Camden Pale Ale (4%) - Camden Town Brewery, London

Holy moly, I'm on a role! It just goes to show what a few beery gifts and some law-enforced quarantine time can do. And lots of hard work and dedication to the cause, of course. 

After a string of tinnies I reached for this bottle, popped the cap with a pftsss here and a jingle jangle there, followed by the glug glug glug of its stunning golden amber insides flowing into my glass, surging with a lovely puffy head. 

On the nose there's a nice subtle waft of tropical and citrus notes, and a swig of the smooth and juicy liquid brings with it some bitter citrus notes balanced out by sweet pine, peppered with herbal grassy notes and a nicely toasted malt backing, all leading to a dry finish. A lot going on as you can see.

Camden in London

As promised on the bottle this pale ale goes about itself in a refined British way that makes it a bit more subtle and a lot more quaffable than some of the zappy American pale ales we're all familiar with. This is one is a beer garden sipper for sure (once they, y'know, re-open). 

Rating ★★★★★★★★☆☆

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Camden Town Brewery

Website here 

Facebook page here

Where to buy

£1.80 at Tesco

Wild Gravity IPA (5.2%) - BAD Co, North Yorkshire, England

Another can into my oh-heck-I'm-one-year-older batch and what I pulled out of my special beer place struck me for two reasons. Firstly, the brewery's name on the can featuring so boldly beside a relaxed Britannia, trident in one hand, brew in the other, would prove to be either extremely self-deprecating or deeply ironic, and I fortunately discovered it to be the latter. Secondly, sitting on top of the can was no ordinary tab.  

For so long, 360° cans were something I only saw Americans drinking from on Instagram, but now thanks to BAD Co, who were one of the first breweries to introduce these to the UK, I was 
in for a whole new type of exbeerience.

Being so unversed in the working of these, the almighty hiss as I pulled the top off gave me a startle - but once the full force of its fruity and floral aroma smacked me round the nose I was well and truly put at ease. My can now completely topless, it felt almost as if I was peering into something forbidden.

North Yorkshire within England

Unlike traditional cans which conceal the beer's aroma, these make for decent drinking receptacles in their own right. But I wanted to see the full package, and after transferring it to the glass it was destined for, the bubbling hazy amber liquid was fully revealed, crowned with a cushion of white head. 

Going in for a proper whiff, sweet tropical aromas of mangoes and peaches with a few tangerine segments and their zesty peel - along with a bready backing as the brew warmed up - oozed up my nostrils.  

A smooth and juicy mouthful brought delicate, floral hops with a dash of herbs, rounded off with a dry, bitter lime finish.

Described as aggressive and bold on the can, for me in an era of tongue-shreddingly hop-heavy IPAs, it came across more as mercifully laid-back and easy-drinking. Although, as beer-swigging Britannia reminds us on the can, this is a British brew yielding a more understated character. But let's not get bogged down in labels and just enjoy this beer for the delightful experience it is, from a brewery that's anything but BAD. 

Rating ★★★★★★★★☆☆

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The brewery
Website here
Facebook page here

Where to buy
£1.75 from Morrisons

Pride & Joy (5.3%) - Vocation Brewery, West Yorkshire, England

My beer collection had been looking worryingly thin for a brief while until my turning of age brought with it a generous regaling of exciting new craft brews. The first one I picked out was this, and it's sure to have the other beers quivering in their cans. 

Kindly leaving the beer unpasteurised and unfiltered - just the way Mother Nature intended - with the noble aim of preserving the best of its flavours, what pours is a hazy pale golden colour with a white cushion of head sitting happily on top. 

Juicy tropical fruits along with some citrus hints erupt out of the can as soon as you pop the tab, sweet pine and mangoes and a handful of tangerine segments imparting an enticing aroma that's enjoyable in its own right but which is too irresistible to hold you off from diving in for too long.

West Yorkshire within England

A good swig brings with it a deep, full-bodied mouthful of tropical fruits along with a lively bitter citrus hit that gets your chops salivating if they weren't already.

A lengthy, toasted malt-backed palate is peppered with fresh herbal and grassy notes rounding off nicely into a crisp, dry finish.

