26. Founders All Day IPA

Beer number 26 - All Day IPA

Brand: Founders
Consumption date: 1/04/16
Description: Session Ale
Nationality: American
ABV: 4.7%
Source: R.U.B BBQ Pub, Detroit
Price: ~$6 USD

While roaming the streets of downtown Detroit looking for somewhere that showed Premier League football at 11 am, I stumbled upon the gem that is Rub BBQ Pub. Proudly boasting the most beer taps in all of Michigan, they boast an incredible 50 taps of draught beer, with a wide variety of styles to suit all palates. 

I decided to kick things off with a Founders All day IPA, a session ale packing  4.7% abv. This was a good choice. A lovely smooth hoppalicious tasting ale, one can see where it gets its "all day" moniker. I hope to see Founders make its way across the pond - I believe it is available at a small number of outlets here in the UK.


Obligatory picture of the beer taps:

I give this beer 3.5 beers out of 5

25. Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale

Beer number 25 - Alexander Keith's IPA

Brand: Alexander Keith's


Consumption date: 30/03/16
Description: English style IPA
Nationality: Canadian
ABV: 5.0%
Source: Jack Astor's Bar and Grill, Toronto
Price: ~ $10 (CAD)

Having just arrived in Toronto, I wandered aimlessly on the streets looking for somewhere to enjoy some food and a nice cold beer, and stumbled upon Jack Astor's Bar and Grill. They had a fairly comprehensive beer list including many I'd not hear of before, and I plumped for the Alexander Keith's. In Canada the beers are sized by ounces rather than pints - there was an option to get a slightly larger beer for an extra $2 so I went for that. It came in a large glass that seemed like a pint glass but might have been a bit bigger, with the slogan "Size Matters" displayed ominously on the side.

Although it was refreshing to have a beer after the long-ish flight, I was rather disappointed with the taste. It was more like a regular below average lager to me - I didn't taste any English style IPA-ness at all, and wondered if I'd even been brought the correct drink. 

On a side note, it was good to subsequently learn that craft beer has caught on in a big way in both Canada and America, but this was one to forget.

I give this 1 beer out of 5.

24. Premium Beer, Sapporo

Beer number 24 - Sapporo Premium Beer

Brand: Sapporo


Consumption date: 29/03/16
Description:
Nationality: Japanese
ABV: 4.7%
Source: New Loon Fung Chinese Supermarket, London
Price: £1.90 for one bottle


This is a drinkable premium lager - it's not too fizzy and it doesn't carry the oh-so-often watered down disappointment of an experience that much of the regularly available lager does. This could contribute to the long lasting nature that allows Sapporo to boast of being Japan's oldest brand. If you're someone who enjoys lager when other alternatives are available, or someone who just drinks whatever is available I see no reason why you would dislike the Sapporo premium beer. I'm afraid, however, that for me lager fails to provide delight and as such that this may be one of my last without being a few sheets to the wind or out of other options. Putting all that doom and gloom to one side for a moment let me reiterate that this is a drinkable lager. It isn't an unpleasant experience. The experience is just somewhat flat, and not because of the carbonation.

My rating for this beer:

2 beers out of 5.

23. Albino Squid Assassin, Brewdog

Beer number 23 - Albino Squid Assassin

Brand: Brewdog

Consumption date: 26/03/16
Description: Red Rye IPA
Nationality: Scottish
ABV: 7.4%
Source: We Brought Beer
Price: £3.90

It's Saturday night. It's England versus Germany. It's a night for a beer. Having not thought this through carefully enough yesterday there are only two beers in the fridge, and so the choice is limited (but neither seem disappointing prospects). The Brewdog Albino Squid Assassin, perching less than steadily atop a bottle of tomato ketchup gets the nod ahead of the more familiar squad members. After-all it is a friendly. It's all about experimenting. Although like Hodgson I have also opted against Drink(ing)water. Enough of this. On to the beer.

