Golden Monkey

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company

Supplier: Beer Hawk

Another from this famous Pennsylvanian brewery, this one being a core beer but one that is quite strong. It's their version of a Belgian Tripel and thus comes in at quite a high percentage. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A thick gold colour with orange tinges, very opaque. The head is slightly off white, but thins out to nothing - though I didn't follow the instructions of pour vigerously. 

Aroma: Initially, loads of banana when the can was opened. This is a bit more understated after a bit, with lots of the classic Belgian spicy esters coming through with the sweet malt. 

Flavour: A slight but sharp tartness on the front initially but this dies down to a sweetness. 

Body: It's got some body in it as you would expect with a high alcohol beer. Still got a little bit of carbonation which is good.

Aftertaste: Lots of complexities in the afternote with lots of hop notes, and lots of melow mellon and spices complex. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, what I would imagine an American Tripel to be like, a low-medium level of the typical esters, coupled with some refreshing American hops.

Price Range: Another of the Mystery box, so about £1.50 for a 355ml can; absolutely fantastic price and I would definitely get it again for that price, though I don't think you will ever see it that low by itself.

Food Pairings: Mussels. With a nice spicy broth with chilli and lemongrass. The muskiness from the mussels would go well with the complex ester notes.

Sauvinova

Brewery: Tuatara Brewery

Supplier: Beer Hawk

This New Zealand based brewery is named after a lizard of the same name, that name being Māori for "peaks on the back". This is why the bottles from this brewery have bumps on the neck with a central ridge. This is one of their core beers, being a single hop pale ale, using my favourite hops - Nelson Sauvin. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A dark gold, slightly opaque when held to the light. The head is pure white but fades quickly into only a trace.

Aroma: Delecious meld of strong and sweet hop resin with concentrated grape juice. 

Flavour: There is a slight light malt note with a thick compliment of grape and resin hop notes

Body: Light on the front, following to a syrupy back. The carbonation is perfect. 

Aftertaste: A bit more of a tart note, with some gooseberry in there. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, really drinkable, lots of great hop flavours, but maybe a little too sweet.

Price Range: The Mystery box was 2 boxes of 15 for £45, so about £1.50 for a 330ml bottle; this is a really good price for a fantastic beer, I would definitely get it again.

Food Pairings: On the website they say a duck salad, and I would say that this is spot on. A little bit of fat on the duck would cut through the syrupy notes.

Christian Bale Ale

Brewery: Dry & Bitter Brewing Company

Supplier: Beer52

The last non-Mikkeller beer from the Mikkeller box, this one still being from Denmark. This is part of their core range, being a base for other variants. It's a sessionable IPA with lots of one of my favourite hops - Mosaic. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A golden straw colour when held to the light, slightly opaque. The head is reasonable thick, long lasting, and pure white.

Aroma: Lots of sugar, citrus and a hint of sweet semi-artificial cherry. 

Flavour: Some citrus and mango hop notes, with some more savoury grass notes.

Body: Quite thick for a IPA, and doesn't get too syrupy like other. Still reasonably refreshing though. 

Aftertaste: More bitterness from the hops comes through here, more of a dry bitterness. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, it has some nice points but it doesn't come together quite well and has a bit too much bitterness.

Price Range: The last from the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle, not a bad price, but I wouldn't choose to buy it again.

Food Pairings: Roasted pork; the slight citrus and mango will pair well, the light notes of the pork won't overpower the light flavours in it, and the fats will cut through the thickness.

Sjelefred

Brewery: Kinn Bryggeri

Supplier: Beer52

The first non-Mikkeller beer from the Mikkeller box, this being a brown ale from a little brewery on an island off the west coast of Norway. Named "Peace of mind", this is their version of an English brown ale using a variety of malts and Hallertau Northern Brewer & Fuggles hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A deep brown with a slight ruby hint when held to the light. The head is a light malt extract/ovaltine colour, it shrinks to a couple of mm but stays thick and lasts a long time.

