Ogham Oak

Brewery: The Celt Experience

Supplier: Beers of Europe

Today I'm going to do a horizontal tasting of the Ogham range from The Celt Experience in Wales. This series is named after a secret code used by Gaulish druids and is a series of three big beer styles. Oak is the first I'm going to try in the series (Ash and Willow will follow) and this is a Belgian Tripel brewed with Orange peel and Cinnamon, using american hops and yeast from Flanders. Its namesake Oak is the wood that implies Strength and Wisdom. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: A bright clear golden colour with a slightly thick head that reduces a little.

Aroma: Funky lemon notes twinned with sweeter notes that are slightly malty but also have some freshly made lemonade characters. 

Flavour: Typical Belgian malt notes on the front; followed by fresher, citrus notes, that have a slight funk - formed from hops and yeast.

Body: Medium body, quite smooth and thick on the end, but too fizzy.

Aftertaste: This funk increases in the back, coupled with a puckering. The flavours become a bit more green, there are also hints of peanuts. There is also a salty note in here, that becomes more prominent with drinking.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, very close to an 8 but there are just a few things off like the fizz and the green notes don't really work; there is also something missing that is needed to round it out. Not getting any cinnamon from it, but that is probably good as I don't think being strong enough to identify it would go well.

Price Range: £2.48 for a 330ml bottle, a very good price.

Food Pairings: Some sort of crustacean, probably prawns covered in lime and coriander.

Torpedo Extra IPA

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Supplier: Beers of Europe

This is Sierra Nevada's year round IPA. Named as it is the first beer to use their Hop Torpedo, a dry-hopping device that they invented. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Pale with an orange hue, the head is a medium off-white that fades.

Aroma: Very hoppy with citrus and lyche, hints of roasted notes in the back.

Flavour: Nice hoppy notes but with some slightly soapy hoppy bitter notes.

Body: Fairly smooth body with a chewiness on the back.

Aftertaste: Quite clean with some hints of bitter hop.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, a very nice and clean hoppy IPA.

Price Range: £3.29 for a 473ml can, good price for a nice beer.

Food Pairings: Something very garlicy, maybe like a creamy pasta.

Boltens Alt

Brewery: Privatbrauerei Bolten

Supplier: Beers of Europe

My first beer after coming out of a little bit of time in hospital, so I thought I would try something interesting but not too heavy or alcoholic. This is a typical old style of beer from Dusseldorf called an Altbier; Alt meaning "Old". The amber colours from this beer come from the specialty malts ad the unique flavours from the in-house Bolten yeast strain.

Appearance: A thin brown colour with hints of red. There is a medium off-white head that thins out quickly. 

Aroma: Typical German beer smell with some corn and hay notes. 

Flavour: Lots of hay on the front with a back of very un-sweet malty notes. This becomes a bit sweeter with drinking, and then gains a little bit of an iced tea vibe

Body: A medium body, nothing distinctive, a bit too much fizz on the back.

Aftertaste: You still get the hay and malt notes but they are joined by iron and some subtle green notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 4, unusual hay notes making it interesting but not something I would really want to drink that much of.

Price Range: £2.09 for a 500ml bottle, a good price but an average beer.

Food Pairings: Something plain but meaty like roast chicken and home made chips.

Pêcheresse

Brewery: Brouwerij Lindemans

Supplier: Beers of Europe

A lambic flavour with peaches using the straight juice-method. This is a very low alcohol drink. I served this straight from the fridge

Appearance: Golden with a rose hue, a thin white head that dissipates quickly.

Aroma: Peach and then a hint of sour vinegar.

Flavour: Very sweet with apple juice and peaches, 

Body: Quite light and refreshing, but the sweetness is making it a bit syrupy. 

Aftertaste: Some sweet vinegar notes with some unidentified sour notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, much too sweet, the vinegar note are not unpleasant but not great. Not something you would want a lot of.

Price Range: £1.59 for a 250ml bottle, about right for what it is.

Food Pairings: Pancakes or Waffles with a not too sweet dark chocolate sauce.

Dogma

Brewery: BrewDog

Supplier: Beers of Europe

This malty body is comprised of 10 different types of malt, it then blended with heather infused Scottish honey. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: Dark and maroon when held to the light, a rust coloured head the disappears very quickly.

Aroma:  Very sweet with raisins and some roasted notes, there is also hint of vanilla.

Flavour: Same as the aroma, sweet raisins and a hint of vanilla. A little bit of a tang.

Body: Very smooth. A little bit of a fizz on the front..

Aftertaste: A bitterness that tastes a bit like ear wax, but it later turns into a woody sweet finish.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, OK but not great.

Price Range: £2.69 for a 330ml bottle, probably a tad too much, but not overly so.

Food Pairings: Strong flavoured meat such as lamb or venison with a rich sauce.

