Golden Ale

When the lager lout says that beer is an old man’s drink, the reply is to ask if they have ever thought of growing up.

Beware the Barmaid’s Smile!, by “Chris Thompson” (George Williamson), 1987

Golden ale is a beer that falls into the rather broad category of pale ales. Typically, it is made with a higher proportion of light malts, giving the golden colour, and more heavily hopped than lager. According to the Guardian, this type of ale is relatively young, developed in the 1980’s by British brewers to stem the rise in younger drinkers turning to lager. 

Cracking idea.

It may have taken 30-plus years, but it seems like this finally happening. Sales in golden ale have shot up close to 70% between April 2012-13, and even Guiness now produce a gold. 

Lagers, on the other hand, have been in steady decline. Since the recession bit in deeply in 2009, peoples drinking habits have changed. Days of heavy binging (mostly on lager) have been in decline, with more and more people choosing to drink at home. Lager sales dropped from £12.7bn in 2006 to £11.4bn in 2011. Take into account above-inflation price increases over that time frame, and the decline is even more startling. 

Back to the lustrous nectar.

Popularity in pale ales has increased so dramatically, even Tesco has reacted by stocking its own line of golden ale, and doubled its range. 

Golden ale is a gateway for former lager consumers to dip their toe into the world of ales. It’s a lighter tasting beer than some of its darker cousins, yet still gives a good, hoppy, flavoursome thirst-quencher of a drink. 

Lager has had a good run, now it’s time for the ales to take their crown back.

Personal Favourites

Golden Ale – the Celt Experience

Clogwyn Gold – Bragdy Conwy Brewery

Gold – Big Rig Brewery

Dorothy Goodbody’s Golden Ale – Wye Valley Brewery

Golden ales are a great summer drink, and an even better way to get into ale. Once you get accustomed to the shallows, head to the deeper waters and sample stronger flavoured IPAs, or slightly sweeter porters or milds. It’s a journey to savour and enjoy.

World Beers

As my journey through the myriad of ales that populate the market continues, I am finding my taste is both broadening and narrowing simultaneously.

How is that?

It seems a bit of a juxtaposition, however I find that whilst I am starting to enjoy a wider range of styles of beer, I am getting more picky in my definitions of what makes a good beer or a great beer.

A brilliant thing that is happening in the market lately is more and more craft ale is becoming more readily available; Morrisons, for example, have a brilliant range of British beers, and a decent selection of world beers, especially those from across the pond; Waitrose is superb with its range of craft American, British and classic European beers; Tesco has a better range than it used to (I can remember working there when Punk IPA by Brewdog was first launched, I think I was the only person buying it then), and they have their own range of Revisionist ales available; the discount stores (Aldi and Lidl) stock decent European beers, as well as some British ones; where as Asda seems to be lagging behind the trend (I’m lucky I can get Weihenstephan Kristall there).

This increase in availability has lead me to experiment more. I used to really enjoy (mostly) IPAs, and Morrisons stocked Shipyard IPA, Brewdog Punk IPA (still an amazing beer), amongst others. Now the ranges available had increased, I started to experiment with ales I was not used to, getting out of my comfort zone. The previously mentioned Weihenstephan Kristall is an absolute stunner of a Kristallweizen, Franziskaner Hefeweissbier is a gem of a Hefeweizen, and I love Belgian Witbiers like Hoegaarden and Vedett Blanc.

In terms of American craft ales, the punchy, in-your-face flavours being developed are amazing. I’m turning into a hop-head, Seirra Nevada Torpedo IPA is a grapefruit-laden, intensely piney ale, and at 7.2% has masses of body. Sixpoint Brewery in New York is turning out some fantastically flavoured beers, their German pilsner The Crisp is a lovely Vienna-style lager, Bengal Tiger is an incredibly powerful IPA, chock block full of hops, pine and citrus.
From Canada, Tankhouse Ale from Mill Street Brewery is another gorgeous American Pale Ale definitely worth trying if you can find it. I was lucky with a friend bringing me a bottle back from a trip to Canada, so cheers for that , Norf!

So as you can see, my taste has broadened. But I’m getting picky.

Choosy.

And if you’re spend your hard-earned wedge on beers to really savour and enjoy, as I am tending to do, I want good quality stuff.