Aroma: Sweet malt with a little smokey sausage and a small bit of metal in the back. 

Flavour: Quite light on the front, with some molassus without the sweetness, and a little bit of roasted notes. 

Body: A little bit watery, but only in the front, and more refreshing in the back, and a hine of creaminess.

Aftertaste: A mix of raspberries with a hint of marmite and coffee in the back. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, dark and fruity if not a little watery.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle, it's a good price and I would definitely get it again for that price.

Food Pairings: This would pair perfectly with Cranachan, the raspberry and dark notes working so well.

Yin & Yang

Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing

Supplier: Beer52

So this is a Black and Tan cocktail made from mixing the Imperial stout Yin and the Imperial IPA Yang, which is what they were designed for. I served this chilled.

Appearance: The black remains unpenetrable, but the head becomes lighter and remains for longer, though only a trace. 

Aroma: Not suprisingly, it seems to be a mix of the two with the hops, savoury notes, and roasted chocolate notes combining pleasantly. 

Flavour: Subtle hints of roasted chocolate notes folowed by a some slight lemon hop notes. 

Body: A fairly decent body, quite thick going well with the darker notes. 

Aftertaste: This becomes very dry and acidic with the hops and roasted malts contributing to both, along with a slight iron note.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, I think it's very nice, but I enjoyed the IPA by itself ever so slightly better.

Price Range: £5.00 for each 355ml bottle, it was nice to do the series, but the price is too high and it's not special enough for me to buy it again.

Food Pairings: Like with black IPAs this one is hard to place; because of the dry acidic back I'm going to go with a chocolate mousse with creme de menthe. The chocolate pairing well, and the freshness of the lemon and mint complimenting each other. However, this could end up just masking the flavour of both.

Yang

Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing

Supplier: Beer52

This is the second individual part of the pairing of the Yin & Yang series, the previous beer Yin being revied earlier. This one is the Imperial IPA, which makes up the Tan part of the cocktail. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A dark amber colour, turning orange when held to the light

Aroma: Smells a little savoury, with hits of paprika and hop oils. 

Flavour: A mix of salt, syrup and hop on the front followed by a soft but absolutly delightful blend of lemon and peaches from the hops.

Body: Full and syrupy on the front, then crisp and dry in the back.

Aftertaste: The afternotes turn a little bitter, but this dies down with drinking, leaving a sticky hop syrup note in its place.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, a little rough in places but the hop notes are really pleasant.

Price Range: £5.00 for a 355ml bottle, this one is a little more worth it, but still too much compared to what you can get for the same price.

Food Pairings: This has quite a complex profile so I would say something like a sharp, hard cheese with some white crusty bread.

Yin

Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing

Supplier: Beer52

So I saved this series for a special occasion and my birthday was this occasion (posting it late though). This beer was made with its counterpart Yang with the idea to mix them together in a Black & Tan cocktail called Yin & Yang. This individual part is the black part of that and is an imperial stout, I served this chilled.

Appearance: Thick black colour, unpenatrable when held to the light. The is a slight rusty brown foam that lingers around the edge of the glass, never enough to make a head. 

Aroma: Not much in the nose, just some traces of sweet toffee and toast. 

Flavour: Sweet syrup on the front flowing quickly into a dry brown sugar and roasted coffee note. 

Body: A reasonably thick, but with a refrshing sharpness in the back. 

Aftertaste: An acidic coffee note in the back along with a load of roasted barley notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, a decent imperial stout but nothing special as I was expecting.

Price Range: £5.00 for a 355ml bottle, probably a bit too much as you can get some really fantastic beers for that price, interesting to do the series.

Food Pairings: As it's a really rich beer I would say something rich as well, maybe a lamb stew with juniper.

