Post Christmas Catch-up

I've been a bit slack with notes and blogging the last while. Moving house, internet issues and domestic circumstances have taken over. But I thought I'd do a quick catch-up post to get me back up to speed, and hopefully put me back on track!

First up another beer from "1001 Beers..."

191. Fullers London Porter

Style: Porter. ABV: 5.4%. From: Grange Wines
Description: Dark Brown, almost black, with a small tan head. Lots of roast malt and dark chocolate aromas. Some coffee and toasted malt to taste, a little sweetness and a touch of bitterness. Mid bodied.
Thoughts: Some how I'd never actually tried this so was glad to pick it up in a Holywood. Good example of the style, though maybe a little too light in body for my taste. Good stuff though.
Score: 7

Now the round-up beers outside the list:

• 114. Slyfox Saison Vos (Lighthouse Wines) - good but not great saison. Score: 7
• 115. Nøgne Ø Imperial Brown Ale (Lighthouse Wines) - a brown ale on steroids, really tasty. Score: 7.5
• 116. Nøgne Ø IPA (Lighthouse Wines) - plenty of grapefruit and pine, solid. Score: 7
• 117. Lindmans Gueuze Cuvée René (Lighthouse Wines) - LEMON! Nice tart gueze, but pretty well balanced - not everyone's taste though. Score: 7.5
• 118. Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout  (Lighthouse Wines) - Really enjoyed this, though it had been a long day and that may have made for a higher score. Score: 8
• 119. Shipyard Bluefin Stout (The Vineyard) - followed the Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout and paled in comparison. Score: 5.5
• 120. Brewdog Hoppy Christmas (Gap Wines) - lots of citrus, really nice change from the heavy christmas beers. Score: 7
• 121. Brewdog Santa Paws (The Vineyard) - really enjoyed this, dark, smooth, and just the right amount of sweetness. Score: 7.5

Right, I'm off out tomorrow for a boys day out in Belfast, hope to hit the Garrick and may be the Hudson!

Happy New Year

Cheers

Beer Club Belfast - December

I'm getting too old for this going out caper. For some reason I decided it was a good idea to do Beer Club Belfast on the Thursday followed by back to back Christmas parties on Friday and Saturday... Some how I've made it to Sunday and I still seem to be in one piece. It's not so much the booze that's got to me, its the lack of sleep. Can't wait to get back to work for a break!

Anyway, enough moaning (another sign I'm getting old) and into the beers. Myself and a mate (Hello Abs!) headed off on the train and into Belfast, it was a lovely evening for a stroll to the Hudson and we got there nice and early. Crowd was a bit smaller than the last time but still very welcoming and friendly. Along with the usual crew, stout expert Michael Kerr helped take us through the beers and shared his knowledge. 

First up was Dark Star Brewing's Espresso. This one is on the list (number 50 to be precise) but was ticked off some time ago. I remember enjoying it more last time, it's a grand beer but not really up there as something I'd go back to all that often - but it set us up well for what was to come. Next up was Founders Porter - which I blogged about recently - and it's still a seriously good beer, sometimes I can get caught up chasing exotic brews but this is just one of those beers that does balance and subtly really well. Seriously this beer is good value for money (and has been seen in both Lighthouse Wines and the Vineyard). 

Nogne Porter was the next beer put in front of us. It seemed like a solid beer, but I think it suffered for following the Founders and there was something slightly odd (a bit cough syrupy to me) at the end of the taste. I have a another bottle in the fridge so I'll give it another go and see if that changes my opinion. Brooklyn Dark Chocolate Stout followed shortly. Great brew (and on the list) one of my "go to" beers. 

So then we finished with two biggies - Brewdog Old World Russian Imperial Stout and Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. Thought the brewdog was a really clever beer, lots of hops making it interesting and lighter than expected - good gear. I covered the Bourbon County Stout recently - coming at the end of this session I thought it was better than the last time but I still think a wee bit of age will really help this beer.

Beer of the night? Toss up between the Bourbon County and the Founders, I'd probably go for the Bourbon County but those around me (Hi Emily if you ever read this, thanks for keeping us company) preferred the Founders, it's certainly the best value for money. Another good night at the club and it was good to meet a few new people and put faces to some the the guys and girls from twitter (including Get 'er Brewed who I'm hoping to become a customer of in the near future!). Danish beers coming to Beer Club Belfast in January I believe, a good chance to try something new so get there if you can! 