Unfortunately, some beers are just falling short of the mark. Their good, but a bit wishy-washy. A tad “could’ve tried harder”. They would get a C+ in an exam. Without naming ales or breweries, I’m finding some are not hitting the high notes they should. Some of the Hefeweizen I’ve tried lately pale in comparison to Weihenstephaner. Some of the British beers that try and emulate the US craft ales are not there – they miss the point of the IPA, for example, by not blowing your head off with hops. That’s the point of the American counterparts, powerful, brazen flavours.

Britain is fighting back in some areas, though. Several of my favourite beers are produced lovingly on these briny, sea-battered shores of ours.

The Celt Experience, from Caerphilly, produce stunning beers. Golden Age, La Tène, and Castell Coch are great quality ales, to name but three.

Oakham Ales make possibly my favourite beer ever, a single hop American Pale Ale called Citra. Powerfully citrus based, but with hints of passion fruit and lychee throughout, a beautifully fruity beer can be enjoyed.

Another Welsh brewery, Bragdy Conwy, also make some fantastic beers, with Minerva Mountain Ale a standout.

And, of course,

Brewdog.
Leaving the best til last, Punk IPA, Dead Pony Pale Ale, Brixton Porter, Hardcore IPA, 5AM Saint, the list is fantastic. I love this brewery.

The point of this post today is simple.

Get out there and try more. Broaden your horizons. Taste. Of course, you’ll get some you don’t like. You’ll get some mediocre. Some will end up session beers that do the job if you’re out for a while and all that is available is that or mass-produced crap.
But…
But you will find gems.

I promise.

Budget Beer

Austerity.
Driven by a crash in the economy still being felt worldwide.
Taxes being driven up to pay for less services and more expensive goods.
A Tory government that claims to be doing more for the have nots, but ultimately is looking after those who have and want more.
More and more people are turning to cheaper ways of shopping, just look at the number of pound shops and B&M Bargain shops springing up. Also, for their daily bread, Aldi and Lidl are getting a greater share of grocery shoppers from Tesco, Asda and the like.
Which brings me nicely to the subject of this entry!

Steinhäuser German Lager. 5.0%.

A lager from Aldi, the first in a budget review, and a good one to start with. The lager pours well, a decent inch of white foamy head which fades to a quarter of an inch quite quickly. I should invest in some better glasses me thinks! A good light yellow/straw colour liquid refracts the light nicely.
The nose is faint but appetising, some grassy notes and a pinch of lemon zest. Taste follows suit, a light, malty sweetness, followed by cut grass, a little citrus and finishes with bitter lemon zest. A good quality lager made in Germany, so the German purity law is followed. And at £3.99 for six bottles, not a bad price either.

Tasting Notes 7

A belated entry today, it’s been a while, with training in work and a holiday taking priority the last two weeks, but it hasn’t stopped my quest for the crafted elixir!

At the moment, pub chain JD Wetherspoon have a great beer festival on the go. It’s who I work for, and the beer festivals was a great bonus to joining them. I get to see and taste a good array of ales over a relatively short space of time, and it gives me the chance to add a few more entries! Today, there’s three festival ales to be enjoyed, and a bottle from Tenby where I enjoyed a short break with the family!

Brains White Out. 4.0%.

First up, a limited release from Cardiff’s brewery, White Out. Not a strong ale by volume, but plenty of taste. Pours a lovely light yellow/hay colour with a decent head that lasts well and leaves great lacing. On the nose is a typical IPA infusion of passion fruit and grapefruit, clean and refreshing. The taste is slightly sweeter than I was expecting given the scents, a lovely sweetness of oranges. This gives way to other, sharper citrus fruits and grapefruit, and finishes with a good punchy floral bitterness. Really good.

Conwy Brewery. Hop Infusion. 3.9%.

Another Welsh ale, this time from the north of the country. An amber/golden colour, again pours well with a good head, less lacing from this ale. There’s sweeter notes coming from this pint, more caramel sweetness from the malts, with a light floral edge. It’s a lighter taste too, with a crisp bitterness first, followed by a mandarin sweetness, caramel and distinct malt sweetness. I don’t get much of the Fuggles hop taste from this, seems a bit misleading. An alright beer, not great though.

