Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Brewery: Rogue Ales & Spirits

Supplier: Beer52

Not usually a big fan of Rogue, I bought this one as I love hazelnuts, but didn't realise they use Hazelnut extract (though apparently it's natural). Rogue is an Oregon-based brewery and quite often does novelty beers. This is one of their core range; so one of their consumer-tested recipes rather than a one-off that could be fantastic or horrible, and it's won gold twice (2011&12) in the Specialty Beer Category of the Great American Beer Festival. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A clear brown with a hint of ruby when held to the light. The head is a latte brown colour, it's medium in size but thins to a trace quite quickly.

Aroma: The most distincly brown toast like note that I have every smelt, these then develove more into a nutty note. There are also underlying sweet malt notes.

Flavour: Again brown toast on the front, with some musty malt notes in there. With some drinking there are some vanilla notes that come throughh.

Body: Quite thick and a full mouthfeel, works really well with this beer

Aftertaste: Give a refreshing mix of minty hops and malt that round of the beer and refreshes the pallet. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, a nice beer and quite unique. Even though there no discernable nutty notes, I think the nuts add an element to it.

Price Range: £2.55 (usually £3) for a 355ml bottle, a decent price for a very sessionable beer.

Food Pairings: Whilst this is on the sweeter side I think something sweet like dried fruits (like banana, apple, pear, etc.) would go very well; maybe with a savoury coat - like apple crisps.

Carrie

Brewery: Kaapse Brouwers

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the Rotterdam based brewery, this is their core range IPA. It uses pale and caramel malt (with a high quantity of caramel), there are a few hops listed differently on different websites but it seems to have cascade, chinook, simcoe, and amarillo hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Quite a light murky brown turning a nice light orange hue when held to the light. The head is a thin creamy brown colour which thins quickly. 

Aroma: Very sweet candied resin notes that overpower anything else.

Flavour: Lots of barley candy notes on the front with hints of some roasted notes along with a belgian candi note.

Body: Very full on the front turing dry in the afternote. 

Aftertaste: The sweet notes continue into a powerfully sweet and sharp hop resin notes. After some time there is a bitter herbally hop note.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, a little too sweet but with lots of powerful flavours, gets a bit too much after one bottle.

Price Range: £3.00 for a 330ml bottle, quite a good price, competitive with others of similar qualities for similar or better prices.

Food Pairings: The intense sweetness of this needs something salty and sharp, something like a strong cheddar - maybe a Mac and cheese made with it.

O'Hara's Irish Stout

Brewery: Carlow Brewing Company

Supplier: Beer52

Thought I would give this one a try today as it's international Stout day. This is from a brewery in Ireland (Eire) near Kilkenny that has an O'Hara brand. This porter is the flagship of the O'Hara brand as it has won multiple awards including the Gold and Champion award in the International Dark Competition category of the 2000 International Brewing Awards. Made with a mixture of specialty malts and Fuggle hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Dark black even when held to the light. The head is a tan colour and's quite thin, fading to just a trace. 

Aroma: Some roasted notes with a little chocolate and some tartness. 

Flavour: Some vauge fruit hop notes coupled with the standard roasted notes, but these seem to fade with drinking. 

Body: Fresh on the front followed by the typical dry back. Too much fizz though.

Aftertaste: The flavours turn into an unplasant soapy note.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 3, I was a bit disappointed by this one, nothing of note and there's an unpleasant soapy afternote.

Price Range: £2.50 for a 330ml bottle, too much for what it is.

Food Pairings: Probably go well with a typical beef roast dinner with potatoes and Yorkshire's.

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

Brewery: Stone Brewing

Supplier: Brewdog Dundee Bottledog

This is from a San Diego based brewery that I had the fortune to visit while I was out there a few years ago, and I'm sure I had this beer whilst I was here. Whilst this is a San Diego based brewery, I think this was brewed in their Berlin based facility. This is one of their regular beers, and is a Belgian style IPA - one of my favourite styles - using Magnum, Centennial & Chinook hops. What I like about this sight is that they have a "fresh for" time, and for this one it is 120 days; as this one was brewed 89 days ago it's well in date. I served this chilled.