Encompassing everything you could possibly want from an American-style pale ale - being easy-drinking yet jam-packed with New World flavours - I just can't fault this in any way. Enjoy it all year round, all day long, and let it bring the brewery pride, and the drinker much joy.

Rating 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

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The brewery
Website here
Facebook page here

Where to buy
£1.80 from Tesco

Pale 31 (4.9%) - Firestone Walker Brewing Co, California, USA

A beer blogger sipping beer without a notepad can be compared to an off-duty police officer - in both of these noble roles, your sense of duty never leaves you. 

I had an acute sense of this when I picked out Pale 31 from my beer shelf with the sole intention of enjoying it for myself, only to find that after popping off the cap and being smacked in the nose by a bunch of blossoming flowers, I was utterly helpless in the face of such a seductive aroma. I had to share it with the beer-o-sphere.

From the Golden State itself (the 31st state to join the union, if you were wondering about the name) it pours a perfect golden colour with a creamy-coloured head. 

On the nose I got a waft of fresh and fragrant floral New World hop aromas along with juicy satsuma segments, complimented by the faintest hint of a herbal and earthy quality. 

A flurry of fruity flavours washed over my tongue, juicy pine perfectly balancing a grapefruit bitterness, ending with a clean, semi-dry and toasted biscuit finish. 

California within the USA

With this self-styled "bold but approachable" Californian pale ale, Firestone have produced something that represents everything a pale ale should be; easy to sip with bags of character. 

Very Californian it may be, but the five awards its won in the last eight years on both sides of the pond confirms one thing: this is a quality crowd-pleaser. 

Appearance 5/5

Aroma 5/5

Flavour 4/5

Mouthfeel 4/5

Overall 9/10 

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The brewery:
Website here

Facebook page here

Where to buy:
£2.99 on The Beer Hawk

Irish IPA (6%) - Crafty Brewing Company, Co. Kildare, Ireland

On a weekend food shop at Lidl in Calpe, Spain, there were a number of things on our shopping list that were to sustain us over the couple of days we were there - crisps, milk, bread, ingredients to be placed in amongst the bread - but the search was put on a prolonged hold as soon as I entered the beer aisle. 

Highly prominent among the impressive selection was a range of beers from this Irish brewery, leading me to wonder whether Calpe had a particularly high concentration of Irish expats, but it emerged that the Crafty Brewing Company (AKA Rye River Brewing Co) brew exclusively for Lidl as part of Lidl's craft beer range, the hipsterèsque moustache on the label seemingly hinting at the beer's crafty nature. 

This beaut poured a hazy golden amber topped with a lovely puffy white foam, and I knew straight away things were off to a good start.

Sticking my nose in for a whiff I was greeted by a potent mix of tropical fruits, sweet pine and a slightly herbal quality that all in all makes for a uniquely inviting character that would've had my moustache twitching for more if I had one.

Co. Kildare within Ireland

I wasted no time in diving in for a gulp and out of nowhere this crafty bugger pummelled my mouth with enormous bitter hop flavours, along with a few handfuls of peaches, apricots and mandarin segments.

Thick and juicy with a dry finish, this fruity blend's flavours linger on for you to enjoy long after you've sipped, along with a lil kick from the 6% ABV. 

Having wondered what qualities an Irish IPA might yield it's clear that this one has opted for the BIG New World character we've all come to love about the style, although taking its hops from Down Under rather than across the pond has brought about an interesting, complex flavour with a difference, and that's to be sure to be sure. 

Appearance 3.5
Aroma 4.5
Flavour 4
Mouthfeel 3.5
Overall 8/10 

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Rye River's website
Rye River on Facebook

Demo Neghro Extra Stout (6.5%) - Cervexa Menduiña, Galicia, Spain

As we enter April and springtime makes a leisurely and largely hesitant return to Lugo, Spain, I realise seven months into my residency here that I imported my beer-hoarding tendencies with me, having developed a sizeable collection and now not knowing where most of it even came from.

Fancying something to match the current climate, I picked this out. Whereas in this part of the world many of the artisan beer offerings have been established relatively recently, to my surprise it turned out that Menduiña is no newcomer to the craft beer scene. They've been squirting out barrels of cervexa since 2008, which by modern standards practically makes them craft beer veterans.

