Old Engine Oil Engineer's Reserve

Brewery: Harviestoun Brewery

Supplier: Beers of Europe

Old Engine Oil is one of Harviestoun's core range of beers; this Engineer's Reserve is the product of a request from the American market for a stronger version - making this 9% as opposed to 6%, with an equally more intense flavour. Apparently this is not available for the UK markets, but somehow I managed to get it. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: Pitch black in colour with no light penetrating through. There was a hint of a dark brown head, but this dies immediately making it have no head at all.

Aroma: Grapes, sherry, treacle, and a hint of tobacco and tar. 

Flavour: Sweet raisins on the front with a hint of a sherry note in the back, very sweet. 

Body: Very smooth, but a little flat, surprisingly not that thick. 

Aftertaste: Raisins again, but with a hint of roasted malts and brown sugar. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, nice but nothing too special.

Price Range: £4.49 for a 330ml bottle; probably only worth around £3 a bottle, but is more because of the ABV, so at this price I wouldn't go for it.

Food Pairings: The sickly sweetness of it would make it blend with the flavours of something like sticky toffee pudding, however, I'm unsure if they would complement each other or mask each others taste.

Earl Grey Black Wheat

Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery

Supplier: St Andrews Wine Company

One of Flying Dog's Brewhouse Rarities, this one is a Dunkelweizen make using the same herb that gives Earl Grey tea its distinct flavour - Bergamot. They make this with a mix of malted barley and wheat, in this case Honey Malt and Midnight Wheat. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A thick black colour, even when held up to the light. The head is thin but a dark rusty colour. 

Aroma: Sweet roasted notes with a salty back note and an umami note. 

Flavour: Quite light on the front with some grape notes. Not a huge amount of flavour but seems to satisfy all the taste buds

Body: Incredibly smooth and juicy, one of my favourite things about it. Quite refreshing as well. 

Aftertaste: Very smooth with much more grape and roasted notes, there was a little dry herby bitterness. When it warms, the bitterness increases a fair bit. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, not much discernible flavours but it is incredibly satisfying to drink. I couldn't get any Bergamot in it though.

Price Range: £3.50 for a 355ml bottle, a great price for this, a lovely drinker.

Food Pairings: I think the umami flavours would suit it well to something like a steak, or porcini risotto.

Eternal

Brewery: Northern Monk

Supplier: St Andrews Wine Company

A Leeds based brewery that started in 2013, with inspiration for their brand coming from the monks of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, with their base of operations in a listed mill. This is their sessionable IPA, which is designed to mimic the big hop notes of the US IPAs. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A rich golden ale, slightly opaque, with straw colours coming through when held to the light. The head is white and average, but fades fast leaving only a trace.

Aroma: Loads of mango and quite a bit of pineapple, hop resin in the back.

Flavour: A nice sugar note on the front, but with a freshness from the hops. The wave of indistinct hoppy notes then follows. 

Body: Light, perfect for this style, and with the perfect amount of carbonation.

Aftertaste: These hop notes intensify in the aftertaste and couple with a floury/cereal note, and a slight grassy bitterness.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a very fresh and enjoyable beer, if not a little usual.

Price Range: £2.50 for a 330ml can; about right, that's all I can say really.

Food Pairings: I think this would go with a salty but more umami snack, such as seaweed or kale chips.

Heart & Soul

Brewery: Vocation Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

This is a brewery set up earlier this year by the same guy who set up Blue Monkey brewery. This is one of what they call their Launch beer, with this being their sessionable IPA, made with a range of american hops found in the iconic West Coast IPAs. I served this straight from the fridge.

Appearance: A pale straw colour with hints of gold. There is a medium white head that thins but remains throughout.

Aroma: Resin and grapefruit hop notes, with hints of malt and perfume in the back.

Flavour: A front of lots of resin notes, turning to a hoppy bitterness on the back. There are also distinct cereal notes in the back.

Body: Refreshing and quite light, but with a chalky texture on the back.

Aftertaste: Lots of dry hoppy bitterness.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, nice, drinkable, and refreshing - but nothing special.

Price Range: The last from the box that had 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml can; about right for what it is.

Food Pairings: The notes are plain but there are lots of hoppy notes, so something simple but with a bit of strength, such as macaroni and cheese.

Lucky Jack

Brewery: Lervig Aktiebryggeri

Supplier: Beer52

This is an American style pale ale that is brewed by a large Norwegian brewery (that also brews some of Evil Twins stuff). This pale ale is unfiltered and unpasteurised, and it is brewed with three different American hops - Amarillo, Chinook and Citra. I served this chilled.

Appearance: An orangy-straw colour, opaque, and with a thin and fading off-white head.

Aroma: A faint hint of hop resin with some citrus notes. 

Flavour: The front is absent of flavour. Sweet and with some strong notes of lemon iced tea and hop resin in the back. 

Body: There is a substantial body, but it is still refreshing. It looks like the carbonation is too much, but it's a nice level. 

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is just the fading continuation of the back flavours. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, close to a 6, but a nice refreshing ale with some nice iced tea notes.

Price Range: Another from the box that had 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml can; a good price for a nice sessionable drink, plus it's in a can.

Food Pairings: A nice salty bagel with cream cheese, maybe some heavy vegetable on top.

