Beers to note - July 2017

Again delayed in getting my July beers to note up on the blog. July was a busy month with the good weather meaning I was able to tuck into a nice variety of beers. I note that most of the ones that managed to be in my list are more high percentage hitters, which might be due to having better flavour in the hotter weather. I've also got one from the different dispensing categories (can, bottle, cask and keg). Below are the beers that stood out most for me during this month:

Antwerpen Stout (Guinness) - 8% | Bottle 330ml
My first beer of the month and what a beer. I'd been hunting down this bottle for a while and finally happened across it in Tesco's. This beer also goes by the name of Guinness Special Export Stout. The beer poured a much darker colour than Guinness and packed a much bigger punch in the ABV but was great.


Mizmaze (Downton Brewery) - 4% | Cask Pint
This beer is labelled as an English bitter but it's actually very light and sweet and goes down a treat.


Brixton Porter (BrewDog) - 5% | Keg Half Pint
Happened upon by chance on one of my pub tours in Brixton. It has a roasted aroma with massive roasted malt taste. Entered my list of good porters.



Clwb Tropicana (Tiny Rebel) - 5.5% | Can 330ml
Fresh, fruity and yes as you'd expect tropical


Beer Camp Golden IPA 2017 (Sierra Nevada) - 6.5% | Keg Pint
I had quite a lot of Sierra Nevada beers in July due to a few pubs running a Sierra beer festival. They had perhaps a keg of each and it would all change regularly. I managed to have this Golden IPA at two different pubs the first time as a half and the second as a pint, and it was beautiful. There wasn't a hop hit but the fresh fruity taste is immense.

JW Lees DIPA - S.E. Drink Fresh (Cloudwater) - 9% | Keg Half Pint
This was quite pricey at £6.50 for the half but as an occasional treat this was worth it. The alcohol doesn't overpower the citrus notes coming through, and sadly the half did go quite quickly.

Beers to note - April 2017

Black Eel (Twickenham) - 5.0% | Cask Pint
The last pint in a three pint lunch time on a nice warm spring day and though it may black it wasn't a heavy body. Added to this the stein glass it was served in and the pub surrounding, and it all made for an excellent pint.



Birra Chiara (Brodie's) - 5.0% | Keg Pint
I've not been a massive fan of the Brodie's beers. I want to love them but can only ever manage one or two before I have to switch off them. This time I notice that Brodie's now had Keg beers and thought I would give them a go. After careful selection (point at anything) I select the Birra Chiara which turned out to be very much like a euro lager but with an extra hit. It went down very nicely whilst watching the football in the Old Coffee House.



London Pride Unfiltered (Fullers) - 4.1% | Keg Half Pint
So after holding off, temptation set in and I finally had a pint of London Pride Unfiltered. I had easily held off as to me Pride is one of the ales I never order due to the off taste it has. So I only had a half pint expecting the worse and surprisingly I liked it. The keg version was much more maltier and that off taste normally in Pride was more subdued. I got to the bottom of my half quite easily and ordered another half.




Whitstable Bay Black Oyster Stout (Shep Neame) - 4.2% | Keg Pint
I wasn't even aware that Shep Neame had made a Black Oyster Stout in their Whitstable Bay range so when I happened upon this I jumped straight at the opportunity. This stout is more creamy than the standard Shep Neame Double Stout but a straight comparison between the two is not possible as both are great. It's a shame these other Whitstable Bay beers aren't more commonly available in Shep Neame pubs.





Stout (Pirate Life) - 7.1% | Keg Half Pint

I only opted for a half due to the high ABV. The beer had a beautiful tan head and dark body. There is a lovely roasted smell coming off the beer. The taste is slightly bitter but with a nice malt kick.



DIPA v13 (Cloudwater Brew Co) - 9.0% | Keg 1/3 Pint
I finally had me a DIPA from Cloudwater, and it might so happen to be their last in this line. The pub was only selling in thirds due to the ABV and this is sensible. The beer is cloudy (as expected) and has an amazing citrus smell. The hops come straight through in the taste alongside a bitter orange taste.




BBC1 (Brentwood Brewing Company) - 1.5% | Cask Half Pint
Well I don't think I've ever come across a beer with this low an ABV. At 1.5% I knew what to expect. There was a weak but nice aroma coming from the beer but it severely lacked in the taste department



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Vintage Ale 2016 (Fullers) - 8.5% | Bottle 1/3 Sharer of 500ml
I had this previously on tap at GBBF but now it was time to crack open one of the bottles for a tasting. The beer was malty and dark with a clear alcohol punch coming through. Perhaps leaving to age the other bottle for longer is called for so that the flavours can develop more.





Apricot Jungle (Grafton) - 4.8% | Cask Half Pint
I had this fruit beer at the Reading beer festival and it proved very popular. The smell is spot on and the taste even better. I had this as an early starter (more like breakfast) and it went down a treat.






Old Tom (Robinsons) - 8.5% | Cask Half Pint
I've seen Old Tom in all the shops but as it's available always in bottle I've shun the need to buy and try this classic Ale. At Reading this beer was on cask and it finally called for me to tuck in to it. Although 8.5% ABV it didn't taste like it. Wonderful plum notes coming through along with a nice warming feel after. This is a top notch ale.






Afgan Pale Ale (Grey Trees) - 5.4% | Cask Half Pint
The beer with no tasting notes at the beer festival and worth a punt. This was the best Pale Ale at the festival I tried a fruity aroma that carries through into the taste and made for a wonderful beer.