Hailing from Pontevedra, a coastal town in the region of Galicia, the brewery's aim is to "reclaim a part of the lost culture of our ancestors" by reviving what the ancient dwellers of these lands would have drunk without fear of being labelled barbarians before those poncey wino Romans came along. I very much doubt they would have been drinking 6.5% stout, but this is where the brewery's innovation comes into play.

Pictured on the matt, textured label is the very "Black Devil" that inspires the beer's Galician name, grimacing sardonically over a bottle of the good stuff. Interestingly the pagan Celts knew no Devil before the pesky Romans arrived, so this mischievous character seems to be one influence they were happy to keep. 

The beer pours an luscious jet black with a stunning cushion of coffee-coloured head that leaves a wonderful lacing down the glass. 

On the nose it's impressively fragrant for a stout with aromas of dark chocolate, coffee and a sweetness from the added Galician honey coming through immediately. The smell is so moreish in its own right, in fact, that I almost couldn't bring myself to tear my schnoz away from it to go in for a sip.

But of course I did, and the few glugs I ingested were a silky smooth, full-bodied delight. It has qualities of smoky, woody, dark roasted malts and some herbal hoppy notes that add balance with a bitterness, ending in a dry, nutty finish. Owing to the high ABV, a mellow alcoholic warmth is ever so slightly present.

On the brewery's recommendation I paired this with a few cubes of chocolate negro. This particular chocolate was on the lower end of the bitterness scale at 55% cocoa, and so while the bitterness of the chocolate complimented the roasted characteristics of the beer, at the same time they offset each other to leave the sweeter malty flavours, as well as the more herbal of the hoppy flavours to surface. Whichever way you have it, this is a devilishly good brew.

I have another offering from this brewery lurking in my special, top-secret beer place, so you'll be seeing more from me on them in the near future.

Spanish National Beer Championship 
2015 Bronze award winner

Appearance 5/5

Aroma 5/5

Flavour 4/5

Mouthfeel 4/5

Overall rating 9/10

Menduiña's website: http://www.menduina.eu/

Frigate Golden Bitter (3.8%) - Irving & Co. Brewers Ltd., Hampshire, England

Somewhere above the overcast skies of my little corner of England summer is upon us and yet I still have obscene numbers of beers left that were given to me for Christmas. Determined to get through them before they reach their best-by date, I valiantly plough through...

Today's offering is from the English coastal city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, and as part of a gift set, ironically bought a short journey away in France (made by eurotunnel on this occasion, not frigate) it came in a weeny 275ml bottle, which I assume (and hope) isn't the norm for this brewery, but for the purposes of a gift set I totally understand the choice of sample size, if it was their choice at all.

The label shows an enormous warship with the backdrop of Portsmouth's iconic Spinnaker tower, seagulls flying overhead in a hazy golden sunset, hinting at the colour of the beer inside. The back of the label suggests being careful to leave the sediment inside the bottle as you pour, but no amount of caution seems to prevent its hazy appearance and anyway, why would you want to? The sediment was kind enough to keep the golden liquid alive in the bottle, the least we can do is let it join the party.

Hampshire within England

The aroma is of a sweet citrusy nature, evoking sweet tangerine segments with some faint honey notes, with only the slightest hint of a grapefruit bitterness that provides a gentle contrast.

Pale and crystal malts battle their way to the frontline of your palate, firing sweet biscuit notes and toasted flavours in every direction to achieve overall dominance. Contrary to its description as a bitter, the surviving hops bring mainly the sweet character of candied citrus fruits, complementing rather than counteracting the malts. Once everything's settled down, some fresh herbal, almost minty notes bring some balance, ending with a black tea note that brings a dry finish to an otherwise smooth mouthfeel.

For a 3.8% beer, Frigate delivers an impressive level of complexity with its interesting combination of Sovereign and Boadicea hops, and a frigate-load of flavour even if it's short-lived from a cruelly small 275ml bottle.

