nice blend of malts and a bit of bitterness from the hops, the malty note is a little bit flour-like.

Body: Crisp, fresh, and ideal for the style.

Aftertaste: A nice hoppy bitterness after, but this is mixed with a slight flavour of ear wax (this makes it sound very disgusting which it is not, just that tang in a very very small but noticeable amount). There are also some rose water notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, not as much floral hop notes as I remember but still very flavorful for a lager.

Price Range: £2.40 for a 330ml can; Good price for a beer that is nice and easy to drink

Food Pairings: Some sharp cheeses like cheddar would go well with this.

Pay the Ferryman Porter

Brewery: Dia De Los Muertos a subgroup of the Cerveceria Mexicana

Supplier: Kris Wines

It just has "Porter" on the bottle but I've seen the name "Pay the Ferryman Porter" too often for it to be coincidence, it also has a better ring to it. Brewed by the Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) Brewery as part of the Cerveceria Mexicana breweries Craft beer project. I served this at room temperature. Also, twist top, not expecting that!

Appearance: Jet black with a milk chocolate head that disappears almost instantly into nothing.

Aroma: Smells like honey mixed with balsamic vinegar.

Flavour: Very light on the front with hints of chocolate on the back, very low in flavour

Body: Seems like a beer flavoured soft drink, highly carbonated and very light. It is, however, very smooth.

Aftertaste: This is where the taste comes in with honeyed chocolate malt. This goes with some drinking and a more vinaigrette flavour comes out. Some black olive notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 3, almost a 4 as it has some nice flavours but the soft drink characteristics are too hard to get over. Would probably be better served from the fridge (which I should have expected seeing as it comes from Mexico...).

Price Range: £1.99 for a 330ml bottle. Not a bad price but not a great beer, probably wouldn't get it again. However, I would try some of their lighter beers as the flaws in this could be less noticeable in those types.

Food Pairings: A strong salad, such as one with anchovies.

Rams Head

Brewery: Fordham Brewing Co.

Supplier: Beers of Europe

Fordham joined forces with another brewery (Dominion) in 2007 and consolidated operations in 2009, thus they share a base of operations. This if Fordham's year round IPA, made with a little rye malt but not enough to distinguish it as a rye beer. The hops used are not rare but not the most commonly use; Bravo, Chinook, and Motueka. This one is a little out of date i think as the date on it is March the 15th 2014; it says that is the bottling date but I bought it on the October the 11th 2013.... I served this straight from the fridge.

Appearance: A peach gold colour with a thin and short-lived white head

Aroma: Honey and hop resin, with some fresh fruits in the back-ground (maybe grapes). Also, some hints of sourdough bread.

Flavour: Fresh and then sweet on the back, no distinct flavours just the skeleton of flavour. Some fresh fruit notes do come with time

Body: Quite syrupy for a beer such as this, especially as the front flavours are so fresh.

Aftertaste: A very hoppy bitterness, too bitter for me, with a soapy note.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 3, good at first but it gets cloying and less enjoyable to drink as time goes by. It is like they have taken a refreshing beer and boosted it so it has lost the drinkability but hasn't got the flavours more commonly associated with a bigger beer.

Price Range: £2.99 for a 355ml bottle, too much for what it is.

Food Pairings: Something strong, spicy, and juicy; like piri piri chicken.

Ond

Brewery: Bevog

Supplier: St Andrews Wine Company

Hadn't heard about this brewery until recently but has been going since 2012 I think, and was ranked third in "RateBeers' best new breweries in the world" in 2013. What caught my eye was the amazing artwork on the bottle (see below), this is an example of care and creativity going into marketing (not just trying to find what sells best). They have a limited range (usually a good sign as it is in restaurants) and this is their Smoked Porter that uses Slovene and American hops. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: An impenetrable black with a large mocha colour head that shrinks but lasts for quite some time.

Aroma: An acrid Marmite like smell mixed with chocolate. There is also a savoury note that is similar to soy sauce.

Flavour: Surprisingly refreshing on the front, this leads to a chocolate and burnt toast taste.

Body: Nice and silky smooth, with perfect carbonation

Aftertaste: Bitterness from the burnt flavour dominates here making it less pleasant, this flavour also clings to your tongue. Some smokey notes and some fresh fruit notes are present (something like apple juice).

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, a good beer technically but too much roasted notes in it.

Price Range: £3.30 for a 330ml bottle, would be a good price for someone who liked these flavours a lot. It is a good beer so I would be keen to get one of their other three beers.

Food Pairings: Something heart and something spicy, maybe like a Chorizo stew.

Doggie Style

Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery

Supplier: Beers of Europe

This is Flying Dog's Pale ale that is produced all year round. Made with four different hops -  Northern Brewer, Cascade, Simcoe, and Citra - and fermented with their in-house strain of American Ale yeast. It has won multiple awards including silver in the 2010 European Beer Star and the 1999 Great American Beer Festival. I served this straight out of the fridge.

Appearance: More on the amber side than golden with a thin off-white head that lasts.

Aroma: Classic sweet resiny hops on the nose mixed in with copious amounts of honey.

Flavour: Quite watery on the front leading into a dry malt flavour with some perfume hops.

Body: Perfect body for this beer, not too thick that it is clingy and not refreshing, but enough that it doesn't feel like water.

Aftertaste: Develops gradually, leading into a wave of the more grapefruit like hops, and then a nice bitterness

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a refreshing taste with a nice bitterness, not any strong flavours (good nor bad).

Price Range: £2.19 for a 355ml bottle, good price for a good beer to drink.

Food Pairings: Quite an unassuming beer with a nice bitterness at the back so nothing too strong; bar snacks would go very well with this kind of beer, especially sweet potato fries.