Appearance: The colour is slightly more vibrant than the picture suggests. When it's in the glass it has a nice rich, slightly opaque, golden colour; but when pouring it looks more like a livid yellow. The head is a thin pure white head that fades leaving a nice lacing. 

Aroma: There is a nice musky orange note, with a giving a funk reminise of oranges that are turning bad. There are also some of the classic belgian esters. This sounds bad but actually works really well for this beer.

Flavour: Initially a sweet, slightly sugary, malt. This is immediately followed by an intense orange and resin hop note. 

Body: Really full bodied on the front followed by a dry back 

Aftertaste: The hop note seems to develope into a more mature note of dried orange peel, cloves, and a little medicinal note - the hallmark of Belgian beers. There is also a slight underlying sharp sweetness. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, whilst Belgian beers aren't my favourite this was an excellent version of the style. Lots of flavour but really easy to drink.

Price Range: £3.33 (usually £3.50) for a 330ml can, fantastic price.

Food Pairings: A beer like this would cut through fatty foods like cheese so I'm going to pair it with what I had when I visited the brewery - Macaroni and Cheese.

True Blonde Ale

Brewery: Ska Brewing

Supplier: Brewdog Dundee Bottledog

This is another from Ska brewing, this one being one of their flagship pale ales and made with honey gathered from bees local to the breweries town of Durango - supplied by a company called Honeyville. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Pale yellow, thin when held to the light. The head is pure white and quite large, but thins.

Aroma: Typical beer yeast notes with some resin and iron notes.

Flavour: Quite a simple pale note, leading into a slight green hoppy note and a hint of fruit. 

Body: Thin but not too thin, just the way a pale ale should be; very refreshing as well

Aftertaste: The afternote seems to fall into a more traditional British yeast note, with a little yeasty bitterness.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, quite a nice simple pale, more like a British ale, though I couldn't detect any honey notes in it.

Price Range: £2.19 (usually £2.30) for a 330ml can; probably about right for what it is, I wouldn't go out my way for it, but I would be happy with it.

Food Pairings: Simple beer so a simple food - a toasted cheese sandwich.

Tundra IPA

Brewery: Barney's Beer

Supplier: Work

So this one I got free from my work as the JHI worked together with Barney's Beers in this little experiment. For this beer about 40% of the sugars come from Fava beans, with the malt providing the enzymes, and then lots of hops to make it an IPA style. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Gold with a slight amber tints, there is a slight white head that thins to a thin film.

Aroma: Malty with a little apricot hop, there is also some corn notes underlying.

Flavour: A slight hop resin note in the front leading to a sweet malty note like barley sweets. 

Body: Quite a decent, with a nice full mouthfeel, especially for such little malt. 

Aftertaste: A nice subtle lingering of the flavours that settle into the mouth nicely. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, quite a simple beer more like a pale ale with a nice simple hoppy note.

Price Range: Free, don't know what it usually costs, quite a nice beer and I would pay a couple of pounds for it.

Food Pairings: Most pub grub, I would particularly recommend a slightly salty steak & ale pie.

Berry Cubana

Brewery: Nomad Brewing Co. & Cigar City Brewing

Supplier: Fraser's Fruit and Veg

Got this from a local produce shop a little while ago. It's a coalition brew from Nomads down in New South Wales, Australia, and Cigar City in Florida. It's a brown ale recipe using a British yeast strain, but the rest of it is local to Australasia; using Aus and NZ hops and flavouring it with local fruits - Riberries or Lilly Pilly fruits. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A dark colour with brown edges when held to the light. The head is a a slight tan colour and quite thick on pouring, but thins quite quickly. 

Aroma: A few sweeter roasted notes coupled with some spicy fruit, quite a low level though.

Flavour: Some sweet roasted notes in the front, then some red berries and christmas spices. 