Running Club

Brewery: Mikkeller

Supplier: Beer52

The final Mikkeller from the Mikkeller box (but I've still got the two other Scandi beers from the box), this being another pale ale. I'm fairly sure that this was brewed for the Mikkeller running clubs around the world, which is exactly what it sounds like, clubs that go running together. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A reasonable bright yellow colour, slightly opaque. The head is a pure white that thins down to only a couple of bubbles.

Aroma: Fresh but funky peach with a little lemon rind.

Flavour: A slight hint of peach on the front, then lots of lemon, running into a little bit of mandarin. 

Body: Quite light, and the fizz is a bit too much; but goes reasonably well with the style.

Aftertaste: This is not as nice as it's a bit like a tangy, watered down orange juice.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, a drinkable pale ale, but that's about it.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle, about right, but I wouldn't choose it again.

Food Pairings: The tangy, bitter lemon I think would go well with sweet chili/BBQ chicken.

Milk Stout

Brewery: Mikkeller

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the Mikkeller box, obviously you can see from the name this is a milk stout, so it has lactose in it. This one I've seen around a lot, so I presume it is one of their core or more common ones. I served this chilled. 

Appearance: A really deep black, so deep that light doesn't even penetrate. The head is a latte colour, starts off thick but thins quickly leaving a thick lacing. 

Aroma: A mild but lovely mix of sweet vanilla, raspberries and coffee.

Flavour: Chocolate with some sweet raspberry icecream. There is also a slight herbal element in it. There is also a small amount of coffee-like acidity.

Body: Super smooth, with a thin vail of carbonation. 

Aftertaste: Even more sweeness, coupled with a oatmilk like flavour. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, very nice, but it seems to be mainly sweetness with not much complexity.

Price Range: Another from 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, but not something you want to drink often.

Food Pairings: As it's sweet I think it's more like a dessert beer, personally I would pair it with a trifle, especially one heavy on the fruit.

Henry Jagger

Brewery: Mikkeller

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the Mikkeller box, this is a low alcohol pale ale at only 2.2% ABV. Like all the Mikkeller beers this also has very little info about it. Don't know the significance of the name, and if there's a relation to Mick Jagger. I served this chilled.  

Appearance: Amber, and slightly opaque. The head is a slightly off-white colour and is a medium thickness with quite a substance behind it. 

Aroma: A sour mix of tart oranges and a little hop resin.

Flavour: Really faint, but much like the tart orange note of the nose.

Body: Reasonably refreshing, but surprisingly full bodied, especually for something so low alcohol. Drys out in the back.

Aftertaste: This is where you get a bit more of the hop notes, coupled with a strong cereal note and a little hoppy bitterness.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, refreshing and really easy to drink, great for someone driving.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle, this is about right, something you could drink a few of easily, especially if you need to keep sober.

Food Pairings: I'm going to say sweet potato fried, the sweetness going well with the dry, bitter back.

Not Just Another Wit

Brewery: Mikkeller

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the Mikkeller box, this is described by them as a hoppy witbier, which to me is a white IPA. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A golden colour, with a pale straw coming out when held to the light; slightly murkey. The head is a thin white head. 

Aroma: A funky note that you get sometime from wheat beers, there is also a slight spicy/chemical note, maybe with a hint of alcohol. 

Flavour: You get a sweet mix of orange peel hops and malt that swirls over the tongue. 

Body: Like the previuos one today, the beer is really smooth, full bodies, and perfectly carbonated.

Aftertaste: Lots of spicy esters with a little bit of that orange hoppy note.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, it is what it says on the tin, it's a hoppy wheat beer, with some of that Belgian spice note you sometimes get in wheat beers.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle, A decent price and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Belgian style beers.

Food Pairings: I think the strong flavours from this beer needs something strong to penetrate, so I would go with something like a charcuterie board with rye bread and pickles (on that note a Rubens sandwich would also be very good with it).

I Wish Gluten Free IPA

Brewery: Mikkeller

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the Mikkeller box, and this is their Gluten Free IPA - and self-proclaimed worlds first gluten free beer (though I'm a bit dubious about that). Apart from that, there isn't much else about it. I served this chilled. 

