Indian Tribute

Brewery: Oppigårds Bryggeri

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the Beer52 box, this is from a Swedish brewery; it is their IPA made with Centennial and Cascade, and dry hopped with Cascade. It has won gold at the Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival four times (2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013). I served this straight of the fridge.

Appearance: Pale with a ruby red hint. A thin off-white head that dissipates quickly.

Aroma: Smells just like a big barrel of dried hops, with lots of fresh grapefruit notes.

Flavour: Sweet with a lovely hop resin note, some malts support in the back. The hoppy notes tend to disappear quickly

Body: Thick with a syrupy note.

Aftertaste: A bit more of a hoppy bitterness, with a lot more of a grainy malt back.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, lovely hoppy notes and a thoroughly drinkable beer, close to an 8 but the flavours tend to go.

Price Range: Part of a box of 8 I got for £12 (usually £24), so it works out at £1.50 for a 330ml bottle;  more than worth it, a great price for this.

Food Pairings: One of the few times I agree with the food pairing, chicken curry would go great with this.

Mica Oro Ale Premium

Brewery: Cerveza Mica

Supplier: Beer52

The first of my Beer52 box that featured mainly European beers (not from UK). This comes from a little village in Spain which is is one of the few places in the Iberian Peninsula where the mineral Mica is contained within the soil. The barley that is used in this beer is produced in this area taking in the mineral and used a freshly as possible, creating a unique taste

Appearance: Golden with hints of amber, very cloudy almost like a hefe. Medium off white head which thins but stays.

Aroma: Some unripe-apricot/apple notes coupled with a sweet malt and a very German beer note.

Flavour: Very sweet fruity notes on the front followed by a more German beer note. The turns more into a apricot flavour with much less sweetness. 

Body: Medium body but with a bit too much carbonation

Aftertaste: Quite bready but with hints of the fruits before but with some slight off notes

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, bus so close to a 7 that on another day it might have been. Nice and fruity but with a bit too much sweetness at some points and some slightly odd notes. But definitely the best Spanish beer I've had by a long way

Price Range: Part of a box of 8 I got for £12 (usually £24), so it works out at £1.50 for a 330ml bottle; definitely worth the price and I would get it again.

Food Pairings: Some plain pork chops, preferably with a bit of a char to them; the apricot and apple notes would go really well with this meat.

Dragon Stout

Brewery: Desnoes & Geddes

Supplier: Beers of Europe

This is a Stout from the people who bring you Red Stripe (owned by Diageo PLC) , but despite this I have heard good things about it. This Jamaican porter uses European caramel and roasted malts as well as brown sugar. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Black with maroon edges when held to the light. It has a thin mocha head that dissipates but leaves a lingering amount around the edges of the glass. 

Aroma: Some grapes with a little metallic notes, some banana notes as well.

Flavour: Very sweet with a little roasted notes, lots of vanilla, and a hint of banana. There is some unpleasant metallic notes coming through as well.

Body: An OK body but very over carbonated. 

Aftertaste: A little less sweet with some of the bitterness coming from the roasted notes coming through. Some caramel notes as well.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, nice but a little too sweet and the over carbonation and metallic notes aren't nice.

Price Range: £1.79 for a 284ml bottle, an reasonable price for an OK beer.

Food Pairings: Despite having many of the same flavours I would say this would go quite well with a banana split

Summer Ale

Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery

Supplier: Beers of Europe

Seeing as we have passed the end of summer and the days are getting colder I thought it's about time I drink this. This is their seasonal summer pale ale made with German Perle and American Cascade, Fuggle and Amarillo hops. The only make this to become available between March-July, the the best before date is in March 2015 so all is good. I served this straight out of the fridge.

Appearance: Pale with a hint of gold, a medium white head that thins but stays.

Aroma: Some German malts coupled with some very strong honey notes.

Flavour: Quite crisp with some malty notes, nothing much else.

Body: Medium body but quite refreshing.

Aftertaste: some honey notes coupled with some herbally hops. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, clean with some nice flavours in the aftertaste.

Price Range: £1.89 for a 355ml bottle, good price for a good beer.

Food Pairings: A substantial salad, with some strong leaves like watercress and rocket.

Faro Boon

Brewery: Brouwerij Boon

Supplier: Beers of Europe

Wrote this a while back but forgot to post it. Designed as a lighter more sessionable lambic, they describe this as based on old lambic to which they added spices and sugar candy.

Appearance: Golden with and amber hue. There is a thin white head that lasts only for a few seconds.

Aroma: A mix of white wine, sherry, and vinegar, there are also some fruit notes.

Flavour: Sweet and sugery on the front with some apple-like sour notes

Body: A little syrupy but quite thin and refreshing.

Aftertaste: Very subtle, tasting like apple sour sweets.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, nice but nothing special, and not what I was expecting from a sour.

Price Range: £1.39 for a 250ml bottle, good price for an OK beer, but there are better ones for the same price.

Food Pairings: A bready sweet dish, like plain waffles.