The Drunk Hop

Brewery: Brønhër Brew

Supplier: Beer52

Couldn't find much about this apart from the fact that it is brewed at the Cervezas Cuenca in Cuenca, Spain. This is their pale lager, of about three different brews. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A crystal clear pale straw colour with a medium white head colour. 

Aroma: Loads of hop resin and a little rose on the nose. 

Flavour: Hop resin and candied orange on the front, with some light malt notes on the back.

Body: Light and crisp, but with a little too much 

Aftertaste: Similar notes as that of the main flavour but with a little more focus on the malt and a little more hoppy bitterness. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, close to an 8 if it wasn't for the carbonation.

Price Range: Another from the box that had 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; a great price for great beer.

Food Pairings: A starch, something like pasta, with a medley of roasted mediterranean veg.

Hop Classic

Brewery: SixºNorth

Supplier: Beer52

This is a Scottish brewery that brews exclusively Belgian beers, it is located 6 degrees North of Brussels - hence the name. This is their version of a relatively new style, the Belgian IPA. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A pale golden colour, and opaque. The head is white, with a cream hint, and is a medium height but thick, and long lasting. 

Aroma: Spicy lemon notes with a bit of yeasty funk and that Belgian bubblegum ester note. 

Flavour: Sweet malt with a little bit of lemon and lychee hops and a load of Belgian yeast notes. There are also some nice apricot notes. 

Body: Fresh, but with quite robust body. The carbonation is a little thick.

Aftertaste: This is where it is let down, as there is a very strong taste of earwax. This does die down with drinking, but still remains. The other notes that come out when it dies down are, hop resin and cloves. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, let down by the unpleasant aftertaste, but quite nice apart from that.

Price Range: Another from the box that had 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; about right for the beer.

Food Pairings: Some strong bread, with some strong cheeses, and a little bit of pickle.

Dark Sister

Brewery: Brussels Beer Project

Supplier: Beer52

Originally starting in two years ago with a beer that one a local competition and went on to gain crowdfunding to commercialize. This is one of their core range, a Black IPA which was developed shortly after opening. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: Dark brown, a murky burgundy when held to the light. The beige head very, very thick and lasts quite a while.

Aroma: Floral hop notes with hints of a tart like yeast note. 

Flavour: a lovely sweet mix of roasted malt notes with floral hops, a perfect balance.

Body: A nice fizz level, and the bubbles are fine in size, however, they still bite on the way down.

Aftertaste: The hops dominate a little at this point, and a faint hint of soap comes through.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, a lovely balanced ale, with a few minor improvements needed.

Price Range: The box had 8 beers for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; a very good price and worth getting again.

Food Pairings: Some form of strongly marinated dark meat, such as honey and soy glaze pork. South East Asian flavours would go very well with it.

Grisette

Brewery: Cloudwater Brew Co

Supplier: Beer52

Another discounted box from Beer52. This is from a manchester based brewery that was founded last year (with their first blog post exactly a year ago). They specialise in doing seasonal brews, this is a saison seasonal brew. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A pale straw colour with a slight haze. The pure white head is thin and fades quickly.

Aroma: Not much head at all, there is a small amount of funk right in the background. 

Flavour: Slightly tart with some cereal notes right at the back. 

Body: Thin, but refreshing. Too much fizz though. 

Aftertaste: Slightly fruity and tart, there is also a slight smoky note. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, nice but weak in flavour, good for if you need to drive though because of the low alcohol.

Price Range: The box had 8 beers for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; not a bad price, I would get it if I had to drive.

Food Pairings: a vegetarian medley, preferably something with asparagus.

Soft Focus

Brewery: Gypsy Inc.

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the collaboration brewery between Brewdog and Mikkeller, based in Denmark and brewed at Brewdog; part of their set of (now) five - I've reviewed Pale Trail and Tipsy Gypsy before. This one is their wheat beer, hopped with Amarillo & Tettnanger hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A peachy gold colour that is hazy, but you can make out the blur of your fingers behind it. There is a medium bright white head that shrinks by about half. 

Aroma: Lychee and citrus hops mixed with bread dough. 

Flavour: A mix of bitter and sweet hops on the front followed by a strong hoppy citrus note. This flavour seems to disappear with drinking though.

Body: Refreshing, but with a bit of body. The bubble are small, which is great, but it is way too carbonated. 

Aftertaste: A nice subtle pale malt flavour that rounds it out.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, a very nice beer but the loss of flavour and the over carbonation takes away from it.

Price Range: The last from the box 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; not a bad price, I can't complain.

Food Pairings: The low flavours of it would make it go with with some simple grilled white fish and veg.

La Téne

Brewery: The Celt Experience

Supplier: Beer52

One of the core range from The Celt Experience, this is their dry hopped English bitter. It is named after a sight on the North Side of Lake Neuchatel, Switzerland - where "belief and spirit were born". I served this slightly chilled.

Appearance: A clear golden colour with a thick white head that dissipates quickly leaving only a trace. 

Aroma: Huge amounts of sweet candied peaches with a funky note at the back. 

Flavour: Like the nose there is the peachy funk, with a nice underlying malt base. 

Body: A medium body with a perfect underlying base

Aftertaste: The back is a mainly cereal dominated with a waxy bitterness. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a great beer for a low alcohol one, nice and a little more unique. However the aftertaste isn't the best.

