Hello all,
Tomorrow (or really late tonight) I’m off to Italy for a short city break. The bad news is there won’t be posts for a few days. The good news is I should hopefully have more Italian beers to review!
Have a great long weekend 🙂
–Grim
Hello wine lovers,
Today I bring you another from a recent red wine spree. This is an Argentinian offer utilising the Spanish native Tempranillo grape (blended with other red grapes not listed). This can be bought for around £6 at Tesco.
Wine: Firemark Tempranillo Bonarda, 2012
Vineyard: Concha Y Toro, Argentina
Grape: Tempranillo / Red Grape Blend
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Impressions: This was a fairly smooth red wine. Dry, with a puckering light tannin on the tongue. Bitter grapes within and an unappetising finish. The nose of this wine is very alcoholic.
ABV: 12%
Score: 6.25 / 10 (Low Average to Average)
Verdict: Long story short, I was not a great fan of this one. The bitterness of the grape, dryness of the tannin, and sharpness of the nose left this as a squarely pedestrian wine. Still fairly easy drinking in its lighter body. Better options on offer for less.
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Hello all,
Today I bring you another ubiquitous beer, Foster’s. However, this is not their usual offering of bland, unpalatable lager, this is their ‘premium version’. Spoiler: also bland and only slightly palatable.
Beer: Foster’s Gold
Brewery: Royal (Heineken, UK)
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Impressions: This was a smooth light lager. A very light bitterness with a creamy, ‘off-corn’ bread flavour. Not as strong as the usual weird Foster’s flavour. Medium carbonation, and refreshing.
ABV: 4.8%
Score: 6 / 10 (Low Average)
Verdict: Better than the standard Foster’s. That isn’t saying much really considering the original Foster’s is one of the few beers I actively avoid. This isn’t a much better option, especially considering the raise in price. Avoid.
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Hello again,
Third in my series of Wychwood beers, today I bring you it’s namesake ale. http://www.wychwood.co.uk/
Beer: Wychcraft
Brewery: Wychwood (Marstons), England
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Impressions: This is a smooth, light ale (bordering on lager like freshness). Light in colour but not lacking in bitter hops. Refreshing cereal notes with a lingering bitterness mixed with a nice citrus backing. Light in body. Medium to low carbonation.
ABV: 4.5%
Score: 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
Verdict: This is a nice light ale that has a good amount of bitterness. The lower ABV of this beer counts slightly against it as it has a very light body that could use a kick (but could also count toward it on a hot summer day). Well worth a try.
PilsnerPilgrim: Don’t forget to check out these Great Deals! – Click Here!
TIL: Wil Wheaton brews his own beer! http://devilsgatebrewing.com/
+1 Respect.
–Grim
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Hello all,
Today I bring you my first, shall I say, hybrid beer. A unique offering from the Legendary Wychwood Brewery (http://www.wychwood.co.uk/), a mix between Lager and Cider, this one certainly intrigues.
Beer: Snake’s Bite
Brewery: Wychwood (Marstons), England
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Impressions: This is a very smooth cider / beer combination. However, it is very sweet. Strong apple notes are blended with light cereal hops and bitterness. Medium to low carbonation.
ABV: 4.2%
Score: 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Verdict: This is an odd one. It’s beer.. but.. but it’s cider. And a very sweet one at that. It wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t great. Definitely different and definitely worth a try if you enjoy Belgian style fruit beers. Weird.
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Goedendag beer drinkers,
Today I bring you a beer that just does not sit well with me, which seems to be the trend with many other beer drinkers. That said, the extreme sweetness of the beer seems to appeal to the women in my office.
‘Gueuze’, a type of Belgian lager that blends 1 and 2 year old Lambic beers. A Lambic itself is a type of beer that is brewed using wild yeast, rather than brewers yeast, which creates an unmistakably distinct flavour.
Beer: Belle-Vue Gueuze
Brewery: Belle-Vue (InBev), Belgium
Impressions: This was a smooth lager with an immense amount of weirdness. Strong, very sweet cherry flavours permeate the beer, blended with an unmistakable fresh corn. Low bitterness. Medium carbonation.
ABV: 5.5%
Score: 5.5 / 10 (Below Average)
Verdict: I did not like this beer. It’s not terribly bad, but it just doesn’t have the qualities I look for in a beer. Ridiculously sweet in an obnoxious way, it’s like a blend between PEZ candy, Flintstones Vitamins, and Beer. Unfortunately it’s more the first two and less the latter. Not for me, and definitely an acquired taste.