Appearance: A burnt gold colour turning a deep amber when held to the light. The head is a reasonably thick off white that starts to thin quick, but maintains a reasonable amount. 

Aroma: Sweet and spicy hop resin notes, airing more on the spicy side. It's subtle, but very nice. 

Flavour: Not h huge amount, but there is initially a mint-like freshness from the bitterness of the hops.

Body: Really full bodied and exceptionally smooth. The carbonation is just right.

Aftertaste: You get some malt from the with a slight lemon tang from the hops.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, it mainly get the score from the exceptional body that transforms this drinkable IPA.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle, a fantastic price for a really refreshing and drinkable beer.

Food Pairings: It's quite full bodied so it would go better with something simple. I would suggest stir-fried rice, with some soy sauce the saltiness would complement it well.

Drink'in Berliner

Brewery: Mikkeller

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the Mikkeller box, and this time it's one of their sour beers, namely a Berliner Weisse. Again, not much is said about this brew, but it seems to be the base of a lot of different variations. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Crystal clear with a weak white gold colouring. The head is a really thick
pure white and almost meringue-like consistancy. 

Aroma: Like a standard pale ale but with a little bit of vinegar in the back. 

Flavour: The head is quite bitter with a waxy twang but the actual beer is much less sharp in flavour with a thin sweet malt followed by lemon rind and a nice subtle cider vinegar. 

Body: Very light with a some weight right at the back. 

Aftertaste: The sharp vinegar not is a bit more prominant in the afternote, but not overly so. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, unusual but a little too much like vinegar, unlike other Berliner Weisse' which have more of a sour note.

Price Range: Another from the box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle, it's a decent price as it's a bit unusual, but I probably wouldn't get it again as it's not the best.

Food Pairings: I think the vinegar notes would go well with a vinegarette on a light salad.

Stick In The Ear

Brewery: Mikkeller

Supplier: Beer52

Another offer from Beer52; this was their Mikkeller box which had mostly Mikkeller beer plus a couple of other Scandi ones, so expect to see these up coming. Just a recap, Mikkeller is a legendary brewery and this is one of their many IPAs, a West Coast style IPA.  But apart from that, they don't say anything else about it, so I'll get to drinking it. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A dark gold with a little amber, slightly merky. The heead is a slightly off white, thick at first but thins quickly to a thin layer of large bubbles.

Aroma: Sweet resin, with a little bit of candied pineapple. 

Flavour: A hint of the hop resin from the nose in the front, followed by that flour like note with a little of the herbal hop notes. You get a hint of malt when it flows over your tounge. 

Body: Quite thick for an IPA, not really as refreshing as it should be. 

Aftertaste: A lingering of the matly notes followed by a really dry herbal note.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a nice IPA, but nothing much and has a mediocre aftertaste. Not what I would expect from Mikkeller.

Price Range: This time I got a box of 10 I got for £14 (usually £29), so it works out at £1.40 for a 330ml bottle,this is a decent price but I wouldn't go for it often even if you could get it for this price regularly.

Food Pairings: A salty meat to go with the bitter hop notes. Maybe something like jerked meat.

Double Jack

Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the Californian brewery, this was their Imperial IPA which has now been discontinued as of October last year.  I bought this a while ago and forgot about it so I'm not sure how if faired; it was bottled in April 2015 and IPAs are better drunk fresh, though it's quite a high alcohol beer so it might have aged well. I served this slightly chilled, about 10C.

Appearance: A nice golden colour with a slight marmalade hue, the head is a fresh white colour that thins to a ring of foam around the glass. 

Aroma: Huge amounts of hop resin in the front, very sweet, possible supported by some sweet malt note. This is coupled with a salty note in the back.

Flavour: Really sweet hop resin on the front followed by some Honeydew melon hop notes in the back along with that salty-earth back fount in the nose.

Body: The prefect balance of refreshing and sticky malt giving it substance. 