Price Range:  Another from the box 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 500ml bottle; a very good price, and I would get it again to drink during a heavier night, but not exclusively.

Food Pairings: A more complex sandwich, such as a sour cream, smoked salmon, dill, and dill pickle sandwich on rye.

Pandamonium

Brewery: Panda Frog Project

Supplier: Beer52

This brewery is an experimental subsidiary of the Mordue Brewery in Tyne & Wear, UK. This beer is a homage to the West Coast American IPAs. Not much information on this one. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A very rich/deep golden colour. The head is a medium peach-tinted white head, that dies down to a thin layer. 

Aroma: Lots of citrus and lychee hop notes with some deeper malt notes.

Flavour: Not a huge amount of flavour on the front, most of it is in the aftertaste. What is here is a trace of sweet malt and citrus hops 

Body: Quite syrupy for a pale ale, but with this quantity of hops it works quite well. 

Aftertaste: Some quite rich cereal and honey notes with some hoppy bitterness. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, really nice to drink, one you could enjoy for a couple of beers. Not hugely different from other hoppy IPAs though.

Price Range: Another from the box 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; worth the price, a nice beer but one that isn't unique. I would get it again if there wasn't something new to try.

Food Pairings: A good cheese board with lots of strong hard cheeses, along with some quince jelly and lingonberry jam.

Bitter Descent

Brewery: Natural Selection Brewing

Supplier: Beer52

So Natural Selection Brewing is a company that operates from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. It was founded in 2011 by students doing the MSc in Brewing and Distilling (a course that I very nearly ended up doing two years back). I think it is then passed down to the next set of students each year. This is one of this allocation's flagship beer, it is a Extra Special Bitter (ESB) but made with loads of American hops. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: A light copper colour with an off-white head that dissipates quickly.

Aroma: Toffee malt with hints of orange zest. Not a particularly strong nose. 

Flavour: Just like the nose; the flavours are toffee, almost like barley sweets, and hints of orange zest.

Body: A medium body but a little flat and the fizz that is there is a little rough. 

Aftertaste: Just a sweet background from the malts. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, probably would have been better cold, nice but that's it.

Price Range: Another from the box 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; a OK price but I wouldn't be my first choice.

Food Pairings: A richer meat such as lamb, just as a roast with some roast veggies.

Terminal Pale Ale

Brewery: BrewFist

Supplier: Beer52

Another from this Italian brewery, this on being brewed exclusively by them. This is their core low alcohol pale ale, designed for the BrewFist pub "Terminal 1". This is made with a simple base, with some vienna malt, and with Citra, and Summer hops (I had never heard of Summer hops before this). I served this chilled.

Appearance: A golden straw colour with a thin white head that dissipates very quickly. 

Aroma: Very slight hints of citra and honey, but pretty much no aroma. 

Flavour: Citra notes, but without the sweet back, the back is more savoury and almost salty, with hints of lemon.

Body: Very refreshing and light, carbonation just right. 

Aftertaste: Hints of a malt note and an unusual bitterness, not hoppy or malty

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, a very drinkable beer but with not a huge amount of flavour and not unique. Good for watching the Rugby World cup though as I am now.

Price Range: Another from the box 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; an OK price, good for a heavy drinking session as it is a nice drinkable low alcohol beer.

Food Pairings: Pretty much anything, I'm going to go with tortilla chips for this one.

Quintet

Brewery: Wiper and True

Supplier: Beer52

Another beer brewed with and exclusively for Beer52 (although I've seen it sold elsewhere), hopefully this is better than their last (Mambo Jambo). This is made with a simple malt base but with a mix of five seasonal hops (hence the name). I served this chilled.

Appearance: Dark, peachy golden in colour, a little hazy. The head is thin and off-white, but it lasts throughout. 

Aroma: Not much in the nose, slightly sweet with hints of resin and chocolate.

Flavour: Slight biscuity malt on the front, followed by a wave of hop resin.

Body: The body is very thick, almost like the consistency of jersey milk. Too thick for this type of beer, so it detracts from the refreshing aspects.

Aftertaste: A spicy hop bitterness at the back, clean and nice.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, nice standard flavours, but a little imbalanced with the body

Price Range: Another from the box 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; not a bad price for what it is.

Food Pairings: It would go with quite a cream heavy dessert, which would mask the body, but with something fruity to go well with the hop resin notes. I would suggest something like strawberries and cream, or Eton mess.

Hamer & Sikkel

Brewery: Brouwerij De Molen

Supplier: Beer52

So another offer on the Beer52 box, so I got another 8 from them. This is from a well established Dutch brewery, renamed in 2004 when they acquired a windmill. This is one of their core range, made with a variety of malt, including oats, and uses saaz and chinook for bittering hops. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: Dark with hints of brown around the edges. The head is tan, but is pretty much non-existent. 

Aroma: Smells like a mixture of roasted malt, yeast, and cinnamon. 

Flavour: Sweet bread and roasted malts, a nice smooth malt flavour.

Body: Loads of mouth feel, nice and smooth, if not a little flat.

Aftertaste: The flavour continues in the aftertaste with a little more roasted malt and a little green hops. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, really smooth and really drinkable, a little low in flavour though.

Price Range: The box had 8 beers for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; a great price for a nice beer.

Food Pairings: This is quite a sweet beer, but would go well with a sweet pastry, something like a Danish.