The Friday night Christmas doo was fun despite some feckers try to ruin everyone's party, but who failed. Good beers were few and far between though the 7 Giraffes in The National was pretty good.

Saturday was at the Parson's Nose - the food was excellent (best steak I've had in awhile), so was the company, and the draft Whitewater Belfast Black was pouring very well too!

Right, that's me off to bed again!

Cheers

Beer Club Belfast - November Style

So I made it to the second  Beer Club Belfast under new management. Myself and a mate jumped on the train and headed into Belfast and the Hudson. We actually cut it quite tight and made it though the door of the Hudson just at 8pm. I was actually surprised by the number of people in the room (and as Belfast Bar Man(ager) points out by the amount of facial hair!), clearly good beer has a reasonable customer base in Belfast!

Despite the 60 odd people in the room the atmosphere was informal, buzzy, and friendly. I'll also add warm, very fecking warm. Getting the coat off helped, but the beers certainly weren't there to cool us down!

Each night at the club is themed, I missed the first night which covered IPAs (see an excellent  review of that night by Stephen Barr on Belfast Beer Blog here). This night was Belgian Beers and a nice few surprises awaited us, including one new beer for me from "1001 Beers...".

Rochefort 10

First up were the dubbles, Chimey Red and Rochefort 6 - both good beers but the Rochefort is the better of the two in my opinion. Next up was Rochefort 8 - a kinda super dubble or a mini quad depending on your point of view, another good beer with lots of complexity and warmth. Then came Westmalle Tripel which was described as a palate cleanser... a 9.5% palate cleaser... either way its an awesome beer. Finally came the quads, Rochefort 10 and St Bernadus Abt (which was my beer number 192 from the list).  Both are really good beers that you should try if you see in your local offie. The 10 is darker, richer and more complex, while the Abt is slightly lighter and easier drunk. You could go either way on which is best - on the night a slightly prefered the Abt as it was slightly cleaner, but the Rochefort would be an excellent if you were just having the one. 

Some great beers right there, and a snip at a tenner if you ask me. The next one is on the 12th December at 8pm in the Hudson - and its porter and stout night! Two of my favourite beers (Bourbon County Stout and Brooklyn Chocolate Stout) are on the list for the night, so basically it would be rude not to attend. If your about get down there!

Cheers

Belfast Beer Fest

I recently moved house and this lead to me being exiled from the internet for much longer than planned, so this update has been a while coming...

22nd November meant a glorious half day and an opportunity to hit the Belfast Beer Fest before the crowds got there. Think I preferred the old set up of beers dedicated to a “bar” rather than the alphabetical order thing but I still managed to get to the bar and order a beer or 3! I even got to tick 4 beers off the list (it could have been 5 but they seemed to have Tribute on rather than Proper Job which I was hoping for).

Given the time delay these are going to be quick reviews!

Beers from “1001 Beers..."

187. Green Jack Ripper Tripel. Style: Barley Wine?. ABV: 8.5%

This was described as a barley wine in the tasting notes and on rate beer. I'm not sure that's how I'd describe it, but then who am I to disagree. Sweet and sticky, very warming finish. I rather enjoyed it. 

Score: 7

188. RCH East Street Cream. Style: ESB. ABV: 5%

My notes for this one are pretty unreadable! A premium bitter, some malt, some caramel, but it didn't do too much for me. 

Score: 5.5

189. Butcombe Gold. Style: Bitter. ABV: 4.4%

Another bitter, this one a bit lighter. Though I got a very ashy finish that wasn't that pleasant. A bit too weak and light for me (or as one of my party said "pish"). 

Score: 4.5

190. O'Hanlon's Port Stout. Style: Stout. ABV: 4.8%

A stout with a splash of port... what's not to like? One of the better beers of the day for me.

Score: 7.5

I'm not going to cover some of the other beers outside the list sampled this time, as my notes are crap as I was too busy talking rubbish to anyone who would listen... but two other beers sampled are worthy of a mention Whitewater's Bee's Endeavour and Otley Saison Obscura. The Bee's Endeavour was nice warming and I enjoyed the honey and ginger, pretty good stuff. Saison Obscura - a darkly tastly belgian inspired ale - was probably my other favourite beer with the Port Stout, interesting stuff and worth try if you see it.

The next post (sooner rather than later hopefully) will cover the Belfast Beer Club on 28 November @ the Hudson Bar looking at Belgian Beers! A heads up though, the next one - looking at stouts and porters - is on 12th December. Stick it in your diary now as its sure to be a good night!