Appearance 4/5
Aroma 4/5
Flavour 4/5
Mouthfeel 3/5
Overall rating 7.5/10

N’Ice Chouffe (10%) - Brasserie d’Achouffe, Luxembourg Province, Belgium

With the spring months well under way here in Blighty, it seems distateful, nay, downright perverse to post a detailed description of my experience with a Christmas beer. But experiences are to be shared, and share this I will.

The label shows a wintry scene with two of the brewery's trademark gnomes warming up by a camp fire outside in the snow, carrying hops and barley. They seem ready to sling the hops and barley into the fire: arguably not the best use for two key ingredients to the best beverage in the world, but I suppose even Chouffe gnomes will do what they can to stay warm. Then again, they could equally be fighting to rescue the grain and hop plants from the flames. Yes, valiant gnomes, we'll stick with that version of events.

N'Ice Chouffe pours pitch black, allowing some shades of deep ruby red to glow through when up against the light. The brewery's own curvaceous and reflective tulip glass does the beer's appearance full justice, showing off the lively carbonation that rises quickly from the bulbous black body to form the superb, bubbling off-white head that pushes up past the base of the lip.

The glass trapping the aroma magnificently, at first whiff my impression is that it smells unmistakeably Belgian with herbal clove aromas coming through. A rich chocolate and crystal malt backing brings out a toffee tinge alongside some forest fruits.

Things intensify by the camp fire with a super rich flavour of sweet brown "candi" sugar and lots of grassy, herbal notes all coming at you at once. The carbonation helps to cut through the intense sweetness, but for me doesn't go far enough to stop it from being too cloying. Finally, a big alcoholic burn reminds you what happens when a gnome gets his beard too close to a camp fire.

As a seasonal brew, N'Ice Chouffe leaves no doubt that it was conceived as a winter warmer (despite the reference to "ice" in the name). However, with such a burny and intense character it doesn't sit so N'Icely on the palate.

Appearance 4/5

Aroma 3.5/5

Flavour 3/5

Mouthfeel 2/5

Overall rating 6.5/10

Blessed Thistle (4.5%) - Cairngorm Brewery Company, Highland, Scotland

One of the biggest problems with being so strongly inclined to fill my suitcase as much as possible with bottles of beer when returning from a holiday is of course the measly baggage allowance that simply wasn't decided with me in mind. This normally leads to impulsive additions to my beerhaul once I've passed security at the airport terminal, regardless of the suddenly inflated costs. That's what happened when I connected at Glasgow on a flight from Stornoway to Heathrow - with little else to keep me busy there I had dangerous amounts of time to kill in the beer section of the tourist shop, and kill it I did.

One of the beers I subsequently adopted was Blessed Thistle from the Scottish Highlands. Not exactly local to Glasgow, but a beer that used Scotland's national emblem as an ingredient, one I'd never tasted nor seen being brewed with before, filled me with too much excitement to let it pass me by.

On a 500ml bottle (the size I like) the label displays the Cairngorm brewery with the backdrop of a deep red sunset. And, of course, an enormous thistle. 

As promised on the label, it pours a gorgeous reddish-brown (turning redder or browner depending on the light) and has a good head that holds on its way down, leaving some good lacing behind.

The aroma is of floral gums, that soapy tasting sweet we all remember and love, with a roasted, malty undercurrent. There's an extra herbal quality in there that I’d never smelt the likes of before in a beer: surely the thistle at play. Adding a herbal tea character, it's very pleasant and works so very well.

The flavour introduces roasted, biscuity and nutty flavours that linger on. At the same time refreshing fruity and floral notes wash over the malty base leaving a subtle floral gums after taste. As the herbal seasoning comes through, the hints of ginger mentioned on the label make themselves known.

It has a medium body and a fairly dry finish which works well with the roasted, nutty flavours.

Presenting me with something unlike anything I'd tasted before, I was more than pleasantly surprised by Blessed Thistle. Even at an inflated airport tourist shop price, its complex yet balanced, different and drinkable nature with bags of Scottish character made it worth every penny, living up to its description of a "unique thistle beer". Next time, I'm bringing a bigger holdall.