Let's start with the headline. This is a good beer. It reminds me of the Wild Card Jack of Clubs somewhat. Having said this any regular reader might note I wasn't much of a fan of that beer however. Well yes. The overall picture is a little similar, yet this drink seems to have a lot more depth and further dimensions to it than the aforementioned beer. The colour is deep red, the flavour is smokey and savoury. The packaging is pretty wonderful too. This is a good beer. Don't expect to find this on tap anywhere. You may have to go out looking for this beer if you want to try it, but it's certainly worth it. Drink it in with your eyes, drink it in over your taste buds. It provides pleasure to both senses.

The score:

4 out of 5 beers

22. West Coast IPA

Beer 22 - Treason West Coast IPA

Brand: Uprising

Consumption date: 18/3/15
Description: American Style India Pale Ale
Nationality: English
ABV: 6.0%
Source: Waitrose
Price: £1.99

Once again while popping into Waitrose for mundane items such as milk and bread, I found myself wandering over to the ever growing ale/beer section to see if there was anything interesting, and came across the Treason IPA from Uprising, a brewer I was not familiar with. Based in Windsor in Berkshire (West of London), Treason is an "American Style" IPA containing various American Hops.

At 6%, it packs a little punch while remaining a smooth and well balanced beer with a pleasant hoppy aroma without much bitterness. Does it rank among the top IPA offerings? Probably not for me but I'd certainly be willing to give it another go and see if that flavour starts to grow on me. Good value at £1.99 but in my opinion there are better choices out there.

2.5 beers out of 5

21. Brooklyn 1/2 Ale

Beer 21 - 1/2 Ale

Brand: Brooklyn Brewery

Consumption date: 8/3/15
Description: Hoppy Session Saison
Nationality: American
ABV: 3.4%
Source: We Brought Beer
Price: £1.67 (part of 6 for £10 offer)

Brooklyn is a brand that evokes fond Friday night memories for me - indeed as I've mentioned in a previous blog post, Brooklyn Lager is an old favourite that paved the way to explore new tastes in beer, so I looked forward to the 1/2 Ale with (blind) optimism. It might be the first "Saison" style beer I've experienced, and I was not put off by the low alcohol content (indeed, Brewdog Dead Pony at 3.8% is one of my frequently enjoyed beers at the moment).

I'm afraid that the 1/2 ale was not to my tastes. It was weak (flavour wise) and lacked all of the things one wants in order to embark on a session of drinking. By the end of the bottle I was finding it a chore to drink - even in the bath I could not reach the levels of refreshment I have become accustomed to. 

1.5 out of 5 beers.

20. Gipsy Hill Southpaw

Beer 20 - Southpaw

Brand: Gipsy Hill

Consumption date: 7/3/15
Description: Amber Ale
Nationality: English
ABV: 4.2%
Source: We Brought Beer
Price: £1.67 (part of 6 for £10 offer)

Gipsy Hill are fast becoming one of my go-to beer choices. After a splendid experience drinking the Hepcat, I was curious to sample another of Gipsy Hill's staple beers. Although it was not quite as to my tastes as the Hepcat, this is a very drinkable amber ale with plenty of flavour - a nice not too bitter "sessiony" taste leaves a pleasant aroma in your mouth.

I'm informed that Hagen and Hyde in Balham have Southpaw as well as other Gipsy Hill beers on draft. This is a prospect that excites me a lot - watch this space.

I give this beer 3.5 beers out of 5

19. Pressure Drop Pale Fire

Beer 19 - Pale Fire

Brand: Pressure Drop

Consumption date: 2/3/15
Description: English Pale Ale
Nationality: English
ABV: 4.8%
Source: We Brought Beer
Price: £1.67 (part of 6 for £10 offer)

I remember trying Pale Fire some time ago, in the early days of my craft beer adventure, thinking "Yeahh, this is it - this is what life's about". Now several months on, drinking it again it did not have quite the same impact. It's not that this is a bad beer - far from it, it's a refreshing drop at a decent/mild strength but full of hoppy flavour. It's just that after experiencing so many different beers since, it's hard to now see myself going out of my way to find Pale Fire too often. Kudos to Pressure Drop all the same for getting a nice range of products out there on the shelves of various local outlets, including a Whole Foods Market across the road!