Classic IPA

Brewery: Seven Bro7hers Brewery

Supplier: Flavourly

The last beer from the Flavourly box, this one from a brewery started by seven brothers in Manchester last year. This is one of their five beers, this being their IPA. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A pale straw colour that is slightly hazy. The head is thin and white. 

Aroma: It smells like a mixture of perfume, and oranges when they are about to go off. 

Flavour: A mild hoppiness, followed by a tart farmhouse note. A slight malt note at the back.

Body: Not too light for a pale, but a nice medium body. The carbonation is fine. 

Aftertaste: Not much left after, just a mild hoppy bitterness and a lingering of slightly old hops.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, my descriptions don't make it sound great, but it is quite a nice drinker, crisp and a little tart. However, this isn't hoppy at all, it's more of a pale ale.

Price Range: Last of the box of 8 beers was £12, making it £1.50 for a 330ml bottle; not a bad price, but not great.

Food Pairings: Quite non-descript so it could go with most things. I would say a light pasta, with a sauce without cheese or tomato.

Black IPA

Brewery: Stewart Brewing

Supplier: Flavourly

Another beer from Stewart brewing, this one designed completely by them, but again is not part of their core range - this one is part of their 'Hop Series'. This is obviously their Black IPA, made with Magnum, Galaxy, and Centennial hops. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: Quite dark, looking like cola when held to the light. The head is a reasonably thick rust tan colour, but dissipates down to nothing quickly. 

Aroma: Smells like a normal IPA, with lots of hoppy grapefruit and some berry notes. 

Flavour: I don't know if it is because of the colour but it tastes like a very unsweet cola with a bit of a woody notes at the front then a hoppy back. 

Body: A medium body, but with way too much rough carbonation.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is similar to the taste, but with a little hint of roasted malts. Some metallic notes start to develope with drinking. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, close to a 5 but the carbonation brings it down. If I had had this blind I might not have been able to tell it was black, just and unusual IPA

Price Range: Part of the box of 8 beers was £12, making it £1.50 for a 330ml bottle; an OK price, but there are better.

Food Pairings: Something meaty but light, maybe like a mushroom stroganoff.

Amber Ale

Brewery: Fourpure Brewing Co

Supplier: Flavourly

Another London based brewery set up in 2013. This is one of their core range, obviously it is an amber ale. It is based on the amber ales that they had in Colorado. This beer is flavoured with Willamette hops, I served this chilled.

Appearance: A browner amber colour with a medium cream coloured head. 

Aroma: Metallic with some hop notes, a very very faint hint of roasted notes. 

Flavour: Lots of berry notes mixed with a load of roasted chocolate notes. 

Body: Medium body but with a bit too much carbonation. 

Aftertaste: There is the berry notes but they sort of turn into that artificial note that you get in children's berry flavoured medicine, a little chalky. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, would have been a 7 if it weren't for the slightly disappointing aftertaste. The flavours aren't the usual.

Price Range: Part of the box of 8 beers was £12, making it £1.50 for a 330ml can; a good price, it's worth getting for something a little bit different.

Food Pairings: The classic combo is berries and chocolate; so I would say a chocolate mouse would go well with it, preferably dark chocolate and not too heavy.

Neck Oil

Brewery: Beavertown Brewery

Supplier: Honest Brew

The last of the Honest Brew box. Part of their core range, this is their sessionable IPA. It is made with a simple base, but with lots of late addition hops with about eight different varieties used. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Hazy, and a pale straw colour. The head is medium and white, it thins but lingers. 

Aroma: Lots of hop resin mixed in with peach and white sugar notes. 

Flavour: Mainly cereal notes coupled with a little flour. There aren't many hop notes in, especially for the amount that is in the nose. 

Body: Light, but not that light. It makes it seem more of a substantial drink. 

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is just the same cereal notes. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, it is what it says, a nice sessionable IPA, but that is it.

Price Range: The last from the box 6 beers for £9, so this worked out as £1.50 for a 330ml can; a good price and worth getting for something like a party.

Food Pairings: The refreshing simplicity of this would go with something spicy like mexican food.

Rose Wheat Beer

Brewery: The Ticketybrew Company

Supplier: Flavourly

The third and final beer subscription I'll try, this one is from a company that also does snack boxes. I think that they should just stick to food as the other two do beers better. The snacks were great; but the beer was just an OK selection, and the literature about the beers was very poorly presented.

This is surprisingly a core beer from Ticketybrew. It is a wheat beer made with rose flowers and fresh ginger (although they do not include the latter in the list on ingredients, however I think this is a miss-type as they include malted "what" as an ingredient). I served this chilled.

Appearance: A pale straw colour with only a little murkiness. There is not head on this at all, not even a lingering remain.

Aroma: There is a lot or rose water in the nose as expected, much like in Turkish delight. There is also the fiery notes of ginger in the background, coupled with faints peach hop notes. 

Flavour: Ginger is at the forefront of this, mixed with a little bit of rose water.

Body: Crisp, but it is a little flat and what carbonation there is is rough. 

Aftertaste: The ginger fades and the rose dominates the aftertaste. There is some hint of a funky farmhouse note right in the back as well.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, it's probably is closer to a 4, but I love rose water so I'm a little bit of a sucker for this. However, I don't think the base of the beer is that great, and the ginger does not compliment it well.