Everards/Urthel Hildegard’s Solange. 6.0%.

A Belgian beer guest brewed at Everards Brewery in Leicester, this is a Saison style ale that I am falling in love with. A fantastic hazy yellow in colour, with a thick, creamy head that leaves great lacing all down the glass. The nose is incredible, clean crisp lemon zest, pineapple and apricot, and cut grass. It’s so enticing. So I dive in. And the taste is amazing. Sweetness straight off, the pineapple and apricot really coming through strong. The beer finishes with a strong bitterness, some coriander and a lovely dry edge. I really love this style of beer, and this is a great example.

Tenby Ales. Old Mariners. 4.0%.

Finally, the holiday brew! A rich, coppery beer fills the glass, with a decent head atop. The nose gives toffee and caramel notes, slightly nutty too thanks to the roasted malts. A good slurp fills the mouth with rich, creamy toffee and caramel, followed by a biscuity/nutty dryness and finishes with a slightly floral, crisp bitterness. A very good beer from West Wales.

Cheers for taking the time to read my blogs, and apologies for no pictures in this entry!

Tasting Notes 6

After several tastings of far reaching and exotic nectars of late, it’s about time I tried a few more local beers. However, with a new range of American ales getting into mainstream pubs, there’s also a review of a Sixpoint craft ale! Exciting times for ale lovers!

Rhymney Brewery. dark. 4.0%.

First up is a beer that is produced locally to me, one of their breweries is five miles from my home town.
Rhymney Brewery do a good range of traditional (and seasonal) ales that are easily available around Wales. This is the first time I’ve tried the Dark, so here goes!
When poured, a warm, chocolate, chestnut/mahogany colour fills the glass, topped by a creamy textured head that fades fairly quickly. The beer gives hints of biscuit, roast malt and toasted whole meal bread. The taste of malty sweetness, followed by chocolate and a slight sourness, with a coffee bitter finish. It’s not overpowering, but leaves a cocoa powder taste for a good thirty seconds, quite luxurious and comforting. A good dark beer.

Wye Valley Brewery. Butty Bach. 4.5%.

Wye Valley is a little further afield, in Herefordshire but still features on tap in several local pubs. And the one I’m reviewing today, Butty Bach, was a favourite of mine at a restaurant in Usk. This is the first time I’ve tried it from the bottle.
The ale pours a lovely coppery colour, again with a good creamy head that fades. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong with my glass, probably residue after washing ** Note to self, swill glass before pouring**. There’s a great smell of malty sweetness, rich and almost dried fruit. A good glug gives sweetness, almost honey-like. There’s a slight yeasty taste, and a light bitter finish. It’s a good beer that’s not complex, and doesn’t need to be.

Sixpoint Brewery. Sweet Action. 5.2%.

Sixpoint is a relatively young brewery, gracing Brooklyn in NYC from 2004. I’m not sure when the first beers became available in the UK, but Bengali Tiger was a guest ale at Wetherspoons during a beer festival last autumn. As a result, three Sixpoint craft ale “mini-kegs” are available in Wetherspoon pubs around the land. Up for review today is a part malt part wheat beer, something I’m really intrigued by as I really enjoy Belgian wit beers, so this (hopefully) will be a good experience!
The ale pours well from the can, a stunning hazy red/burnt sienna colour. There’s good head, with great lacing down the glass. It’s a punchy beer, with strong aromas of grapefruit, passion fruit and a background hint of grass. The flavours follow through, with the strong pungent taste of mango and passion fruit, almost perfumed sweetness taking centre stage. This is followed by a citrus-packed grapefruit and lemon zest finish. It’s a heavily hopped beer, and being a hop head, I love it. But it may not be for everyone.

Cheers for the read, hope you enjoy!

Tasting Notes 5

After a small hiatus, I’m back to bring a review of a few beers from a Cornish brewery I’m ashamed to say I’ve not heard of before, Keltek Brewery. First established in 1997, it’s grown over the years to now have several pubs, as well as a “vast number of national and international awards”. And I can see why.

Beheaded. 7.5%.

