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