Entries tagged with “England” from Malt & Barley Chronicles

A tech-focused news site offers advice to the English on which beverages to consume while watching the World Cup knockout match between England and Germany. Polite chortling ensues.

Another sampling from the elusive St. Peter's Brewery. The Cream Stout comes in a round (not elliptical) greenish glass bottle that doesn't stand out like the English Ale but still commands attention in the grocery or liquor store. Fans of oatmeal stouts should pay close attention, even though this is a thick cream stout.

Characteristics: Deep black-brown, nearly opaque color; medium carbonation; minimal head; heavy body; smooth opening has smoky notes that go malty sweet in middle and finishes with that dry Fuggles hop tang and some coffee overtones.

Minor Gripes: This is the rare specialty beer that is better on the colder end of the spectrum between "fridge" and "room temp." Since this really is a beet to savor, and I don't have a wine bucket, the fragility is tricky.

Bottom Line: I'm torn about St. Peter's Cream Stout. The initial "molten ice cream" experience quickly dissipates into an unbalanced mix. If you keep it cool, it's a richly rewarding stout.

Rating: 6 / 10 at the right temp, 4.5 / 10 when it gets too warm.

Cain's is an old time local brewery resurrected in more recent times by the Dusanj family. And while I am sure the original style was not made with California raisins, this beer is still a tasty diversion.

Characteristics: Yellow-amber color, minimal head and low carbonation, medium body, starts a little flat and builds into a restrained fruit middle with that english Fuggles hop finish and aftertaste.

Minor Gripes: I was expecting a fruit cake spiciness that never showed up.  A hint or coriander or nutmeg would add depth in the middle and finish, though I wouldn't want this to reach winter ale status.

Bottom Line: Treat this like a proper English bitter and let it warm a little, and it becomes more enjoyable. Just don't expect a real strong raisin element (based on the one I sampled).

Rating: 5.5 / 10

In my experience, Murphy's is the third-most popular of the major Irish stouts (after Guinness and Beamish) -- a little bit harder to find, but certainly worth the effort.

Characteristics: Rich blackish-brown (nearly opaque) color with the classic tan creamy head, nitrogen widget can pour that takes about a minute to settle to light carbonation, smooth toasted malt flavors with just enough hops (especially at the beginning of each sip, and then lingering at the back of the tongue) to keep the sweetness out.

Minor Gripes: Is it bad that this beer goes down so easy?  It would be nice to find this on tap more often... instead, one Irish pub in my neighborhood has stopped offering Beamish on tap (presumably for lack of sales) and I've only seen Murphy's in a great bar / guest house in Milwaukee.

Bottom Line: Admittedly, I've never understood the fear that many people have of Irish stouts... I find them easy to drink, perhaps even on the lighter end of the spectrum (especially compared with beers like the chocolate porters).  And overall I'd rather drink Murphy's than Guinness from the nitro-can.

Rating: 6.75 / 10

From the BBC and Associated Press -- a brew for man's best friend.  I can't say that I'd be sampling it any time soon (beef extract isn't my flavor of choice along with malted barley, even if Guinness has been reputed to have some kind of animal component), but I certainly share the sentiments of its creator.

From Slashdot and The Register -- England Starts Fingerprinting Drinkers.  I can understand some forms of crowd control, but this seems a wee bit over the top.  Then again, England is reputed to be one of the hardest-drinking countries on the planet... there was a great BBC News article on the subject a few weeks back, but I can't seem to find it any more.

I saw this at a restaurant in Milwaukee and had to sample it.  Smooth, low-key, fairly easy-drinking. Certified organic hops and barley is a plus, as is the gorgeous green glass flask (which I unfortunately neglected to photograph...).

Characteristics: Light gold and slightly cloudy, light-to-medium carbonation, light body, subtle nutty and oakey flavors, with a warm, round, and slightly bitter finish. 

Minor gripes:  The flavors were so subtle that garlicky food completely overpowered it.  Also, the body was so thin that it was hard to hold the beer in my mouth long enough to investigate some of the flavors.

Bottom Line:  Did I use the word "light" enough times in this review?  Certainly worth sampling, but not quite ready to be a regular part of my rotation (assuming I could find it in DC).

Rating: 5 / 10

I first tried this beer about five years ago in a bar in the East Village. When I found it in a bar in Milwaukee about 4 months later, it was among the worst experiences I'd ever had -- and I was sad. I've tried a few since, and nothing has matched that first taste, but the widget can is FAR superior to the bottles.

Characteristics: Nitro-pour resolves to a reddish-gold with creamy head, light to medium body, tangy and slightly toasted malty flavors with a little caramel in the mix.

Minor Gripes: Inconsistency in the import market... both in the freshness factor and the misguided idea that both bottles and widgeted cans should be sold over here. Guinness learned its lesson nearly 10 years ago (switching to all widgets) -- hopefully Morland can afford to do the same.

Bottom Line: In my recent tour of English widgeted cans, Old Speckled Hen slots in between Tetley's and Boddington's / Wexford -- it's a little creamy, more flavorful than the yellow ales, but lacking the bitterness of the Tetley's. When it's on, this is a fantastic beverage.

Rating: 6 / 10 (when fresh and widgeted; deduct 1 full point if missing either)

The widgeted can proclaims that Tetley's is "Yorkshire's Finest Pub Ale" -- if so, then I'm thinking that the tastebuds are a little different up that way ... though it does explain a little something about musical heroes like David Gedge or the current crop of madness coming out of Sheffield.  Tetley's looks and pours like a Boddington, but trades the clean taste for an earthy bitterness.

Characteristics: Amber-gold color emerges from nitrogenated widget pour, with a nice persistent head; light-to-medium body, smooth but strong  opening resolves into slightly malty bitterness (as opposed to a hoppy bite).

Minor Gripes: The bitter edge gets a little sweet as the beer warms, and the overall flavor profile can run a little chalky.

Bottom Line: If this is a true English bitter, then sign me up for additional samples.  (This site gets lots of search hits for "boddington's bitter" -- not the first identification I'd use.)  It's not yet my idea of an everyday beer, but certainly could be (especially if I was tasting it relatively fresh with a properly pulled pint).

Rating: 5.5 / 10

Technorati: Tetley's, Leeds, Yorkshire, Bitter, Ale