Aftertaste: That combination of stong alcohol and clingy hops, with a hint of tart pinapple in the back.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 9, despite being over 2 years past its bottling date it's still a fantastic beer, not too sessionable but great for a special treat.

Price Range: £4.25 for a 355ml bottle (usually £5, but there was 15% for US beers), this is a very good price for an amazing beer, especially one that is so strong.

Food Pairings: It's quite strong and complex so it doesn't really go with a huge amount. I want to say blue cheese, and whilst I think the flavours match, I think they are too independently strong to go together. So I think something like Buffalo mozzarella, tomato, and balsamico.

Vetlebror (Littlebro)

Brewery: Ægir Bryggeri

Supplier: Beer52

Based out of a brewpub in a little village in Norway this brewery has grown substantially since it opened in 2007. They have a wide range that they sell in cans, but these cans are unique as they have a top that is completely removed. This is one of their core range, a sessionable IPA. Marketed in the UK as Littlebro the original name is Vetlebror. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Pale but with a deep gold colour to the centre. The head is slightly off-white and of medium thickness, but thins to a fine but complete layer. 

Aroma: Prety much no aroma at all, there are some very faint traces of hops but that is about it. 

Flavour: Crisp malt and refreshing citrus hops.

Body: Very crisp on the front with a nice smooth bit of body and carbonation in the back. Very refreshing and satisfying 

Aftertaste: Some slight tartness from the hops leading into a slight hoppy bitterness.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, I can see this being very popular for drinking outdoors on a sunny day, but there is nothing that stands out and more of a pale ale.

Price Range: Another from the box of 8 for £24 - so £3 for a 330ml bottle, not worth it for this price but if I saw it for lower I would get a few for everyday drinking beers. And probably a good price in Norway.

Food Pairings: Seeing as it is from Norway I would have to go with some salty white fish,  maybe on some rye bread.

Flower Power Hippy Dippy All Things Pretty American Amber

Brewery: The Flying Dutchman Nomad Brewing Company

Supplier: Beer52

From a new (2015) brewery in Finland that embodies the hippy vibe. Similar to Mikkeller, the brewer Ronald de Waal is a gypsy brewer (or Nomad as he likes to call it), brewing in different breweries but being based in Finland. It's base on an American amber ale, using Centennial, Galaxy, Mosaic and Tettnang hops, but then matured on a bed of Hibiscus flowers, hence the name. I served this chilled.

Appearance: An orangy-brown colour, slightly murky. A slight off-white head that thins quite quickly. 

Aroma: Malty with a musky hint of hop resin in the back. 

Flavour: A nice light malt on the front with hints of caramel malt. Then a slight hoppy bitterness and resin on the back. 

Body: Quite light but there is a slight cloyingness. 

Aftertaste: A greater wave of hops with some raw malt notes, an a little bit of a stale ale note. Also some waxy notes develope with time

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, it's quite nice but not that special and I can't see the Hibiscus adds anything.

Price Range: Another from the box of 8 for £24 - so £3 for a 330ml bottle, too much for this as there are much better beers for the same or lower price.

Food Pairings: Something simple like a Tagliatelle al Ragu Bolognese.

Garden of Eden

Brewery: To Øl

Supplier: Beer52

I love fruity beers and IPAs so I thought I would do this for my 200th review. This beer is made with a cacophony of fruit including Apricot, Guave, Mango, Passionfruit and Papaya. It also uses the most fruitiest of hops, Mosaic. The malt body also uses oats that will give it a slight body. I served this chilled.

Appearance: An opaque gold colour, it's probably cloudy because of the oats. The head is a ever so slightly coloured white that starts out thick but thins quickly leaving a trace over the top. 

Aroma: Surprisingly not fruity at all in the nose. There are some savoury notes, though there is not much to it at all.

Flavour: A little hop resin on the front followed by some savoury malts

Body: Quite light with enough body to make it not watery.

