Blog & White

“brewed with British and German malts to give a deep ruby colour… five varieties of US hop from the Yakima Valley in Washington State… fruit and citrus flavours with a restrained bitterness”

Just another ale, but very red. Contains barley.

Meantime Brewing, London, England. 4.1% alcohol.

“wheat beer combined with grapefruit… citrus aftertaste”

The taste of grapefruit is so subtle that, hasn't it been marked on the label, I'd never have guessed what this beer is flavoured with. Otherwise this beer is a bit sweet and only very slightly bitter. Contains wheat and barley.

St. Peter's Brewery, Bungay, Suffolk, England. 4.7% alcohol.

“Brewed with lime and lemon zest…”

Not too sweet, slightly bitter and definitely ginger. Contains malted barley.

Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk, England. 2.5% alcohol.

“aromatic hops and Scotch distillery peat smoked barley”

Quite surprising, smokey, fruity and a bit sour yet slightly bitter. It reminds me more of wine than pale ale. Contains barley malt and wheat, as well as honey.

The Isle of Skye Brewing Company, Uig, Scotland. 5.0% alcohol.

“Optic malted barley and 1st Gold hops”

Just another ale. Contains malted barley.

St. Peter's Brewery, Bungay, Suffolk, England. 4.1% alcohol.

Fruity, with something of pineapple. Contains barley malt and wheat.

Black Isle Brewery, Black Isle, Highlands, Scotland. 5.6% alcohol.

“Oats are used to give body and smoothness. Roasted barley provides flavours reminiscent of dark chocolate and coffee. These are balanced by a fresh hop bitterness”

Reasonnably sweet stout, otherwise nothing special. Contains barley and oats.

Beer Counter Ltd., South Stoke, Oxfordshire, England. 4.5% alcohol.

“a mixture of Maris Otter variety pale ale malt, pilsner malt, crystal malt, amber malt, black malt, roasted barley and malted oats… Challenger, Golding and Progress [hops]”

Sweet and very strong, with something like apple juice. Contains barley and oats.

Ridgeway Brewing, South Stoke, Oxfordshire, England. 8.0% alcohol.

“brewed with pale malt, Saaz and Cascade hops. It's the re-pitched with Champagne yeast and finallly given a dosage of rare and fragant Nelson Sauvin hop”

Made by a winemaker. Citrusy and flowery, slightly bitter. Nice pale ale. Contains malted barley and wheat.

Chapel Down Winery, Tenterden, Kent, England. 4.7% alcohol.

“Crystal, Black & Pale malts… Golding, Styrian & Cascade hops… with a further late addition of whole Cascade hops”

Fruity (peach?), sweet, strong beer. Contains barley malt.

Brakspear Brewing Co., Witney, Oxfordshire, England. 6.7% alcohol.

“brewed using only English malts and hops”

Just another ale. Contains malted barley.

Sambrook's Brewery, Battersea, London, England. 4.2% alcohol.

“spicy, fruit taste”

Just another ale. Contains malted barley.

Sambrook's Brewery, Battersea, London, England. 4.5% alcohol.

“Golden coloured pale ale… marmalade taste and spicy, slightly citrus aroma”

Just another ale, quite bitter. Contains malted barley.

Sambrook's Brewery, Battersea, London, England. 4.2% alcohol.

“Kentish hops… fruity with spicy citrus hop aromas… dry hoppy finish”

Just another ale. Contains barley malt.

Hopdaemon Brewery, Newnham, Kent, England. 4.5% alcohol.

“nutty, woody flavours chocolatey finish and honeyed toffee nose”

Quite sweet, malty, chocolatey. Contains barley.

RCH Brewery, Weston-Super-Mare, Avon, England. 4.5% alcohol.

“citrus aromas, slightly sweet and fruity”

Definitely fruity, with maybe a hint of thyme. Contains barley malt.

Williams Bros Brewing Co., Alloa, Scotland. 4.1% alcohol.

Just another ale, not too bitter and even a bit sweet, quite malty. Contains barley and Wheat.

T&R Theakston Ltd., Masham, North Yorkshire, England. 4.5% alcohol.

“Aromas are of burnt roast coffee, malty molasses and a hint of smoke”

Quite sweet and roasted. Contains barley and wheat.

Buxton Brewery Co, Buxton, Derbyshire, England. 4.1% alcohol.

“Simple pale malts… complex blend of hops… lemon citrus and floral flavours… spicy mouthfeel… earthy bitterness”

Just another ale. Contains barley and wheat.

The Durham Brewery Ltd, Bowburn, Durham, England. 3.8% alcohol.

“pale golden bitter… a blend of English, American and Czech hops give an aroma of citrus grapfruit with mild pepper and citrus orange notes”

Not bad, but just another ale. The bottom of the glass tasted something like bitter almond, maybe due to the sediment (the beer is bottle-conditioned). Contains barley and wheat.

The Durham Brewery Ltd, Bowburn, Durham, England. 4.5% alcohol.

“pineapple, citrus and papaya… festive IPA”

Very flowery, quite sweet, still reasonnably bitter. Contains barley.