Cheers

Beer from the Bay

As I mention in the beginning, drinking Anchor Steam in San Francisco was one of the things that helped get me into beer. Ever since, their beers have a special place in my heart, even their smell is distinctive and takes me back to the city by the bay. Anchor steam, liberty ale, and their porter are available in a few spots in NI already, but its good to see a few more of their brews available locally. Neither of these are part of my quest to drink my way through "1001 Beers" but are still worth trying and reviewing!

From outside the List

112. Anchor Brekle's Brown. 
Style: Brown Ale. ABV: 6%. From: Lighthouse Wines.
Description: A mid brown cola sort of colour, with a tan head. Decent hop aroma, but then toasted malt and some chocolate/coffee, and a hint of nuts. Good malt profile, but then the hops come through with a little citrus. Some nuttiness in flavour too. Light to Mid bodied.
Thoughts: I love a brown ale, especially at this time of the year, and this was really good. A nice hoppiness to balance out the malt made this drinkable. Will happily buy this again.
Score: 7.5

113. Anchor Big Leaf Maple. 
Style: Amber Ale. ABV: 6%. From: Lighthouse Wines
Description: Poured a red/deep amber colour, clear, with a big tan head. Straight up aroma of anchor beer, presumably from the yeast. Behind that there a little maltyness and then the maple comes through. Flavour of a earthy red ale, with a hint of maple and sweetness on the finish. Light bodied with a dry finish. 
Thoughts: Another good beer from Anchor, while I'm not sure I would have got the maple as much if I hadn't been looking for it, it is in there! This beer is pure autumnal and pure anchor. Love the label too.
Score: 7.5

t's that time of the year again, Belfast Beer Fest is back from 21st-23rd November - I'll be there on the Friday sampling whatever I can get my hands on. It's always a fun day out, so if your about that weekend I'd recommend making your way to the King's Hall.

Cheers

Brooklyn Locals

I'm a fan of Brooklyn beers, so I was delighted to see the big bottles of Local 1 and Local 2 available in Lighthouse Wines. Even better, Local 1 is in the list so another tick as well...

From "1001 Beers..."

186. Brooklyn Local 1. Style: Belgian Strong Ale. ABV: 9%. From: Lighthouse Wines.
Description: Comes in a big 750 ml bottle with a cork and cage. Poured a light golden colour, big white head that lasted, clear, and lots of obvious fizz. Straight off you're hit by funky Belgian yeast aromas, a little citrus, and a little spice. Taste is what you expect from the smell, actually quite subtle, with may be a little more grain flavour. Dry finish, light bodied but very fizzy. You would never guess this is a 9%'er, I'd guess this could be quite dangerous!
Thoughts: A good US version of a Belgian classic. However, I came to this with lots of expectations and was slightly disappointed. This isn't a bad beer, it's not even a mediocre beer, but it's not a great beer. To be honest, I'd be as happy with a bottle of Duvel as I would be with this, and that's no slight as a love Duvel, but I was expecting a wee bit more... Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. Score: 7.5

From outside the List

111. Brooklyn Local 2. Style: Belgian Strong Ale. ABV: 9%. From: Lighthouse Wines
Description: Again comes in a big champagne style bottle with a cork and cage. This one pours dark red / brown. Decent beige head, but this time it dissipated quickly. Again that distinct Belgian yeast aroma, this time there's a lot more sugar and spice going on. Taste gives some caramel malt, coffee, and the honey comes through along with some dark fruit and some citrus. A bit boozier feeling than the Local 1, more bitterness  Mid bodied, this coats your mouth a bit (I'm putting this down to the honey).
Thoughts: Very similar feeling on this to the Local 1, again on the upper end of good but not great. While both have the same score, I slightly preferred the Local 2.
Score: 7.5

Reviews of Anchor Brekle's Brown and Big Leaf Maple to follow very soon!

Cheers

Hit for Six

Six new beers tried and tested over the weekend, and another ticked off the list! Straight down to business...

Beer from "1001 Beers..."

185. Boon Oude Geuze. Style: Lambic Geuze. ABV: 7%. From: The Vineyard

Description: Vibrant yellow colour, hazy, and a good white head. Lots of funky yeast smells, grassyness, and citrus fruit. Sour and tart taste, lots of lemon rind. Quite light and dry, long sour finish.