Aftertaste: It develops into a savoury/tart fruit note, a big mixture so it's hard to place, but nice. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, a nice mixture of hoppy IPA and tart fruits.

Price Range: Another from the box of 8 for £24 - so £3 for a 330ml bottle, a good price for a nice and sessionable beer.

Food Pairings: A juicy burger with a good bunch of red onion in it.

Fuck Art - The Heathens Are Coming

Brewery: To Øl

Supplier: Beer52

Another from this Danish Brewery, this is the first Grisette I've had but it is meant to be similar to a saison. Like a saison this has a base of pilsner malt and unmalted wheat, but it also contains rye (maybe that's the Scandi element). The hops are Tettnager, Galena, and Simcoe. I served this chilled.

Appearance: A pale gold colour, turning to straw when held to the light. The head is thin, and thins to just a lingering film. 

Aroma: Lots of yeast spice with a little funk, grapefruit and some bread dough. 

Flavour: A light mix of subtle pilsner malt and hop resin, becoming slightly doughy towards the end. 

Body: Refreshing at first, but it's got a surprisingly thick body for such a light ale.

Aftertaste: A little more hop resin along with the spicy yeast notes, similar to those from Belgian yeasts. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, a bit of a mix of light refreshing flavours, and spicy full bodied notes.

Price Range: A box of 8 from Beer52 for £24 - so £3 for a 330ml bottle, a little on the pricey side but probably worth it.

Food Pairings: I think it would go well with a traditional pork roast, with plainly cooked vegetables.

Mochachocolata Ya Ya!!

Brewery: Electric Bear Brewing Co.

Supplier: Beer52

This Bath-based brewery was founded in early 2015. This is one of their main beers which is a milk stout brewed with coffee and caramel additions. It was awarded the best Chocolate and Coffee Flavour Category for UK in the 2016 World Beer Awards. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Black, turning to a deep brown when held to the light. The head is very thick and long lasting with light tan colour. 

Aroma: Very sweet nose but with some salty/savour notes similar to black olives. The sweet notes include caramel and sherry. 

Flavour: Slight sweetness with caramel and vanilla on the front. Cherries and peaans on the back. 

Body: Very smooth on the front with a medium-thick body, however the carbonation in the back is a little off. 

Aftertaste: Turns into a slight, green bitterness with lots of burnt toast and a little sweet coffee. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 8, really nice milk stout with a good sweetness that doesn't overpower and is nicely countered by a slight bitterness in the back.

Price Range: The last of the 8 beers for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle, great price for this dessert beer.

Food Pairings: It's more of a dessert beer, so something sweet, probably Stroopwafel as it would go well with the caramel.

Dead Guy Ale

Brewery: Rogue Ales & Spirits

Supplier: Beer52

Whilst they list this as a Maibock, which is a lager, they also say it is an ale and they list the yeast which is an ale yeast; what I think has happened is that it used to be made with lager yeast but they then shifted to the house ale yeast using the same recipe (and keeping the lagering stage). This is one of their oldest core range brews, first brewed in the early 90's for Día de Muertos. It's made with a load of malts, Independent Hops, and their house yeast strain (all of which are Trademarked). I served this chilled.

Appearance: A murky amber colour with a white head that is so thin it's almost gone. 

Aroma: Unfortunatly there is the smell of both stale and unfermented beer like you often get in those typical British ale pubs, along with some apple juice. 

Flavour: Sharp sweet notes on the front following into a fruity sweetness similar to the apple juice on the nose. 

Body: Medium body with a little bit of a syrupyness. 

Aftertaste: This fruity sweetness turns into a malty sweetness. Some strawberry notes hang right in the back. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, sweet but not overly so, and quite fruity; simple but refreshing.

Price Range: Another of the 8 beers for £14 - so £1.75 for a 355ml bottle, for this price you can't knock it

Food Pairings: I think it would go well with something salty with strong flavours, something like peppered jerky.

