This bottle is a fruitier version of the Headless Fog. Still hoppy but less bitter at the end. 4.3%. Not bad at all. I prefer the Headless Dog but I would happily drink this as an alternative. Nice.
The boss man at work reckoned this bottle would make yesterday’s Titanic seem ordinary. I wouldn’t say that but I prefer it for sure. It’s hoppy bitterness has a much nicer taste and a lovely aftertaste. It’s 4.2% and so easy to drink. I would certainly buy this one too. Lovely bottle.
This Pale Ale was specially commissioned to mark the regeneration of the Queens Island site in Belfast. As the bottle says it is clean and refreshing with a good level of bitterness. It has a sweet honey taste to it too. I hope Ocado sell this one because it really goes down well. I could imagine drinking this refreshing bottle all day in the summer.
Five more bottles have landed my way courtesy of Kev in Ocado. These are all from Northern Ireland – from the College Green Brewery and The Hilden Brewery. Reviews to follow but here’s the teaser.
So. Did I save the best until last? Well you can’t really compare a stout with an IPA but this is pretty nice. This dry stout is certainly dry and has a nice coffee/chocolate finish. Not too much like some stouts.
I couldn’t drink this all night but I’d be happy with one or two. Not bad at all.
So much for not drinking mid-week!
Clotworthy Dobbin is a 5.0% bottle and the third of the three bottles from Whitewater Brewery. Really not sure about this one. It tastes like a stout that you’ve left for a while and when you’ve gone back to it there’s that dull bland taste in your mouth that makes you wish you’d finished it when you poured it!
I’m sure this could have been a good bottle but it just isn’t quite right.
The second bottle we tried was Belfast Ale. Belfast is a dark amber ale with a rich malt flavour and an earthy aroma. It is brewed from three different hop varieties. As the bottle notes suggest this is has a distinctive bitterness. Not sure about the smooth finish – but a lovely bitter indeed. Not as nice as the Copperhead but very nice indeed. It doesnt stand out from other bitters I’ve had on tap but this is one of the better bottled ones. I’d love to have this on draught in a proper Irish pub.
I was gifted four bottles of Whitewater to try by Kevin in Ocado. It’s been a while since I’ve a spell on the bottles do this helped me back on track. This is an Irish Brewery from the heart of the Mourne mountains. Drinking them in strength order I tried Copperhead first. This craft brewed bottle is quite excellent. It is 3.7%, is copper coloured and is very hoppy. It is also quite dry and spicy. I had it with some salmon and hand made chunky chips. Very pleasant accompaniment. I will almost certainly be buying this one again. It’s just the ticket.
What a find. We were wandering back to the shops and I’ve found one of my favourite ales. Nethergate Augustinian. This is in perfect nick and I just love it. [5/5]. On a side note two blokes talking about playing musical instruments. One guy said he was a purveyor of the pink Oboe. Hopefully I just have a dirty mind.
Long time so hear!
Alefinder are out in Cambridge after a very long break. We’ve been getting in to Whisky for a while. This ale is one of only two ales available which is pretty weird for a Wetherspoons. Apparently they misjudged a busy day yesterday. This is a very easy to drink bitter. I could easily drink a few I these – but I won’t as I fancy something stronger. [3/5].
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- College Green Brewery Belfast Blonde http://t.co/FL6fvjl0
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- Belfast Quarters - Titanic Quarter Beer http://t.co/cfgqam33
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- College Green Brewery Belfast Blonde
- College Green Brewery Headless Dog
- Belfast Quarters – Titanic Quarter Beer
- Five More Bottles
- Whitewater Brewery – Belfast Black
- Whitewater Brewery – Clotworthy Dobbin
- Whitewater Brewery – Belfast Ale
- Whitewater Brewery – Copperhead
- Nethergate Augustinian — The St. Radegund, Cambridge
- Firey Liz – The Tivoli, Cambridge
- Ed Read: I thought I'd let you know that a barrel lasts longer than polys or demis. It's all a question of whether your beer is bright (without sediment) or l
- Tony: Two years later to the day and another trip to the Wallace finds no more Bombardier on tap ! Quelle Horreur!! Maybe it was just a bad day !
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A work in progress containing: pub recommendations, ales and more importantly letting you know where to find the good stuff in the UK, along with bottled ale reviews.
Tony & Brad