A healthy, strong ale to start the taste test, coming in at 7.5% and bringing plenty of body and punch with it. A great pour, lovely, warm chestnut coloured ruby ale. Great head that lasts with good lacing. On the nose is quite sweet, malty, with hints of caramel and Demerara sugar. The taste. Good, roasted malt sweetness to begin, followed by dried fruit and plum. Hint of liquorice in there too. A little bitter edge to finish. Deceptive, as the belies strength. Good start for the Cornish!

King. 5.1%.

Next up, King premium bitter, decent strength on this one, and another good pour, head fades a little to 1/4 in but stays down the glass. Great colour, rich amber, almost orange. Nose is good, slightly grassy with citrus zest and a floral hit. Doesn’t prepare me for the taste though.

POW!

There is a slight hint of malted sweetness, then a huge wallop of grapefruit and lemon. It’s bitter, not unpleasant by any means, and a floral finish gives this ale a great end. The hop heads out there will enjoy this, I loved it.

Lance. 4.0%.

Finishing up is a mellower beer, coming in at 4% but not lacking in flavour. Lance (feels like I’m calling it by name there) pours well, a glimmering golden hue. Head is good, again lasting the complete glass. Nose is again citrus with more hops present this time. Taste follows suit, more lemon, grapefruit (not as powerful as King) and sweeter orange and mango comes through. Caramel. A nice sweeter edge and a little bitterness to finish and cleanse.

It’s always good to discover a new brewery (new to me at least) and even better when the beer is this good.

Cheers!

Homebrew

My love of all things ale, beer, stout et al has lead me to an age old pastime. One that my father used to indulge in, my brothers have flirted with, and my sister is also in the process of.

home brewing.

We have all taken slightly different directions, my brothers both made cider, my sister is currently making parsnip wine, and I have crafted forty bottles of IPA.

My father was a bit of an aficionado by all accounts, dabbling in all in turn. I remember finding bottles of strawberry wine, and my mother has told me, on countless occasions, of how, at the tender age of two-and-a-half, I summoned the strength of ten tigers to pull over a keg of fermenting brew, drenching myself and creating an ale tsunami in the living room. Some how, I don’t think this show of muscular performance impressed her.

So now is my turn.

I’ve been drinking ales for a good few years now, and it was the logical next step. I’ve also read a few forums on home brew, and there is a bit of a mad scientist, cloaks and shadows feel to it. I like that.

I’ve always been interested in chemistry, and I think I’ve got a bit of an artistic, crafting side to me, so this blends the two together. I can gel the step-by-step with the creative, I love the idea.

To the process.

About a month ago, I got my first home brew kit and caboodle: fermenter, tap, valve, hydrometer, little-bottler (an outstanding bit of equipment) paddle, bottles, tops, capper, sanitiser, carbonation pellets.

And, most importantly, the elixir.

I went for Coopers IPA, a well known brand and seemed like a great place to start. Brewing sugar, light malt, yeast, all the jazz to go with it. And I enjoy an IPA.

So I begin.

Sanitising is the most important part of the whole process. You could have the best recipe out there, but you need clean equipment or you end up with a bacteria-filled soup. Not nice. Sanitising doesn’t take long, and the effort will improve results no end.

Next up, mixing.

The IPA can is held in fairly hot water to get the contents all nice and liquid, making it easier to get the whole contents out of the can. And the smell of it when opened is stunning. Malty-sweetness, a bitter edge from the hops, lovely. Mix this with some hot water (all quantities on the instructions) and stir in the sugar and malt. I had to stir for a good 15 minutes as the malt turned into a large lump, won’t be adding it all at once again!

Top the vat up with cold water, measure the gravity of the liquid, and mix in the yeast. Simple. A little time consuming, but worth putting in that extra effort and not rushing it.

Fast forward nine days and fermentation has stopped. The odd popping of the valve has desisted, the curve in the lid of the vat has dropped, so I take another hydrometer reading. It’s dropped from 1036 to 1004 suggesting final ABV will work out at 4.5% after bottle conditioning. Not bad for something made in my kitchen!

The bottling process is laborious, taking around two hours all in, from sanitation to washing to drying to filling, priming and eventually capping. But I still found it enjoyable. And so did my 3 year-old son Haydn. He found it thoroughly enjoyable passing me the clean, dry bottles so I could use the little bottler to fill them.

Once completed, all forty bottles capped, equipment cleaned and stored away, there is only two steps left.