Must Kuld

Brewery: Põhjala Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the Tallinn-based brewery, this one I had the time I was there. This is another of their core range, this one being a milk stout with the name meaning Black Gold. It's made of a huge mix of different malts along with two hops, Magnum and Goldings I served this chilled.

Appearance: Thick black, completly inpenatrable. The head is a latte colour, initially medium size but fades down to a trace. 

Aroma: Fresh blackberries with underlying notes of coffee.

Flavour: Wholemeal toast on the front moving into a sweet end. There is also a pleasant underlying mocha note.

Body: Slightly thick with some creamy notes, still quite fresh. 

Aftertaste: The sweetness continues then developes into a slight bitter from the hops, or into a blackcurrant note, this changes with each sip.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, a sweet but not overly sweet for a milk stout with refreshing berry notes and roasted malt flavours.

Price Range: Another of the 8 beers for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle, a great price for a nice beer.

Food Pairings: A nice sharp cheese and oatmeal crackers.

Uus Maailm

Brewery: Põhjala Brewery

Supplier: Beer52

I first had some beers from this brewery when I went to visit Tallinn last year and I was highly impressed with them; since then I've seen them around quite a bit. This is their session IPA (specifically a "San Diego session IPA") using a mix of new world hops (Galaxy and Mosaic). The name means " The New World", don't quite know what the shark represents. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Pale straw with a hint of gold. The head is pure white, but a little thin.

Aroma: A nice wiff of hop resin.

Flavour: Suprisingly a lot of ever so slightly sour grapefruit in the back.

Body: Just super refreshing with a nice medium body. 

Aftertaste: A little waxy notes with some orange juice notes

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, simple but unusual and not what I was expecting from the smell of it. The notes of orange juice and wax in the back put it off for me.

Price Range: From another case from Beer52 where I got 8 beers for £14 - so £1.75 for a 330ml bottle, a good price but the beer is only average - you can get better for the price range, including from Põhjala Brewery itself.

Food Pairings: Something light, like a salad, but with not too much dressing. Something like a mix of dark leaves with a vinegarette.

Vuur & Vlam

Brewery: Brouwerij De Molen

Supplier: Beer52

Another from the core range of this Dutch brewery, this being their IPA. Made with a simple malt base with a large mix of hops for both bittering and dry hopping, including galena, cascade, chinook, simcoe, and amarillo. The name of this beer translates as Fire & Flames, but I served it chilled.

Appearance: A caramalized orange colour with and medium off-white head

Aroma: Lots of hops on the nose including rose and citrus notes. 

Flavour: Sweet malty caramel with some cirtus notes.

Body: Very smooth and quite syrupy, but a little fresh in the back

Aftertaste: This is where it gets nice, the flavours develope into a nice floral notes with rose and lemon prevailing. A slight grassy bitterness developes with drinking. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, lovely to drink but maybe a little too sweet for an everyday drink.

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

Food Pairings: A syrupy dessert to go with the syrupy beer, maybe something like baklava.

Loose Leaf

Brewery: Odell Brewing Co.

Supplier: Beer52

Another core beer from the brewery with the best presentation; this is Odell's sessionable IPA. They market this as a regular drinking beer and, in keeping with Odell's theme, as a beer to take outside for camping, picknicks, etc. - thus they also sell it in cans. This one is made with different pale malt along with Bravo and Cascade hops. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Pale strae colour with a slight haze, the head is pure white and a little thin.

Aroma: Smells like lager malts with hints of grape.

Flavour: A  wave of smooth and understated mix of malt and grapy hops. 

Body: Quite light and thirst quenching. 

Aftertaste: It finishes with a slight bitterness coming from a mix of the hops and yeast, and a little pepper from the yeast. 

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, more like a hoppy lager, nice, refreshing and fruity to drink.

Price Range:  £2.98 (usually £3.50) for a 355ml bottle, I would definitely get it again as it's nice one to drink by the beach.

Food Pairings: The freshness would go well with a salad, something like a Salade Niçoise.