  

Appearance 5/5

Aroma 4.5/5

Flavour 4.5/5

Mouthfeel 3/5

Overall rating 8.5/10

Brewery information

Website: http://www.cairngormbrewery.com/ 

Twitter: @cairngormbrew
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CairngormBrewery 

Angel Amber Ale (4.3%) - Wylam Brewery, Northumberland, England

On a trip up to the rich, green and wooded landscape of Northumberland, I happened upon a coffee shop in the middle of nowhere that emerged out of obscurity like a mirage. I was relieved to find it because I was in severe need of a coffee, but was even more relieved when a refrigerator presented itself to me within, several different local beers perched atop its shelves. Thankfully, this was no mirage.

Having to choose between them, I went for Angel Amber Ale from Wylam Brewery, partly due to the iconic Angel of the North pictured on the label that the beer itself was brewed to celebrate in 2008. If it had stood the test of time since then, then it had to be worth a try.

Northumberland within England

The beer pours an amber colour as promised on the label, producing a fairly small head that fizzles out.

The combination of four different malts and Cascade hops revealed on the label sounded like they would give way to an interesting mix of sweet, citrusy and herbal characteristics, leaving me not quite knowing what to expect. The aroma turned out to be very pleasant, presenting sweet toffee and chocolate notes from the malts, the hops bringing out very floral and aromatic characteristics with nutmeggy and herbal notes. Sultanas and glazed cherries could be detected in there too, evoking the gorgeous scent of a fruitcake. 

Everything comes at you at once when you take a swig, all the flavours working very well together. Every part of your tongue gets to enjoy the various characteristics in this beer, sweet toffee offset by bitter treacle and fruity woodland berries along with spicy herbal notes, all in all producing something extremely rich and wholesome. The Cascade hops liven it up to no end bringing out all its best characteristics, like a well-seasoned steak.

A long, dry finish leaves you with hints of fruitcake and a nice light black tea flavour that linger on once you've swallowed.

This beer impressed me. An interesting combination of malts an hops has produced something that's quite familiar yet unique, traditional but spiced up. This, as it mentions on the label, is "proper beer". Whyaye man!

Appearance 3/5

Aroma 4.5/5

Flavour 5/5

Mouthfeel 4/5

Beer Belly's rating 8/10

Brewery details

Website: www.wylambrewery.co.uk

Twitter: @wylambrewery

L'Escampette (6%) - Brasserie Forest, Nord-Pas-De-Calais Region, France

As the first review on this blog for a beer to hail from outside the British Isles, it might come as a surprise that rather than opting for somewhere in central Europe or North America, which would seem like the most obvious choices, I've in fact gone for France, a country otherwise known for specialising in the production of alcoholic grape juice.

Picked up in a Carrefour supermarket near Calais on a recent trip across the channel, L'Escampette is an example of the one and only beer style originating in France, known as bière de garde (or "keeping beer"), typical of the region of Nord-Pas-De-Calais and traditionally brewed in farmhouses throughout the dark and cold winter months. This would not only allow consistent and quality results by keeping the beer cool, but also avoid any wild yeasts infiltrating the brews during the summer. These days, these French farmhouse-style ales are brewed all year round and are fairly open to interpretation, in true rustic spirit.

L'Escampette, brewed since 2001 in Monceau St Waast, comes in a charming 33ml bottle in a curvy shape resembling that of roof gables on the buildings in Belgium, which happens to be just down the road from this part of France. It's not clear what the significance of the blue-eyed, blonde haired woman holding the three litre-glasses of beer is, but for the sake of the style let's say she's serving up some sweaty fermiers who have returned from a long day out on the fields.

The beer pours a golden amber colour with a small amount of sediment suspended in the glass owing to the fact that it's unfiltered. A nice foam settles on top, lacing the glass on its way down. 

The aroma is fairly gentle: some stone fruits with tropical hints present a sweet aroma with otherwise earthy and musty undertones. A slightly rotten apple can be detected in there as well.

Things liven up when you take a swig, a strong malty core suddenly coming to the fore with the same sweet fruity and earthy, herbal flavours emerging around it and becoming much more pronounced, with a faint spiciness presenting itself as well. Again, it's got that slightly musty, funky quality to it that's typical of French farmhouse ales.