Body: Thick in the front then becomes quite crisp and a little dry

Aftertaste: There is a little bit of a more cereal malt flavour along with a bitterness reminiscent of green fruit that dominates. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, quite nice and a little novel, but the dry and green notes make in not as pleasant as it could have been

Price Range: £2.75 for a 500ml bottle, a decent price but probably wouldn't get it again.

Food Pairings: Quite a simple dish of a baked sweet potato, as the sweetness and starchiness of the potato counteracting the dryness and greenness.

Redwood

Brewery: Wild Beer Co.

Supplier: Kris Wines

I decided to do a slightly special one as I've just reached the quarter mark of my PhD, with my review submitted. This is a sour red ale the is made with locally foraged berries, it is an annual beer made in the autumn and left to age for a year . The edition I am drinking is the first, released in 2014 made with sloes, blackberries, elderberries, rosehips and many others foraged in 2013; it was when aged in the second use of Modus Operandi barrels, along with some Burgundy red wine barrels and some Scotch Whisky barrels. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Brown and opaque with a rusty hint around the edges when held to the light. The is a thin, slightly brown, head that dissipates quickly.

Aroma: Some nice subtle sour and balsamic notes with hints of berries in the back.

Flavour: Quite complex, with some red berry notes - that change with every sip - in the front coupled with hints of caramel malts. This leads into the sourness in the back, with a little saltiness. There is also an underlying oak note throughout.

Body: A medium body; not fizzy at all, which is not a bad thing for this style. 

Aftertaste: This may sound weird but there are some cola notes coupled with some tartness and a little bitterness from the wood. There are also some earwax notes, which is unfortunate.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, very complex but not as tasty as I was expecting, and the complexity actually detracts from the fruity notes.

Price Range: £3.60 for a 330ml bottle, quite a good price for a complex beer. Don't think I would get this edition again, but I would get the others when they come up.

Food Pairings: A selection of strong, sharp cheeses.

Black House

Brewery: Modern Times Beer

Supplier: Beer52

I first saw this brewery when it came up on Kickstarter, which allowed them to build their brewery. This is one of their 4 core range beers, which are all canned, and is an oatmeal stout brewed with coffee (75% Ethiopian • 25% Sumatran) which they roast themselves. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Black with brown edges when held to the light, with a steady stream of bubbles. The head is a rust tan colour, but thin and short lived.

Aroma: Burnt toast and coffee notes of the berry variety, there is also quite a cereal-esq note.

Flavour: Those strong berry-like coffee notes right on the front, but with none of the bitter notes that are ususally associated. In the back there are some burnt toast notes. Quite heavy at first but they lighten up with some drinking.

Body: I thought that this was going to be really fizzy but it's not, it is perfect, with an amazing mouthfeel.

Aftertaste: The coffee notes become a little sharper making it a little fresher feeling rounding it off. There is a little clinginess lingering there though. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, the mouthfeel makes this exceptional, and coupled with some simple but well crafted coffee and roasted flavour.

Price Range: £3.14 (usually £3.30) for a 473ml (1 US Pint) can, a great price for a very nice beer, especially as a end of dinner beer.

Food Pairings: As I said before, I think this would be great after dinner beer; so something like a light cream/pastry dessert, maybe something like a Sicilian Cannolo.

Pivo Pils

Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Supplier: Brewdog Dundee Bottledog

From the famed Firestone walker brewery, this is one of their core "Lion & Bear" beers - a hoppy pilsner. Using a traditional pilsner base, but dry hopping with west coast hops - Magnum, Spalter, and Saphir. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A pale yellow with a slight hint of gold. The head is medium, but very airy, and pure white; it fades quickly.

Aroma: A bit metallic on the front with a hint of hoppy resin in the back.

Flavour: A little butyric acid on the front, with some pale malt in the back.

Body: I can't really tell as the carbonation is overpowering.

Aftertaste: No flavour in the back, but it does become quite refreshing. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 2, more towards being unpleasant to drink, disappointing from such a well renowned brewery.