Thoughts: Ah now this was nice. really well balanced, a little bit of fruit sweetness took the edge off the sour tartness. Really getting into Geuze, must try more... 
Score: 7.5

Beers Outside the List

Some Porter

106. Founders Porter. 
Style: Porter. ABV: 6.5%. From: Lighthouse Wines
Description: Poured deep black with a good tan head. Lots of coffee and toasted malt aromas, a little dark fruit in there too. Coffee and bitter chocolate flavours, toasted, almost smoky malt. Rich, full, mouth feel.
Thoughts: I actually donated this bottle to my wife, I had a quick sample before handing over to and suffered instant regret. This stuff is class, rich, dark, and simply very tasty. The bottle was duly passed over very reluctantly, so I'm off to but more of my own!
Score: 8.5

107. Kernel Export India Porter. 
Style: Porter. ABV: 5.7%. From: The Vineyard
Description: I'd say this was a deep dark brown rather than black. Good beige head that lasted well, plenty of lacing. Toasted almost burnt, malt smells, though you can get a hint of citrus hops in the background. Again a good toasted malt flavour, a little coffee, but then a good hop hit of bitterness and some citrus fruit. Mid bodied. 
Thoughts: Another good dark beer, and another impressive one from Kernel Brewing. This one provided a great contrast - starts all dark and malty, and then in comes the hoppy fruit and a resin like finish. An IPA porter? A Dark IPA? What ever it is a found it very tasty.
Score: 8

Scotch Ale

108. Founders Dirty Bastard. 
Style: Scotch Ale. ABV: 8.5%. From: The Vineyard
Description:  Poured reddish brown, with a small white head. Nice aroma: caramel, brown sugar and toasted malt. I get a real candy apple flavour from this, more brown sugar to taste, again a little toasted malt. Syrupy mouth feel, a little sticky, good alcohol warmth. 
Thoughts: Another good Founders beer. The description above make it sound very sweet, but actually the alcohol and malt balance it out very well. Not something I'd drink all that often but I'd certainly buy again.
Score: 7.5

In the pink

109. Boon Frambiose. 
Style: Lambic Fruit Beer. ABV: 5%. From: The Vineyard
Description: Dark ruby in colour with a large pink head. Lots of tart raspberries in the aroma, and a little sour yeastynees. Again tart fruit flavours, lots of raspberry, and a sour tangy finish. Sticky mouth feel.    
Thoughts: I rather enjoyed this too, very tart, a little sweetness. Not sure I could drink a lot of it but a perfectly pleasant way to start an evening...
Score: 7

110. St Bernardus Pater 6.
Style: Dubble. ABV: 6.7%. From: The Vineyard
Description: Dark brown colour with a log lasting off-white head. Toasted malt smell, a little sugar, and that unmistakable aroma of Belgian yeast. Some dried fruit flavours, a little caramel, a little bitterness. Mid mouth feel (may be slightly lighter than I was expecting).

Thoughts: By all accounts the bigger beers in the St Bernardus range rate better, if that's the case I look forward to trying them. This was a perfectly good, drinkable if unspectacular, Belgian dubble.
Score: 7

Cheers

Refilling the beer box

The beer box was starting to look empty, fortunately a credit card cock-up left me in credit on my flexible friend! Well, I know how to make use of spare money... and fruitful trips to The Vineyard and Lighthouse Wines this week have helped build the collection up again! So, more new beers coming to a blog near you soon... but first a run down of a few recent tastings!

New Beers from the Lighthouse

Beer 183 from “1001 Beers...”

• Brugse Zot. Style: Belgian Ale. ABV: 6%. Purchased: The Vineyard

  

  Check out the head on that...

  Description: Light amber and slightly hazy. Might have been my crap pouring but this thing came out with a HUGE white head. I really didn't get too much aroma, some yeast and a bit of spice but nothing too strong. A bit of a tangy taste, some malt, some spice. Really fizzy, light to mid bodied, chalky finish.
  Thoughts: Another that might have been killed by expectations... I found this a wee bit all over the place, nothing very coherent. And nothing worth returning for – one of those beers I'm not sure why it made the list, but we all have different tastes!
  Score: 5.5

Beer 184 from “1001 Beers...”

• Thornbridge Kipling. Style: Pale Ale. ABV: 5.2%. Purchased: The Vineyard

Thornbridge Kipling

Description: Strong hazy yellow appearance, decent white head that lasted well. Lots of tropical fruit smells, pineapple and grapefruit. Lots of tropical hops to taste, but not too sweet or bitter – good balance. Light to mid body – coats your mouth slightly.
Thoughts: This is a great pale ale, really drinkable, well balanced. Another triumph for Thornbridge – one I'll definitely buy again
Score: 8

Beer 104 outside the list

• Gonny no brew that. Style: Golden Ale. ABV: 3.8%. Purchased: The Vineyard

Gonny no buy that again



Description: No head, dark yellow, clear. Very hoppy aroma – grapefruit and lemon rind. Again citrus fruit flavours, a little bitterness. Flat, slightly resin like finish.