I do recommend trying Pale Fire and give it a solid 3 beers out of 5

18. Sorachi Saison, Adnams Brewery

Beer number 18 - Sorachi Saison

Brand: Adnams Brewery (For Marks and Spencer)

Consumption date: 12/03/16
Description: Crisp, refreshing beer brewed with the distinctive Sorachi Ace hop
Nationality: English
ABV: 6.0%
Source: Marks and Spencer
Price: £1.95


I've been enjoying the Marks and Spencer beer range of late. There are a fair few good ones, and at relatively affordable prices. I'd seen the Sorachi Saison before and assumed it wouldn't be to my taste from the packaging. It turns out I was wrong. Having accidentally stumbled into drinking a Sorachi Ace hop beer a few weeks earlier which I enjoyed greatly I thought I would give this one a go. Whilst it doesn't quite live up to my previous experience this beer still has appeal and is a pleasant drink. Certainly a spiced and citrus taste to begin with this beer leaves a long bitter aftertaste that even starts to turn slightly acrid before it finally begins to fade. Only lightly carbonated the head vanishes quickly and I'm not having the displeasure of frequent oral gas to bring the acrid taste back so it's just at the right level on that front. As the beer warmed progressively through consumption complexity draws out in the flavour and perhaps I would suggest you want to give this one 10-15 minutes out of the fridge before you lift the lid. I certainly wish I had. I like my beer to have character and this one certainly does not fade into the background. I do imagine it could have a some sort of love it or hate it Marmite style effect on you. For me it falls on the positive side of the fence.

My rating for this beer:

3.5 beers out of 5.

17. Salty Kiss, Magic Rock Brewing

Beer number 17: Salty Kiss

Brand: Magic Rock Brewing


Consumption date: 4/3/16
Description: Gooseberry Gose Ale
Nationality: English, West Yorkshire
ABV: 4.1%
Source: We Brought Beer, Clapham Junction
Price: £3.60

Let me start with the obvious, £3.60 is steep for a can in a shop. This I know, but the beer 366 calls for a little adventure, and besides, the visit to the shop supplanted the idea of a visit to the pub, ergo the cost offset has actually turned in my favour.

Now on to the main event - The beer. A Gose Ale. I'd never heard of the style before. So there I am, in the shop, engaging Google to educate myself and make a snap judgement whether this deserves a trial or not. A Gose ale is a sour style beer of German origin. The beer is top fermented and is fairly malty. Salty, herbaceous and bitter sharp lemon notes are typical flavour profiles. The Salty Kiss does not fail to follow the guidelines. This beer is definitely sour, not sweet, and has a fairly dry taste like you might expect in a white wine. The beer is cloudy in appearance and has no difficulty maintaining a head of froth throughout the drinking experience for that temporary white moustache look after each sip. In addition to the sour taste caused by the Gose ale process gooseberries have been added to bring a second sour input and, whilst they are certainly present, their impact is subtle. My preference for fruit additions. I have only one complaint to add with this description and that is that this beer is overly carbonated. I did not appreciate the excessive belching induced.

My rating for this beer:

2.5 beers out of 5

16. Gipsy Hill Hepcat

Beer 16 - Hepcat

Brand: Gipsy Hill

Consumption date: 1/03/15
Description: Session IPA
Nationality: English
ABV: 4.6%
Source: We Brought Beer
Price: £1.67 (part of 6 for £10 offer)

I tried the Hepcat at the Brewmasters Beer Festival and it definitely stuck out as one of my favourites, so it was a pleasant surprise to receive a bottle as part of my Craft Beer starter pack as a replacement for the Southpaw which was out of stock.

I chose to consume my beer while in the bath, late one night. This is fast becoming my preferred way to unwind after a long day. I must be getting old.

