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.