Price Range: £2.46 (normally £2.60) for a 355ml can, any price isn't great.

Food Pairings: Anything really, it's just non-descript. Probably good with a curry.

Cannonball

Brewery: Magic Rock Brewing

Supplier: Brewdog Dundee Bottledog

This is one of the core beers from the famous Magic Rock Brewing. The style is a quite strong IPA made using 6 different hops; Amarillo, Centennial, Citra, Columbus, Magnum, and Simcoe - self described hop bomb. I served this chilled.

Appearance: An opaque pale brown ale with a medium and quickly fading white head. 

Aroma: A little off in the front, but then turns into something like sticking your head in a bucket of hops.

Flavour: A thick decent malt on the front followed by a large, sweet resiny hop profile with tropical and lychee notes.

Body: Quite thick, like you would expect for an IPA this strength. 

Aftertaste: Initially it is intensely perfumy from the hops, but this turns into a dank hoppy note with drinking. This is mixed with some cereal and grassy notes, with a little seaweed. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, very hoppy and quite an easy drinker, but not too sessionable.

Price Range: £3.09 (normally £3.25) for a 330ml can, not a bad price, but maybe a little on the steep side.

Food Pairings: I had this with a tomato and pepper soup, the intense hops seemed to work quite well with the vinegar and umami notes.

Gose To Hollywood

Brewery: To Øl

Supplier: Brewdog Dundee Bottledog

Another from To Øl, this is their sour Gose. Like all gose's this is made using salt, but it's also made using California oranges. This one is brewed and bottled at the De Proef Brouweru in Belgium. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Pale and slightly orange, and slightly opaque. The is also a thin but lasting pure white head. 

Aroma: Orange and a little funky, maybe my imagination, but it smells a little like the sea. 

Flavour: Sour on the front, with some saltiness, then some faint orange notes.

Body: Refreshing, but a little too fizzy. 

Aftertaste: The orange notes turn to a more tropical notes, particularly passion fruit. After the sourness, it turns a lot juicier. However, the tropical notes start to fade with drinking

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, I love sour beers and this is a fine example, with lots of lovely tropical notes that give a sweetness to complement the salt and sour. Would have been a 9 if the tropical notes didn't fade.

Price Range: £3.71 (normally £3.90) for a 500ml can, a great price for a great beer.

Food Pairings: A nice light white risotto.

Jet Black Heart

Brewery: BrewDog

Supplier: Brewdog Dundee Bottledog

Thought I would christen my new Brewdog glass with a brewdog beer. This is one of their newest core range beers, and is an oatmeal milk stout; made using Magnum and Sorachi Ace hops along with some oats and wheat. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A deep black, even when held to the light. There's a thin head that fades quickly, and is a light mocha colour. 

Aroma: Coffee and a little acid.

Flavour: Sweet on the front with some berries, chocolate, and coffee.

Body: Smooth, but a little too fizzy.

Aftertaste: The back continues with coffee and a little coffee, but with a bitterness. This sweetens up, and a little tobacco coming through. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, a nice easy drinking sweet porter. Hits my sweet tooth.

Price Range: £1.79 (normally £1.89) for a 330ml bottle, a great price - I can see why it's part of their core.

Food Pairings: Some nice sourdough, or rye bread. Something simple and salty to go with the sweet complex notes.

Grunion

Brewery: Ballast Point

Supplier: Brewdog Dundee Bottledog

Another from Ballast Point, this is one of their core range but only sold in bottles & cans and is described as a hoppy pale ale. This one was designed as a homebrew by one of their staff using two relatively new hop varieties, American Mosaic & Calypso. They've won two awards in recent years; Gold at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival, and Silver at the 2015 Best of Craft Beer Awards. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Golden with a slightly amber hue and a reasonable clarity. The head is an orange hued white of medium thickness that fades as an average speed. 

Aroma: A bit soapy with a hint of hops. 