1. Conditioning. The bottles I kept inside for a fortnight. According to the instructions, the beer is then good for step two.

2. Drink. The whole point of the process. Enjoying the fruits of your labour.

However.

A tip I had off twitter was to leave the bottles condition for as long as possible. At least until T-shirt weather. This will only help the product improve. Another tip I had was to keep the beers inside to condition for two weeks first, then move outside. I want to get my first attempt as good as I possibly can, so I’m following both tips.

So now I wait, patiently, as time does his thing and allows the ale to gently develop and mature, and build my anticipation for the first drop of home-made IPA to pass my lips. In the mean time that leaves me only one alternative.

More ales to drink and blog about!

Cheers!!

Tasting Notes 4

A new week, and a new addition to the blog!
Again, a good selection of far flung ales, from Belgium, Russia, California (via Wolverhampton) and Sweden. Let’s begin with Belgium.

Timmerman’s Pêche Lambic. 4.0%

A traditional fruit beer from Belgium, lambic meaning no yeast is added but micro organisms ferment in open vessels before fruit is added. The peach caught my eye as I have tried framboise and strawberry before.

On pouring, the sweet perfume of peach fills the air. A decent head forms, slightly yellow in colour, and holds all the way down the glass. On tasting, the flavour of peach is obvious, sweet and creamy in texture, but you also get a slight almond bitterness finish. A very good fruit beer, would be great in the summer.

Brutal Brewing Pistonhead Kustom Lager. 4.6%

Swedish lager from Spendrups Bryggeri in Grängesberg.

First try of a Swedish lager, only had fruit ciders before, so here goes…

Good looking bottle, pours well with a light straw colour and light head that thins out.
Slightly spicy nose, a little lemongrass, with a sweet tinge.
Tastes good, more pilsner in style with the light spiciness apparent, a fresh grassy taste. The finish is good, lightly dry with a bit more citrus, probably due to the cascade hops used to make it. A good example of what lagers can be like.

Courage Imperial Russian Stout. 10.0%

Imperial stout, ramping up the alcohol content. Pours well, glossy tar in colour with a good head, liquorice in colour. Smells of dark roast coffee, a sweetness there too, dried fruit. Think raisins or currants.

Taste. The important bit. First hit is good, the dark roast bitterness of coffee. Things go down hill from there for me. The sweetness that comes next is quite sickly, the raisins really taking over. It’s not pleasant. The texture is thick too, making it hard to drink. Takes a good 45 mins to polish off. This is not a stout I like.

Three Weavers and Golden Road Breweries California Session IPA. 4.8%

A collaboration here from two American breweries, guest brewing at Banks Brewery here in the UK. And what a result.

Slightly cloudy when pulled, which soon fades (patients is key) with a warm orange hue and creamy white head which lasts well.
The smell fill your nose with everything good about American IPAs. Grapefruit. Passion fruit. Mango. Floral bouquet. Damn it smells good. The taste doesn’t disappoint. Again, all the key flavours are present, tropical fruits above and more, pineapple and orange make an appearance. Then the floral characters of the hops take centre-stage, leading up to a crisp, clean bitter finish. If you like American IPAs, then this is for you. Creamy in texture and bags of flavour, a stunner in my books.

Following on from the blog and my love of ale, I’ve started doing a bit of home brewing! It’s exciting as it lets me understand more of the whole process, as well as (hopefully) getting some good quality beer that I can take pride in knowing I have made it.
So the next entry I’ll be making in (roughly) a weeks time will be about that!

Thanks for reading, I’m over the moon to see my stuff is being read in the USA, Canada and New Zealand, as well as here in the UK. Again, feel free to comment and ill comment back!

Cheers!!

Brains Beer

Brains.

A stalwart of the Welsh brewing industry, existing as SA Brains since 1882, but having been around in several guises since the 1700’s.
Classic ales such as SA, SA Gold, Brains Bitter, Reverend James and Brains Dark have been available in most Welsh pubs for many years. But to me, therein lies a problem.

Classic.

In no way am I saying that the beers are old and of an out-dated style. Reverend James (aka the Rev) is still a fantastic ale, but it feels as though Brains has stagnated and relied on these ales for too long. The last new addition was Brains Black, a stout, in 2010.