BrewDog Ltd., Fraserburgh, Scotland. 7.5% alcohol

“Californian Pale Ale… huge hoppy punch”

Strong smell of passion fruit, quite bitter. Contains barley.

BrewDog Ltd., Fraserburgh, Scotland. 3.8% alcohol

“a light, dry palate and a fresh, fruity aroma”

Just another, quite nice, ale. Contains malted barley.

Wells & Young's Brewing Co. Ltd., Bedford, England. 4.5% alcohol.

“A traditionally crafted beer, infused with mixed bramble berries”

Very sweet and fruity, smells more like strawberry than bramble berries, verging on tasting too much like fruits. Contains barley malt

Wychwood Brewery Co. Witney, Oxfordshire, England. 4.2% alcohol.

“We use the term lager/IPA hybrid because we cold ferment this beer with a classic lager yeast. The initial fermentaion takes at least 2 weeks, after which we lager (store) the beer at zero degrees for a minimum of 4 weeks, during which period we add a chock load of classic IPA style hops”

Quite sweet and slightly bitter, rather fruity. Contains barley and wheat.

Williams Bros Brewing Co., Alloa, Scotland. 4.1% alcohol.

“American Chinook hops… citrus flavours and aroma… grapefruit bitterness”

Very fruity, but also quite bitter. Smells more like apples to me than citrus. Contains malted barley and wheat.

Buxton Brewery, Buxton, Derbyshire, England. 3.6% alcohol.

“malt flavours and citrus, orange zest and tropical fruit aroma, fresh orange and grapefruit taste… Cornish Gold and Maris Otter malts… Fuggle, Willamette and Styrian Golding hops”

Very fruity, barely bitter, quite good. Contains malted barley.

St Austell brewery, St Austell, Cornwall, England. 4.2% alcohol.

“English malted barley and wheat, European hops…”

Just another ale. Contains malted barley and wheat.

T&R Theakston Ltd., Masham, North Yorkshire, England. 4.1% alcohol.

“peach and melon flavours”

Very sweet, smells definitely like peach, not sure about the melon though. Contains malted barley.

Hall & Woodhouse Ltd., Blandford, Dorset, England. 4.5% alcohol.

“Prior to the 1850s many Scottish coastal alehouses brewed their own ales using local malted barley grown on fields fertilized with seaweed. We have recreated the unique flavour of this traditional ale with the inclusion of fresh seaweed, Bladder Rack, which is taken fresh from the water on the Argyll coast and masehd in witht he malted and roasted barley. Kelpie is a rich, chocolate ale with an aroma of fresh seabreeze and a distinctive malty texture.”

Kind of chocolatey, but I can't really find the seaweed in the taste. Contains malted barley.

Williams Bros Brewing Co., Alloa, Scotland. 4.4% alcohol.

“chocolate malts giving rise to hedgerow fruit, espresso and liquorice”

Quite strong, sweet, coffeeish and with a chocolate aftertaste. Contains barley malt, oats and wheat.

Black Isle Brewery, Black Isle, Highlands, Scotland. 7% alcohol.

“using Hersbrücker Lager hops…grapefruity tastes. Hops: Challenger, Styrian Goldings and Hallertau Hersbrüker.”

Quite flowery and a bit bitter. Quite nice, but not extraordinary. Contains barley and wheat.

Harviestoun Brewery, Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. 4.8 % alcohol.

“fresh and tangy flavour and a light, citrus aroma”

Just another ale. Contains malted barley and malted wheat.

Hooker Brewery, Roscommon, Ireland. 4.3% alcohol.

“aromas and tastes of light bitter lemon, hints of subtle herb spiciness and a long hoppy finish”

Very strong first whiff of flowers (kind of honeysuckle?), quite bitter but very nice nonetheless. Contains malted barley and wheat.

Thornbridge brewery, Bakewell, Derbyshire, England. 3.5% alcohol.

“light biscuit palate… frsh, grassy aroma”

It reminds me a bit of apple juice, otherwise just another ale, not bitter at all.

Black Isle Brewery, Black Isle, Highlands, Scotland. 4.5% alcohol.

Just another ale. Contains malted barley.

Fuller, Smith & Turner, London, England. 5.3% alcohol.

“classic country ale… First Gold are dwarf hops that grow in log hedgerows… hints of orange and spice from the hop”

Orange? maybe, not really convinced. Bitter but not too much. Just another ale.

Hall & Woodhouse Ltd., Blandford, Dorset, England. 4.0% alcohol.

“pithy bitterness, malty backbone and lemon and lime aroma”

Quite bitter (but reasonnably so); the first sip tasted a lot like lichi in my opinion. Contains malted barley.

Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk, England. 4.5% alcohol.

“sweet nutty palate, hoppy aroma and a hint of Seville oranges”

Just another ale, but quite good. Contains malted barley.

Hall & Woodhouse Ltd., Blandford, Dorset, England. 4.4% alcohol.

“a blend of traditionally crafted beer infused with Cider Apples”

Smells good, very sweet, even too much. But it has this I-don't-know-what taste I don't like in some styles of beers, and mixed with the over sweetness, it made me a bit queasy.

Wychwood Brewery Co. Witney, Oxfordshire, England. 4.2% alcohol.