Flavour: A lot nicer than the nose, on the front there is orangey hops, with a hint of it becoming orange juice, then some mango on the back. There are also some very soft floral notes.

Body: A decent medium body, but a little too fizzy. 

Aftertaste: The soft mango notes come through, but there is also a little soap from the nose. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, despite the soapy note (that does fade) it's really nice and enjoyable drink and very close to a 7.

Price Range: £3.81 (normally £4.00) for a 355ml can, more expensive than I think it is worth - I think under £3.

Food Pairings: Something quite light, like a thin crust plain margarita pizza.

Iron-Age

Brewery: The Celt Experience

Supplier: Beer52

Last from the Beer52 box, this is another from the Caerphilly based brewery. This is part of their seasonal range, and is described as red table ale. It is also advertised as unfiltered, but that's the norm for real ale.

Appearance: Brown turning to a cloudy amber colour when held to the light

Aroma: Smells like a typical real ale - that slightly sour smell; but with hints of citrus and hop resin in the back

Flavour: Sweet and slightly caramel malt on the front, with citrus and hop resin on the back - with a little perfume. 

Body: A nice decent body, and it's incredibly refreshing

Aftertaste: The hops come out a lot more, with a nice bitterness rounding out with a little malt. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, a nice and very drinkable standard british ale.

Price Range: The last from the box of 10 for £14, so £1.40 for a 500ml bottle; a great price for this great drinker, I would definitely get it again for parties.

Food Pairings: A rich, probably steak, pie - with gravy filling, no cream.

Kriek Boon

Brewery: Brouwerij Boon

Supplier: Beers of Europe

A remnant from a Beers of Europe order that I did ages ago. Another from the Boon brewery, this is their Kriek. Made using old and young lambic beer and aged in oak casks, than after 6 months cherries (including black cherries) are added to restart fermentation. This is from the 2013 vintage. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A deep red/purple colour, becoming a bright red when held to the light. The head is thin but lasting and a creamy pink colour. 

Aroma: Smells just like cherry juice, coupled with a little vanilla and oak. There is also a light chemical note.

Flavour: Sweet cherry on the front leading to a slightly more savoury note with hints of vinegar. 

Body: Incredibly smooth and quite thick (maybe a little too sweet), also a bit too much fizz.

Aftertaste: The vinegar goes away but the cherry flavour becomes even more savoury. There are also hints of iron. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, I like  fruit lambics a lot so maybe a little biased. It is a little too sweet initially though and not sour enough at any point.

Price Range: £1.65 for a 250ml bottle; a good price and a good size for a nice fruity beer, probably better for summer.

Food Pairings: I think the sweet and savoury notes of it would work well with strong cheese and oatcakes.

Dead Ringer

Brewery: Ballast Point

Supplier: Brewdog Dundee Bottledog

From a lovely brewery in San Diego in California, nearly everything I've had from this brewery has been great so far. This is one of their limited edition brews, a Märzen brewed for Oktoberfest season. It's made with German style malts and hops. I served this slightly chilled.

Appearance: Brown hue, turning orangish when held to the light. The head is a slightly tan and medium thickness, but thins quickly.

Aroma: Some caramel malt but with an overpowering soapy note and an underlying lager note.

Flavour: Lots of banana on the front with a caramel back. Turns into something similar to nice fresh cloudy apple juice.

Body: Quite thick and syrupy, and a little too carbonated in the back.

Aftertaste: A complex and rich malt. There is also a slight, sweet marmite note.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a typical but good Märzen, however, it's not my favourite style.

Price Range: £2.66 (normally £2.80) for a 355ml bottle, the right price for what it is, but there would be others I get before I get this again, maybe for an Oktoberfest party though.

Food Pairings: I think it would go well with some smoked fish, something like kippers, maybe something fresher like smoked mackerel and lemon pâté.

Rock Point

Brewery: Mendocino Brewing Company

Supplier: Beer52

This is from a little brewery originally founded in the aptly named town Hopland, CA; now based in Ukiah. This is a sessionable IPA from their seasonal collection made with Columbus, Simcoe, and Amarillo hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A clear gold colour with a hint of amber. There is little to no head, what is there is pure white.