As per the title, here are all of my published reviews to-date:
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Beer
Adnams, England:
- The Bitter – 3.7% – 6.25 / 10 (Low Average to Average)
- Broadside (Cask) – 4.7% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
- Ghost Ship – 4.5% – 8 / 10 (Excellent)
Affligem, Belgium:
- Blond – 6.8% – 8 / 10 (Excellent)
- Dubbel – 7% – 7.75 / 10 (Very Good to Excellent)
Alexander Keith’s, Labatt, AB InBev, Canada:
- India Pale Ale (Nova Scotia style Pale Ale in the States) – 5% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Anheuser-Busch, InBev, Brazil:
- Brahma – 4.3% – 4 / 10 (Awful)
Asahi, Japan:
- Asahi Black – 5% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Athenian Brewery S.A., Athens, Greece:
- Alfa – 5% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Backyard Brewhouse, Walsall, England:
- Bad Santa – 6.8% – 8 / 10 (Excellent)
Badger (Hall and Woodhouse), Dorset, England:
- Blandford Flyer – 5.2% – 6.75 / 10 (Average to Good)
- England’s Own – 4.6% – 6.75 / 10 (Average to Good)
- Fursty Ferret – 4.4% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
- Hopping Hare – 4.4% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
- Golden Champion – 5% – 8 / 10 (Excellent)
- Golden Glory – 4.5% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
- Poacher’s Choice – 5.7% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
- Tanglefoot – 5% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
Banks’s, Wolverhampton, England:
- Lion’s Roar – 3.8% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Beowulf, Forest of Mercia, Staffordshire, England:
- Finn’s Hall Porter – 4.7% – 7.75 / 10 (Very Good to Excellent)
Black Sheep, Mashum, Yorkshire, England:
- Best Bitter – 3.8% – 7 / 10 (Good)
- Golden Sheep – 4.7% – 7 / 10 (Good)
- Riggwelter – 5.7% – 7.75 / 10 (Very Good to Excellent)
Blue Moon Brewing Co., Molson Coors, Montreal, Canada:
- Blue Moon (Rickard’s White) – 5.4% – 7 / 10 (Good)
Boddingtons, InBev, UK:
- Boddingtons Draught Bitter – 3.5% – 6.25 / 10 (Low Average to Average)
Brew Dog, Scotland:
- Punk IPA – 5.6% – 8.25 / 10 (Excellent to Very Excellent)
Burton Bridge Brewery, Burton-Upon-Trent, England:
- Bramble Stout – 5% – 8.25 / 10 (Excellent to Very Excellent)
- Golden Delicious – 3.5% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Brakspear, England:
- Double Drop Bitter – 3.4% – 6.25 / 10 (Low Average to Average)
Caledonian (Heineken), Scotland:
- Flying Dutchman Junibier – 4.3% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Castle Rock, Nottingham, England:
- Red Start – 4.3% – 6 / 10 (Low Average)
Damm, Barcelona, Spain:
- A.K.Damm – 4.8% – 8.25 / 10 (Excellent to Very Excellent)
Erdinger Weissbräu, Germany:
- Erdinger Hefe Weissbier – 5.3% – 8.5 / 10 (Very Excellent)
FEMSA Cerveja Brasil, Brazil:
- Xingu Black Beer – 4.6% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
FIX, Athens, Greece:
- FIX Hellas – 5% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
Greene King/Tolly Cobold, England/Wales:
- Phoenix – 4.2% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
Grupo Cervezas Alhambra (Grupo Mahou-San Miguel – Carlsberg), Spain:
- Adlerbrau Cerveza Especial – 5.4% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
- Alhambra Export – 4.6% – 6.25 / 10 (Low Average to Average)
Grupo Cruzcampo (Heineken Espana), Spain:
- Cruzcampo – 4.8% – 6.25 / 10 (Low Average to Average)
- Cruzcampo Gran Reserva – 7 / 10 (Good)
- Legado de Yuste – 6.5% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
Guinness, Dublin, Ireland:
- Guinness Foreign Extra – 7.5% – 8 / 10 (Excellent)
Hardy’s and Hansons, England:
- Rocking Rudolph – 4.2% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Heineken, Italy:
- Birra Morreti Original – 4.6% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Innis & Gunn Brewery, Scotland:
- Innis and Gunn Original – 6.6% – 9.25 / 10 (Ambrosia of the Gods)
- Innis and Gunn Rum Finish / Rum Cask – 7.4% – 9.5 / 10 (Ambrosia of the Gods)
Ringnes AS Brewery, Oslo, Norway:
- Ringnes Pilsener – 4.5% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Ringwood (Marston’s), England:
- Best Bitter – 3.5% – 6 / 10 (Low Average)
- Boondoggle – 4.2% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
S.A. Fischer, Athens, Greece:
- Fischer – 5% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
SABMiller, Rome, Italy:
- Peroni Nastro Azzuro – 5.1% – 7 / 10 (Good)
Sapporo, Japan:
- Sapporo Premium Lager – 4.7% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Stella Artois, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Belgium:
- Stella Artois – 4.8% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
- Stella Artois Black – 4.9% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
St Peter’s Brewery, Suffolk, England:
- St Peter’s Golden Ale – 4.7% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
Titanic Brewery, Stoke-on-Trent, England:
- Fit-Out – 4.5% – 7 / 10 (Good)
Warwickshire Beer Co., Cubbington, England:
- Rugby Ball Stitcher IPA – 5% – 6.75 / 10 (Average to Good)
Wells Young’s Brewing Company, England:
- Banana Bread Beer – 5.2% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
- Waggle Dance – 5% – 7.75 / 10 (Very Good to Excellent)
Wood’s Brewery, England:
- Parish Bitter – 4% – 6 / 10 (Low Average)
- Pot O’ Gold – 4.4% – 6.75 / 10 (Average to Good)
- Shropshire Lass – 4.1% – 6 / 10 (Low Average)
Wychwood (Marstons), England:
- Hobgoblin – 5.2% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
- Snake’s Bite – 4.2% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
- Wychcraft – 4.5% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
Wye Valley, England:
- Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout – 4.6% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
Wylam Brewery, Wylam, England:
- Godhead – 4.3% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
Vale Brewing Company, England:
- 5 Gold Rings – 4.8% – 6.75 / 10 (Average to Good)
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Cider
Aston Manor, Aston, England:
- Amber Harvest – 5% – 6.25 / 10 (Low Average to Average)
- Forester’s Pear Cider – 4.5% – 6.75 / 10 (Average to Good)
Magners, Ireland:
- Magners Spiced Apple and Honey Cider – 4% – 8 / 10 (Excellent)
Matthew Clark Cider, Halewood International Ltd, England:
- Blackthorn – 4.7% – 6.5 / 10 (Average)
- Brut Chaumet Sparkling Perry – 5.5% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
Stella Artois, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Belgium:
- Cidre – 4.5% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
- Cidre Pear – 4.5% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
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Vodka
Vikingfjord, Oslo, Norway:
- Vikingfjord – 40% – 8 / 10 (Excellent)
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Whisky
Old Pulteney, Wick, Scotland:
- Single Malt, 12 Year Old – 40% – 7 / 10 (Good)
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Wine
Amanti del Vino, Puglia, Spain:
- Primitivo Salento, 2008 – 13% – 8 / 10 (Excellent)
Baturrica, Spain:
- Gran Reserva, 2006 – 13% – 8.25 / 10 (Excellent to Very Excellent)
Casillero Del Diablo, Concha Y Toro, Chile:
- Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, 2011 – 13.5% – 8.5 / 10 (Very Excellent)
Cono Sur, Chile:
- Isla Negra, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserva, 2011 – 12% – 7.5 / 10 (Very Good)
Criadores, Spain:
- Castillo de San Lorenzo Rioja Reserva, 2007 – 12.5% – 8.75 / 10 (Very Excellent to Ambrosia)
Garcia Carrion, Spain:
- El Pinsapo Gran Seleccion, Rioja, 2010 – 13.5% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
Grandes Vinos y Vinetos, Carinena, Spain:
- Marques de Carano Gran Reserva, 2005 – 12.5% – 6 / 10 (Low Average)
- Marques de Carano Gran Reserva, 2009 – 12.5% – 8.5 /10 ( Very Excellent)
LIDL, Italy:
- Chianti D.O.C.G., 2011 – 13% – 7.25 / 10 (Good to Very Good)
Saam Mountain, Paarla, South Africa:
- Carbernet Sauvignon, 2011 – 14% – 8.25 / 10 (Excellent to Very Excellent)
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Hello everyone,
Today I bring you another beer from my travels through Spain. A good example of a Spanish take on the Germanic ‘Bock’ style lager. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bock
Check out Cruzcampo Gran Reserva’s cool website here: http://www.cruzcampogranreserva.com/
Beer: Cruzcampo Gran Reserva
Brewery: Grupo Cruzcampo, Heineken Espana, Spain
Impressions: This was a smooth darker Spanish lager. A light bitterness is well married to a sweet (light) dark chocolate malt. Medium to low carbonation.
ABV: 6.4%
Score: 7 / 10 (Good)
Verdict: I was a bit let down by this beer. I had high hopes for a rich chocolate malt married to a decent amount of bitterness. The high ABV makes one think it will have quite a bit of punch. Unfortunately it has these qualities to a lighter extent. Overall a good beer though that could use a bit more body and depth.