Thoughts: Not sure I really got this... too flat for me.
Score: 5

Beer 105 outside the list

• Paulaner Oktoberfest. Style: Oktoberfest. ABV: 5.8%. Purchased: The Vineyard

A late Oktoberfest treat



Description: Straw colour, clear, with a good white head. No head, dark yellow, clear. A little bland smell-wise, some grain, not much else. Malty sweetness to taste, not real hops. Fizzy but light bodied.


Thoughts: Pretty middle of the road oktoberfest beer, drinkable but not very exciting.
Score: 6

Cheers

A night out in the big smoke, and a smoky porter

So I had my first night out in Belfast for awhile last weekend, and thoroughly enjoyable it was too. Great to catch up with a few old friends, and I even got to try two new bars!

First up we hit the Hudson. Overall I was very impressed; good selection of beers (Brewdog, Sam Adams on tap and plenty of interesting bottles) and I really enjoyed the hearty food served in the adjoining café – I had chicken and chorizo stew! I didn't take beer notes but I enjoyed the Williams Brothers 7 Giraffes and the taste I had of the Whitewater whiskey barrel aged version of their Clotworth Dobbin. 

Next up was the Sunflower. Another proper pub with a good beer selection (Hilden's Scullions ale on draft, and again quite a few Williams Brothers beers and other interesting things in bottles). 

Really enjoyed both venues and hope to get back out to both soon. If you haven't been to either yet, go check them out – I’m sure you'll not be disappointed.

On top of all that I also got another beer ticked off from the list:

Beer 182 from “1001 Beers...”

• Alaskan Smoked Porter. Style: Smoked porter. ABV: 6.5%. Purchased: Lighthouse Wines

  
  Description: Powered dark brown, with a small but lingering tan head. Strong smoky/woody aroma. A little bit of toasted malt and grain (may be a little milk chocolate) to taste, but mainly its the smoky flavour that comes through. Lighter mouth feel than I expected but that helped with drink-ability.
  Thoughts: Really enjoyed this, perfect for a cold winters night in front of the fire. These beers can easily become “too much”, but actually this was really nicely balanced in taste (i.e. not too smoky) and body (not too heavy). Great stuff.
  Score: 8

Cheers

A Sour Pair

Quick update before I head out into Belfast for a few beers!

Beer 181 from “1001 Beers...”

• Leifmans Goudenband. Style: Sour Red/Brown. ABV: 8%. Purchased: The Vineyard

  
  Description: Dark brown, transparent, small off-white head. Sour yeast smells, but with some nutty malt and chestnut in the background. Oaky. Again you can taste the oak, a nice sourness, but slightly porter like. Mid bodied and coats the mouth, long sour finish.
  Thoughts: Enjoyed this, not very “beery” (in fact my wife said it reminded her of wine – probably the oak), but sour and complex. Plenty going on – hides its ABV well but plenty of kick too. A good one try – but it might be a bit marmite.
  Score: 7.5.

Beer 100 outside the list

• Cantillon Kreik 100% Lambic Bio. Style: Lambic – Fruit beer. ABV: 5%. Purchased: The Vineyard

Description: Creamola foam red, with a big pink head. Cloudy. Aroma of cherries, marzipan, and lots of tart yeasty dough sourness. Taste of very tart dark cherries, plenty of sourness. Light but a wee bit sticky. Dry, long bitter finish.
Thoughts: Mmm, this was good, very good. I love a tart fruit beer and this was right up there. Very sour but very drinkable. Will be buying more of this.
Score: 6

Beer 101 outside the list

• Dominion Oak Aged Stout. Style: Oak Age Stout. ABV: 5.8%. Purchased: The Vineyard

Description: Dark brown with a white head. Toasted malt and vanilla small, but not as strong as I was expecting. Some milk chocolate malt. Where is the booze and the vanilla the label promised me? Strangely light bodied.
Thoughts: This is the anti-Bourbon County Stout. No booze, no flavour, no interest. I'd avoid.
Score: 4


Beer 101 outside the list
• Dominion Beach Lager. Style: Pilsner. ABV: 5.2%. Purchased: The Vineyard
  
  Description: Straw yellow in colour, slightly cloudy, big white head that lasted well. A lot of fruit on the nose (peach?). Fruit flavours, a little hops, no real bitterness. Light, fizzy, with a chalky dry finish.
  Thoughts: The taste of this wasn't too bad (if a little dull) but the chalky finish didn't do much for me. Couldn't see me buying this again.
  Score: 4.5

I missed Beer Club Belfast on Thursday due to family commitments but I really hope to make the next one!