Aroma: Lots of sweet hop resin with some barley sweet in the back. 

Flavour: Initially just like it smells, with the hop resin a dominant front. With drinking it does tone down, with some orange hop notes coming through. 

Body: Fresh but medium in weight, the carbonation is just right

Aftertaste: The back becomes a lot more bitter, with a hint of wax. This dies down with drinking, allowing the malt to leave a sweeter note.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a nice simple sessionable IPA, just like it says on the bottle.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 for £14, so £1.40 for a 355ml bottle; a good price for a nice session beer.

Food Pairings: This is much like others I've reviewed here and I probably give something along the same line for food pairing; so in this case I'm going to suggest Cheesey baked potato.

Old Norway

Brewery: Swannay Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

Brewed in a brewery based in Orkney, this is one of their seasonal brews. It uses a load of local orkney malt, and three lots of cascade hops. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: A clear marmalade colour with practically no head. 

Aroma: Sweet barley sugar sweets on the front with some slight orange peel on the back.

Flavour: Lots of sweet honey on the front with some very malty notes on the back.

Body: Very thick with a syrupy back, very low carbonation.

Aftertaste: Just a continuation of the original flavour but with a little peach. Does become a little stale

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, rich and very sweet, but quite simple overall.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 for £14, so £1.40 for a 330ml bottle; quite good value, but I think you wouldn't usually pay this little for it.

Food Pairings: Bell peppers stuffed with couscous, maybe with some smoked cheese.

Love Of Work

Brewery: Siren Craft Brew & Hill Farmstead Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

This is a special release from Siren, which collaborated with the Vermont based Hill Farmstead. This is a light pale ale but with a twist it is dry hopped with Earl Grey tea (which in itself had Bergamot in it), along with Amarillo, Citra and Centennial hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A very clear, slightly brown, straw colour. There is a small white head that thins quickly. 

Aroma: Lots of hop resin, with a little musk and malt on the back. 

Flavour: Fruity hops and herbs on the front, but a little waxy on the back with a note of older herbs.

Body: Light but with a little body to give it a nice consistency. A little flat but better than being overcarbonated. 

Aftertaste: The wax notes increases initially, but with drinking it becomes more of a cereal and savoury notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, a little unique but there are a few off flavours.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 for £14, so £1.40 for a 330ml bottle; not a bad price and I would probably get it again if I saw if for that price and there was a more limited selection.

Food Pairings: A nice beef burger with lots of pickles or relish, the vinegar note of the pickles would go with the unusual savoury notes.

Revival

Brewery: Moor Beer Company

Supplier: Beer52

Part of their everyday favourite range, this is their pale ale brewed to celebrate the revival of the brewery. It's made with 5 different malts, including lager and wheat malts, and uses American hops and yeast. Between 2007 and 2013 this beer won no less than 14 awards. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A pale straw to golden colour, slightly opaque, with a thick white head that thins but still remains.

Aroma: Toffee, some citrus hops, and a little bit of musk.

Flavour: Not too much in flavour at all, a mild note of undistinguished malt and hops forming a weak, but lighter, version of a classic bitter.

Body: Reasonable body, great carbonation, and very refreshing to drink.

Aftertaste: A little piney, quite nice, and with some other hoppy notes. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 3, not much like a American pale ale, more like a light bitter, quite weak and flavourless but refreshing.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 for £14, so £1.40 for a 330ml can; and OK price, but I wouldn't get it again.

Food Pairings: Could be paired with most things without much flavour, I would suggest barbequed chicken drumsticks.

52 Pandas

Brewery: Panda Frog Project

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the experimental subsidiary of the Mordue Brewery; this time in a collaboration with Beer52 (like Mambo Jambo and Quintet). This is what they describe as a "New World Wheat Beer", which is a wheat beer that has been dry hopped with Equinox, El Dorado, and Citra hops.