Price Range: This box of 8 beers was £12 (£8 with £4 delivery), making it £1.50 for a 330ml bottle; a decent price for it, and worth trying for it's uniqueness - but I probably wouldn't get it again.

Food Pairings: I think the floral notes need something salty. I think so simple like sausage and mash would be quite fitting.

Straight Up Amber Ale

Brewery: Honest Brew

Supplier: Honest Brew

A beer brewed by the people who run the beer subscription as Honest Brew. This is their amber ale and the second one they have done I believe; their first was a pale ale, and there next is supposedly going to be a stout. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: A brownish amber colour with little to no head.

Aroma: Lots of honey malt and a little bit of floral hop notes. 

Flavour: Lots of honey (or maybe more like barley sugar - the sweet) but without the sweetness, there is a little bit of the floral hop notes along with some citrus; it is very much like it smells.

Body: About medium, and with a decent carbonation. 

Aftertaste: Not much in the way of aftertaste, just a slight lingering of the main flavours.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, just, it's a nice decent drinker. I would imagine no-one would take offense to it, but it's nothing to get excited about.

Price Range: Another from the box 6 beers for £9, so this worked out as £1.50 for a 330ml bottle; not a bad price, and probably worth it.

Food Pairings: Something simple and not too rich, something like a simple sandwich would go very well.

Urban IPA

Brewery: Tiny Rebel Brewing Co

Supplier: Honest Brew

Another from this small but established welsh brewery. This is also a core IPA of theirs but a more sessionable one, made with and intercontinental range of hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: An amber gold colour that is ever-so-slightly hazy. The head is thin and slightly off-white in colour, but lingers for some time. 

Aroma: Lots of fresh apple juice mixed in with sweet hop resin notes. 

Flavour: Not a huge amount but what is there is a nice mix of crisp malt and sweet hop resin

Body: Light and refreshing, with the perfect amount of fine carbonation. A little dryness in the back. 

Aftertaste: This is where the the flavours come out strongest, with huge amounts of pine hops and resin coming into play with a nice lingering hoppy bitterness. Very minor hints of iron and green hop notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, a nice IPA that is not unique but not common, a really good drinker as well.

Price Range: Another from the box 6 beers for £9, so this worked out as £1.50 for a 330ml bottle; great price for what you get!

Food Pairings: I had this dish the other day and I wish I had this beer with it as it would go great - Satay Prawn Wraps. The strong satay sauce and the subtle seafood flavours would go well with the hop notes, and I don't think the hops are strong enough to drown out the flavours of the dish.

Railway Porter

Brewery: Five Points Brewing Company

Supplier: Honest Brew

As Beer52 was quite a success I thought I would try another beer subscription, this one is from Honest Brew. This was their trial pack and it has an OK selection, but I gather from the literature that they do have supplies from good and unique breweries; plus it came with collectable card like things for each of the beers which was fun!

This is from another a brewery that I have given one of my lowest scoring beer... This is also part of their core range and is a traditional London porter made with traditional british ingredients. I served this at room temp.

Appearance: A thick and impenetrable black colour with a latte coloured head, this head dies down but not too quickly. 

Aroma: Lots of creamy chocolate and roasted notes in the aroma, smells quite smooth. 

Flavour: Initially I got a big bit of soap but I can't rule out that that wasn't in the glass. Then there is an acrid but not unpleasant roasted malt note with a hint of sweetness. 

Body: Quite a thick body with a decent carbonation, the back is quite dry though. 

Aftertaste: Quite a bitter roasted note, a bit too much of them. There is also the faint hint of overly green hops. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 3, better than the last one from this brewery, and nearly a 4, but still not great.

Price Range: The box was £9 for 6 beers, so this worked out as £1.50 for a 330ml bottle; not quite worth it.

Food Pairings: The intense roasted notes would go well with a rich beef and onion pie.

Hibernation

Brewery: Big Hug Brewing

Supplier: Beer52

This is the last one from this box from Beer52, and it is an exciting one. It's a relatively new style (if it can be called that yet); a White IPA - you can see it's description on my "What's Beer?" page. This one is from a new brewery in London (2014), although they have only just recently changed their name from Bear Hug Brewing - but I hope they change it back as Bear Hug is much better - hence the name on the can. I believe this in one of, if not the, first beers they produced. And brilliantly they work(ed?) with an organisation called Green Squares, and for every beer sold one square foot of the rainforest is preserved for 1 year! I served this straight from the fridge.

Appearance: Pale straw but golden in the deeper parts if the glass. Very opaque, much like you would expect a witbier. The head is thin but lasts, and pure white. 

Aroma: Not much aroma at all, hints of hops . 

Flavour: Not a huge amount of flavour either, there are some nice notes in the background. There are bits of traces of resin and citrus hops, with a some spicy malt.

Body: Very thick, and lots of mouthfeel but refreshing. 

Aftertaste: A little bit of spice with a nice mild hoppy bitterness. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, close to a 6, not a huge amount of flavour but what is there is nice, and very easy to drink.

Price Range: From the box of 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; a reasonable price for what it is, I would get it again if I saw it for that price.

Food Pairings: Macaroni and cheese, I think the strong cheese notes would complement the fresh but spicy notes.