I’ve been concerned that Brains would fall by the wayside, become a workingman’s club staple.

It appears I’m wrong.

There are some fantastic, artisan-style and imaginative ales coming out of Cardiff.

And here is a review of a handful of their beers.

Brains Craft Brewery

In 2012, a craft brewing arm was launched and it appears to be going from strength to strength, with a vast selection of ales being produced. Here is my view on two of them.

Barry Island IPA. 6.0%

With my love of American IPA’s, this was the first bottle that caught my eye. And it’s no let down. Made with three types of hops, it’s a strongly flavoured ale. Golden in colour, and typically citrus packed aromas are backed up by a smooth malt taste, swiftly followed by grapefruit, lemon and lime flavours and a punchy bitter finish. A new classic, this deserves to be available in the US for sure.

Boilermaker. 6.5%

Another IPA, this time slightly darker in colour, more coppery. This one is brewed with Penderyn whisky infused oak chips in casks from the distillery, which in turn impart a flavour and aroma on the ale. There are hints of vanilla and caramel when smelled, the influence of the whisky coming through, and this continues with the flavour. Creamy in texture, and complex with traditional citrus flavours of the American hops followed by toffee and vanilla, and a crisp bitter finish. Really good ale.

Organ Morgan. 4.0%

Taking inspiration from a Dylan Thomas character, this seasonal golden ale has a dry, biscuity nose with hints of orange/mandarin citrus. Upon drinking, the orange flavours continue, almost marmalade with light bitterness to finish. Thirst-quenchingly good.

Jack Black. 4.3%

Another Dylan Thomas inspired beer, this time an oatmeal stout. When poured, it has a lovely creamy head, in texture and colour. You really get the smell of porridge when you breathe it in too, nutty and smooth. Also, hints of strong espresso. On tasting the oatmeal is still present, less so but still noticeable, but the taste of coffee and bitter chocolate really shine through. A great stout.

After a bit more research, Brains is very much alive and kicking, with several seasonal ales produced throughout the year and many more artisan IPAs, ales, Helles style lagers and others being produced by their craft arm.

I was being naive to think such a well-recognised brewery would rest on its laurels. It’s survived and flourished because it moves and changes with tastes, the classics survive because they are that.

Classic.

Tasting Notes 3

A belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
A time of festivities, catching up with friends new and old, and undoubtedly a drop of grog along the way!
As a beer lover, I tend to get a few bottles over the Christmas period as gifts. Which is great! Easy to buy for, and usually easily satisfied.
This year was no exception.
A gift pack of four real ales found itself sitting under my Christmas tree, most of which I’ve had before, but still pleasing none the less.

This selection I believe came from Boots, they also do a lager and cider selection pack along the same lines.
Marstons Resolution Ale. 4.7%
Marstons are a brewery of one of my favourite ales, Old Empire IPA, so I was hopeful this ale would be of similar quality. I wasn’t disappointed. The colour of golden honey when poured, the nose followed suit with a sweet, maltiness. Upon tasting, the beer was crisp, malty and a full sweetness, though not overpowering, with a light refreshing finish.

Alton fff Ale. 3.8%
This beer and brewery I hadn’t heard of before, so was intrigued to try this. When poured, I was surprised to see it was a still ale, but pleasing to the eye with a warm copper colour. On the nose, it is light and floral, with spiced lemongrass notes. Taste was similar, along the lines of an IPA with a floral beginning, grapefruit middle and a snappy bitter end. Great beer, seek it out.

Youngs Light Ale. 3.2%
A lighter ale in colour, flavour and strength, slightly bronzed, not much nose, slightly malty if anything. Taste is more or less the same, slight malty sweetness with a light bitter end, and little body to it. More like a mild beer. Not to my taste, but not offensive.

Shepherds Neame Spitfire Kentish Ale. 4.5%
An old classic was the last ale to pass my lips, and I finished on a high. A warm, chestnut colour, with a malty, slightly fruity bouquet. On tasting, it follows the nose with a good malt hit, followed by a little sweet citrus and finishing with a slight bitterness. You can see why it’s popular.

There’ll be a few more beers coming up tomorrow, and a look at Brains Brewery and what is going on there, with some new exciting upstarts giving the stalwarts of SA and Reverend James a run for their money.

Cheers for reading!