It's lightly carbonated, full-bodied and dry with a heavy, long-lasting, musty aftertaste. The 6% abv presents itself in the form of a pleasant warming sensation.

L'Escampette is definitely an intriguing one, if only for the style it represents. Complex overall, with contradicting qualities of fruitiness followed by mustiness, it's got bags of rustic character. Despite the musty qualities, though, it's still very quenching, and I imagine it to be a great end to a day out on the fields (not that I'd know what that feels like).

Appearance 4/5

Aroma 3/5

Flavour 3.5/5

Mouthfeel 3.5/5

Beer Belly's Overall Rating: 7/10

Late Red (4.5%) - Shepherd Neame Brewery, Kent, England

We're about to leave the autumn months behind so I had to grab this one while it was still on the shelves. Late Red from "Britain's oldest brewer", Shepherd Neame in Faversham, Kent, is a seasonal autumn ale available from September to November. Full of auburn and copper colours on the label, it pictures hops dangling in the late autumn sunset, hinting at what flavours might lie inside.

The clear, characteristically Shepherd Neame-shaped bottle allows a good view of the wonderfully deep amber-ruby liquid inside, although we all know what that could mean: light strike.

It looks just as good in the glass, although the fizzy, off-white head doesn't amount to much and quickly fizzles into nothing.

Nosing about for some aroma, I pick up on berries, something roasted and a hint of toffee along with some hoppy citrus and a slightly herbal aroma from the Cascade and local East Kent Goldings hops, although the aromas are faint and hard to pin down.

Kent within England

Once I dive in the flavours become clearer, with a bittersweet mouthful of sweet toasted malts swishing around with herbal, floral and peppery flavours finishing with a dry and bitter aftertaste. Although complex in nature, I can't help feeling the flavours are a bit too diluted and accompanied by an unpleasant taste of soap (and that's not my fault - I gave the glass a good rinsing).

Late Red started off promising but the more it warmed up, the less I got on with it. Instead of bringing out the character, which is what a warmer temperature should do, it made me wonder if among those crisp autumn leaves a few had been blown out of a gutter.

The crisp, toasted, floral nature of Late Red makes it impressively fitting for this time of year, but if I pick one up again it will have to be chilled enough to mask some of the less welcome flavours.

   

Beer Belly's rating:

Appearance 3/5

Aroma 3/5

Flavour 2/5

Mouthfeel 2/5

Total 5/10

Hobgoblin (5.2%) - Wychwood Brewery, Oxfordshire, England (Hallowe'en Edition)

With Halloween only a matter of days ago how could I opt for any beer other than the one that labels itself the "unofficial beer of Halloween"? In fact, the new orange label on the Hobgoblin I picked up at the supermarket convinced me I'd found a seasonal brew from Wychwood that I hadn't laid hands on before. Only when I got round to tasting it did I realise that I'd sampled many of these crafty goblins before, under their usual guise of a dark blue label. Would this be a trick or a treat?

Hobgoblin pours a mystical, dark ruby red, a frothy head bubbling up to the brim of the glass before calming down slowly, leaving no trace around the edges. A mischievous brew indeed.

I picked up some chocolate malt as well as rum and raisin from the faint aroma that lurked in the glass. I got no trace of hops from the aroma in the Halloween version, although its regular counterpart gave me the faintest hint of citrus. Probably for no reason other than that I'd not long released the Halloween bottle from the fridge.

Oxfordshire within England

The flavour is complex yet balanced, rich yet refreshing: dark berries, toasted nuts, burnt toffee and a hint of dark chocolate were complemented by herbal and peppery notes which lingered on. This, coupled with the smooth texture and medium dry finish, paves the way for a very moreish brew.

At the stronger end of the scale with 5.2%, there's still, amazingly, barely any trace of an alcoholic flavour. This makes it a cheeky session beer that you'll happily stick with all night, even if that night ends sooner than you expected! 

Beer Belly's rating:

Appearance 4/5

Aroma 3/5

Flavour 4/5

Mouthfeel 4/5

Total 7.5/10

Have you dared try the Hobgoblin from Wychwood Brewery? What do you think? Leave your comments and rating below!