Boondoggle (5%) - Ringwood Brewery, Hampshire, England

"Down here in the New Forest," it says on the back of the label, "we call carefree, lazy days, 'Boondoggle days'". This beer from Ringwood brewery, situated just outside the New Forest in Hampshire has been conceived as just the excuse you need for a pint on those lazy, summer days (if an excuse is really what you needed). The free-living wild boar pictured chilling out on the bottle's golden-yellow label says it all.

Described as a blonde ale on the label, Boondoggle is probably darker than you'd expect. The colour of the label implies it will be a pilsneresque sparkly gold, but in reality what pours out is the kind of amber you're used to seeing from, well, an amber ale. The head is bright white, a little on the thin side and doesn't take long to disperse into a patchy layer with islands of small bubbles.

When I popped off the cap I was struck by the yeasty, bready aroma but once the first waft was out of the way mainly delicate hoppy, floral and herbal notes remained thanks to the First Gold and Fuggles hops. A combination of the yeast and citrus fruits with hints of marmalade remind me of a lemon drizzle cake; a combination I'm happy to try by all means.

Hampshire within England

Take a swig and you're presented with a thick and chewy liquid, smooth all but for the spicy tingling sensation on the back of the tongue which leaves a mildly dry finish, creating a moreish texture overall. The fruity flavour alternates nicely between sweet malts and bitter citrus, the bitter aftertaste becoming sweet and nutty when you exhale. It's interesting yet easy-going and certainly a fine candidate for a lazy summer session. Act with caution on a particularly warm day though, as the 5% ABV will make its presence felt!

Beer Belly's Rating:

Appearance 4/5

Aroma 3/5

Mouthfeel 4/5

Flavour 4/5

Total 7.5/10 

Have you tried Boondoggle from Ringwood Brewery? What do you think? Leave your comments and rating below!

Fursty Ferret (4.4%) - Badger Brewery, Dorset, England

Fursty Ferret from Badger, originally the product of the Gribble Inn in West Sussex, was the most popular beer at its original brew-pub and has been in the hands of Badger since 1991. The label tells a playful story of "inquisitive ferrets sneaking to the back door to sneekily sample the local brew", depicting the scene on the front of the bottle. Stories aside, the back of the label also includes some helpful information on what flavours to expect, as well as a suggested food pairing of West Country cheddar or indulgent pork pies and mustard. That sounds like a winning combination to me, but I'll reserve judgement until I've tasted what's in the bottle.

Fursty Ferret looks enticing on the shelves as Badger has taken the strange decision to use clear bottles. Allowing light to infiltrate the bottle will almost certainly put the beer at a high risk of developing a skunky odour, but who can resist when the light shining through makes the seductive golden amber liquid sitting behind the label lined with bits of shiny, reflective gold foil look so bright and sparkly? If not the colour, then the tactile bottle embossed with little leaves blowing in the wind will be enough to charm you into putting it in your basket.

The beer looks equally as appetising when you crack off the cap and pour it into your glass. A foamy, bubbly head gradually fades to a thin, patchy layer with a fair amount sticking to the glass on the way down.

You get a clue as to what Fursty's aroma is going to be like as soon as you release the cap, with a waft of it leaking out as soon as it gets the chance. There's nothing subtle about its aroma when you move in closer, with a sweet bread and honey aroma combined with a lightly spiced, mildly bitter citrus nose, along with a faint cooked vegetal smell of cabbage and celery which comes out the more you sniff around for it. Could these be the signs of a lightstruck brew? There's also a slightly spirity, alcoholic smell that reveals itself gradually. I don't find the aroma overly appetising, but its unique qualities pique my curiosity to find out more, and suddenly I feel like an inquisitive ferret peering into a barrel.

Dorset within England

Sometimes the taste of a strong-scented beer can be an anticlimax when it turns out not to be anywhere near as flavourful as you were led to believe, but Fursty Ferret packs as much of a punch in the taste as the smell. The rich maltiness is even more pronounced in the taste, leaving a sweet, bready aftertaste with hints of honey and burnt toffee which linger for a long while afterwards, coming back at you over and over again when you exhale. It attempts some balance with a mild peppery bitterness, but remains powerfully sweet and malty on the whole and hops are hardly anywhere to be found. 

It claims to be FURST quenching, but I don't find it refreshing or balanced enough to be able to achieve that. Its mildly carbonated, smooth, medium body does make it easy to get down, but I can't imagine the overpoweringly sweet flavours doing much to quench my thirst, although it does leave you with a pleasant warming sensation. It's certainly different and interesting, and not a passive beer that leaves you to make all the effort. This will definitely be one for you if you're crazy about malty flavours, and worth a try for the experience, but I wouldn't recommend it as a thirst quencher and think the suggested cheddar and pork pie accompaniment would be more than even the most self-indulgent ferret could handle.

Beer Belly's rating:

Appearance 3/5

Aroma 1/5

Flavour 2/5

Mouthfeel 4/5

Total 5/10

What do you think of Fursty Ferret from Badger Brewery? Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments and rating below!