Anyway, this was a top class beer experience, the most enjoyable I've had in recent memory. Hepcat is a lovely beer - often when a beer is described as "fruity" or with "citrus notes" or something similar, I find myself a bit disappointed. Either I don't taste it, or I do and it's not very nice. Hepcat on the other hand is spot on - it does taste fruity but with a nice maltiness that makes for an incredibly refreshing sip. 

I want much, much more of this stuff.

4.5 beers out of 5

15. Beavertown Neck Oil

Beer number 15 - Neck Oil

Brand: Beavertown 

Consumption date: 29/02/15
Description: Session IPA
Nationality: English
ABV: 4.3%
Source: We Brought Beer
Price: £1.67 (part of 6 for £10 offer)

I've mentioned a bit of my history with Beavertown in my previous blog entry - the neck oil played a pivotal role in the development of my love of Beavertown. For me this is one of the elite session IPAs. 

It's light, crisp and full of hops - it has a smooth flavour with a very satisfying aftertaste. It's paler than I remember. As part of this craft beer "starter pack" from a new local shop that specialise in home brewing and craft beer, this is great value. 

The only downside was that from the can it's not quite as refreshing as it is on draught. The only place I've known that stocked it on tap removed it from their draught selection some time ago, replacing it with something inferior. They cited problems dealing with Beavertown as a supplier - sort it out guys!

For that reason I give rate this 3.5 beers out of 5

14. Beavertown Gamma Ray

Beer number 14 - Gamma Ray

Brand: Beavertown

Consumption date: 17/02/15
Description: American style Pale Ale
Nationality: English
ABV: 5.4%
Source: The Brewmasters Beer Festival, Clapham Grand
Price: ~£3.50

Beavertown are fast becoming one of my favourite local brewers and it's great to see their beers appearing in more and more venues. My relationship with Beavertown didn't start on the best note - their "Smog Rocket" smoked porterhouse was not to my tastes at all, to the point where I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. Shameful, I know.

Undeterred, I was soon reacquainted with Beavertown and Gamma Ray has proved to be a bold flavoured smooth beer which is perfect for a session, even if it is above session strength. It's a tropical number - like the can, it's full of exotic flavours. The "Amarillo" hops seem to be showing up in many of my most enjoyed beers and it's no surprise to find them here too. Being at a beer festival I tried quite a few - it was a bit hit and miss, so it was a pleasant relief to find a familiar choice behind one of the bars. 

I fully recommend this beer and will be drinking it again and the next opportunity.

My rating: 4 beers

13. Jack of Clubs, Wild Card Brewery

Beer number 13 - Jack of Clubs


Brand: Wild Card Brewery
Consumption date: 19/02/16
Description: Ruby Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Source: Wild Card Brewery, Walthamstow
Price: Unknown (received as a Christmas gift set of four Wild Card Beers)

Having visited the Wild Card brewery a few times previously this seemed a well thought out gift. The Jack of Clubs, not one of their styles I've tried previously, is a dark red Ruby ale with a short lived aftertaste of spiced hops. The initial body is very malty and smooth, not personally to my taste but thankfully it fades quite quickly rendering it pleasant enough to finish.

I don't see this beer as particularly distinctive or stand out in any way and such I'm struggling to add many more words to this review. If you like malt and spice to form the core of your beer experience the Jack of Clubs will likely be your kind of tipple, but for me there's just not enough going on here.

Wild Card describe the beer to have grassy aromas and digestive biscuit flavour - Two things which, the lack of occasion of, speak for themselves for this beer.

The score:

1.5 beers out of 5

12. Babylone, Beer project Brussels

Beer number 12 - Babylone

Brand: Beer Project Brussels

Consumption date: 17/02/15
Description: Bread Bitter
Nationality: Belgian
ABV: 7%
Source: Beer52
Price: £14 for 8 mixed beers (£1.75 per bottle)

When I opened the box and saw (as per usual) a few promising looking beers, a number of mediocre efforts and a few that are unlikely to be pleasant to my taste I was once again disappointed in Beer52 and immediately cancelled my membership. I just don't understand why they have a preferred flavour profile and requests section if this information is entirely ignored in packing my box. None-the-less I collected up the familiar enjoyments and the interesting sounding efforts for later consumption.