Appearance: Only slightly opaque, much clearer than you would expect a wheat beer. The colour is pale straw with a hint of gold; and the head is medium thickness, pure white, and last for ages.

Aroma: Quite bready, with hints of spices and a little corn in the background. 

Flavour: Not much of the traditional wheat on the flavour as it is dominated grassy hops and tropical fruit notes. 

Body: Medium body, but with too much carbonation. There is also an almost floury texture that goes quite well with this. 

Aftertaste: This is where you can tell it is a wheat beer as you get that distinct wheat malt background, however it get dominated by an unpleasant grassy hop notes. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, quite unique and a good idea, but not done too well in my opinion with the hops letting it down.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 for £14, so £1.40 for a 330ml bottle; I wouldn't rush out to buy it but, at this price, I wouldn't mind it.

Food Pairings: It's hard to pair as it has both soft and dominant qualities, thus I'm going to cop out and pin it to something simple like a moderately salty portion of fish and chips.

Raid Beer

Brewery: To Øl

Supplier: Beer52

This is a light pale lager with west coast hoppiness. Not much information on this beer, apart from a little post about how it won three gold medals, with the last being from the Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Clear gold with a hint of amber. There is a fast stream of bubbles leading to a medium-thick off-white head.

Aroma: Loads of lovely sweet hop resin and lychees notes in it, it smells delicious. 

Flavour: Apricots and fresh oranges on the front, with a full satisfying bitterness and complimentary malt. 

Body: A nice thick body, but light enough to stay fresh. 

Aftertaste: The hoppyness turns a little soapy, but this dies down with drinking, turning into a bitter/sour orange note. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, A nice hoppy lager, which tastes more like an IPA as it isn't that clean in profile; with mild unique flavours that make it interesting.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 for £14, so £1.40 for a 330ml bottle; a good price for a decent and drinkable beer.

Food Pairings: The orange will go well with a nice creamy chicken pasta.

Babylone

Brewery: Brussels Beer Project

Supplier: Beer52

Another main beer from the Brussels Beer Project and an unusual one this, made with recycled bread as the yeast source (I think, it just says made with recycled bread, and that that is what they did in the past - in places such as Babylon). I served this slightly chilled.

Appearance: Brown with a reddish hue, with a thin off-white head. 

Aroma: Mainly hops on the nose, with sour citrus and peaches. There is also some caramel notes right in the back.

Flavour: Huge spice notes in the front, the a thick and overpowering hop resin note. There is also a faint savoury note in the back similar to green avocados. 

Body: A little fizzy on the front but turns quite smooth. 

Aftertaste: Predominantly cereal notes, some caramel, and a little metallic. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a nice and a little unusual beer, nice to drink a couple of in a night. Not as rough as I thought it would be considering they use (I believe) bread yeast.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 for £14, so £1.40 for a 330ml bottle; a good price for a nice and complex beer.

Food Pairings: A nice piece of banana bread.

London Mild Ale

Brewery: Brouwerij Kees

Supplier: Beer52

A little late, but this is the first post of the year! This Mild Ale, despite the name, is actually from the Netherlands. This is a English style, made with British malts and hops, but produced in the capital of Zeeland (Middelburg). I served this chilled.

Appearance: Dark brown, but lightens to a nice woody brown when held to the light; it's also slightly opaque. The head is a slightly tanned cream colour, it's medium in size but lasts the whole time.

Aroma: A blend of caramel and honey & resin hop notes, similar to some of the better mild ales. 

Flavour: Chocolate and biscuit malt on the front, followed by some honey hop notes that you find in Goldings. 

Body: Quite fresh and and a medium thickness. 

Aftertaste: A little soapy.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, nice, but nothing special, just a good mild ale.

Price Range: Another deal giving me 10 beers for £14, so £1.40 for a 330ml bottle; a decent price for a nice sessionable ale.

Food Pairings: As it is a good London Mild I think it would go well with a nice beef roast, maybe with a little twist such as an oriental chili rub.