The Pale Armadillo

Brewery: Tempest Brewing Co

Supplier: Beer52

As the previous one was so bad I thought I would do another, and as I now the Tempest do do good beers (the previous one being an exception), I thought I would give them another shot tonight. This one is not designed by Beer52, only supplied, and it is one of Tempest's core range. It's there bitter pale ale hopped with Amarillo but made with local barley. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A nice light golden colour with a little opaqueness in the thicker parts of the glass. The head is thin and white, but dissipates only leaving a remanence. 

Aroma: On the nose there is huge amounts of lychee and an exotic floral note (jasmine maybe). Full of fresh fruity hop notes, and very sweet. 

Flavour: Loads of lychee in this, mingled with a variety of other tropical notes and bursts of orange peel. These flavour die and pop up independently throughout the drink, making it enjoyable each sip. 

Body: Light and refreshing but not watery, the carbonation is perfect

Aftertaste: Hints of Chinese tea notes but in a refreshing way mixed with lemon, a bit like a natural iced tea (one that's not over sweetened). A little grapefruit as well, with a nice mild hoppy bitterness. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, probably closer to a 7 but I love lychee notes and I'm probably overcompensating because of the previous beer. a great example of a simple and sessionable beer that hits all the buttons, a complete reverse of their Mambo Jambo that I reviewed earlier today.

Price Range: From the box of 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; excellent price and perfect to become a standard to drink all night.

Food Pairings: Something simple but with dark roasted flavours, something like a simple beef burger.

Mambo Jambo

Brewery: Tempest Brewing Co

Supplier: Beer52

So this is from a brewery up in the Scottish Borders that has been going since 2010 and has made a very good name for themselves. For this beer they have teamed up with Beer52 (a good beer subscription website that I use occasionally) to make an exclusive beer. This is a Saison that is inspired by homemade rhubarb crumble, made using cascade hops and real rhubarb. I served this straight out of the fridge.

Appearance: Golden/straw coloured, quite cloudy as well, but you can make out the outline of things behind it. The head is a medium size and white in colour, but it does shrink.

Aroma: Lots of peppery yeast notes with some citrus/resin hop notes in the back, and a little of the typical saison funk. 

Flavour: rough on the front with huge amounts of metallic notes, finally there is a blast of pepper that stings the nostrils. There is some citrus in the back as well. The peppery note dies down with drinking, as do all the other flavours, until it loses most of its flavour (good and bad).

Body: Light, but way too over carbonated. The mouthfeel is too dry as well, leaving that puckering.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is full of iron with a bit of the funk.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 2, drinkable but not very nice. Way too much metal. I ended up tipping the last bit out in favour of a new one.

Price Range: From the box of 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; not worth it, I would never buy it no matter the cost. I would drink it if it was free and there was not much else to chose from.

Food Pairings: Something with strong flavours, and a bit of spice to counteract the metal notes. I would suggest a beef/lamb curry.

Monocle

Brewery: Beerd Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

So this brewery was originally a pilot brewery at a different brewery called Bath Ales. They set it up as a different brewery to tap into the craft beer market. This is their English IPA, using English ingredients including Golding hops. I served this straight out of the fridge.

Appearance: A golden colour with tints of amber and slightly opaque. There is a thin white head but that dissipates in a matter of seconds. 

Aroma: This smells exactly like grape juice. I can get hints of hop resin right in the background, but the grape juice notes are the dominant aroma here. 

Flavour: A tiny bit of grape at the front followed by a wave of hop resin, finally at the back there is a mix of hop notes and honey malt. 

Body: Light and a little too carbonated, but refreshing. 

Aftertaste: You get the typical hoppy bitterness mixed with some honey and grain notes from the malts. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a very drinkable beer with nice but common flavours.

Price Range: From the box of 8 for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; a very good price for a nice drinkable beer.

Food Pairings: Just a simple roast chicken dinner with roast roots, a simple but nice meal for a simple but nice beer.

First World Problems

Brewery: Stewart Brewing

Supplier: Beer52

When I canceled my previous subscription from Beer52 they generously gave me £10 off my next box (sure it was to hope I would stay subscribed, but nice none the less). This is the first one I will review from this box and is brewed by Stewart Brewing up in Scotland. Whilst this is brewed by Stewart Brewing the recipe is actually designed by James Hardacre, a home brewer that Southern Bar's Homebrew competition in 2013. This is a Belgian IPA that uses Belgian yeast coupled with US and New Zealand hops. I served this slightly chilled.

Appearance: A very dark gold colour, bordering on amber. The head is of medium size, but lasting, and is a orange tinted white colour. 

Aroma: Huge amounts of mango with some spicy lemon notes in the background along with some typical beer notes. 

Flavour: Lots of floral hop notes on the front coupled with a sweet resin note, the mango hop notes tend to come in the back. Unfortunately the flavour fades with drinking. 

Body: A substantial body but not too much that it becomes viscous, a good balance.  

Aftertaste: There is a little of the belgian spiciness but this is then taken over by a hoppy bitterness that starts nice but becomes a little soapy. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, a delicious full flavoured drink, would have been a 9 if it weren't for the soapy back and the slightly fading flavour. But bear in mind I might be a little bias as I love mangos.

Price Range: From a new box, this one £14 for 8, so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle; a brilliant price, I wouldn't hesitate to get it again.

Food Pairings: Something citrus and tart, this could be sweet or savoury, but just to suggest something I would say citrus marinated pork Kebabs (skewers) with wedges of red onion between.