The Babylone, which I must say is one I had down as a not so good prospect turns out to be a pleasant number. Historically having never been a fan of bitters I didn't think much of it on first glance but it has been a nice, flavour rich surprise to drink. Of course the bitter notes are there. What else would you expect? The way they have hopped this bitter has helped pack a punch of excitement into the beer and added an extra dimension to the flavour. What they describe as their "GBH" (grains, bread and hops) smacks of woody, smoke taste textures and caramel finish. They identify it as fruity, yet I am not so sure. Perhaps under-ripe fruit which is drawing in that wood to the flavour. The only negative I'm going to level at this beer is that the malty taste that underpins everything is a little too prevalent for me. Probably worth a trial, yet I doubt I'm buying this again. Although Jamie Oliver seems to think its "Pukka"

The score:

3 beers out of 5

11. Hackney Golden Ale

Brand: Hackney Brewery
Consumption date: 12th February
Description: A light and refreshing golden ale with a hoppy aroma
Nationality: English
ABV: 4.0%
Source: The Wheatsheaf Pub, Tooting
Price: £4.10 (pint)

This is the first beer on this blog that I enjoyed so much I didn't even think to take a picture of it. That said this doesn't concern me too much as I know I'll be back for more soon. I'll admit to being saddened and slightly bitter about the fact my regular after work pub no longer stocking my previous favourite Friday night tipple, the Hackney Session IPA. However my favourite brewers north of the river have a further string to their bow in the form of the Hackney Golden Ale, a cask beer served at a very reasonable £4.10 per pint.

Beer served through handpumps are something of an unknown entity for me - while I have dabbled from time to time, I'm yet to find one I love enough to keep going back for more...until now. It's taken a bit of time to acquire the taste for Hackney Golden Ale but its citrusy aromas and light flavour give it a very refreshing and enjoyable taste. Very much a session ale, one can see why Hackney Brewery are starting to make waves in the London beer scene. Will definitely drink again.

My overall rating for this beer:

4 beers out of 5

10. Goose IPA

Goose Island Goose IPA

Brand: Goose Island Beer Co
Consumption date: 10th February
Description: IPA with bright citrus aromas and a bold hop finish.
Nationality: USA
ABV: 5.9%
Source: Waitrose
Price: £1.90 (355 ml Bottle)

Waitrose: Known mainly for its middle class clientele, free complementary coffee and...craft beer selection? I'd only popped in to get some bread and milk and found myself in awe of the large selection of craft beers and ales that Waitrose now stock. I decided to go for something different and plumped for the Goose IPA. At £1.90 a bottle, what's the worst that could happen?

I was a bit disappointed in this beer. Yes, there are some pleasant-ish citrus aromas but the hops are a little too bold and it leaves a slightly too bitter aftertaste for me. 

My overall rating for this beer:

2 beers out of 5

9. Kernel Pale Ale

Kernel Pale Ale

Brand: The Kernel Brewery London
Consumption date: 23rd January
Description: Straw colour pale ale with spicy lime and mango aromas
Nationality: English
ABV: 5.4%
Source: Craft Beer Co, Brixton 
Price: ~£4.50

After competing valiantly in the FA People's Cup, the Craft Beer Co. provided a local venue with plenty of beer choices available. Among the dozens of interesting looking but risky unknown beers it was great to see a familiar face in the form of Kernel Pale Ale, a beer I am somewhat acquainted with and would like to get to know better.

It's definitely one the paler pale ales I've enjoyed and I find it to be a consistently refreshing, crisp tasting smooth beverage. To me the ingredients of Kernel's beer are very well balanced - the hops are spot on and a visit to the Kernel brewery in London is long overdue.

It sounds like Kernel's popularity is growing and I hope to have more opportunities to enjoy their range of beverages.

My overall rating for this beer:

3.5 beers out of 5