Cheers

Back on the trail and the brilliant beer 180

Illness, work, and family meant taking a wee bit of time off the beer quest. But I was back on it with a bang this weekend, and what a beer to get back on the wagon with.

Beer 180 from “1001 Beers...”

• Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. Style: Barrel Aged Stout. ABV: 15%. Purchased: LightHouse Wines

  
  Description: Poured a deep black tar like colour with a chocolate head that soon disappeared. Wow - lots going on aroma wise, big boozy bourbon hit, dark chocolate, some vanilla, and some woody notes. The flavours back that up, dark chocolate, burnt malts, a little lightness from some vanilla and ripe fruits – but the main flavour is oak and bourbon booze. As it warmed up it got more complex flavour wise, with the booze moving slightly more into the background (just slightly though!). Big mouth feel, full bodie, sticky but weirdly still smooth at the same time. Long boozy finish.
  Thoughts: Delighted the guys at the Lighthouse got this in; its one of those beers geeks like me just want to get their hands on. Worth every penny, this is a lovely complex beer. I had the 2012 vintage, and it was still very boozy – I have another bottle I'm going to keep for awhile and really believe this beer will improve with age. Can't wait to try the aged bottle!
  Score: 9

Beer 98 outside the list

• Paulaner Munich Hell. Style: Helles. ABV: 4.9%. Purchased: The Vineyard

Description: Straw yellow and clear. Good white head. Lager aroma, with a wee bit of fruit. Light, fizzy, some hops, and some bitterness on the finish.
Thoughts: This was grand, not as good as the other Helles I've had recently but drinkable, if unremarkable, German fare.
Score: 6

Beer 99 outside the list

• Schneider Weisse Mein Gruner (Tap4). Style: Hefeweizen. ABV: 6.2%. Purchased: The Vineyard

Description: Light yellow and hazy, big white head, and plenty of visible bubbles. That great wheat beer smell, lots of banana, spice, and little hop background. Again lots of banana in the taste, a little spice, wheat and something a little floral in the background. Light and fizzy.
Thoughts: I enjoyed this, a real banana bomb of a wheat beer, not as good as their Mein Hopfeweisse, but very drinkable.
Score: 7

Hoping to get a trip out into Belfast this weekend and a tour of a few new bars. Also hoping to make it to Beer Club Belfast on the 17^th October, you should try and get there too if you can make it!

Cheers

Its been a long week...

It's been one of those weeks were everything has gone wrong, or been more difficult that it really should have been. Really, I could climb into bed and sleep... but that's not an option – so instead lets have a beer!

Beer 179 from “1001 Beers...”

• Hitachino Nest Beer XH. Style: Belgian Strong Ale. ABV: 8%. Purchased: LightHouse Wines

  
  
  
  Description: Burnt orange in colour, hazy, with a very small white head that managed to leave some lacing. I get lots of zesty orange peel and some spices on the nose, a bit of rummy booziness too. Again I get zesty nectarine in taste, some caramel, a little spice, some tangy sourness, and a little bready mustiness. Mid bodied, a little sticky .
  Thoughts: On the first sip I wasn't sure, but it got better as it heated up. Not very “beery”, but something I would buy again.
  Score: 7.
  
  

Beer 97 outside the list

• Brewdog Fake Lager. Style: Pilsner. ABV: 4.7%. Purchased: Brewdog

Description: Golden and clear. Good white head. Has that distinct pilsner smell, with some hops going on. A lager but with a nice bitterness. Light, fizzy, and slightly chalky finish.
Thoughts: A decent pilsner.
Score: 6.5

Beer 97 outside the list

• Brewdog Zeigeist. Style: Dark Lager. ABV: 4.9%. Purchased: Brewdog

Description: Black with a tan head. Chocolate and a little hops on the nose. Chocolate, toasted malt, an some spicy flavours. Mid bodied, some fizz.
Thoughts: Interesting this, dark beer but some hops added in. Tasty.
Score: 7

Short update this week, and not feeling too hot so might be a little while before my next update!

Cheers