Petrus Dubbel Bruin

Brewery: Brouwerij De Brabandere

Supplier: Beer52

The last in from this box from Beer52, this is from a large brewery in Belgium that brews a variety of beers under different brand names - including Petrus. This is their Dubbel that uses a lot of specialty malts and natural caramel. I served this at room temp.

Appearance: Dark brown but a light maroon when held to the light. The head is a tan brown colour, that is of medium thickness and stable throughout the drink. 

Aroma: Rich caramel and raisin notes with hints of roasted notes and vanilla in the back ground. It's slightly musk but very nice.  I also noticed some marzipan in a whiff. 

Flavour: Lots of raisin notes in it, quite rich at first but freshens up towards the back with hints of grape.

Body: Quite substantial but not too syrupy. The carbonation is a little lacking. 

Aftertaste: Lots of woody notes, similar to those found in whiskey, with some strong sherry-like alcohol notes

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, but only because I like these types of sweeter beers I've noticed.

Price Range: Part of the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle, a good price. You can get similar ones for cheaper though.

Food Pairings: The sweet notes and the whiff of marzipan make me think of Battenburg cake, but actually I'm thinking a slightly less sweet cake such as Coffee and Walnut, or a dark chocolate cake. Make sure it has a nice layer of icing though.

Lluna de Blat

Brewery: Cerveses Lluna

Supplier: Amazon

This is the second one from the Organic Spanish brewery Cerveses Lluna today. This is another of their core beers, and is their version of a Hefeweizen - hopped with Perle and Cascade hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A dark golden colour with lot of bubbles in. Just slightly opaque, so a little clear for a Hefe. The head is medium, but quite dense, and off-white; it also lasts for an age.  

Aroma: Lots of citrus hops with that spicy wheat note right in the background

Flavour: A sharp citrus bite at the beginning that turns into an odd fresh-but slightly metallic note - not unpleasant thought. Slight hoppy spices in the background.

Body: Incredibly refreshing with a light body that is well suited to the beer. The carbonation is very soft and at the perfect amount - one of the best carbonations I tried!

Aftertaste: A faint mix of the citrus and metallic note. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, not much of a hefe but a nice refreshing beer. It does lack a little in flavour, but is so very easy to drink...

Price Range: The Spanish beer box works outs as £2.29 for a 330ml bottle; a great session beer so this would be a good price in a bar, but a little expensive from a shop.

Food Pairings: This would go with loads of things but it is quite a nice one to drink at a party, so it would probably go well with crisps and dip, and other assorted (savoury) party food.

Lluna Bruna

Brewery: Cerveses Lluna

Supplier: Amazon

This brewery from a little town in Spain has one of the best websites I've seen for a brewery, in addition all their beers are brewed with Bio-Certification, meaning they comply to the EU's regulation for organic foods. This is their take on a brown ale, using both British and German hops (Challenger and Hallertau). I served this chilled.

Appearance: Brown and amber-maroon when held to the light, a little opaque. The head is a thin very light brown but is constantly there throughout drinking. 

Aroma: Spicy yeast notes with hints resin hops and sweet malt. There are some roasted notes in the back as well. But not a very strong nose on it. 

Flavour: Roasted notes right on the front with some sweet spices and fruit from the yeast underlying, but these are very subtle flavours.

Body: A very crisp and easy drinking beer; the carbonation is a little too high though, and dry on the back. 

Aftertaste: Hints of raspberry, followed by a slow creeping bitterness that builds up, it is a combination of bitterness from different sources. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, a nice and refreshing beer for a brown ale, the dryness at the back is not great though, this would probably put it down to a 4 but I'm a sucker for organic.

Price Range: The Spanish beer box works outs as £2.29 for a 330ml bottle; probably about right, maybe a little high.

Food Pairings: Chicken breast with a thick spicy sauce, and creamy potatoes.

La Socarrada

Brewery: Premium Beers From Spain

Supplier: Amazon

Another from the Spanish beer box, and from Premium Beers From Spain. Like last time this brewery only has a website for the beer itself - here is the one for La Socarrada. This is their amber ale made with rosemary and rosemary-honey (which I presume is honey made by bees that fed mostly on rosemary flowers. It is self described as a Gastro-ale, which appeals to me as I call my home brewery a Gastro-brewery. I served this at room temps

Appearance: A deep orange copper colour with lots of sediment and opaque. The head is a thin very light brown colour (like that on a perfectly cooked marshmallow), but fades almost instantaneously 

Aroma: A little home-brew-esc, but with lots of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg; coupled with some fresh citrus/floral notes in the background, and possibly some juniper. 

Flavour: Tastes pretty much exactly how it smells. The spices, the floral notes, and the juniper - all there. With some drinking a bit of orange rind develops in the front.

Body: An average body, but a little too carbonated, however, the carbonation is a nice soft one.

Aftertaste: Here you can taste the distinct honey notes, although missing a large amount (but not all) of the sweetness. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, but only just and I think that it just gets there because of it's uniqueness

Price Range: The Spanish beer box works outs as £2.29 for a 330ml bottle; a good price, one that I would get again if I wanted something a bit different.

Food Pairings: A hard one, but I would say it would go well with a charcuterie board, as the strong meat flavours would penetrate the strong flavours in the beer as well as compliment the savoury notes in it.

