Beers to note - March 2017

I'm still playing catch up due to losing the first two weeks of March for write ups, though am now into my March write ups, and hoping to keep up the good post rate. During March I managed to sample 69 beers with 39 of these being 'new' to me (56%). These beers were consumed in 44 different locations, mainly pubs, of these 21 were 'new' to me. I'm using the term 'new' as I'm basing the data on Untappd data which I only started using about 18 months ago. So although I may have had a beer or visited a pub before, I'm considering it 'new' if it was before 18 months.

Of those 69 beers I had in March the below are the ones that stood out most for me:


Guinness Rye Pale Ale (Guinness) - 5.0% | Bottle 500ml
I think I remember the press release about the newest beer in the Brewer's Project from Guinness but had put it to back of mind and not thought of locating it. I happened to be in Morrisons looks for a bottle of Draught Guinness Original when my attention was brought to the Rye Pale Ale. I picked it up without hesitation (along with the Guinness Original). The beer tasted good, as it was both light but spicy. The beer tasted miles better than their Hop House 13 and is definitely competing with the West Indies Porter. I can't wait to taste the next in the series as they've tended to be quite good.



Honkers Ale (Goose Island) - 4.3% | Bottle 355ml
I've seen this a few times in pubs but never gone for it as I'm not a massive fan of Goose Island IPA. Well I was certainly surprised by this beer, firstly with it being a bitter and secondly tasting so amazing. Such a shame this was only 355ml as I could have done with a 500ml version.






Dave (Great Heck) - 3.8% | Cask Pint
I didn't have great expectations for this beer as the venue itself wasn't that great and it was served in a doombar glass. But the beer shone through the venue and delivered its wonderful malty taste. And at 3.8% can easily be sessioned.






Moment of Clarity (Siren) - 4.7% | Keg Pint
The price I had for this abv beer seemed quite high but it was worth the money in the taste it delivered. The beer was slightly hazy but came through with a tropical fruit taste and the hops. Not a session beer, particularly at the price I paid.



Little Haka (The Little Beer Corporation) - 3.5% | Keg Pint
Perfect example of new world hops in an ale. Light and bitter yet a sweet after taste. Best of all was the amazing fruity aroma the beer gives off, which makes it even more enjoyable to drink. At 3.5% and with a nose like that, it's certainly night out material.




Digital IPA (Yeastie Boys) - 5.7% | Bottle 330ml
Another brilliant example of new world hops this time in a stronger beer. The nose is still there but not as powerful but the flavour is sweet and hoppy.




XB (Theakston) - 4.5% | Bottle 500ml
I've had a few Theakston beers in my time but I don't think I've ever had this classic, and I must say its now become a favourite of mine. It was a nice bitter with some good malts coming through.







Ram Rod (Charles and Wells) - 5.2% | Bottle 275ml
I've always liked the Charles Wells small bottle beers such as Ram Rod and Light Ale. I know they're aimed to be used in mixtures such as light and mild but on their own they're excellent tasting. The Ram Rod is particularly enjoyable as the 275ml is a perfect size for the high ABV.