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.