Euphoria Pale Ale

Brewery: Ska Brewing

Supplier: Beers of Europe

Brewed during the winter along with a neighboring company "Venture Snowboards". This is a pale ale is made with lots of caramel malts, and hops providing a grapefruit hop aroma and flavor. I served this chilled.

Appearance: Not really pale more of an amber/brown colour with a short lived off-white head.

Aroma: Huge sweet resin notes, coupled with peach and raisin notes.

Flavour: Lots of grapefruit like hop notes with a sweet caramel malt note

Body: A bit too sticky but with a great carbonation level.

Aftertaste: A little hoppy bitterness with some spicy alcohol notes and a little bit of soap.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, nice but there are some overpowering flavours, manly the alcohol notes, making not sessionable.

Price Range: £2.59 for a 355ml can, an OK price for this beer.

Food Pairings: I don't know if this is just a craving but I think this would go well best with mash potato of sausages.

Dry Irish Stout

Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery

Supplier: Beers of Europe

A seasonal beer made during January-March, around the time of St Paddy's day. It uses a range of different malts, around five, and four different hops - Willamette, Fuggles, Cascade, and East Kent Golding. I served this at room temperature.

Appearance: Jet black with a lingering tan coloured head.

Aroma: Smells of treacle with a warm/spicy note.

Flavour: the main flavour is a malty flavour similar to biscuits, there is a hint of roasted notes.

Body: Super smooth and not very dry, some acidic notes.

Aftertaste: Some berry notes join the original flavour along with some hint of green and metallic notes.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 7, close to being an 8 but not enough of a wow factor, but it's a nice and very sessionable beer

Price Range: £2.09 for a 355ml bottle, a excellent price for this beer.

Food Pairings: Would work well with oat bars/cookies; e.g. flapjacks and ANZAC biscuits.

Hop Yard

Brewery: Nils Oscar Company

Supplier: Beers of Europe

Another year-round beer from this Swedish brewery. Brewed with Cascade, Simcoe, Pacific Gem, Nelson Sauvin and Amarillo hops; and dry hopped with Amarillo, Citra and Nelson Sauvin hops. I served this straight out of the fridge.

Appearance: A light amber colour with golden edges. No complete head, only off-white traces of foam. 

Aroma: Mango and melon on the front with some honey notes on the back

Flavour: Sharp and sweet hop resin on the front followed by a slightly burnt popcorn like taste on the back.

Body: Smooth but a little sticky.

Aftertaste: The sweet resin notes come back and turn a little herbal. The burnt popcorn notes also continue, even turns salty.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, very close to being a 7 but not quite.

Price Range: £2.39 for a 330ml bottle, an OK price for the beer.

Food Pairings: Some stuffed peppers with lots of herbs and cheese, the freshness and the strong flavours will work well with this.

Bourbon Aged Stout

Brewery: Innis & Gunn

Supplier: Beers of Europe

The Innis & Gunn brewery specialist in aged beers, this is one of their limited edition beers made using Oak chips from bourbon barrels whilst aging the beer. On the label it says that  the beer is matured for 54 days. I served this just below room temperature.

Appearance: Black but maroon when held to the light, a thin tan head that dissipates quite quickly.

Aroma: Vanilla sweetness with a fruity note and some banana.

Flavour: Very sweet with a vanilla banana note. There are some umami notes right at the back giving a certain soy sauce taste.

Body: Very smooth and velvety. 

Aftertaste: Some tart notes on the back along with the overwhelming sweetness. Some apple notes, along with a spice from the rye.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 5, too sweet to enjoy a lot of but it is still nice.

Price Range: £2.19 for a 330ml bottle, probably about right as it is wood aged, but I wouldn't go run to get it again.

Food Pairings: It so sweet it would only really work with a dessert, I'm thinking something very sweet like it is, so the sweetness dies down to reveal the other flavours, maybe something like sticky toffee pudding.

Colomba

Brewery: Brasserie Piétra

Supplier: Beers of Europe

This is the year round witbier produced by this Corsican brewery. Made with botanicals from the Corsican scrub land; including arbutus, myrtle, and juniper. I served this chilled. Also, just realised afterwards, that this is this reviews blogs 1 year birthday!

Appearance: A very opaque white straw colour with a thick but short lived white head.

Aroma: Very bready with some gin and cranberry like notes.

Flavour: Lots of juniper on the front followed by a freshly baked bread taste.

Body: A nice medium body with a slightly dry finish.

Aftertaste: A slightly tart finish with just a lingering of the original tastes. Occasional hints of rubber/plastic, and also lemon.

Overall: Therefore this gets a rating of 6, but only just, because it is very bready, but it is a nice unique beer that is close to a 7. I've had a juniper beer before where the balance was way out of whack but this was well balanced with the flavours. It helped that there were very few off flavours. The dry and rubber aspects did increase with drinking making me change it to a 6 in retrospect.

Price Range: £2.29 for a 330ml bottle, a very good price for a refreshing and unique beer.

Food Pairings: Some nice simply done white fish, maybe some crustaceans with lots of butter as well.