Brains – The Reverend James

Brewery –          Brains

Beer –               The Reverend James

Alcohol –           4.5%

Origin –             Cardiff, Wales

Style –               Copper Ale

Season –            Autumn

The venerable Revvy James, another solid performance from Brains.

A wonderfully coloured, rich burnt orange, glowing brightly with an off white halo.

Sarsaparilla on the nose; sweet and slightly medicinal.

It has a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, silky on the palate with notes of butterscotch maltiness, held in place by an underlying hop character.

The finish is sweet and moreish but a slight tanginess leaves you gasping for the next swig.

A great beer, softer and lighter than the Brains SA  but just as well put together.

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Fullers – ESB

Brewery –          Fullers

Beer –                  ESB

Alcohol –           5.9%

Origin –             London, England

Style –                Cooper Ale

Season –           Autumn

ESB stands for Extra Special Beer, and that’s exactly what it is. Champion Beer of Britain on Three Occasions, its pedigree speaks for itself.

Orangey Ruby in colour, the head is creamy white, bright and full; Sweet and fruity on the nose,  

Delightfully flavoursome, Orangeybitter-sweetness dominates, punctuated by cherry notes, with a slight spiciness.

It’s punchy, and robust, with a warming alcohol kick. The finish is thick and syrupy with a hint of bitte chocolate which compliments the orange tang.

Rich, Full-bodied, warm and wonderfully inebriating.

 

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Hawkshead – Red

Brewery –          Hawkshead

Beer –                 Red

Alcohol –          4.4%

Origin –             Staveley, Cumbria

Style –               Copper Ale

Season –           Autumn

Simple Name but red is what it is… Not slightly red, or tinted, or chestnut red, but a real vibrant red. A beautiful looking ale with a soft off white head.

The nose is of autumnal red berries, with cherry notes, and a surprising amount of chocholate.  

A wonderfully earthy bitterness awaits, with further chocolate and cherry notes, with hints of a slight spiciness. Warm, satisfying, full flavoured, leading to a dark chocholate bitter finish.

Not one you could dirnk all night, due to its robust stong flavours, but a beer to savour, delight, and devour!

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Brakspear – Triple

Brewery –           Brakspear

Beer –                  Triple

Alcohol –          7.2%

Origin –             Witney, Oxfordshire

Style –                Copper Ale

Season –            Autumn / Winter

Don’t be put off by the beers high alcohol content. Certainly not a session ale but full of vibrant flavours, it has a rich and bright copper colour, with a white creamy head.

A hint of banana’s on the nose, with a smooth and creamy mouth feel, but beefed up by a punchy alcohol kick.

Chunky, Flavoursome, Powerful, with hints of liquorice on the palate, with sweet malty biscuity undertones.

Savour the long delicious, digestive biscuit malty finish.

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Sharp’s – Doom Bar

Brewery –          Sharp’s

Beer –                  Doom Bar

Alcohol –           4%

Origin –              Cornwall, England

Style –                Golden Ale

Season –            Spring

I think the best way to describe this beer is ‘Perfectly Balanced’. I don’t really know why and how, but this the flavour, texture, and finish just seem to go together so well and this makes it an expectionally easy drinking beer, and a beer you’ll go back to again and again.

Dark Amber with an off white head, Doom Bar is fruity, hoppy and delightfully smooth. A nice hoppy nose, with just right bitter finish.

A great beer, and whilst production has increased considerably over the past few years, the level of quality has stayed exceptional.

It may not be the most exciting beer in the world, but it it always satisfying.

 

 

 

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Wadworth 6X

Brewery –          Wadworth      

Beer –                 6X

Alcohol –            4.3%

Origin –             Wiltshere, England

Style –               Copper Ale

Season –           Autumn

Wadworth 6X is a copper coloured ale with a lively luxurious head

A malty biscuity sweet aroma, is somewhat unexpected and is in contrast to the hoppy tangy flavours.  Fruity on the palate, leading to a dry and bitter finish.

I think that this is a great example of a good classic English cask ale, nothing fancy, just solid strong taste, and a rich malty taste. Most beers tend to lead towards hoppiness at the moment so it’s nice to have them malty notes last from nose to finish.

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