Hipster Ale

Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing

Supplier: Beer52

Evil Twin Brewing is another gypsy brewer, just like his twin who started Mikkeller, except this twin is based in both the USA and Denmark. This is their Pale ale made in the Two Roads Brewing Co. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Thick slightly-off-white head that lasts for quite a while. A large stream of 

Aroma: Lots of hop resin notes with a hint of acidic malt in the back. 

Flavour: Hop resin notes in the front followed by a sweet mix of citrus hops and malt. 

Body: Refreshing but not light, and nicely carbonated. It becomes a bit dry at the back

Aftertaste: A hoppy bitterness that grows, almost becoming too much, there is a little hint of soapy hops though that goes but bites back. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, nice but a standard hoppy pale note, well executed apart from that soapy note at the end. Not as good as his brothers ones so far.

Price Range: Part of the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml can, a good price for a nice beer.

Food Pairings: Probably a lot of things, mainly things with cheese; because I have a craving for them I would say Jalapeño poppers.

VIPA

Brewery: Tyris

Supplier: Amazon

This brewery was started in 2009 in the Spanish city of Valencia, inspired by the beer culture in Germany. This beer is an abbreviation of Valencia IPA and is their core IPA. The hops they use are Northern Brewer, Styrian Goldings and Citra; it also contains wheat malt and bitter orange peel similar to a wheat beer. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A dark gold colour with hints of amber. There is only a few white bubble for a head that stay throughout, not enough to cover the surface. 

Aroma: A reasonable amount of citrus and resin hop notes. 

Flavour: Traces of citrus and resin hop notes as found in the nose, but watered down by a more general and no distinct hoppy bitterness. Towards the end there is some malt notes.

Body: Very refreshing of the front, and well carbonated, but with a dryness towards the end. 

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is more like one you would find in a commercial lager, a typical "beery" note. However, this turns into a bitter tang sort of a cross of hops and a little earwax. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 3, but close to a 4, it's drinkable and there are some nice notes in it, but that waxy note in the back pushes it down.

Price Range: Another from the box of 6 Spanish beers for £13.74, so this works outs as £2.29 for a 330ml bottle; a bit too much for what it is.

Food Pairings: This is quite a plain beer and so it would go with quite a lot of things, to get rid of that waxy taste I would suggest something meaty, maybe something smoked, a bacon or smoked sausage sandwich with crusty bread would do the trick.

Mariana Trench

Brewery: Weird Beard Brew Co.

Supplier: Beer52

Part of Weird Beard's core range, this is their pale ale that uses both American (Citra) and New Zealand (Pacific Gem) hops. I had this a couple of times a few years ago, the first time I loved it, and the second time I didn't think much of it; hopefully the second bottle was just a mistake. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A rich golden colour with straw around the edge and a nice trickle of bubble coming from the bottom. There is a thin but lasting white head.

Aroma: Smells a lot like gin, but without the high alcohol, so lots of juniper berries and citrus peel. 

Flavour: Tastes just like it smells, with lots of juniper and citrus peel hop notes. These flavours die down a bit 

Body: Refreshing but a medium body, smooth on the front but it turns a bit dry at the back (it would have been better if it didn't).

Aftertaste: Lots of cereal notes rather than malt, and a little bit of skunky hop bitterness (but not enough to make it a bad taste). 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, lots of pleasant notes with few bad ones, a nice a sessionable beer.

Price Range: Part of the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle; a very good price for this, I would definitely get it again for twice this price.

Food Pairings: I think this would go quite well with Sushi (using raw fish) as the juniper notes would compliment, and not overpower, the subtle fish notes.

Er Boquerón

Brewery: Premium Beers From Spain

Supplier: Amazon

I bought a box from Amazon during their lightning deals getting 6 Spanish beers for £13.74. This is a beer from Premium Beers From Spain which I know little about and can't find a website for. As far as I can tell the head brewer is a guy called Rafa Suñer and the individual beer have their own website (here is the one for Er Boquerón). This is a pale ale but mode unique by the use of fine Mediterranean seawater that has been partially desalinated and meticulously filtered, which reportedly makes the beer hangover free due to the mineral content. Er Boquerón has won multiple awards including two gold stars (out of three) for exceptional taste from the International Taste & Quality Institute (iTQi) in 2014, meaning it was rated as a remarkable product with marks between 80% and 90%. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A nice pale golden colour with a thin and fading white head. It is quite hazy, and there are some lumps of sediment floating around.  

Aroma: Peach and grapefruit hops up front with some cereal notes similar to those in a wheat beer. 

Flavour: The wheat notes definitely come through along with a sweetness from the malt; there are some nice fruity notes, more like stone fruits such as apricots and peaches

Body: Very thick with a round ending, a little refreshing but just a tad too thick for this type of beer. A little too carbonated as well, but it is a softer carbonation (aka smaller bubbles). 

Aftertaste: Still the peach notes, but coupled with some of the grapefruit notes that were in the aroma. Also, the sweet malt from the flavour turns to a more savoury note. This aftertaste is very short lived though. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, a nice beer that is drinkable but a bit low on taste and has a few minor flaws.

Price Range: 6 Spanish beers for £13.74, so this works outs as £2.29 for a 330ml bottle; that price is about right, especially if you include the novelty factor.

Food Pairings: As it is made with sea water, I would say this would go well with a nice flat white fish covered with lots of lemon.